You can’t hide from technology any longer. The world has changed, and it’s not going back to the “good old days.” Electronic data is everywhere, and when it comes to the legal industry that’s where you find the facts. A lawyer that has a command of the facts has a great advantage over a lawyer that does not. Technology has become necessary, not optional, condition of serving a client’s needs. Whether investigations, litigations or regulatory inquiries, you still need to know what the facts are and oftentimes the facts lie in the electronic data, which is data residing in a computer. (Just for clarity I don’t mean physically in the computer; I mean electronically).

Place this against a backdrop of a near global meltdown and recession that changed the legal industry forever. Now more than ever, clients are holding law firms accountable for their outcomes and for the value received from their services. In my meetings with some of the top tier law firms, I often hear the concern around how partners can differentiate themselves to the client. I’ve heard stories where the client says, “If some other top tier firm can do it cheaper, I might as well go with them as you’re all smart people.” This doesn’t seem to be a set of isolated incidents. Major clients are re-negotiating rates with their law firms and using their buying power and the threat of taking their business elsewhere to bring down legal costs. So how can a law firm deal with such an uncertain, pressure-filled environment?

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