AmLaw 100 American law firm Sutherland LLP are always looking out for ways to improve firm efficiency and data is top of their agenda. With the help of data consultancy Trovus, they are evolving their insights and coming up with new ways to get their Fee Earners and Business Development department on board and engaged.

CIO Bob Dolinsky points out that “harnessing the power of data and analytics to support the firm has to be top priority”. Bob feels that “law firms understand why data is important, but only a few have started to invest in that area”. “At Sutherland, it was more of an evolution. The firm is always looking at new ways to support the practice– some of that’s infrastructure-related, some of that’s practice systems-related, and some of it is related to the business and management of the firm. Certainly, harnessing the power of big data and analytics to support the practice has to be pretty high up on the list”. For Sutherland, this is where Trovus comes in.

Marketing Technologist Stephen DiGennaro agrees adding, “There could be a lack of appetite in big law firms because they don’t know that the potential in data analytics exists, so if they knew that the potential was out there, they would definitely have the appetite for it”.

At Sutherland they are constantly coming up with smart ways to educate their Fee Earners around the power of data, as this makes the firm more efficient in supporting its lawyers and in delivering excellent client service.

Trovus provides Sutherland with key insights around client activity. Stephen notes that “it is critical to follow up with Fee Earners to make sure that the insights are being used in the best possible way. One example would be using Trovus. When using the Trovus insights we get, there is strong follow-up on a weekly basis to make sure that our business development team understands them and can take action”. If there are any gaps in an individual’s knowledge regarding their data, Trovus will offer additional support where needed, whether it’s via a demo or conference call.

Bob notes that each lawyer’s time is limited: “Asking lawyers to sit in a classroom for 2 hours or 4 hours just isn’t going to work; they’re too busy. One of the big risks firms run when they invest in and roll out technologies is that they don’t educate the users as to how to use it”. “There’s no one size fits all approach; we try to fine tune the training and education to the needs of the user and the particular item that’s being rolled out”.

As an example, Sutherland recently created a training method akin to the Apple Genius Bar, which they called ‘TECH BYTES.’ “We set up a conference room in one of our offices with stations where lawyers could come in and get training on bits of technology that we thought would be of interest to them. We made a commitment not to spend more than 5 minutes on each topic. In 2 hours, we had 25 partners turn up. It was a huge success”.

Stephen is fully on board with this training method and notes its success, adding “We’re also rolling this out for the marketing and business development departments”.

At Sutherland, as with most law firms, it is vital to get the board and the business users on board. “In general on any project we undertake, we identify our success factors, risks, types of impact and so on. For every one of our projects we have a pretty formal and successful methodology. Before any project is undertaken, we develop a project charter, identify stakeholders and get them on board, and we identify the objectives of the project and get agreement on them”.
When getting internal buy-in at Sutherland, as Bob points out, data is vital. “Law firms always appreciate data that backs up a recommended approach and reinforces returns – this is what the Trovus insights do for us”.

Stephen and Bob added that they’re always on the lookout for new technologies, and are working with Trovus to see what new reporting they are likely to need as market and internal needs at Sutherland evolve. “We’re looking at stuff that is being developed in the industry, we’re putting it on our radar, and we’re watching how it’s being developed. Because the solution that’s out there today might not be the best but we see the potential, and therefore want to see further R&D go into it and then see how it develops”.

To read the full interview, go to: http://www.trovus.co.uk/assets/Case-Studies/Sutherland-Interview-5002-1-1.pdf