Enabling an Efficient, Collaborative Law Firm with an Intelligent Information Network
Background
The legal industry is experiencing dramatic changes that will have a profound impact on law firms and the way they run their business. Law firms are already under increasing pressure to become more responsive to clients, while reducing their costs in order to distance themselves from competitors.
In the wake of these changes, law firms of all sizes are being forced to reevaluate their priorities, competitive strategies, and the way they conduct business with their clients. Intense competition has led to a wave of mergers and acquisitions, as law firms increasingly focus on high-value work or diversify into new practice areas. These converging organizations are placing renewed emphasis on productivity of the legal staff, cost control, and operational efficiency as they strive to become more services-centric.
As law firms' traditional service offerings evolve, some firms are moving from time-based billing models to alternate billing models (such as value-based billing). For these firms, the new focus is on high-value service delivery rather than on billable, hour-based matters. These emerging new models are forcing law firms to boost efficiencies across the board.
Customer expectations for the legal profession are changing as well, as clients demand new services and more immediate access to attorneys and information, at all times of the day. As law firms seek to forge closer relationships with their clients, open communication, client collaboration, and improved customer responsiveness are becoming mission-critical.
Challenge
Against this backdrop, law firms are seeking innovative solutions and technology that will enable them to improve client service, satisfaction, and retention. At the same time, they are looking for new ways to increase profitability by controlling costs and making their business more efficient. And they are looking for new ways to lift barriers to collaboration and foster more open communication with their clients and other associates.
Specific challenges confronting law firms include:
Efficiency—Today's firms are looking for new ways to maximize productivity and efficiency. By automating administrative processes, managing case information more effectively, and providing convenient access to key legal software applications, legal organizations can improve their overall efficiency and enable staff to be more productive, responsive, and client-focused.
Network resilience—Law firms and the legal staff depend on the network to effectively serve clients. To minimize unplanned network downtime, the infrastructure should be highly resilient, providing dependable support for critical network applications.
Increasing mobility— Attorneys are under escalating pressure to be responsive around the clock, both inside and outside the office. To respond to clients and colleagues quickly and maximize their personal productivity, legal professionals need secure, real-time access to case information and communication tools at work, at home, or on the road.
Collaboration support— Attorneys need the ability to interact quickly and efficiently with partners, clients, co-counsel, subject matter experts, and other associates. To facilitate this collaboration, law firms require support for advanced communication applications such as videoconferencing, IP Communications, and other collaboration tools.
Flexibility—Practices need to be able to rapidly integrate new partners and staff into the firm following mergers and acquisitions. They require adaptable, standards-based networking solutions that can interoperate smoothly with traditional environments, while scaling as the firm evolves and changes.
Solution
To overcome these challenges, many law firms are turning to innovative solutions and applications that can enable them to deliver better client service, differentiate themselves from competitors, and control costs. To support these applications, they need an adaptable, multiservice networking solution that can help them build client loyalty and deliver a high return on investment. Cisco Systems® offers a "right-sized" intelligent information network for the legal sector, including application-enabling voice, security, and wireless network services.
The connected law firm—At the heart of the networking solution is an intelligent communications infrastructure that provides the performance that advanced legal applications require, unobstructed visibility into legal assets, and the ability to scale and evolve as needs change. A Cisco® intelligent information network includes hardware such as switches and routers, end-to-end management software, and technical assistance services. To minimize network outages, lost data, and service issues, the infrastructure is highly resilient, providing dependable support for critical network applications.
Security—The need to protect proprietary law firm information and confidential client records has always been essential in the legal industry. Law firms need the ability to apply security to every layer of their communications infrastructure, safeguarding sensitive information and proactively keeping hackers out—while protecting the legal staff's productivity along the way.
Network administration—The network is increasingly recognized as a key strategic element of leading law firms, but some organizations have limited technical resources. They need a manageable network that provides robust administrative and troubleshooting tools, yet is easy to deploy, manage, and maintain.
The protected law firm—Integrated security systems enable law firms to deploy trusted and protected business applications and services with complete peace of mind. Cisco integrated security solutions include stateful firewall protection, real-time intrusion detection systems (IDSs), VPN solutions, content filtering, and security management tools. They also include integrated modular security systems that can be flexibly deployed on routers, switches, and specialized security appliances, enabling organizations to take advantage of their existing IT infrastructure for lower cost of ownership and minimized risk.
The responsive workforce—Cisco mobility solutions, featuring wireless networking and remote access solutions, enable firms to transform their organizations into a virtual environment that lets legal staff stay productive even when they are away from their desks. Organizations can provide secure, real-time access to case information, reference tools, and communication resources for employees who are in client conference rooms, courthouses, on the road, or in the home office. A cohesive wired and wireless network gives administrators the ability to control, manage, and adapt the network to best meet their needs.
The collaborative law firm—Cisco IP Communications provide support for voice, video, and data over a single, converged network infrastructure. By combining communication into a single networked environment, firms can create a collaborative workplace that offers a variety of economic and productivity advantages, reducing phone costs, lowering network administration costs, and dramatically enhancing voice and data communication. And Cisco IP Communications solutions open the door to advanced collaboration tools such as unified messaging and multimedia conferencing.
Complete solutions—A wide range of specialized legal applications are available from third-party software developers. Tailored to support the specific needs of law firms, these applications include knowledge management, legal research, and collaboration applications. They also include legal automation tools such as query databases, self-service research tools, and transactional systems that enable clients to generate documents and contracts. Third-party applications can also dramatically streamline core business activities such as accounting, time and billing, and document and matter management.
Benefits
An adaptable, multiservice network is more than a technology tool—it is a vital strategic asset that enables firms to differentiate themselves with superior service offerings. With Cisco networking solutions, law firms can:
Improve communication and collaboration to provide more responsive service and increase client satisfaction
Extend secure access to information, e-mail, and network applications—anywhere, anytime—to increase productivity
Reduce physical infrastructure costs and improve network availability and scalability
Enhance confidentiality, security, and resiliency of information at every layer of the network to protect sensitive client data and valuable business assets
Grow their caseload and client portfolio to increase revenue opportunities and sustain growth
Increase efficiency, billable time, and profitability by automating or eliminating routine business processes and streamlining workflow
Reduce travel-related expenses through use of videoconferencing and other Internet-based collaboration tools, especially for larger firms with multiple locations
Improve voice communication and messaging using unified communication solutions that provide access to messages, directories, conference calling, and personal contact records from any phone
Lower phone charges using IP communications solutions that provide an easy-to-manage, more economical alternative to traditional, circuit-switched phone networks
Next Steps
Cisco Systems is the network leader in the legal market, supporting over 70 percent of the top law firms in the United States. Its proven track record of technology leadership, in-depth understanding of the legal marketplace, and comprehensive array of end-to-end solutions make Cisco the vendor of choice in the legal industry.
To learn more about how Cisco solutions can benefit your organization, contact your authorized Cisco representative or visit http://www.cisco.com.
What Cisco Offers
Cisco is enabling an untethered, virtual environment that removes productivity barriers for legal organizations and enables communication and collaboration anytime, anywhere. It features a standards-based network architecture that delivers the resiliency and functions that law firms demand. It enables your staff to work more efficiently and productively, empowers them to be more responsive and effective, and enriches your firm with increased profits, client satisfaction, and opportunities for growth. Cisco offerings include:
Powerful IP-based voice, data, and video network technologies
Extended security solutions
A family of collaboration tools
Complete mobility and remote access to clients and data
Alliances with leading companies with proven experience in creating solutions for the legal industry
World-class service and support
Attractive financing and leasing options
Cisco also offers expertise that focuses on the issues and needs of the legal industry, including:
In-depth case studies that offer real-world examples of successful legal technology solution implementations
Best practices and key success metrics
Network foundation white papers, technical roadmaps and blueprints, and other in-depth information resources to ease implementation
An executive education program
Relationships with Cisco partners for packaged applications and consulting services
