Led by the US the legal IT market came back to work with a bang last week, with Pro-Boards LLC causing some excitement with its new LegalBoard keyboard. In other news out of the US, Advologix has integrated with Accounting Seed and DH2i Company saw expansion in Asia Pacific, to say nothing of significant new client wins for Thomson Reuters Elite and Aderant. In Toronto, innovative Canadian law firm McCarthy Tétrault acquired Wortzmans, while in the UK, Encompass has partnered with 192.com. And if you still have the New Year blues, we have a couple of new entries on our jobs board. Just saying.
US
Pro-Boards – founded by now Perkins Coie partner Brian Potts – has developed its own legal keyboard, the LegalBoard, with the new invention debuting last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and causing a stir on social media.
Users are able to switch into legal mode and with a single key insert legal symbols such as copyright, which would ordinarily require a series of shortcuts. The keyboard – which has found a fan in LawSites’ blogger and respected legal consultant Bob Ambrogi – has keys that allow you to add a section, paragraph, or symbol; turn underline, italics, or bold functions on and off; turn track changes on and off; add a footnote or comment, then toggle back to the main text; find a term in your document, then toggle back to the main text; change line spacing; and insert common citations and legal words like ‘court’, ‘plaintiff’ and ‘id’.
When LegalBoard mode is not engaged, the keyboard number pad and F1-F12 keys function normally.
Of course, the concept of a legal keyboard isn’t entirely new, although previous examples have been delivered as an app rather than a physical gadget and more focussed on legal vocabulary. In 2014, KeyPoint Technologies made its Adaptxt Legal Keyboard for lawyers available for download on Android devices in the Google Play store. The app replaced a mobile device’s stock keyboard allowing users to write notes, email, text message and other forms of documents using a highly specialized legal vocabulary. Adaptxt Legal Keyboard also let users create shortcuts for frequently used text.
Back to other 2017 news and AdvoLogix, a Salesforce-based law practice and legal matter management solutions provider, has integrated with Accounting Seed, a 100% native accounting application built exclusively for the Salesforce platform.
“Our integration with Accounting Seed incorporates two leading Salesforce applications,” said Steve Stockstill, AdvoLogix’s vice president of product development. “The integration is based on Accounting Seed’s ability to handle project-based accounting and will provide law firms with a 360-degree solution to client-matter accounting needs. The power of the Salesforce platform allows AdvoLogix and Accounting Seed to interact within the same user experience, without the need to synchronize across different platforms. From an end user’s perspective, the AdvoLogix and Accounting Seed integration is like a single application.”
Elsewhere, DH2i Company, which provides Microsoft Windows Server application portability and management solutions, has expanded its DxAdvantage Partner Program into the Asia Pacific (APAC) market. Key to the expansion is the addition of Korea Cyber Tech Inc. and ApON Innovative Solutions to the DH2i DxAdvantage Partner Program. This strategic partnership enables them to be providers of DxEnterprise™ software, a Microsoft SQL Server container management solution.
“The global demand for Windows Server application portability is climbing at a rapid rate, particularly in the APAC region where Windows Server applications are among the most prevalently deployed platforms for managing business critical data,” said Connor Cox, director of business development, DH2i.
“Microsoft SQL Server is a vital platform for customers throughout India, yet these organizations continue to be plagued with complexity and cost,” added Jaideep Khanduja, Director, ApON Innovative Solutions. “With DH2i, we have the solution we need to provide customers the ability to move applications freely and transparently between their physical, virtual and cloud environments, while lowering all associated costs. With management streamlined and costs contained, our clients can now leverage their Windows environment on activities that more directly impact their business organization’s bottom line.
If you missed it last week, we revealed on 5 January that Thomson Reuters Elite has won Uria Menendez as a client after an intensive trial against SAP, while Aderant has won Stephenson Harwood from Elite.
Toronto
Innovative Canadian law firm McCarthy Tétrault has acquired Wortzmans, Canada’s leading e-discovery law firm.
McCarthy Tétrault provides a broad range of legal services, advising on large and complex assignments for Canadian and international interests and has substantial presence in Canada’s major commercial centres and in London, UK.
Wortzmans, meanwhile, is one of the first law firms in North America to specialise in the complexities of technology and the law. Since 2007, the firm has provided clients with advice and guidance in the areas of e-discovery, information governance and technology strategies.
The Wortzman team will be integrated into McCarthy Tétrault and Susan Wortzman will join the firm as an equity partner. Wortzmans will continue to operate as a separate e-discovery and managed review service for its clients.
“This announcement is tremendously exciting for our firm,” said Matthew Peters, McCarthy Tétrault’s national leader of innovation. “By partnering with Wortzmans, McCarthy Tétrault is putting forward a clear vision for the future of e-discovery, information governance and legal technology strategies. This partnership is an exciting market differentiator – it increases our global reach and strengthens an already powerful platform and market position.”
In November 2015, Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District and McCarthy Tétrault announced the launch of a partnership dedicated to legal innovation, focussed on the piloting of new technologies.
UK
Encompass Corporation, creator of Know Your Customer (KYC) software for legal, accountancy and financial organisations, has entered a partnership with leading online directory 192.com.
The new partnership means Encompass users will have access to 192.com’s wealth of information, including historic and edited electoral rolls and director reports, assisting with compliance with anti-money laundering legislation and as a tool for insolvency practitioners.
The relationship with 192.com adds to Encompass’ portfolio of information providers including Companies House, Dunn & Bradstreet, Creditsafe and the Land Registry.
Jobs
Still got the New Year blues? Don’t forget to check out our jobs board for all the latest new legal IT positions. Among the newer roles advertised, Wright Hassall is looking for an IT project manager and Picture More is looking to fill a senior project manager position in a London law firm, salary up to £80k.
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