Legal blogging has changed in recent years, but when used in tandem with social media, blogging remains an effective way for lawyers to showcase their expertise and network with other attorneys.
In recent weeks, much has been said about the future of legal blogging. In early September, Bob Ambrogi kicked off the discussion by proclaiming that legal blogging is far from dead. Scott Greenfield then chimed in, noting that although legal blogging isn’t dead, there are few quality legal blogs out there. Eric Lipman at Legal Blog Watch then continued the conversation, asking its readers if legal blogging was a dead or dying species. Read more…
Information gathering and note-taking apps can help busy attorneys manage the constant stream of information and avoid information overload.
Sometimes, in this new Web 2.0 world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with information. Organizing the flow of information, for both work and personal uses, is one way to manage the constant stream of information and reduce information overload. Read more…
There are many ways attorneys can make use of a virtual data room in their practice, including efficiently managing and storing data, securely transferring large volumes of documents outside the firewall and much more.
As I’ve discussed in the past, online collaboration platforms generally allow for far more secure communication than email and offer attorneys a secure online location for collaboration.
A virtual deal room is a convenient tool to securely organize and share large volumes of documents during the Private Placement process. An online document repository, or virtual deal room, is an attractive alternative to email for collecting and sharing this information in an organized fashion while keeping the data safe.
Recently, I have been talking to professionals that specialize in issuing private placements. A private placement is a funding round of securities that are issued to a select group of targeted, private investors. In my discussions, it has become apparent that there is an opportunity for professionals in this space to leverage the capabilities of a virtual data room, particularly if they manage more than one of these transactions annually.
The Checklist Manifesto, a compelling book by Dr. Atul Gawande, explores the crucial improvements that following the template of a basic checklist can make to one’s life and workplace.
In The Checklist Manifesto, Dr. Atul Gawande examines how the use of checklists can significantly improve workflows and outcomes in the work environment. He focuses primarily on the aviation and construction industries, and analyzes where and how checklists are used. He speaks as well about his experience in a WHO-sponsored initiative bringing checklists to surgical operating theatres around the world. There are, I believe, possible applications of his ideas within a law firm.
Information gathering and note-taking apps can help busy attorneys manage the constant stream of information and avoid information overload.
In this new Web 2.0 world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with information. Organizing the flow of information, for both work and personal uses, is one way to manage the constant stream of information and reduce information overload.
Managing cloud computing risk using new products and services.
One of the primary concerns expressed by lawyers and other business owners when considering moving data and processes to the Cloud is risk. Understandably, business owners are wary of outsourcing confidential information and express concerns regarding the security of their data. Another concern involves the sense of lack of control over company data and the inability to monitor the software processes used to organize the information.
Today, let’s explore a few other apps made specifically for the iPad that lawyers can use in their day-to-day practice.
I recently discussed useful iPhone apps for lawyers and a while back I explained how I thought lawyers might use iPads in their law practices. Specifically, I noted that iPad apps with annotation capabilities for pdfs would likely be some of the most popular with attorneys.
Since my last post on the iPhone, the intelligent device is becoming an increasingly popular phone with lawyers, especially small firms and solos. One of the reasons for its popularity is the large number of law-related apps that are available–and more are available every day.
Since my last post on the iPhone, the intelligent device is becoming an increasingly popular phone with lawyers, especially small firms and solos. One of the reasons for its popularity is the large number of law-related apps that are available–and more are available every day.
At Firmex we provide virtual data room solutions to lawyers who seek to enhance and streamline their document exchange processes. Saving time for our clients is essential to Firmex and as such, the iPad, with its intelligent efficiencies, is appropriately aligned with our conviction.
On March 18, Firmex participated in the ALM’s Virtual LegalTech for the first time. In honour of the inaugural venture, our team held an iPad giveaway contest.
Legal virtual assistants can help make the practice of law simpler and more efficient.
A knowledgeable, reliable, and smart administrative assistant can be the key to making your life as an attorney much simpler and more efficient. And now, with the increasing ease with which we can communicate and share information online, virtual legal assistants are becoming an appealing and affordable alternative for many law firms, large and small alike.
Billing and time tracking software can help to alleviate some of the problems encountered when attempting to track billable hours.
For most attorneys, billing and time tracking is a necessary evil. Tracking billable time can be an arduous task, but it’s important to stay on top of it; often practicing attorneys become so frantically busy that they are unable to recall what happened during the day. This scenario can be extraordinarily frustrating since lost time is lost money.
The recent advent of the kindle, the iPad and other paper eliminating devices serves as an interesting marker of just how archaic a practice it is to produce physical books for an industry as fast paced as M&A. Using a virtual data room to manage this process can accelerate the transaction process from the beginning, help manage costs and provide security measures that often fall through the cracks
Most of Firmex’s clients are now using the internet to distribute seller’s books or confidential information memorandums when managing a sell-side M&A transaction. However, there are firms that are continuing to create physical books, which can range from 50 to 200 pages. These books are typically distributed to a large number of potential buyers, particularly if an advisory firm routinely markets transactions to a database of private equity firms.
Lawyers considering whether to use cloud computing platforms in their practice must think about important security issues.
In prior posts I discussed basic cloud computing concepts and the ethical issues triggered by cloud computing. There are also security issues that lawyers must consider when deciding whether to use cloud computing products in their practice. Read more…
Virtual data rooms allow lawyers to store documents online, offering lawyers and their clients convenient access to important legal files.
In my last post we discussed how digital dictation systems can offer busy lawyers much-needed flexibility in the creation of legal documents. The next step, once you’ve created documents using digital dictation, is to store your documents online using virtual document management and collaboration systems. These convenient and efficient online platforms offer lawyers a 21st Century alternative to traditional document management systems.
Digital dictation is an efficient, time-saving alternative that offers lawyers many benefits over traditional dictation methods.
Most lawyers are familiar with old-fashioned analog tape dictation. First, you dictate into a hand held device, which records your voice onto a tape. Then you drop the tape, which holds an assortment of dictation projects, arranged sequentially rather than in order of importance, into your secretary’s desk. It’s a familiar song and dance and one that most attorneys despise. Eventually you receive the transcribed result of the dictation, which then needs to be reviewed, edited and returned to your secretary, who then must revise the document, return it to you, etc.
Tips regarding how the iPad can be used by attorneys in their law practice.
I’ve had my iPad for a few weeks now and am slowly but surely discovering how it fits into my daily routine. After using it for a while, I continue to believe that the iPad is primarily a media consumption device, but it does have some utility for lawyers and will become increasingly more useful as more third party applications are released.
Handy voice command apps that transform an attorney’s iPhone into an information gathering and transmitting tool.
A few really interesting iPhone apps were recently released that could prove very useful to lawyers, each incorporating speech to text dictation into their platforms in various ways.
Ignite Law was organized by the inimitable Matt Homann, founder of LexThink, and sponsored by ABA TechShow. At IgniteLaw, 16 speakers (myself included) were selected by the votes of their colleagues to discuss their perspectives on the future of the law industry.
ABA TechShow took place in Chicago from March 25-27th. The convention opened with a “bang,” featuring a conglomerate of “rapid-fire presentations” from IgniteLaw.
An important consideration in the deployment of a Virtual Data Room is the question of who will serve as the gatekeeper to the Virtual Deal Room, determining what information is appropriate for posting and what level of security and access to assign to such information.
The use of a virtual deal room (“VDR”) has become commonplace in modern merger and acquisition practice, replacing the formerly prevalent document room. The advantages of a VDR include reduced cost; reduced security concerns; accessibility to multiple parties simultaneously and 24/7; reduction in actual deal time; and an electronic data trail establishing who saw what and when.
Law practice management systems can help attorneys streamline the process of handling a case from start to finish. Choosing the right system for your law practice makes all the difference.
Legal practice management software is a must-have for most law offices. It streamlines the process of handling and managing a case from start to finish. Law case management systems allow busy attorneys to keep track of contacts, documents, and calendaring, among other things, for each case that is added to the system; many offer time tracking and billing features as well.
Virtual LegalTech is an economical, innovative way for busy attorneys to learn about and stay on top of the rapidly changing legal technology issues that affect their law practice.
On March 18th, 2010 ALM Media Events will be holding live CLE events at Virtual LegalTech for the second time ever.
Virtual data rooms offer law firms an encrypted method of communication that is far more secure than the unencrypted email currently being used by many lawyers.
As discussed last week, the unencrypted email systems used by most law firms are inherently insecure and place confidential client data at risk.
Lawyers may not realize that email is inherently insecure and that the encrypted client communications offered by many cloud computing platform are a better, more secure alternative.
Email security in its current form is inherently flawed and many lawyers are unaware of this disconcerting fact. Most emails are no more than mere postcards, the contents readily viewable by anyone who cares to look.
A technical overview of recent data rooms and the speed enhancements for large transactions that are saving our clients considerable time and money when managing transactions with thousands of documents.
Because data room performance is important to our clients, we recently released the first wave of our new software architecture to address the growing demands of our customers.
