O Shea Getz P.C.: A Case Study
O Shea Getz P.C.: A Case Study How One IP Firm Is Using Anaqua to Boost Productivity and Attract Top Talent O'Shea Getz P.C. is an international law firm, founded in 2005, that represents innovators. The six-attorney firm s main office is in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the firm recently added a second office in Connecticut. Members of the firm live as far afield as the Boston area and Tennessee. Needless to say, the firm s ability to attract and utilize talent in a variety of locations represents a growing trend for IP firms operating in a digitally-reliant era. Previously, O Shea Getz used a legacy, server-based system to manage everything from billing to docketing. When that system no longer satisfied the needs of the firm, the firm decided that the time had come to switch to a more specialized, all-encompassing and mobile-friendly platform for its IP matters. After identifying Anaqua as a contender for the firm s new system, a major client announced that it was making the move to the ANAQUA Enterprise corporate IP management platform. That sealed the deal. As O Shea Getz was well aware, adopting a new technology platform can be a big undertaking. Will the long-term benefits of implementing an advanced IP Practice Management System outweigh the temporary inconvenience of transition preparation and process change? We spoke with O'Shea Getz co-founder and patent attorney Richard D. Getz, and with intellectual property paralegal Sarah L. Henry, one month after the firm adopted ANAQUA Essential MP Anaqua s system for mid-sized law firms. why anaqua The firm picked Anaqua because it was in need of an advanced cloud-based solution. That eliminated some vendors right off the bat, Sarah explained. We wanted something cutting edge, top of the line. Anaqua seemed to be the one that was the top, better than everything else we looked at. Anaqua wasn t the cheapest option on the market, added Richard, but we swallowed hard and said, We think this is the right tool if you look today and down the road. " It s like having another person. The amount of time Anaqua saves us allows us to substantially increase our productivity, and thereby avoid hiring an additional paralegal. Sarah Henry, Patent Paralegal When I was trying to sell it to the Partners, I told them, It s like having another person, said Sarah. The amount of time Anaqua saves us allows us to substantially increase our productivity, and thereby avoid hiring an additional paralegal. Increasing Efficiency and saving time One of the main drivers behind the selection was Anaqua s ability to boost efficiency; a factor that allows O Shea Getz to competitively service clients that operate on a fixed-fee basis. The firm sees fixed-fee billing as a trend that will only increase with time, and adapting as such will enable the firm to more widely expand their potential case-load.
Becoming more efficient lets us accept more of that kind of work, said Richard. Utilization of advanced technology is something that the firm holds in high regard, and resonates strongly with its staff. Richard noted that it s especially important for a firm involved with intellectual property management to be as high-tech as possible and to use the best tools available. Along with workflow automation, Anaqua has enabled the firm to go paperless and switch over to getting everything electronically from Patent Offices. Anaqua has everything with one click of a button. That in itself saves us a ton of time, Sarah said. Really, the driver for us was try to create an environment where we had the least opportunity for error because that affects the relationships with the clients. richard getz, Patent attorney Improving Client Reporting and relationships Given that business is driven by client relationships, O Shea Getz sought out a solution that would improve client reporting, communication and minimize risks. Some of the firm s clients want a report generated every quarter; with some, it s semi-annually, and with others it s by an on-demand basis. Particularly at certain times of year year-end, or around tax time it s not uncommon for clients to ask the firm for a status update; or if they are going out for funding, they may need a snapshot of what their IP portfolio is as of such-and-such a date. I just generated a report for a sizable client out of Anaqua and it was a much easier task than it would ve been previously, said Richard. Sarah added that for some clients it would have taken her three hours maybe more to run a quarterly report with the old system: I d have to go through and individually click each matter, she said. Then incorporating the data into an acceptable format was often very labor intensive. Now, in two minutes it s done instead of the three hours or more it was taking me before in some instances. Along with client reporting, risk reduction is also a factor in client satisfaction. Really, the driver for us was try to create an environment where we had the least opportunity for error because that affects the relationships with the clients. said Richard. Now when a paralegal sets up a file, all of the requisite dates are populated correctly based on the global country rules that are automated within Anaqua. Attracting and Retaining Legal Talent One reason the firm wanted to switch to a cloud-based platform for managing its IP practice, was because they now have attorneys located outside their main office. We wanted a platform that everyone could access wherever they are One that would not hinder our ability to attract and retain top legal talent regardless of where they may be located. Richard getz, Patent attorney We wanted a platform that everyone could access wherever they are, said Richard. We also wanted a system that would not hinder our ability to attract and retain top legal talent regardless of where they may be located. The firm s previous system wasn t cloud-based, so remote users had to access it through a VPN, which, according to Richard, was incredibly slow and really difficult. Accessing the old system was consequently a burden, he said.
Before, if I needed documents and I was at a place where I needed to go in through a VPN, I would almost invariably just email or call my paralegal and say, Hey, send me document A, B, and C, and then I would do what I needed to do and email it back, Richard said. It created an additional burden for the paralegal and really negatively affected our efficiency. Enhancing External and Internal Collaboration With lawyers working in multiple locations, a partner can easily go through Anaqua and see whether an associate has completed a job or not. When the associate has done the work, he or she can then load it into Anaqua so it can be accessed by a paralegal for filing. Said Richard, One of the things my partner raves about most in Anaqua is the ease with which we can store emails on any given matter. Anaqua enables a collaborative environment for attorneys, allowing access to the system from anywhere and at any time. Anaqua enables a collaborative environment for attorneys, allowing access to the system from anywhere and at any time. Smooth Implementation Any change to systems and processes can be a considerable undertaking, but the firm felt it was worth it especially since everything went exactly as it was supposed to. The ability of the firm to implement a new system with minimal business interruption was a key factor in selecting Anaqua, particularly in view of negative feedback they had received from other firms who had gone through new implementations with other patent management systems. I met with a firm that went through a similar process with a different [non-anaqua] product, said Richard, and they ve now abandoned that product. They spent the money and they abandoned it. I think it s a categorical disaster by their thinking. With Anaqua, we're very happy that things are going well so far.
The Anaqua Difference ANAQUA has been used for over a decade by many of the world s leading corporations, and their large network of law firms and agents. The company is 100% focused on meeting the IP management needs of companies and the law firms supporting their intellectual property portfolios. Anaqua has a variety of IP software solutions, including ANAQUA Essential designed specifically for the needs of IP law firms. ANAQUA Essential is a complete IP Practice Management software platform that can help a firm run more effectively, efficiently and profitably. ANAQUA Essential provides workflow automation, web-based collaboration, world-class docketing and improved client visibility. The Anaqua client community, comprised of IP practice leaders and administrators, works together to establish best practices in IP and incorporate them into the ANAQUA system to make it the most advanced IP Practice Management solution available. For further information on Anaqua, please visit http://www.anaqua.com Featured client: o'shea Getz p.c. O'Shea Getz P.C. is an international law firm dedicated to representing today's great innovators. Their professionals offer broad experience in the practice of intellectual property law. From obtaining, exploiting and protecting client rights to patent preparation, prosecution and patent litigation, O Shea Getz has the necessary experience to help their clients capture the value of their cutting-edge technologies. To learn more, visit http://www.osheagetz.com