7 Law Firms That Moved the Needle on Innovation in 2017
Yes, innovation is a tired buzzword and a law firm marketing cliché. But it's also the key to law firms remaining competitive.
December 28, 2017 at 04:05 PM
5 minute read
Yes, innovation is a tired buzzword and a law firm marketing cliché. But it's also the key to law firms remaining competitive in the face of increased client demands, intensifying competition and ever-greater segmentation of the legal services market. Throughout 2017, we've brought you stories of law firms investing in technology, implementing new systems or launching other future-minded experiments. Here are some of the headlines that stood out.
➤ Bryan Cave — A Case for Letting Associates Drive Technology Advances in Law Firms
Every other year the firm invites associates to the Bryan Cave Business Academy, an event that's part training retreat and part hackathon. The goal is to get associates thinking about how technology is reshaping the Big Law business model and to urge the younger lawyers to propose new technology applications.
➤ Culhane Meadows — Stay-at-Home-Rainmakers: A Growing Threat to Big Law
The virtual law firm is attracting real talent with a model that allows lawyers to set their own billing rates and keep 80 percent of their earnings. Founded in 2013 by four lawyers in Dallas and Atlanta, the firm announced Dec. 19 that five new IP partners have joined its ranks. For a contrarian's view of cloud-based law firms, read Roy Strom's take in The Law Firm Disrupted.
➤ Dentons — CEO Shift at Nextlaw Labs Points to New Structure for Denton's Innovation Arm
Dentons continues to set the pace for law firm investment in legal technology through its Silicon Valley accelerator, Nextlaw Labs. This summer Dentons was recognized with an International Law Firm Innovation Award from Law.com affiliate Legal Week for its free lawyer referral program that provides clients with access to more than 21,000 attorneys.
➤ DLA Piper — Inside DLA Pipers Client Retention Data Analytics Program
At this year's ILTACON, a conference put on by the International Legal Technology Association, DLA Piper pulled back the curtain on how it's been using data analytics to improve client service and retention. The initiative used four years of firm data to learn more about client retention and predict simple steps that would likely lead to growth in a client's business. The project resulted in a four-prong plan for keeping clients happy and spending.
➤ Pierce Sergenian — New Boutique Touts Litigation Finance Deal to Fund Big Law Battles
Just months into its existence, Los Angeles-based litigation boutique Pierce Sergenian broadcast a deal with litigation financier Pravati Capital that would allow the tiny, upstart firm to take on potentially lucrative contingency fee cases against deep-pocketed adversaries. The deal, reporter Roy Strom noted, showed “how litigation finance may change the prevailing law firm business model by lowering the cost and risk associated with launching a new firm to take plaintiff-side cases on contingency.” Firm founder John Pierce, a Quinn Emanuel alum, said of going public: It “was important for the market to understand that we have the ability to take a case across the finish line.”
➤ Seyfarth Shaw — Seyfarth Shaw Puts 'Software Robots' to Use in Automation Push
The firm struck a licensing deal in February with Blue Prism, a software company that promises to automate repetitive tasks such as client onboarding and contract analysis.
“We believe it will help our people operate more efficiently and effectively in doing the things that attorneys want to do, and it will take a lot of the process and moving of data off their plate,” said Stephen Poor, Seyfarth's chairman emeritus. “It's not like robot lawyers sitting at their desks.”
➤ Simmons & Simmons — An Innovative Approach to Law Firm Innovation
The London-based law firm launched a new initiative that will allow its lawyers to apply for a break from hourly billing in order to pursue ideas that would help the firm modernize its business. Simmons lawyers will pitch their ideas to a committee and if selected, will be given time to work on their proposals. This addresses a dilemma for law firm partners who typically take a financial hit if they spend time on innovative projects.
Want more reporting on legal industry pressures and competition? Sign up here for The Law Firm Disrupted by Roy Strom. Each briefing offers a levelheaded discussion of trends rocking the legal sector, examines how industry leaders are coping, and offers insight on the tactics and strategies of would-be disrupters.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
African Law Firm Under Investigation For AI-Generated Case References
3 minute read
Med Mal Defense Win Stands as State Appeals Court Rejects Arguments Over Blocked Cross-Examination
Indiana AG Accuses Big Pharma of Inflating EpiPens Price by 600%, Lawsuit Says
4 minute read
Ad Agency Legal Chief Scores $12M Golden Parachute in $13B Sale to Rival
3 minute readTrending Stories
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
