Headquarters
Miami, US
Industry
Legal
Products
iManage Security Policy Manager
Benefits
- Boosted efficiency
- Increased user adoption
- Reduced maintenance and operational costs
- Enhanced security
When company growth outpaced the capabilities of their on-premises document management solution, top rated law firm Cole, Scott & Kissane (CSK) pulled out all the stops to give employees the best possible document management experience. CSK attorneys navigate through matters faster and work smarter than ever using iManage Work 10 in the Cloud. And, with the addition of iManage Security Policy Manager and iManage Threat Manager, the firm significantly upgraded its security and threat detection — with far greater control over visibility of the matter. Moving to the iManage platform also supports CSK’s ability to scale its services as the firm continues its growth trajectory.
Cole, Scott & Kissane is Florida’s leading defense firm. It specializes in insurance defense litigation and employs more than 1,350 people across 13 offices. The firm is highly rated both nationally and regionally by US News’ Best Law Firms, with 18 attorneys on its Best Lawyers list. It’s also part of the AmLaw 200, which is a list of the top 200 law firms in America by gross revenue.
The business challenge
Taking the complexity out of document management
CSK prides itself on providing fast, cost-effective services to clients, closing 6,095 files during 2021 and 2022, with an average lifecycle of just 100 days. The firm wanted to give its attorneys the best possible experience navigating through folders to find relevant
data for matters.
“Attorneys need fast access to relevant files from anywhere, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of the user experience,” explained Jason Thomas, CIO at Cole, Scott & Kissane. “It’s our job to take the complexity out of document management while keeping the data secure.”
The firm launched a case and document management strategy in 2015, but with its exponential growth rate, the IT team quickly realized it needed to pivot to a more robust approach they could scale to meet future requirements.
iManage platform seamlessly integrates our documents and emails with robust security and governance applications. Our lawyers and paralegals appreciate the simple and user-friendly interface. And our IT staff can spend less time on upgrades and support, allowing them to focus on more strategic projects for the firm. The iManage platform is truly state-of-the-art and fits in nicely with our firm’s tech-savvy, modern practice.
Jason Thomas, Chief Information Officer, Cole, Scott & Kissane
The solution
Secure document management in the cloud
CSK evaluated the other solutions on the market before deciding to implement iManage
Work 10 in the Cloud.
“With iManage,” said Thomas, “we don’t have to worry about securing and maintaining multiple servers to protect 90 terabytes of business-critical data. We can assure clients their data is well-protected in the cloud by the most reliable document management solution out there, and that the only people who can see their matter are the team members who are working on it.”
The team also enabled single sign-on via an integration with Okta to standardize security practices in and outside of the office. Attorneys can only access data from firm-issued computers or via the mobile app, reducing the chance of files being saved on personal
devices outside of the firm’s control.
The simple, intuitive user interface gives attorneys the same low-click experience on mobile devices and desktop which helps to encourage user adoption. Meanwhile, the enhanced search function helps them to find relevant files quickly and easily.
Leveraging APIs to expand functionality
The team also developed custom add-ons via iManage APIs to optimize the solution in line with strict industry standards. These include plug-ins for Microsoft Outlook that prompt a user to select which matter the email relates to, then auto-fill the subject line and contacts to be copied and format the email to match client requirements.
“Remembering style rules for every client takes a lot of effort. By outsourcing the thinking to our backend database and integrating it with iManage, attorneys can focus on the high-value tasks that matter most,” remarked Thomas.
CSK also created a workflow called iManage “Drop” to speed up saving attachments. This enhances the platform’s drag-and-drop functionality with rules that follow the firm’s in-house file naming conventions.
When someone receives multiple documents, they can create PDFs, organize them, and create a binder or individual files. This not only saves time, it also helps with version control. “iManage gives us the best functionality on the market and the flexibility to make it our own,” said Thomas.
13
Offices
1,350
People
90
Terabytes of business-critical data
Business outcomes
Empowering attorneys to work smarter from anywhere
With iManage, attorneys can navigate through matters faster and work smarter than ever. CSK launched “lunch and learn” training sessions for their users, and Thomas says that user adoption is “through the roof.” The iManage Mobility app helps their attorneys work efficiently from anywhere, giving clients seamless services in the office or on the road. The firm has also improved reliability and performance by moving to the cloud, while enabling their IT department to refocus on high-value work. “We never have to worry about an IT outage with iManage, it’s highly available, up-to-date, and secure,” said Thomas.
Looking ahead
Centralizing more processes on iManage
Future plans for CSK include integrating its case management system with iManage to create a powerful, single source of truth and help staff to work even more efficiently. The team is also excited to integrate Microsoft Teams, which will simplify communication.
Using custom workflows in iManage, the firm is developing a review system to track the progress of documents as they are assigned, reviewed, and returned by the relevant stakeholders. They also plan to implement iManage Share to simplify collaboration with clients.
As CSK continues to scale, iManage Work 10 in the Cloud will be there to support the firm’s long-term strategies while enabling attorneys and staff to focus on what they do best — provide insurance companies with the best defense litigation in Florida.
Related content
Making Knowledge Work
Request a demo
Ready to see how iManage can make a difference to your organization?