How small law firms can be big hitters

Whatever its size, a law firm’s mission is to advocate for its clients. 

That’s a broad claim, and you’re probably lining up arguments in your head right now, but stay with us for a moment. If the premise is that a law firm’s purpose is to stand up for its clients, we think you’ll agree that the technology you adopt should help you do that; and we’re certain you’ll agree that it shouldn’t hinder you. 

So if your small firm wants to be a big hitter, one question is foundational to your success: Is your current tech stack a help or a hindrance to getting work done for your clients? 

In defense of small firms, big firms may have more resources they can use to streamline workflows and improve efficiency. Those resources may be spread very thinly, but more is more, right? They’re also already equipped with high-end document management systems (DMS) that enable lawyers to work more effectively, more collaboratively, and may empower remote teams to respond to clients more quickly. They could even have that “single source of truth” thing nailed — no more data silos for them!

Small but mighty

But let’s not write smaller firms off too easily. Not when even law firms with 50 or fewer attorneys are finding that the barrier to entry is getting lower for some of those high-end tools that the biggest law firms take for granted. The business advantages they extend may more than justify stepping over any obstacle that remains.

Size can be an asset even for smaller firms, too. Martindale Avvo found that 47.6 percent of law firm customers listed responsiveness as a critical factor in choosing an attorney. With the right tools, small firms can be as responsive as their larger competitors. In fact, due to the inherent nimbleness of a smaller organization, they can frequently be even MORE responsive.

What is technology’s role?

According to recent research by Wolters Kluwer, 46 percent of law firms rank using technology to improve productivity and efficiency as a top need to meet client demands and improve collaboration and work processes. 

The right technology can help you be the very best in your niche, whatever that is. Whether it’s in a particular area of law, fixed geography, or with a particular type of client, you take pride in your expertise and the highly bespoke services you provide. By standing up that expertise and service with the best tools available, including using a modern DMS, even the smallest boutique firm can become a powerhouse in its milieu.

A modern DMS brings your client communications — be they documents, emails, or chat logs — together into a single, secure, matter-centric platform. Hello single source of truth! Lawyers, teams, and clients collaborate in real time, co-author documents, and find information effortlessly. Version control is seamless. Governance is a piece of cake.

Making change matter

Thomson Reuters reports that legal work continues to move down-market to smaller firms as clients seek greater efficiency and better value-to-cost balance. How does your firm win that business? 

Your success in securing new business and even retaining existing clients lies in your ability to demonstrate proficiency. Along with the talent of your people and the caliber of your expertise, your tech stack is an important part of the value you offer to clients. And the more modern your office — and in particular the more secure its processes — the more confidence you’ll inspire.

A robust DMS platform provides secure collaboration and document sharing, strong integration with Microsoft applications like Outlook, Teams, Power Automate, and Copilot, and offers co-authoring capabilities, fast and accurate document search, frictionless version control, and anytime, anywhere access.  

iManage customers have all of this and then some. The cloud-native platform is AI-enabled, which means that if a process can be improved using artificial intelligence, and it hasn’t already, it will be — without any of your sensitive data or IP leaving the highly secure iManage environment. 

Rigorous safeguards

Smaller firms are often racing against the clock to stay protected amidst a rapidly evolving threat landscape. They watch larger firms entrust key aspects of their security, including risk and compliance, to proven technology providers, but some may judge this unworkable or out of reach for a firm their size. Others come to iManage, where robust security tools reduce the risk of data exposure. 

Built on Microsoft Azure, arguably the most rigorously safeguarded cloud available, the iManage platform delivers proactive 24/7 monitoring and intelligent governance. Zero Trust and Zero Touch principles provide strict access controls to prevent unauthorized access and data loss. Document encryption is applied by default to all content uploaded to iManage, and specialized solutions embed security everywhere you work.

People come first

People, process, technology – that’s the magic formula for success, and people come first. You do all you can to attract the best talent to your firm, but it is all for naught if you can’t keep them after they’re trained. Tools like co-authoring enable real-time collaboration between junior and senior lawyers, help reduce time spent on admin tasks, accelerate processes, and give professionals greater freedom to pursue higher-value work that increases job satisfaction. 

This makes it more likely those new associates will stay long enough to move up through the organization and contribute to the organization’s future growth. Bottom line, investing in their success is an investment in your success. 

Circling back, if your small firm wants to be a big hitter, how did you answer the foundational question of how well your tech stack is contributing to the business outcomes you want to see for your clients and your firm?

If you answered that it could be better, you’re in luck, because you might say we wrote the book on it. Small firms, big advantage helps guide small firms to greater success, with more effective, more collaborative, and better-integrated document and email management.