Top 150 north-west law firm Stephensons Solicitors is deploying the legal workflow and case management system Lexis Visualfiles along with a suite of add-on modules for document bundling and portal integrations from Zylpha and legal accounting software SOS.
After an intensive selection process, Stephensons, which has offices in Altrincham, Bolton, Leigh, London, Manchester, St Helens and Wigan, chose the Visualfiles, Zylpha and SOS legal technology trio for the flexibility it will offer the firm for the future.
The 470-staff law firm is automating its standard business processes to become more efficient in the way the firm operates. All front-end activity, from matter inception through to completion, will be undertaken using Visualfiles. The firm will be able to create new applications, which are unique to Stephensons, with ease while constantly making incremental improvements to meet the demands of the ever-changing market place. This capability is facilitated by the powerful Visualfiles SDK suite, which offers rapid application development capabilities.
Stephensons is combining the file management capabilities of Visualfiles with Zylpha’s electronic document bundling solution to achieve the desired document management functionality.
It is creating an environment of operational efficiency and regulatory compliance by integrating Visualfiles with SOS Connect practice management. The three solutions will automate and streamline the way in which the business operates and simplify the documentation processes. The technology will also enable the firm to improve the customer journey.
“As we move into the next phase of our development, the commoditisation of legal services makes automation of business processes indispensable,” said Ann Harrison, chairwoman at Stephensons. “Business efficiency and improved profitability are vital and this combination of technology will enable us to deliver a better service for our clients as a matter of routine. We are excited by this prospect and it has genuinely enthused our firm”.
As revealed by Legal IT Insider in October 2015, LexisNexis was last year awarded the contract to roll out Visualfiles across Lloyds Bank’s 320-lawyer in-house legal team.
Around a third of the team already used Visualfiles but after a competitive pitch, general counsel Kate Cheetham agreed to extend it to all lawyers across 15 locations. The move was driven by the desire to improve the security of document sharing between the team and reduce reliance on emails.