LegalTech tips from Glasgow firm

Technology

LegalTech tips from Glasgow firm

By Stacy Campbell & Maureen McKee Matheson

We recently launched McKee Campbell Morrison Solicitors, based in Glasgow and offering a full suite of legal services for individuals and businesses ranging from startup businesses to PLCs.

Deciding to start a new firm was not easy, particularly with the uncertainty of Covid-19. The pandemic has shown us a new way of working and how technology can be used to become as “admin-light” as possible, allowing us to focus on the more commercial elements of running a new legal services business. Here are some of the considerations from our business plan.

Office space

The traditional operating model is a large city centre office, a team of receptionists manning the front of house and phones; secretaries for fee-earners as well as in-house finance and IT teams. A server will be located in the office and work-from-home is considered a last resort rather than a choice. This model didn’t fit how we wanted to work and, by taking advantage of the technology currently available, we have decided to work in a different way. As for many of us, we have mostly been working from home since March 2020 and have grown to enjoy this and see the benefits (and challenges!) of having more time at home and with our families. So should we have an office and, if so, what should that office look like? The advantages of a city centre presence, are as a base to meet our clients and contacts and for the collegiality of the firm. It gives us the opportunity to have a “change of scene” when working and avoid the fatigue and lack of motivation, that can set in, when solely working from home. We wanted the best of both worlds – if a member of staff wants to work from the home they can and the same applies if the member of staff wants to come to the office. To enable this flexible working to operate properly and efficiently, we needed technology: hardware and software.

IT Consultants

We engaged IT consultants at an early stage (and highly recommend this to others looking to start a new firm). The advice on the various options open to us was invaluable with clear insight and a subjective viewpoint on each option. In terms of hardware, all our staff members have laptops and multiple screens both at home and in the office. We have also provided our staff members with commercial level printers at home. The idea is that staff members can simply connect their laptop in at the office or at home and there will be no difference in their operational capacity.

We have decided to use a cloud-based client practice management system. The benefits are:

■ There’s no need for a large server based in our office, saving space and cost.

■ It allows for full remote working, allowing our staff to log on to the system from any location and benefit from the IT support offered by the system operator.

■ It means that we do not need someone in the office at all times in case the server goes down and needs a reboot!

After discussions with our IT consultants, we decided to use Microsoft Teams, both for its internal communications system and also as the portal for our telephone system. This has meant that we have been able to set up a system whereby calls are directed to a general number or our direct dials and they are answered via our laptops or mobiles. This has proved to be really efficient and saved us a significant cost in either engaging a fulltime receptionist or outsourcing that role.

Anti-money Laundering

Anti-money laundering checks is a substantial administrative task for all firms. Traditionally this was achieved by meeting a client in person, taking a photocopy of their passport and a utility bill and instructing a search against that individual. This can be very time-consuming, particularly for private client and residential property solicitors who deal with a large number of clients at any time. We use the anti-money laundering platform offered by an Edinburgh based technology company Amiqus Resolution (Fraser Morrison, our Managing Director, actually acted for a number of the investors in Amiqus). Amiqus are strategic partners of the Law Society of Scotland and part of the LawScotTech initiative which promotes better use of technology within law firms . Amiqus offers anti-money laundering and compliance checks with its award winning Amiqus ID product. This allows us to securely collect, analyse and manage antimoney laundering and compliance information. It checks identity records, verifies photo identification and also has Companies House integration.

Cashroom: in-house or outsource?

A fundamental part of the operation of a successful law firm is its cashroom. We decided that outsourcing this function suited our needs. The threat posed by cyber criminals is a real concern and a particular risk to businesses handling funds on behalf of clients. There have been well documented accounts of law firms being targeted and client funds misappropriated which is enough to send shivers down the spine of any law firm owner. We have therefore been really impressed by the Portal Technology provided by The Cashroom. All cashiering services, financial information and communication are completed under one secure platform and ensure full GDPR compliance. It also provides a clear audit trail, and the use of an automated workflow improves efficiency across the firm.

Robots

Another form of tech that we are considering is the use of Robots. While we have no intention of trying to replace future trainees with Robots, we are seriously considering Robot Process Automation (RPA). RPA is ideal for routine PC based tasks that employees can find unbearably monotonous. The Robot would take over this work and free up employees to focus on more rewarding, higher value work. More on this anon but it is something which is firmly on our radar. We’ve been really lucky to launch our business at a time which coincides with the acceleration in the availability of legaltech and to reap the benefits that this progress has undoubtedly brought to the profession. We look forward to seeing what the next innovations in legaltech will be and to getting on board! ■