Background
An Am Law 50 firm with over 1,000 attorneys and more than 20 offices faced a pressing need to improve the accessibility and visibility of their internal people data.
The firm's Intellectual Property (IP) practice group, in particular, highlighted a significant challenge: the inability to easily track and access the technical specializations of its attorneys. This information was scattered across multiple Excel documents, making it difficult to identify the right attorneys for specific matters, RFPs, or client proposals. For example, when seeking attorneys with specializations in areas like artificial intelligence or electric vehicles, the firm had no centralized resource to draw from. This inefficiency in tracking specialized expertise hampered both internal staffing and external business development efforts.
In response, the firm decided to deploy ikaun's firm directory to centralize its people data, beginning with the IP practice group.
Challenges
Before adopting ikaun's firm directory, the firm faced several significant obstacles in managing and accessing critical attorney expertise. With no centralized system in place, the firm struggled to track specialized knowledge, particularly in highly technical areas within its Intellectual Property (IP) practice group.
The data needed to identify attorneys with expertise in fields such as cryptocurrency, biotech, or electric vehicles was scattered across multiple, disconnected platforms. This made it difficult for partners and business development teams to quickly find the right attorneys for client matters, RFPs, and proposals.
The absence of a unified process meant that attorneys and staff had to rely on inefficient and time-consuming methods, such as sending firmwide emails, to identify colleagues with the necessary experience. This manual approach not only disrupted daily workflows but also slowed down critical decision-making processes.
Additionally, as the firm adjusted to the remote work environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that there was an increasing need for a tool that would foster a sense of community among attorneys spread across various offices. The firm needed a solution that could enhance visibility into its collective expertise, making it easier for teams to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge despite the physical distance.
Approach and Selection
Given these challenges, the firm sought a solution that could not only centralize data but also allow for customization to track specialized expertise within the IP group. ikaun's firm directory was selected for its ability to meet these specific needs while offering additional benefits, such as:
- Seamlessly pulling together existing data from the firm's systems and integrating it into a single, easily searchable platform.
- Allowing attorneys to self-assess and update their technical specializations, ensuring accuracy.
- Offering a flexible, scalable solution that could first be deployed for the IP group and later expanded firmwide.
The decision to adopt ikaun was driven by its pre-configured connectors, which could easily integrate with the firm's existing systems, and its customization capabilities, particularly for tracking niche technical specializations that are critical in IP matters.
Process and Implementation
The firm's implementation of ikaun's firm directory began with a pilot in the IP group, which included approximately 270 attorneys. The directory aggregated data from the firm's internal systems and enabled attorneys to input and update their technical expertise, such as experience with cryptocurrency, biotech, or electric vehicles.
Once the initial IP-focused directory was up and running, the firm expanded its deployment to encompass all 1,000+ attorneys across its offices. This broader roll-out created a centralized repository that housed attorney bios, education, bar admissions, and technical specializations for the IP group.
It also introduced advanced search functionality, enabling professionals to search for colleagues by skills, location, experience, and availability. The directory became accessible to all employees, fostering cross-office collaboration and significantly improving visibility into the firm's collective expertise. The deployment was completed smoothly, thanks to ikaun's integration capabilities and collaborative approach to working with the firm's IT team. Within months, the firm was fully utilizing ikaun's firm directory firmwide.
Results
The deployment of ikaun's firm directory delivered significant improvements to the firm, particularly in the IP group but also across the entire organization.
The implementation of ikaun's firm directory has been transformative for this Am Law 50 firm, particularly in how it manages and leverages its collective expertise. The centralized system has streamlined the process of identifying attorneys with niche technical skills, significantly improving the firm's ability to staff matters and respond to client needs efficiently. What began as a solution for the IP group has evolved into a firmwide tool that fosters collaboration, increases operational efficiency, and enhances visibility into the firm's broad array of talent.
The firm's Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer reflects on the impact:
.avif)
The ikaun Firm Directory is a centralized expertise management platform designed for large law firms. It integrates disparate data from internal systems into a single, searchable repository, allowing firms to track niche technical specializations, attorney bios, and experience. By enabling self-service access to personnel data, it eliminates the need for disruptive firmwide emails and streamlines the process of staffing complex matters and responding to RFPs.
.svg){kind=spacer}
.png)