Welcome to the latest issue of the Legal IT Insider newsletter – July/August 2017 – Issue #305
Top Stories in our BIGGEST EVER issue include:
* Financial results 2016-17: Change gathers pace – Revenue generated by alternative legal services may still be a drop in the ocean for big City law firms but, as revealed by our State of the Industry 2017 report in this issue, over the past year that revenue notably became ‘significant’.
We speak to senior management at law firms including Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Pinsent Masons, Macfarlanes and Mishcon de Reya, all of who are winning business as a result of their new delivery models. What really jumps out is the number of law firms that over the past year have developed internally built, tech-based tools that are in some cases forming the basis of new business lines.
Mark Rigotti, CEO of Herbert Smith tells us: “There is a tension between business-driven and vendor products, which you need a ‘PHD from MIT’ and significant training to use. We are tilting towards business-driven solutions that are developed at the coal face.” And we speak to Accenture, where client lead David Potts, who specialises in technology and outsourcing, says: “People are dipping into technology but you really need to understand where it is taking you and have a clear strategy and work towards where you see yourself in five years’ time.”
* Ashurst tells Microsoft ‘take us to the cloud’ – Ashurst led by global head of IT Bruna Pellicci has formed a high-level legal working group to put the software giant at the centre of law firm efforts to move their infrastructure to the cloud.
* Enable partners with iManage as uncertainty hangs over Tikit TMS integration – Enable Business Solutions’ template management system is now fully integrated with iManage but what of Tikit TMS after Tikit and iManage ended their partnership this year?
* Tech education in law – a call to arms – UK law schools are getting a public drubbing over their apparent lack of tech training. Is it fair? We bring you all the latest including details of a survey launched by respected UCL professor Richard Moorhead who wants to set the record straight.
* iManage ConnectLive: Reflection is a dish best served cold: We look at the RAVN integration roadmap, with extensive commentary from CEO Neil Araujo on iManage’s plans, and bring you some market reaction.
* Luminance’s CEO talks growth and international strategy: Luminance has notched up 20 new clients in the last six months. CEO Emily Foges discusses what has sparked the spate of wins and outlines Luminance’s plans going forward.
* “We’re always looking at innovative tech:” Fieldfisher invests in SeedLegals: Fieldfisher has invested in automated startup platform SeedLegals, in a move it hopes will help it build early relationships with the businesses of the future. We speak to Tim Bird, who has led the initiative, to find out more.
* Not Petya “Security investments will face few barriers now” – IT directors at some of the UK’s largest firms say that the cyber security attack that at the end of June that took DLA Piper offline for a week marks the start of a sea change in the investment behaviour of law firms.
PLUS your favourites…
• Who’s in and Who’s out: all the latest wins and deals from around the UK, American, APAC and EMEA legal markets.
• Movers & Shakers: who is coming, who is going – and who has gone.
PLUS here’s a flip-book version of the newsletter offering print, sharing, bookmarking and full-screen viewing capabilities. As it uses HTML5 rather than Flash, it is Android & iOS smartphone & tablet friendly.
• You can also download the digital edition (NB it is a 4.6 Mb PDF file) HERE free of charge
Our next issue (No #306 – August) will be out on Wednesday 27 September 2017
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