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Preparing for an Alternative future:
How Proclaim Case Management Software is helping Nesbit Law Group

The full extent to which Alternative Business Structures (ABS) will impact upon the legal services market is as yet unknown.  At a time of great uncertainty, one firm is planning confidently for the future – safe in the knowledge that it has the right software systems in place.

Nesbit Law Group is an 80-strong, vibrant firm of solicitors dealing with personal injury claims, primarily road traffic accidents (RTA).  The firm uses Eclipse’s Proclaim Case Management Software system, allowing fee-earners to turn around cases far quicker than the industry average.

Managing Partner, Alan Nesbit, has experience in both claimant and defendant insurance.  Having started the company in 2003 he now spends his time concentrating on managing and driving the practice forward.  Here he explains how he is looking to the future and furthering his firm’s long-standing relationship with Eclipse.

How long have you been using Proclaim?

Since day one!  In my previous firm I was part of a panel tasked with analysing the different Case Management systems available and selecting the most suitable.  The universal choice was Eclipse’s Proclaim, so when it came to setting up my own practice it was the obvious option.  It remains an easy to use, powerful and extremely flexible system.  The real beauty is how it can be developed as the business evolves.

How has the firm developed during that time?

We’ve grown from a two-person set-up operating out of one office, to the nine location, 80-staff business of today.  Our core focus remains personal injury, but commercial litigation and professional negligence work are also areas of interest.  What makes Eclipse stand out from the crowd is the company’s ability to tailor software in line with individual requirements.  We speak regularly with Eclipse’s developers who easily incorporate new features to improve efficiency.  We’ve changed dramatically and our software has kept up.  The result is a system that feels like it has been designed uniquely for our purposes rather than a vanilla, off-the-shelf package.

What are the main benefits of Proclaim?

Due to the competitive nature and fluid status of the personal injury sector, the main benefit is how Proclaim allows us to minimise costs.  The system is so straightforward and efficient to use that fee-earners can easily complete a great deal of the work that is traditionally carried out by support staff.  It is clear that Proclaim has been developed by people who know what fee-earners want – the result is that across our nine offices we only employ two secretaries!

The second key attribute is that by using Terminal Services I can effectively have a live link into any of the offices, allowing me to maintain a supervisory role across all the branches wherever I am in the world. Combined with the Proclaim Accounts package which allows us to see the ledger on each individual file, it is possible to feel in control of everything that is happening within the organisation.

Why is it vital to have the right Case Management systems in place?

Nobody knows the full long-term impact of the Legal Services Act, but I am confident that once a business has formulated its plan for the future, using Proclaim will provide every opportunity for success.  It is a vital tool that allows us to achieve our aims and goals and we would find it extremely difficult to compete if we didn’t have it in place.

In all areas, but particularly personal injury, there are relentless pressures driving down the costs that we can receive – including those from Jackson, the fixed costs received through the RTA Portal and the proposed ban on referral fees.  Utilising the technology at our fingertips to speed up processes and eliminate the need for support staff is more vital now than ever.

Would you recommend Proclaim to others?

I regularly recommend Proclaim to firms of all shapes and sizes.  I was young when I started out and people often ask my advice when starting up themselves – my advice to them is always the same: first things first, get yourself Proclaim!

New personal injury law firm aims high

Founded in 2009 by brothers Kamran Akram and Imran Akram, Asons Solicitors has rapidly become one of the leading claimant personal injury names in the north-west.  In just over 2 years, the practice has expanded from 3 to 80 staff and manages thousands of injury cases for claimants nationwide.

At its formation, Asons Solicitors researched the software market for suitable software platforms, making the decision to implement Eclipse’s Proclaim Case Management system.  Proclaim provides a complete desktop solution to fee earner needs, integrating a core database with document creation and storage, time recording, diaries and task management.

Director and co-founder, Imran Akram, talks us through the firm’s experience and ongoing use of Proclaim.

What were your selection criteria when deciding on a core software system for your practice?

Despite being a new startup, we had ambitious goals and a culture of ‘thinking big’ right from the early planning stage.  I was conscious of Eclipse’s presence in the personal injury sector, and that the Proclaim system is widely acknowledged as the market leader.

We had decided that quality was to be the primary factor in our decision – we really did want to start as we meant to continue, and implement the very best solution right from the off.  Key to us was finding a Case Management system that was user-friendly and adaptable to our ongoing needs.  Proclaim stood apart in terms of its functionality and immediately ‘welcoming’ interface.

Importantly, we were also confident that Eclipse could offer the right sort of long-term support – always vital for any firm-wide IT investment.  The whole Eclipse experience was aligned with our plans, and the system’s favourable pricing structure sealed our decision.

What benefits do you see from Proclaim?

Proclaim is the key to our overall productivity.  Every member of staff uses the system and it really is the ‘practice backbone’ around which everything takes place.  Proclaim provides a single desktop solution for handling claims, there is no need for fee earners to dive in and out of different programs.  This fundamental feature really helps to maintain focus and sight on the end-game, which is to win compensation for our clients.

Our success depends on our ability to compete with the many providers of personal injury services out there.  To do this, we must consistently manage a high number of cases with no drop in quality or efficiency.

As part of this drive for quality, we progress claims 100% digitally.  Proclaim is vital in providing a fully paperless environment for us.  Every piece of incoming documentation is scanned and stored within the relevant Proclaim file history.  Wherever possible, we use email to send and receive correspondence, and we accept claims from some referrers electronically – imported directly into Proclaim.

What this provides is a complete claim picture for any member of staff authorised to view the file.  Gone are the old problems of dealing with a staff member’s particular way of ‘filing’ when they are absent on holiday!  Everything is managed consistently and can be recalled from the system with lightning speed.

At Asons we have a very defined mission statement:

• To rotate files every 5 days
• To settle files within 3 months
• To answer and return all calls promptly
• To set up new cases within 24 hours of receipt

With ever-escalating workloads, Proclaim has been utterly vital in enabling us to deliver on these promises.  The automation of mundane (but necessary) tasks such as document production and scheduling follow-ups frees fee earners to focus on client relationships and the delivery of the best possible service.  Seemingly little things, such as being able to automatically send SMS text messages to claimants to inform them of key stages in their claim, are wonderful tools to have.

A great feature for us is the ability to create reports that are specific to our requirements, providing relevant, detailed claim statistics.  We can monitor ongoing KPIs and ensure that what we are doing is always aligned with maximising our profitability.  It enables us to be selective about the claims we choose, weeding out work that does not justify itself.

Do you have any future plans that you’d like to share?

Expansion of the type of work we take on is at the fore of our growth plans.  We are now utilising Proclaim not just for personal injury, but also for conveyancing, industrial disease, and PPI (payment protection insurance) claims.   Such ambitious development plans would be unthinkable without a Case Management system like Proclaim.  Eclipse provides a software solution that has the flexibility and functionality other vendors simply cannot deliver!

The legal services industry will soon see new players – in the form of ‘Alternative Business Structures’ (ABS) – enter the marketplace.  The SRA is currently processing applications from organisations all vying to be among the first to announce official ABS status – market commentators expect to see the first tranche of live ABSs in the first quarter of this year.

Eclipse Legal Systems has made available two new Proclaim Case Management Software systems, taking into account the unique requirements of ABS organisations.

1)   Proclaim ABS

Suitable for ABS organisations providing a wide range of consumer-based legal services, Proclaim ABS combines core Proclaim Case Management functionality with a choice of pre-prepared (and user-configurable) workflows.  Initial workflows available include conveyancing, personal injury claims, employment claims, matrimonial (family) disputes, probate and financial misselling.  Firms have the option to include any combination of these matter types within one fully integrated Case Management solution, providing centralised and instant access to client data across all service areas.

2)   Proclaim ABS PI

Designed specifically for organisations operating within the personal injury (PI) sector, Proclaim ABS PI integrates initial claim handling, personal injury litigation and links to medical reporting agencies in one centralised solution.  The personal injury sector is expected to see heavy ABS involvement, as existing claims management, personal injury and medical reporting firms join forces and consolidate as single entities to avoid falling foul of proposed referral fee bans.

Russell Thomson, Chief Business Executive at Eclipse, comments on the new products:

“The introduction of Alternative Business Structures brings a huge level of opportunity for both existing law firms and new market entrants.  Our experience with a wide range of organisations in law, insurance and consumer services (including many forthcoming ABS entrants) has shown that these organisations demand software solutions specific to their needs.

They will not make do with legacy legal management systems, nor will they wish to waste time with long and fruitless implementations of vanilla and toolkit systems.

Our new Proclaim ABS and Proclaim ABS PI systems break the mould as far as legal services software is concerned, providing the perfect fit for firms that need fast implementation of a 100% integrated, firm-wide case management solution.”

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LV= provides insurance, investments and retirement products to over five million customers.  Ongoing business expansion within LV= has led to a significant increase in the scope and volume of legal work and services provided by the in-house team.  Following a review of its core management software, the decision was made to roll out a bespoke Proclaim Case Management software solution to fully support and automate workflow.  The system will provide a scalable solution to support future expansion in the provision of legal services.

Proclaim provides a centralised legal and document management system, providing consistent and rapidly available information for all legal services stakeholders.  As part of a new end-to-end service strategy for internal clients, LV= is using Proclaim in conjunction with its own electronic legal instruction form to allow automatic case inception.  LV= is also implementing Eclipse’s ‘FileView Interactive‘ tool which enables internal legal customers to track instructions and view legal work online, via a secure company portal.

The goal for LV= is to use intelligent automation to improve the customer journey, streamlining as much administration as possible to focus on adding maximum value in terms of legal advice.

Ed Forbes, Legal Services Manager at LV=, comments on the selection of Proclaim:

“There is rapid change in both the insurance and legal markets. Companies and their in-house legal teams need to ensure they stay ahead of the curve by making innovative use of the latest technologies to free up time and deliver added value.  A key part of our strategy is to bring first class commercial client care to in-house legal service delivery.  Proclaim stood apart as the system of choice to enable us to achieve that goal.”

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced that it will begin accepting applications from 3 January 2012 and CLS plans to submit its application on that day.

Eddie Ryan, Managing Director of CLS, said: “The Legal Services Act will change the way in which legal services are delivered in England and Wales and we are looking forward to playing a leading role in the new era.

“We believe that the presence of The Co-operative’s trusted brand and values together with a combination of first class products and services will provide customers with greater accessibility to legal advice and better value for money.

“We are working extremely hard with the Solicitors Regulation Authority in preparation for the introduction of ABSs and we look forward to being licenced so that we can provide a full range of legal services to our members and customers.”

Part of the Co-operative Group, CLS was set up in 2006 and has more than 300 staff utilising Eclipse’s Proclaim Case Management Software system.

CLS offers a range of legal services including: personal injury claims; will writing; probate and estate administration; conveyancing, family and employment law.

Hodge Jones & Allen provides a full portfolio of legal services for clients nationwide.  The practice has a long-standing and enviable reputation for cutting-edge legal actions, including representing victims of the King’s Cross fire (1987) and the Marchioness ferry disaster (1989).  More recently the firm has acted for families taking action against makers of MMR vaccines (inoculations that led to severe health problems for a number of children).

Recent growth propelled the firm’s headcount to almost 200 staff and this volume of throughput necessitated a review of internal IT systems.  Following full analysis of the software market, Hodge Jones & Allen selected Eclipse’s Proclaim system.

The practice is implementing Proclaim for all staff, with Case Management software solutions in the Crime, Family and Personal Injury Employment teams.  In addition, the firm is tailoring a Proclaim Matter Management solution for non-prescriptive work areas.

To complete the full Proclaim implementation, Hodge Jones & Allen is implementing Proclaim Accounts to provide a firm-wide Practice Management Solution.  Eclipse is undertaking a conversion of data from the existing case and accounts packages.

Patrick Allen, Senior Partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, comments on his selection:

“Right from the start, I appreciated Eclipse’s approach to our needs.  The firm had a refreshingly practical take on the legal market and available solutions.  The Proclaim system we are implementing will provide a stable and integrated accounts and case management solution to carry us forward in the ABS era.  We are particularly attracted by Proclaim’s report writing functions, the facility to scan incoming documents into the case (a big step towards the paperless office) and the ease with which we can adapt the system to ongoing needs and new departments.  Proclaim will play a key part in assisting Hodge Jones & Allen to expand and remain profitable in these challenging and competitive times.”

Slater Hayward specialises in financial claims, namely mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) and unreasonable credit card / loan charges.  Following the British Bankers Association’s (BBA) decision not to pursue further legal action over PPI, all outstanding mis-selling cases are currently being settled.  The resultant influx of new cases for Slater Hayward resulted in the need to find a software solution that could provide a robust and efficient claims handling environment.

Following a full review of the legal software market, Slater Hayward selected Eclipse’s Proclaim PPI system for rollout.  Slater Hayward is working with Eclipse to configure the standard PPI solution in line with the practice’s bespoke requirements and future plans to provide a broader range of financial claim services.

In addition, the firm is taking Eclipse’s ‘FileView’ online case tracking solution.  FileView will enable Slater Hayward clients to monitor live claim progress via a secure online portal, greatly reducing the number of administrative phone calls the firm receives.

Lyn Slater, Principal at Slater Hayward, comments:

“The financial claims sector has really taken off, with huge numbers of people finally given the green light to settle on mis-sold policies and unfair ‘fines’.  To manage such large volumes of claims, our chosen case management solution is an integral part of our business model.  Proclaim really sits apart as the system of choice – infinitely flexible, easy to use, and fast to implement… three very big ticks in three very important boxes!”

The event goes from strength to strength, and this year’s was the biggest yet – over 500 guests attended.

The full list of winners:

• PI Team of the Year (Defendant): Keoghs LLP
• PI Team of the Year (Claimant): JMW
• PI Lawyer (Defendant): Peter Walmsley, Barlow Lyde and Gilbert
• Claims Management Company of the Year: Winn Assist
• Medical Agency of the Year: Insurance Medical Group
• Insurance Provider of the Year: 80e
• Practice/Operations Manager of the Year: Stephen Ward, Clerksroom
• Associated Industries Award: Laird Assessors
• Claimant Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year: John McQuater, Atherton Godfry
• Rehab Provider of the Year: IPRS and Rehab Prosthetics
• Barrister of the Year: Stuart McKecknie, 9 Gough Square
• Barristers Chambers of the Year: Exchange Chambers
• Young Achiever of the Year: Arti Shah, Pattison and Brewer
• Mediation Achiever of the Year: Sir Henry Brooke
• Outstanding Achievement: Phil Shiner, Public Interest Lawyers
• Outstanding Case of the Year: Neil Southern, Keoghs LLP
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Sir Henry Brooke