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02 March 2018 / Mike Sanders
Issue: 7783 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology
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Collaboration technology for law firms

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It’s time for legal professionals to boost online collaboration if they are to see real productivity benefits, says Mike Sanders

  • Collaboration technology has evolved far beyond mere sharing of documents.
  • The latest solutions enable a project management approach, but traditional technologies lag behind.

As law firms continue to expand their presence across the globe, there is a growing need to be productive anywhere, at any time. Deadline demands are getting tighter and clients have higher expectations for law firm productivity.

However, the technology that many law firms are using to allow their lawyers to work together and with clients is creaking. Traditional on-premise systems, requiring legal staff to log in to a number of separate systems to access internal resources and share documents via email, are no longer good enough. If law firms do not address the pressing need to take their productivity to the next level, they will very soon begin to lose clients to competitors who are more flexible and responsive.

Legacy document management systems attempted to demand—often unsuccessfully—that

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau—Marie Bourke

Shakespeare Martineau strengthens Sheffield regulatory practice with new hires

Sackers—Louise McRae & Annabella Hwang

Sackers—Louise McRae & Annabella Hwang

Sackers recruits new associates

McHale & Co—Shaun Little & Patrick Byrne

McHale & Co—Shaun Little & Patrick Byrne

Firm bolsters senior team with head of corporate and head of employment

NEWS
A wide-ranging Civil Way column highlights developments from insolvency procedure to employment law, but one case stands out for its lessons on bankruptcy, family homes and digital communications
A sprawling Intellectual Property Office battle between House of Fraser and Frasers Property has delivered a masterclass in modern trade mark law
Courts in England and Wales and Singapore are increasingly confronting complex disputes over international child relocation as families become more globally mobile
The government’s long-awaited family law reform consultation could mark a turning point for domestic abuse victims navigating financial remedy proceedings, but significant challenges remain
A new commercial court pilot giving the public access to documents used in hearings, including expert reports, is raising difficult questions about transparency and privacy
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