The Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Awards 2013 – the winners!

Congratulations to all who took part in the Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Awards on the 25th September at the Dorchester Hotel London, headline sponsored by Eclipse Legal Systems.

The awards, which celebrate innovative business and legal service providers, were hosted by Gyles Brandreth and were attended by over 400 guests.

The full list of winners as chosen by a cross-industry panel of high profile judges can be seen below:

ABS of the Year Up to 50 employees
Winner: Brilliant Law
Highly Commended: Pudsey Legal

ABS of the Year 50 – 100 employees
Winner: Just Costs Solicitors
Highly Commended: SGI Legal

ABS of the Year over 100 employees
Winner: myhomemove
Highly Commended: Knights Solicitors

Lawyer of the Year
Winner: Christina Blacklaws, The Co-operative Legal Services
Highly Commended: Peter Garsden, QualitySolicitors, Abney Garsden

Non-Lawyer of the Year
Winner: Amanda Illing, Hardwicke
Highly Commended: Gladys-Swaim Rutter, Roberts Jackson Solicitors

Team of the Year
Winner: Bott & Co Solicitors
Highly Commended: Hardwicke

Rising Star of the Year
Winner: Coby Benson, Bott & Co
Highly Commended: Gladys-Swaim Rutter, Roberts Jackson Solicitors

Innovation of the Year
Winner: Knights Solicitors
Highly Commended: Fasttrac Solicitors

Entrepreneur of the Year
Winner: Tim Oliver, Parabis Group
Highly Commended: Karen Jackson, Roberts Jackson Solicitors

Client Care Initiative of the Year
Winner: Emsleys Solicitors
Highly Commended: Winn Solicitors

Deal of the Year
Winner: NewLaw Solicitors
Joint Highly Commended: Berrymans Lace Mawer & Quindell

COLP or COFA of the Year
Winner: Robert Mares, Quindell
Highly Commended: Just Costs Solicitors

New Entrant of the Year
Winner: Zebra Legal Consulting
Highly Commended: Brilliant Law

Best Marketing Campaign of the Year
Winner: InjuryLawyers4U
Highly Commended: Fox Williams

Outstanding Achievement
Douglas Silas

Lifetime Achievement
Professor Richard Susskind OBE

Client-focused Alternative Business Structure

Andrew Cummings, Director at Pudsey Legal Services Ltd, on how Proclaim helps to enhance the client service experience.

About Pudsey Legal

• Full-service practice
• Alternative Business Structure (licence granted 15 October 2012)
• 30 staff

Click here to view video

Camps Solicitors: using Proclaim to benefit in the new era of Personal Injury

Camps Solicitors is one of the UK's largest Personal Injury and Negligence claims practices, boasting among the highest success rates in the country. The firm employs almost 300 people at its Merseyside HQ.

James Barron, IT Director at the firm, tells us about his experience of Eclipse and Proclaim.

Why did you decide to implement a new Practice Management system?

Camps was facing two significant challenges.  Firstly, our existing Case and Practice Management solutions were struggling under the demands of continued growth (we had gone from 80 staff to 300 staff in a fairly short time period).  Our financial systems and our fee earner management systems didn’t communicate as well as we would have liked.  Secondly, large-scale legislative changes in the Personal Injury arena were looming, necessitating a review of IT and working processes.

Why did you choose Proclaim?

We needed a robust system with the flexibility to adapt and develop in line with the growth of our firm.  After a detailed market analysis, we opted for Proclaim.

Why?  Well, Eclipse was widely known to be the market leading provider of its type - its Proclaim system came highly recommended and its integration as a complete 'Practice' solution was great.  But also the company stood out as the only one to have a deep knowledge of impending changes to the PI arena.  We wanted an IT partner who could support our growth in a knowledgeable and confident way, with an approachable and personable style.

What benefits do you see from Proclaim?

Proclaim gives Camps the control we need over processes and working practises.  The system has its own inbuilt toolsets which enable us to configure or create changes as the business demands.  This is powerful - it means that we can develop the system moving forward, in line with corporate, personal and legislative goals.

Just a small example - our board of directors wanted some bespoke screens creating which would give them a high-level view of key performance data across the practice.  We were able to create those screens ourselves, in short order - that engenders a tremendous amount of senior-level IT buy-in!


How does Proclaim help to enhance your client service experience?

Using Proclaim, we are now able to process and assess the validity of incoming claims much quicker, with the result of lower staffing levels at the initial point of contact.  It also means that the quality of claims that we progress is higher right off the bat.  Our FNOL (First Notification of Loss) team uses Proclaim, and the processes we have created mean that claim inception time is greatly reduced.

The experience for clients is extremely transparent.  They have access to Eclipse's FileView solution which enables secure online self-service in real-time.  It means clients have access to information 24/7 at a time and location convenient for them, offering enhanced service at a fractional cost to us.  We also utilise Proclaim's auto-SMS text message feature which means we can be proactive in contacting clients when trigger points are achieved, keeping in touch in a very direct and personal way at every key stage of a claim.

Do you utilise Proclaim's integration features?

This is one of Proclaim's big advantages for us.  The system uses Web Services which means that anything with industry-standard technology can be integrated if need be.  We have integrated Proclaim with our scanning solution (scanned files go straight to the relevant client or matter), HPI vehicle lookups, address lookups, and an online document signup system.  Because Proclaim can pull and push data so easily, you don’t need teams of people retyping or rekeying data – providing opportunities for cost saving and, importantly, negating data entry errors.

Proclaim's integration with the RTA claims Portal is exceptional and unmatched in the marketplace.  This A2A (Application to Application) solution will also be rolled out at the appropriate time across other areas (e.g. EL / PL).  As we grow, we can see the continuing possibilities of Proclaim aiding our business drivers.

How do you use Proclaim for reporting and MI?

Internally we benefit from consistent, real-time data which can be shared across the entire practice.  Proclaim enables us to use data outside of the core system, which opens up very exciting ‘insights' for us.  For example, we have created browser-based real-time graphical dashboards, taking data straight from Proclaim.  We have overlaid this with another browser-based portal which lets Camps - and key external stakeholders and partners - view statistics such as number of cases that have arrived, source, by what channel, underlying value at any particular stage, and so on.  Essentially, management reporting is at a new multi-level that can be sliced and diced as required.  Standard insightful reporting on the overall practice and channel / business type can be actioned with clear drivers, simplifying decision making.

Any future plans you can share?

Proclaim gives us a solid platform for all developments and future projects.  With previous systems, this was impossible.  Proclaim has the full support of our senior management team and its inherent capabilities mean that we have a solution to ongoing legislative change and market pressures.  Our plans have Proclaim at the core - its flexible approach delivers against known and as yet unknown requirements.  Proclaim is the clear market leader, providing us with a superb platform for ongoing commercial growth.

TouchPoint journey – Conveyancing

Legal services provision is changing – your clients, customers and business partners are demanding more for less. They require more information, more quickly wherever they are.

And at a lower cost.

Eclipse’s new TouchPoint system puts them at the centre, providing a truly personal ‘self-service’ experience. With a slick and accessible interface, personalised interactive tiles enable you to deliver bespoke real-time data, information and applications, via any device and any web browser.

The Conveyancing Journey – using TouchPoint

For most people, buying a house is one of the most daunting and stressful experiences in life – especially for those not used to dealing with the legal profession. But for those using Touchpoint, the whole experience changes for the better. TouchPoint means they are involved, in touch and in control.

Client capture

Meet Sarah – she’s buying her first house and she’s looking for a conveyancing quote. One conveyancer she visits is a TouchPoint user, so rather than phoning or visiting them, an active tile on the firm’s site takes her to a quote calculator. Sarah gets her quote using her iPhone – and once happy with it, her information is pushed automatically into the firm’s Proclaim Case Management system. From here, all sorts of workflows can be triggered that get things moving for Sarah. A welcome SMS and an email give her secure access to her new TouchPoint self-service area.

Personalised

Because this is Sarah’s TouchPoint, and it’s personal to her, she can create a personalised map and snapshot of the house she has fallen in love with. Further information tiles can include plain-English explanations of the process, and useful FAQs – all helping to build Sarah’s confidence in the journey.

Keeping in touch

At any point, Sarah can contact and chat with her lawyer, and behind the scenes all queries and questions can be sucked into Proclaim, to trigger workflow or be rerouted to relevant personnel. For Sarah this means no more leaving messages, wondering if and when someone will call back.
Using TouchPoint’s ‘FileView’ tool, Sarah stays informed and in control. She can check on her file and its documentation any time and from anywhere. It’s a transparent view which gives Sarah the full conveyancing picture and a greater understanding of the process. The data she sees is secure, and in real-time – her law firm decides how much (or how little) is shown – whatever is right and appropriate for them.

Marketing

Through marketing features in TouchPoint, Sarah receives tailored communications, news feeds, blogs and even special offers that are relevant to her. She is free to just pull information, so she won’t get irritated by blanket ‘junk mailers’ – but she appreciates taking a look at a relevant news feed while at work on her PC or catching up with a blog on her smartphone.

TouchPoint helps to build a closer, more positive relationship between Sarah and her law firm. Once her house is bought and all the paperwork is complete, Sarah can then take part in a Client Satisfaction survey embedded in TouchPoint. The results are automatically captured in Proclaim, triggering relevant workflow tasks inside the firm.

And of course, subsequent data analysis helps the law firm continually improve customer service – which Sarah, or the friends she recommends to the firm, will appreciate when they want to buy or sell their homes.

From LA Law to Nesbit Law

Alan Nesbit, Owner of Nesbit Law Group LLP, tells us about his journey with Proclaim Practice Management.

About Nesbit Law Group LLP

• Personal Injury claims specialist
• A “service first” ethos
• 100 staff and growing rapidly

Click here to view video

Smith Jones Solicitors

Expanding Personal Injury practice utilises Proclaim to prepare for the future

“In a competitive legal environment, Proclaim gives us the advantage we need to continue our upward trajectory.”

Beverley Bellas, Finance Director

Smith Jones Solicitors is a rapidly expanding Personal Injury practice, and one of Lancashire’s best performing businesses across all sectors. The firm currently employs 60 people at its Burnley HQ and Warwickshire office.

The Challenge

The incumbent software solution’s vendor was acquired by a large multinational organisation. This meant that the development path for that product was abruptly ended. Smith Jones took the initiative and went to market for a future-proof Practice Management system. Core requirements were a guaranteed development path, simplicity of use, and tools that would enable lean, cost cutting process creation.

The Solution

Following a detailed analysis of available solutions, the decision was made to implement Proclaim. Smith Jones saw Proclaim as “the next step” in

Practice Management – future-proof, with a strong track record and rich fee earner toolset. Importantly, the cultural fit between Eclipse and Smith

Jones was excellent – both growing companies with a long-term vision.

The Results

Proclaim is used at every step of the client journey. The system’s ‘Lead Management’ toolset comes into play at very first contact, tracking key statistics for Smith Jones to ascertain the success of marketing campaigns. Features such as SMS text messaging and automated ‘milestone’ emails keep clients in the loop through the life of their case.

Smith Jones utilises Proclaim’s ‘A2A’ system for processing RTA cases through the Portal, and will be implementing the system for EL / PL files too. The practice has also created its own costs budgeting system to take into account new rulings on high-value injury cases.

The future will see Smith Jones expand its operations, aiming to be the number 1 personal injury firm in the region. Proclaim will sit at the core, providing a flexible and future-proof practice-wide solution.

Derry City Council chooses Proclaim

The UK’s leading Case Management Software provider, Eclipse Legal Systems, has announced its latest UK Public Sector win.

Derry City Council (one of the largest district councils in Northern Ireland) is implementing Eclipse’s Proclaim Case Management solution for its in-house legal team.  Eclipse will deliver a bespoke solution to cater for property management, as well as providing flexibility for a range of multi-disciplinary matter types.

As part of the project, Eclipse is also delivering a data export routine – using Proclaim’s integrated import / export toolset.  The export will enable Derry City Council to seamlessly extract data for use in the authority’s existing Health & Safety system.

In addition, the Council will benefit from Proclaim’s ‘MIWH’ (Management Information Warehouse) solution, enabling scheduled Proclaim reports to be amalgamated with external data of Derry’s choosing.

Dolores Evelyn, Sales Director at Eclipse Legal Systems, comments:

“Proclaim’s appeal as an all-round business solution is exceptionally strong.  We can proudly boast the broadest range of clients of any UK legal software vendor – private practice, Alternative Business Structures, FTSE companies, insurers, local Government bodies, charities, medical organisations and more.

“Proclaim’s appeal lies in its ease of use and its inherent flexibility.  Business challenges – be they competitive, legislative, or otherwise – are a constant for all organisations.  But those organisations using Proclaim can be confident that the system can be easily shaped and moulded to suit any fast-moving and dynamic operational environment.”

Eclipse announces EL / PL claims A2A Portal integration

Eclipse announces EL / PL claims A2A Portal integration

Users of Proclaim Personal Injury Case Management system to be given A2A Portal access

Eclipse Legal Systems, the legal sector’s largest independent software solutions provider, has announced the forthcoming rollout of its A2A solution for EL / PL work.

Following a series of Government rulings, all Road Traffic Accident (RTA) claims of a value less than £25,000 are processed through a central electronic ‘Portal’. This has recently been extended to incorporate Employers Liability (EL) and Public Liability (PL) claim types – again, of a value less than £25,000.

Eclipse was the very first vendor to make true integration with the RTA Portal available (back in 2010) via a seamless A2A (Application-to-Application) method. The announcement of A2A integration with the new extended EL / PL Portal marks another first for the company.

Using A2A, claimant law firms with Eclipse’s Proclaim Personal Injury Case Management solution will be able to manage EL / PL claims entirely through the Proclaim desktop, without resorting to the manual entry ‘web browser’ method.

Eclipse’s Business Solutions Director, Tracy Blencowe, comments:

“Our Proclaim A2A solution is the market’s leading system by quite a margin. We currently have over 250 law firms using A2A for RTA claims, and we expect a similar number will be using our EL / PL integration.

“We are approached almost daily by claimant law firms whose incumbent suppliers can’t (or won’t) provide full A2A integration for them. Given the recently reduced margins in some areas of personal injury work, an IT system that reduces administration and improves processing time is not merely desirable, it is vital.”

Are online applications, smartphone and tablet apps the future?

Are online applications, smartphone and tablet apps the future?

In terms of customer experience – and how that customer’s journey with their lawyer unfolds – then yes an accessible tablet / smartphone solution is vital.

BUT we would raise a warning here for anyone who thinks a simple “app” is the way forward.

In managing the customer experience and journey, you need much more than what the world generally understands by the term “app”. I know of lots of firms who have had an app created for them that, for example, will provide their customers with the ability to submit a photo of an accident. Ok great, but that is one tiny part of the whole journey. What happens next?

You need to ensure that the WHOLE journey is managed consistently and in tune with your back-office IT systems. A simple app will not do that for you.

You need a way for your customer to stay in touch and in the know, throughout the entire process. To provide that level of involvement you need a customer journey tool.

Eclipse’s new TouchPoint solution provides that – the ability for your customers to stay in touch and informed, 24/7, all using an iPad on their couch (if that’s their preference).

The journey needs so much more than just a quaint sales tool to provide customers with a quick “oh that’s nice”. Proper tablet or smartphone access to the legal process is a way in which you can provide a fantastic level of differentiation over your competitors.

And a great way to cement a convenient and transparent relationship with your customers (and the people they will refer to you in future, seeing as their experience was so great)!

Director Debbie Murphy describes her journey with Proclaim and the competitive advantages brought to St Helens Law.

High street practice uses Proclaim to deliver a superb client service experience

St Helens Law is a full-service, community law firm based in the heart of St Helens. The practice prides itself on delivering the best possible service to its clients.

Debbie Murphy (pictured – foot of article), Director at the firm, tells us about her experience of Eclipse and Proclaim.

Why did you decide to implement Proclaim?

Three of the four partners who formed St Helens Law (myself included) had used the previous incarnation of Eclipse software – “Chase” – at our last firm.  We didn’t need any convincing to implement Proclaim at the new practice, as we were extremely happy with our experience of Eclipse’s systems.

We opened the office in December 2001 with just four users on Proclaim.  As well as the core Case Management software, we also implemented the Proclaim Accounts solution to give us a fully integrated Practice Management system.

What benefits do you see from Proclaim?

First and foremost, Proclaim collates every single piece of client and matter data, storing this centrally.  So rather than scrabbling through paper files and storage cabinets for information, we know exactly where our data is.

Our policy here at St Helens Law is ‘scan and shred’ wherever possible.  Proclaim’s integrated scanning tools mean that every element of information can be stored electronically against the relevant client and / or matter.  Everything we need is on screen.  We even provide access directly into Proclaim for our costs drafting partners, negating the need to print and courier bulky paper files.  So our relationships with suppliers are efficient and seamless.

In a nutshell, Proclaim provides us with practice-wide consistency.  Here at St Helens Law we offer the full range of client services – matrimonial, personal injury, negligence, conveyancing, probate and commercial litigation.  Our processes and best practises now cover every area of work we undertake, for all 25 staff.

This makes things like achieving and maintaining Lexcel accreditation straightforward.  Proclaim provides visual reminders for fee earners, limitation warnings, and enables on-screen file reviews (no more hunting for paper!)

Fee earner management is also facilitated by Proclaim.  The system allows us to supervise work and channel what fee earners can and cannot do.  So for prescriptive work areas we can enforce very tight, process-driven workflows.  And for work which is more variable we can allow fee earners scope to really enhance the client service experience.

How does Proclaim help to enhance your client service?

Service and client experience is ultra-important for us.  Legal services are often distress purchases, so we need to make the process as clean, transparent, and caring as possible.  We benefit from a large amount of word-of-mouth recommendation, so keeping that service level high is vital.

Our clients have access to Eclipse’s FileView tool – FileView displays live case data from Proclaim within a secure online environment.  Our clients simply log in to their own personal area and they can view as much or as little about their file as is appropriate.  We can make documents available if we wish, or we can streamline the view to present a simplified milestone view.  Whatever is best for the client.

A key benefit of using Proclaim is that everything is centralised.  As I commented on earlier, Proclaim collates every single piece of client and matter data, so we know exactly where our data is.  What this means for clients is that any member of staff can respond to a query.  If the fee earner in charge of the case is on holiday, or ill, then no matter – somebody else can quickly give that client an update.  Nobody has a personal filing system any more, so we don’t have to overcome individual organisational quirks!

Do you use Proclaim for management reporting and statistics?

We utilise the full Proclaim Practice Management solution, and that gives us unrivalled reporting abilities.  On the financial side, we have access to departmental and company data, with the option to drill down into minute detail.  Proclaim’s inclusive reporting suite means that we can create and configure our own reports whenever we like – even setting these to automatically run and distribute at set times and frequencies.

This ‘information access’ means that we are always in the picture, empowering decisions and future planning.

Any future plans you can share?

Moving forward, we are looking at further utilising Proclaim as an all-round business solution, not just for purely legal work.  The system provides so much flexibility that we can tailor its usage to pretty much any process that we have internally.

In summation, I would say that providing a great service and experience for clients is our core ethos – and Proclaim helps us to achieve that.

Award-winning conveyancer bucks the trend

Advantage Property Lawyers (APL) is announcing continued strong growth, against a backdrop of challenging economic conditions.

APL, a licensed conveyancing practice, was founded in 2009 with 15 staff and has since seen headcount grow by 200%.  At its inception, the firm implemented Eclipse’s Proclaim Practice Management software solution to provide a solid and scalable technology backbone.

Proclaim is utilised by all APL staff, providing a centralised desktop toolkit for all property transactions.  Proclaim also provides the practice’s core financial and reporting toolset, enabling instant data retrieval with ongoing monitoring and analysis.

The ethos at APL focuses firmly on service and the provision of a superb client experience.  Despite its youth, the firm has already picked up the ‘Best Small UK Conveyancer’ prize at the Estate Agency of the Year Awards, and regularly features in the Land Registry’s top 50 conveyancers by completion volume.

Figures recently released show a 29% annual turnover increase to £1.51M for 2012. A further uplift of 40% is projected for 2013. Completions for 2013 are expected to increase to 4000.

Stephen Coupland, Head of Sales & Marketing at APL, comments:

“We are on track to achieve ‘Top 25 Status’ in 2014. Working with Proclaim will enable us to increase turnaround times and continue to provide a first class service to both our clients and introducers.”