Why Filevine is the case management system of choice for an established firm of 70 years

The Challenge

1. Ease and flexibility

   Case management for everyone

   Bob has deep experience with case management software and understands that sophistication and ease of use don’t often blend. He values that he’s been able to represent thousands of clients under a single Filevine project.

   One of my partners has been practicing law for 45 years. He struggles with his cell phone but breezes through Filevine. He’s a case study.”

   Incrementing the practice

   The biggest advice Bob has to offer to any managing partner is to look at their firm incrementally. By this, he means figuring out who does what, when to do it, and how to save time doing it. Filevine allows him to do that with automated workflows and modern solutions like e-signatures and texting.

   Filevine is set up in an easy, hands-on, and friendly way.”

2. Cost Efficiency

   Every employee moves the file

   Bob recalls what it took to run the workers’ comp division when he came to Barkan Meizlish in 1994. It included 37 people between attorneys and support staff. Now, almost 30 years later, his division is still doing the same amount of work with only four people — two attorneys and two support staff.

   We don’t have a single secretary, typist, or processor in the firm because our system is set up for lawyers to do their own work. Filevine has allowed us to have the mentality that if somebody is employed here, they’re moving the file. They’re not employed here to help me get my work done.”

   Centralized firm management

   In addition to running a high-volume division with a lean staff, Bob has been able to trim and integrate business operation technology to have Filevine serve as the central source of truth for the firm.

   I run my business completely on Filevine. I have one project that is just for cases and one for business management (vendors, HR, benefits). The entire firm is on Filevine.

3. High volume capacity

   Seamless, proactive communication

   Client communication never stops at a high volume practice. Before Filevine, Bob would play the age-old perpetual game of phone with clients. Now he can text them for quick and easy communication that’s not disruptive to his workflow. He likes the ease of messaging and feels that it’s a low-impact task that differentiates his firm from the competition.

   We’re always looking for tools to help the client feel like they aren’t at a law firm that has thousands of thousands of clients.”

   Being able to text a client and have everything saved in Filevine is a game-changer for Bob. He also uses Vinesign to send out contracts via text or email to clients, which drastically helps the firm’s retention rate.

   Filevine allows us to get ahead of communications, which enables us to reach out on our time and improve the client experience. Our clients know that their lawyers know what’s on their mind.”

   Strategic growth

   To Bob, the biggest risk for a volume practitioner is a problem with overhead. He focuses on how to get the same amount of work done at a lower cost to maintain a viable business. Filevine is a key factor in helping him solve that problem with strategic workflows that allows the firm to automate its work and standardize processes.

   Filevine has allowed us to flip the script on how volume practice is done. You used to say, ‘Okay, just we’re getting behind — just add a couple more typists or a couple more secretaries.’ Now I say, ‘how can we change the workflow to be more efficient? What can we standardize? What can we automate in Filevine?’ It allows me to hire smarter and only increase headcount when it is necessary.”