As a mid-size firm handling public and private entity litigation that usually involves just a few thousand documents per case, Best Best & Krieger employs a handful of dedicated eDiscovery reviewers. The small team managed its caseload by leveraging dedicated on-premises solutions from IPRO, implementing analytics and TAR to help cull down bigger cases that surpassed a hundred thousand documents.
But when the 12-office firm took on a new project that required them to share data review with more than a dozen other firms, they decided to leverage the eDiscovery software through the IPRO Cloud to develop a more collaborative, competitive review process for eDiscovery. Because the firm had a strong history of using IPRO products, the shift resulted in little disruption to the firm and all users.
Timing the move to gain adoption
Best Best & Krieger had been contemplating a move to the cloud for several years, but decided to use the aforementioned multi-firm project as the first opportunity to take to a cloud environment. The firm was able to showcase some of the intrinsic benefits of using IPRO in the cloud to gain adoption for other matters. By moving just this first case, users could see the benefits of the cloud firsthand, as it provided improved access for internal reviewers and external firms, better handling of larger datasets, and less reliance on internal IT staff and resources.
“It was perfect timing to move to the cloud because if we hadn’t, we would have had to set up logins and security for many external users. It would have put a strain on our staff,” said Director of Practice Support Juan Ornelas. “Instead, it was a seamless process and it enabled us to highlight the benefits of being on the cloud and in turn encouraging our users to adopt it easier.”
Gaining user buy-in before migration
When it came to moving individual cases to the cloud after the initial project, however, Best Best & Krieger used different tactics to ensure user buy-in. Though the firm had numerous opportunities for improvement with their legacy eDiscovery technologies, reviewers were initially resistant to the change.
The firm invested in training from IPRO to get the reviewers, then other paralegals, and associates up to speed with the new software. It then had them develop a new workflow process and templates within the solution, and enabled them to set up reviews. This investment on the front end ensured they quickly saw the benefits of the enhanced processing and review analytics, and other capabilities of the cloud solution.
“We told them not to be afraid of the tool and just dive in to learn it,” Ornelas said. “As data began to load and process more quickly, they immediately saw how the technology would be beneficial.”
Sharpening the competitive edge
“We’re now able to handle 99% of our processes in-house with IPRO. We can provide this value-add to clients without having to pass on any costs of those extra services.”
Juan Ornelas, Director of Practice Support
After reaping success in a cloud environment for some of its larger cases, Best Best & Krieger began to move the majority of its cases to the cloud to leverage more up-to-date technology, and to sharpen its competitive edge against larger firms. Due to its expansive municipal and environmental practices in particular, the firm receives a large amount of public requests that must be uploaded and processed. According to Ornelas, the speed of the cloud enables the firm to provide clients with a quick turnaround and lower billable hours than many other firms.
“The IPRO tools allow us to compete with larger firms because we can now better handle all that data.”