We’ve got a raft of APAC legal IT and ediscovery to report next week, including more from this week’s Janders Dean APAC Legal Knowledge & Innovation Conference however we’re starting this morning (Sydney time) to ease our APAC readers into the weekend with the results of last night’s 2014 Legal Innovation Index awards which were announced at the Janders Dean event…
In response to the rapidly changing nature of the legal industry, LexisNexis Pacific and Janders Dean launched the Australian and New Zealand Legal Innovation Index in 2013 to track the industry’s game-changers. This year’s Index has been awarded for a wide range of initiatives tackling head-on the traditional law firm ‘sacred cows’ of the billable hour, time recording, office-bound staff and remuneration. Individually, the Index inductees have been recognised for:
· Clearpoint Counsel: Delivery of legal services through a genuine alternative model
· Hive Legal: Employee engagement, flexible work environment and fixed-fee pricing
· Keypoint Law: Improved working and remuneration environment for staff and value for service
· LegalVision: Uber-specialisation, flexible working models and internal and external collaboration
· Nest Legal: Innovative approach to client service that perfectly services its target market
· Nexus Law Group: ‘Open Law’ model and bespoke digital practice management system
Receiving a Highly Commended award for their innovative approach to the business of law are Australia’s Coote Family Lawyers, JRT Partnership, KWS Legal, Turnbull Hill Lawyers and New Zealand’s Chen Palmer and Simmonds Stewart.
Steven Hallam, a partner with Deloitte Digital and one of this year’s judges said “It was really pleasing to see all the different ways that entrants are innovating their business models to respond to digital disruption. Entrants are taking advantage of trends such as cloud, mobile, analytics, social, micro-tasking and crowd sourcing which is having a tangible impact on both the client and employee experience.”
“The inaugural Legal Innovation Index in 2013 set the benchmark very high,” explains Justin North, Director, Janders Dean, “but this year’s inductees have certainly risen to that challenge and met that standard of excellence. We are delighted with the response from the legal community and the fantastic projects we got to review.”