The Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Awards 2020 – shortlist

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Awards 2020, which takes place on Thursday 6th February at the Victoria Warehouse, Manchester.

After facing a number of tough decisions to whittle down all of the high-calibre entries, the judges have created a final shortlist of firms and individuals, which can be seen below.

Congratulations to all!

ABS of the Year
Beacon Wealth Legal Ltd
BW Legal Services Limited
ESP Law Ltd
Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre
St James’ Square Law Firm

Law Firm of the Year
Birketts LLP
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Hudgell Solicitors
Nayyars Solicitors
Ramsdens Solicitors LLP
Warner Goodman LLP

Boutique Law Firm of the Year (1-10 Employees)
3D Solicitors
Capitalise Business Solutions
ESP Law Ltd
Manders Law
Purdy Smith
The Law Boutique

Boutique Law Firm of the Year (11+ Employees)
Family Law and Mediation Limited
FD Law trading as Hayes Connor Solicitors
FTA Law
Greenhalgh Kerr Solicitors
Stuart Miller Solicitors Limited
TQ Property Lawyers

Managing Partner of the Year
Ayesha Nayyar – Nayyars Solicitors
Emma Carey – MSB Solicitors
Helen Johnson – Johnson Astills
James Thornton – ClientEarth
Lindsay Healy – Aria Grace Law
Paul Monaghan – St James’ Square Law Firm

Lawyer of the Year
Charlotte Clode – FBC Manby Bowdler LLP
Amira Hughes – Howell-Jones LLP
Georgia Holmes – Barcan+Kirby LLP
Madelene Holdsworth – Slater and Gordon Lawyers
Shaheen Mamun – Black Antelope Law
Sophie Murgatroyd – Bridge Law Solicitors Limited

Chambers of the Year
Exchange Chambers
Hardwicke
Normanton Chambers
Park Square Barristers

Barrister of the Year
David Boyle – Deans Court Chambers
Nabila Mallick – No5 Chambers
Philip Rule – No5 Chambers
Sally Penni – Kenworthys Chambers

Team of the Year
Consilia Legal
Instalaw Solicitors
OakNorth

Paralegal of the Year
Callum Scott – Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre
Hazel Montgomery – Cartwright King Solicitors
Machaela O’Brien – Coodes Solicitors
Natalie Lamb –  Slater and Gordon Lawyers
Nicholas Ash – Will & Probate Services (Estate Planning) Ltd
Nicola Goodburn – Ward Hadaway

Rising Star of the Year
Danielle Day – Berwins Solicitors
Heather Moore – Slater and Gordon Lawyers
Jonathan Andrews – Reed Smith
Kayleigh Leonie – Macfarlanes
Markella Papadouli – The AIRE Centre
Reise Luke – Instalaw Solicitors

Innovation of the Year
Capitalise Business Solutions
Chambers365 by Clerksroom
ContractPodAi
Legl
Luminance
Zeus Claims Solutions Limited

Marketing & Communication Strategy of the Year
Berwins Digital
Countrywide Legacy
FD Law trading as Hayes Connor Solicitors
Legmark Ltd
Morton Fraser
The Carvalho Consultancy

Client Care Initiative of the Year
1st Resolve Ltd
Bell Lamb and Joynson Solicitors
Farewill
Rothera Sharp Solicitors
Stuart Miller Solicitors Limited
Touch Solicitors Limited

Outstanding Commitment to Training
Bidwell Henderson Costs Consultants Ltd
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP)
Countrywide Conveyancing Services
Jackson Lees Group
My Home Move
ProMediate (UK) Limited

Best use of Technology
BW Legal Services Limited
Chambers365 by Clerksroom
Farewill
High Court Enforcement Group Limited
Settify & The International Family Law Group LLP
Zeus Claims Solutions Limited

Business Growth Award
Aria Grace Law
Capitalise Business Solutions
Farewill
Legl
Simplify
Thomas Legal

Combatting Fraud Award
Estatesearch
NetWatch Global
Shieldpay Ltd
SmartSearch
Teal Compliance Ltd
Thirdfort Limited

Diversity & Inclusion Award
Barcan+Kirby LLP
Black Antelope Law
Dentons
MSB Solicitors
Osborne Clarke
Wedlake Bell

Supporting the Industry (1-25 Employees)
Clinco
Curian Medical Limited
DMR Collation Ltd
LawNet Ltd
Obelisk Support
Zeus Claims Solutions Limited

Supporting the Industry (26+ Employees)
Corporé Limited
Geodesys
GlobalX
Mobile Doctors Limited
poweredbypie
Shieldpay Ltd

West End law firm Campbell & Co selects Proclaim Case Management solution

Bespoke legal experts Campbell & Co Solicitors is set to implement the Proclaim Case Management solution from Eclipse, the Law Society Endorsed legal software provider.

With over 30 years of experience in the legal sector, the Mayfair-based firm provides valuable legal assistance across a range of specialist areas, including personal injury, medical negligence, conveyancing and commercial.

Campbell & Co sought a solution to replace their incumbent system that would enable the firm to capitalise on new opportunities and build upon their existing reputation of excellence. The firm chose the Proclaim Case Management system with ready-to-go workflow modules for its personal injury and medico legal teams.

The firm will further streamline processes with full integration with the Ministry of Justice Claims Portals, enabling the management of both RTA and EL/PL claims directly from the Proclaim desktop, without resorting to the manual entry web browser method.

In addition, the medico legal workflow boasts an in-built ‘Expert Selector’, which will enable Campbell & Co to select the most relevant medical expert faster, benefitting clients with even greater speed.

Sandra Campbell (pictured), Principal Solicitor at Campbell & Co, comments:

“Our clients have come to expect an exceptional compassionate service at what is often a difficult time. With Proclaim, and the increase in efficiencies it will brings to our firm, we can focus on our client’s individual needs and tailor our expertise to suit the requirements and intricacies of every unique case. We’re confident we’ll be able to take on more cases than ever before – without compromising on the quality of our services.”

Pinkney Grunwells selects Proclaim Practice Management solution from Eclipse

Leading regional law firm Pinkney Grunwells is set to implement the Proclaim Practice Management solution from Eclipse, the Law Society Endorsed legal software provider.

Established in 1938, the Yorkshire-based firm boasts offices in Scarborough, Bridlington, Whitby, Driffield and Hunmanby, and has been offering direct and honest legal advice to local residents and businesses since its inception.

Providing a wide range of services including Conveyancing, Family and Probate, Pinkney Grunwells sought to replace its incumbent systems with a single solution geared towards firm-wide case management and practice financials. The firm selected a fully integrated Proclaim Practice Management Software solution.

As part of the project, Eclipse is carrying out a conversion of both case and accounting data from the practice’s incumbent systems.

To further streamline the conveyancing process, the firm will utilise Proclaim’s integration with the Land Registry Business Gateway (LRBG). This enables users to seamlessly interact with the Gateway from the Proclaim desktop environment. Tasks such as property enquiries and bankruptcy searches can be completed without leaving Proclaim.

The firm is taking advantage of Proclaim’s ready-to-go probate workflow which automatically completes all relevant forms including the IHT400 – ensuring sensitive matters are managed properly, accurately, and with no distractions.

Daniel Boynton (pictured), Operations Manager at Pinkney Grunwells, comments:

“Our clients’ expectations are becoming increasingly high, it’s key that we exceed these demands to set us apart from the competition. Proclaim will enable us to build on our operational effectiveness and re-invest time saved in enhancing our client’s experience.”

Three ways to keep your client’s sensitive data secure

The security of client data should be your number one priority. Most individuals won’t even consider hiring a law firm if they don’t feel confident their details will be properly secured.

The regulatory requirements with regards to data are another incentive to ensuring everything is managed correctly. With the introduction of GDPR, it’s more important than ever to handle data in the right way.

There are a number of ways in which data can be compromised. It can happen maliciously, where a hacker or fraudster is looking to breach your systems and steal sensitive information – probably for financial gain.

It can also happen accidentally. Human error is a part of life, and it’s not uncommon for an email to mistakenly be sent to the wrong person – an email that contains data that should not be shared with anyone other than the intended recipients.

Neither of these scenarios are completely unavoidable. But you can mitigate the risk by taking reason steps to maintain the trust of your clients, and reduce the chance of fines and other punishments by regulators.

So, what can you do?

Your Case Management software is where your client’s data is going to be stored. So you need a solution that provides suitable security, and makes it easier for you to stay on the right side of the regulations.

Meet GDPR requirements

Proclaim features two GDPR toolsets that assist you in remaining compliant. They are the GDPR Information Asset Register, and the GDPR Individual Rights Workflow.

The Asset Register acts as a map for all the data you hold. It allows you to track where information is stored, and helps you understand why you have it and what it is being used for.

The Individual Rights workflow manages GDPR requests such as the Right to be Forgotten from individuals whose data you hold, allowing you to respond to their requests in a simple and efficient manner within the regulatory time limits. Only authorised users can access this information. And it issues on screen alerts to flag potential non-compliance matters.

Ring-fence data securely in the cloud

Whilst you can host Proclaim on your own systems, Proclaim can also live happily in any secure UK based ISO accredited data centre, meaning data is never held on users devices. This makes it easy to control who has access to client information and means misplaced laptops are not the severe data breach they once were.

Your entire Proclaim database is regularly backed up automatically, so should a disaster strike your offices you can be back concentrating on client care in no time, accessing Proclaim from any location.

Send and receive sensitive data in encrypted emails

One of the newer features of Proclaim is the integration with RMail, which allows you to send encrypted emails to clients.
This means if an email gets intercepted, no data will be at risk because only the intended recipient can see the contents of that email – including any attachments.

It works through Outlook, so there’s no additional effort required from the sender. There’s a simple button you can press to ‘encrypt’ any email and then send it directly through Proclaim. Your recipients can even reply to the encrypted email in a secure encrypted portal.

You can also see when the email has been read by the recipient, which acts as proof of delivery – admissible as evidence in a court of law.

If security is important to you – and it should be – then Proclaim is the obvious choice as a Case Management solution.

You can find out more about this software by requesting a no obligation demonstration. Just visit this page.

Embracing app technology

Darren Gower (pictured), Marketing Director at Eclipse spoke with Legal Practice Management magazine to discuss why law firms shouldn’t think that, just because they’re operating in a traditional working environment, they’ve missed their chance to adapt.

If we’re honest, the legal sector has never been particularly quick to adopt new technologies. Traditional ways of working have always served us well in the past, so why change anything?

Well, the answer is because we can always get better. There’s always a new way to improve the level of service that law firms can offer their customers, and it’s often done through technology.

Digital technologies in particular have a big impact on businesses because they’re able to boost efficiencies. They can cut down time-consuming tasks into more manageable jobs, enabling more time to be spent on other areas of the business.

But it’s not just about embracing technologies that allow your fee earners to be more productive. You can also put these solutions into the hands of your customer – not only creating a better experience for them – but a more exciting one.

And the way to do that is through apps. Most people have a smartphone or a tablet and are used to using apps on a daily basis for a variety of things – from online banking and shopping, to browsing social media and reading the news.

The ability for them to communicate with their legal team through a simple, easy-to-use app –available 24/7 – is a huge benefit. They can view information about their case anytime without having to pick up the phone or send an email and wait for a response.

Certain apps used by law firms provide real time information, so users know that it’s completely accurate and up to date.

This additional value will encourage people to pay for and retain your services. You have to ask yourself what you can do that other law firms can’t. Using new technology is a great way of gaining an edge on your competitors.

Other firms are already providing these services – so you might be the one being left behind and losing that edge. The more quickly you implement apps and other process improvement features, the more you will benefit.

But it’s never too late. Don’t think that just because you’re operating in a traditional working environment, that you’ve missed your chance to adapt, and are behind everyone else.

Apps are going to be a bigger and bigger part of our lives in the coming years. Every day that goes by without you offering these powerful tools is another day that your competitors are gaining an edge.

RIAA Barker Gillette (UK) selects Proclaim Practice Management solution from Eclipse

RIAA Barker Gillette (UK) LLP is implementing Eclipse’s Practice Management solution, Proclaim, the Law Society Endorsed legal software provider.

Established in 1981, the West End law firm is part of the RIAA Barker Gillette Global Alliance, with affiliated offices from New York to Beijing. The firm boasts a leading reputation for the approachability and accessibility of its Partners and offers a highly personalised service. The firm provides a wealth of specialist services, including corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, employment, family, private client and real estate.

As a mid-tier law firm offering a wide range of services, RIAA Barker Gillette (UK) required a solution that could be rolled out across all departments enabling maximum efficiency. Proclaim’s compliance features and integrated document management and accounting systems made it the ideal choice of software.

TouchPoint+, Proclaim’s self-service portal, includes an app that allows the firm’s clients to access information from their mobile devices. This will help RIAA Barker Gillette (UK) to further enhance its position as a leading law firm providing outstanding client care.

Alex Deal (pictured), Managing Partner, of RIAA Barker Gillette (UK), comments:

“We’re delighted to be moving to the Proclaim platform – we’re confident the new system will have a massive impact on efficiency within our business. Proclaim’s flexibility impressed us and will enable us to integrate with our preferred software providers for postcode look-ups, digital dictation and ID/AML checks, making the transition to a new Practice Management system even smoother for both our clients and our team.”

Saving money with GDPR

Darren Gower (pictured), Marketing Director at Eclipse spoke to LPM Magazine to discuss how law firms should be efficiently handling GDPR regulations.

A year on from the introduction of GDPR, and adhering to its policies has never been more important than it is today. Not just from a compliance perspective – and being compliant will save you from being issued with fines – but in terms of the security of your law firm.

Research recently unveiled by the government shows that GDPR has, at least in part, contributed to the decline in cyber attacks against businesses in the UK. In fact, the number of companies who have experienced some sort of breach or attack went down from 43 percent to 32 percent.

According to the government’s report, each cyber security “breach” or “incident” costs large businesses an average of £22,700. So GDPR is a cost-saving exercise in more ways than one – it can prevent you from being fined and protect you from malicious attacks.

GDPR compliance pleases the regulators, it’s good for your clients, and it also has a positive effect on your bottom line. Which is why it’s so surprising that many firms don’t have efficient systems and processes in place to ensure everything is above board.

Sure, your business may not have violated any rules as of yet, but without a suitable plan of action for handling data, and dealing with Subject Access Requests, you could be walking on a tightrope.

It only takes one failure for the regulators to step in and start issuing penalties.

Implementing an entirely new system, or modifying the one you have, might be an expense you’re not particularly happy about paying. But it will undoubtedly save you money in the long run. An efficient, modernised organisational structure can make all the difference.

That means centralising all your data, rather than having it spread out across various platforms throughout your business. Effective search tools will enable you to comply with those Subject Access Requests in a timely manner, and discard appropriate data as and when necessary, to avoid being pulled up by the regulator.

Whilst a base system that improves efficiency across the board will enable firms to better comply with GDPR, there are more specific solutions available, built in a more bespoke manner particularly for this area of compliance.

Workflow systems dedicated to Subject Access Requests, or the individual rights of users as established by GDPR, can maximise efficiency even further, and ensure you’re doing everything you can to save money for your business.

Likewise, there is more you can (and should) be doing to reduce your risk against cyber attacks than simply adhering to GDPR. And the government’s report acknowledged as much. Many SMEs do not have cyber security policies in place and have not engaged in any formal cyber security training.

So when you do implement those systems and processes that will allow you to comply with GDPR, and therefore potentially save on costs, it’s essential firms look into what else they can be doing to ensure all their data is safe. It keeps the regulator happy, and it keeps your clients happy.