Going Beyond The Extranet. Akin Gump s Journey Beyond the Extranet. Akin Gump at a Glance

Transcription

1 Going Beyond The Extranet Session Agenda I. Extranet Case Studies Mary F. Panetta Director of Knowledge Management, Akin Gump Charlotte Logullo Technology Consulting Manager, Foley & Lardner Connie Hoffman Director of Client Technology, Bryan Cave II. Panel Discussion on the Impact of Web 2.0 Akin Gump s Journey Beyond the Extranet Mary F. Panetta Director of Knowledge Management Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Akin Gump at a Glance 900+ attorneys in 12 offices US, Europe, Middle East and Asia Incumbent extranet: Documentum s eroom (900+ sites) KM and Marketing Merger (1/1/2008) 1

2 C-VIEW: Changing the Service Model Goals: Create a one-stop hub for all aspects of client relationship Improve efficiency and make client s life easier Program Features: Searchable access to historic and current matter materials Collaboration: shared calendar, draft review Relationship management tools Access to firm s KM and other value added tools Pilot Program 2005 client pilot program with 55 participants in 5 client organizations Provided d a customized eroom and access to some KM documents Feedback and Observations Almost everyone logged in at least once Long visits but comparatively few visits High number of documents opened Survey of participants indicated that: Search of matter documents trumps all offerings Access to KM and video CLE is important Clients viewed the program and the firm favorably 2

3 BUT. Not for the reasons we expected. Beyond Extranets Charlotte Logullo Technology Consulting Manager Foley & Lardner LLP Foley & Lardner Overview attorneys, with offices throughout the United States, Brussels, Shanghai, and Tokyo Extranet platform, FOLEY ClientSuite (750+ active sites) Budget Dashboard integration

4 Budget Management Dashboard Simple web-based high-level budget review screen Tool provides: A graphical presentation of the budget and schedule End-of-matter cost projection, based on life-to-date and last seven day run rate Matter and task percent complete estimates Task-level budget detail Timekeeper detail Ability to track delinquent timekeepers Matter effective rate and leverage Making the Budget Burn Rate Available to Clients Client-facing version does not provide as much detail as the internal version No timekeeper detail Matter effective rate and leverage do not show Quickly and easily track budget spent and evaluate projected budget summaries Graphical presentation of budgets and schedules as well as real-time, task-level budget detail Allow budgets to be set according to a schedule This could be monthly, quarterly, over the entire matter, or some other user-defined schedule Display values according to the selected budget schedule Understand the burn rate and usage of designated funds for a specific time frame as well as the matter as a whole 4

5 Turning Lemons into Lemonade The budget is a sensitive issue for everyone Conveys to the client a team approach in managing the spending process Historically, law firms have kept spending a secret until the final invoice was delivered to the client Budget transparency is innovative with regard to traditional law firm business practices Impact on Firm Lawyers and Client Relationship One particular success story demonstrates that we care about a principal concern the runaway cost of litigation With up-to-date budget information at the click of a button, the tool provided a day-to-day spend comparison Virtually would be impossible to calculate manually Eliminated budget surprises Respond quickly to early over-spending, and to effectively manage the budget Provided client s legal department with access to the budget management tool This was a fast and simple way to proactively communicate budget issues The feedback from the client has been tremendously positive Success Story Tool played a major innovative role in validating the firm s litigation defense strategy for the client Faced with a very large number of similar cases, the team decided to go all out dedicated significant resources to securing decisive victories establish precedent dissuade opposing lawyers handling the remaining cases 5

6 Success Story It would be challenging to validate this strategy without a case-by-case budget analysis Tool instantly provided a comprehensive budget summary of all cases Enabled the client to view the totality t of the budget, which h revealed that the strategy worked Overwhelming success in the first few cases, plaintiffs began settling quickly at less cost The later cases came in significantly under budget and below the total planned budget A quick and easy approach to proactive communication Addressed clients concerns about the budget Enabled team to better manage resources Attorney says It s a common-sense solution, that goes a long way. A solution missing from law firms that normally just submit an invoice after the fact For Services Rendered Other Specialty Custom Extranets Foley proactively develops information technology to enhance the delivery of legal services Our technology initiative often allows clients to perform many of their own tasks without t attorney assistance This drives down legal costs on low value legal work Foley attorneys focus their efforts on the clients most critical matters and needs Deliver tangible value to our clients 6

7 Client focused technology used by clients include the following: FOLEY ClientSuite - our flagship web-based client service and matter management system incorporating many areas of legal service KnowledgeGate - unique web-based resource that simplifies the task of implementing and managing enterprise-wide technology systems licenses and agreements enda - On-line web interface for document generation based on specific business rules Transaction Management Tool - Enables clients to effectively manage the many internal inputs, issues, tasks, and delivery dates involved in a transaction Bryan Cave Technology Client Relationship Building Connie Hoffman Director of Client Technology Bryan Cave LLP Bryan Cave Global footprint lawyers & other professionals 22 offices Clients include: publicly-held multinational corporations mid-sized publicly and privately-held companies partnerships and emerging companies Seamless communication critical one-firm philosophy client relationship at heart of value proposition 7

8 Changing Relationship Between Lawyer and Client Old model of relationship building often relied upon real-world shared social interaction Multinational business environment in which people and businesses are dispersed across the world requires new model for relationship building Consultative Approach to Client Relationship Increasing diversity is a shared goal between Bryan Cave and its client, Wal-Mart y New approach to relationship building Solve an important business problem together Diversity as Business Analytics Tool Solution deliver a business intelligence software tool that makes diversity transparent for all the law firms Wal-Mart does business with Lexis Nexis/Redwood currently in pilot phase with Wal-Mart and 5 of Wal-Mart s largest outside counsel; roll-out to all Wal-Mart outside counsel due by end of

9 Wal-Mart Scorecard on Outside Counsel Diversity Law Firm Diversity Scorecard Diversity Trend Information 9

10 Law Firm Diversity Reporting II. Panel Discussion How will Web 2.0 impact Lawyer - Client Relationships Wikis, Blogs, Online Networks LinkedIn Plaxo Facebook Legal OnRamp LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook, Legal OnRamp Will Web 2.0 type communications change the delivery of legal services? How? What about the lawyer - client relationship? 10

11 Client-Drive For Change Future measures your firm plans to take to increase cost efficacy on all Microsoft work (e.g., alternate fee arrangements, process changes, infrastructure and tools, offshoring specific work, special training, etc. But it's fair the say that the "change curve" will be very steep in the coming years (as opposed to linear and gradual). As clients continue to develop better tools to measure and differentiate law firm performance and productivity, there will be tremendous opportunity for pioneering firms who best serve client needs in this new era. Legal OnRamp, the Practical Law Company and similar organizations are poised to significantly influence this evolution by presenting a new way of collaborating and assessing the traditional processes. Bottom line -- we are on the cusp of real change ahead, which is both exciting and unsettling, depending upon your perspective. Richard Susskind, Legal IT Consultant Networking has always been important for lawyers -- keeping in regular contact with clients, potential clients, and colleagues. Future versions of social networking systems, not unlike Facebook and MySpace of today, but much more widely used across the legal community, will be as revolutionary for the communication habits of lawyers as and BlackBerry machines have been over the decade. Networking is Critical to the Legal Industry A substantial proportion of both Corporate Counsel (43%) and Private Practice attorneys (45%) believe that online networks are somewhat to extremely likely to change the business and practice of law in the next five years. Networks for Counsel Study Online Networking in the Legal Community 11

12 What Do You Think? 12