Heaney & Partners

Heaney & Partners is a highly successful litigation firm in New Zealand that specialises in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. The firm has established a distinguished reputation for representing clients in landmark negligence cases, resulting in steady growth over the years. However, as it expanded, the firm’s IT stack became unwieldy creating silos and hindering efficiency, ultimately impacting productivity.

John Morrison, a Partner at Heaney & Partners, explained that the firm’s previous management solution was inefficient as it involved the use of multiple incompatible programs. This affected the entire firm’s efficiency as documents, file information, and client invoicing were stored separately. To overcome the challenges of a disjointed IT stack, Heaney & Partners recognised the need for a new practice management system that would consolidate all systems into one, providing a single source of truth. As a result, they went to market to identify the best solution that could effectively cater to their current needs and align with their growth objectives in the future.

After conducting an extensive review of the available practice management software, Heaney & Partners opted for PracticeEvolve’s all-in-one solution. The team at PracticeEvolve provided valuable support, helping the firm to identify and address their key challenges, such as data migration, hard-to-navigate file organisation, additional work for support staff, and staff retention and recruitment.

Well-Executed Process for Efficient Data Migration

As law firms switch to new systems, transferring data safely and efficiently is a top priority. PracticeEvolve understands the critical role of successful data migration and has developed a proven process to ensure a seamless transition for its clients, making it a reliable choice for law firms. In collaboration with Heaney & Partners, PracticeEvolve identified and promptly addressed any challenges that arose during the data migration process. The successful completion of the migration marked the start of a strong and trusted relationship between the two parties.

John Morrison, commended PracticeEvolve for their efficient handling of the process, describing it as well-planned and seamless despite the complexity of the systems involved. John’s feedback highlights the essential role that PracticeEvolve’s support and training played in facilitating the implementation of their legal practice management system and building confidence in their partnership from the outset.

“Transitioning to a new system can be daunting, and data migration is one of the biggest concerns for any firm. However, the team at PracticeEvolve made the process simple and straightforward for us,” said John. “Their expertise and support allowed us to successfully transfer our data to the new system without any major issues. We were pleased with the migration, which helped us start off on the right foot with our new provider.”

Logical and Easy-to-Navigate File Organisation

Effective document management is crucial for any law firm’s operations to ensure compliance, productivity, and efficiency. However, managing large volumes of legal documentation can be challenging and time-consuming without the right system in place. Heaney & Partners experienced these challenges, where multiple copies of the same document had to be saved, making it difficult to trust the latest version.

PracticeEvolve provided a way to streamline document production and management and improve collaboration while maintaining the firm’s preferred working practices. The solution enabled automatic saving of emails, tracked document changes, and facilitated internal emailing of documents from one centralised location, improving the firm’s productivity and reducing the risk of human error.

“PracticeEvolve enhances our processes by simplifying file management. We can save emails, track document changes, and email documents from one central location. Version control on documents is also valuable, ensuring everyone works on the same version and eliminating confusion and errors from multiple copies. In legal matters, accuracy and integrity of documents are crucial, and version control provides a complete history of the document’s evolution, which is essential and makes my job much easier.”

Smoother Client Interaction and More Time for Critical Work

Efficient practice management directly impacts a firms’ ability to provide a seamless client service. Heaney & Partners, like many other firms, faced challenges in this area. Their previous document management system was inefficient and required PAs to be included in every correspondence, leading to confusion among clients. However, with the implementation of PracticeEvolve, communication with clients has become more straightforward, resulting in a more a streamlined and professional service.

Additionally, Executive Manager, Anne Cohen, emphasised the positive impact PracticeEvolve has had on the support staffs’ workflows, stating that “PracticeEvolve has certainly proven beneficial for the support staff as it has reduced the unnecessary practice of saving all emails, which used to occupy a lot of their time. This has resulted in more time available for other tasks.”

Attracting and Retaining Staff with Easy-to-Use Technology

In today’s competitive job market, law firms are increasingly recognising the importance of having modern and easy-to-use systems to attract and retain staff. For Heaney & Partners, implementing PracticeEvolve’s legal practice management system has simplified the onboarding process for new employees reducing the learning curve associated with multiple systems.

According to John, a well-designed IT system is crucial for staff retention, and their previous system’s inefficiency reflected poorly on the firm. PracticeEvolve’s system has become a selling point for potential hires, as Anne notes, “Many people ask about the systems used in job interviews, and it’s great to be able to say that we just use one. Having a reliable and connected system is an essential factor for employees when choosing a workplace.”

Since implementing PracticeEvolve’s legal practice management system, Heaney & Partners has made substantial strides in improving their overall productivity. With the powerful features and capabilities of the software, the firm has been able to enhance their processes and achieve greater efficiency in the day-to-day operations.

1. Achieving cost savings through system consolidation: PracticeEvolve’s legal practice management system has enabled the firm to consolidate multiple incompatible systems into one, resulting in streamlined operations and projected cost savings in the future.

2. Transforming document management for time-saving efficiency: PracticeEvolve’s intuitive file organisation, automatic email filing, and document version control have transformed the firm’s file management process, saving valuable time and improving efficiency.

3. Enhancing workflow with customisable design: PracticeEvolve’s system seamlessly integrates with the firm’s existing processes, resulting in improved productivity and ease of use. The customisable interface allows for the addition of extra fields to matter properties, offering greater flexibility and control, further enhancing daily operations.

Future Outlook: PracticeEvolve’s Role in Supporting Heaney & Partners’ Success

Heaney & Partners aims to use the efficiencies gained through their adoption of PracticeEvolve’s legal practice management system to support their expansion goals in the insurance, employment, and construction sectors. With the software’s single source of truth approach, the firm can consolidate systems and streamline processes, freeing up their staff to focus on critical, revenue-generating activities.

John and Anne strongly recommend PracticeEvolve to other firms, praising the system’s flexibility and the benefits of an end-to-end practice management solution with powerful document automation and financial capabilities. However, John highlights the importance of proper planning and understanding the firm’s operations and future goals to make full use of the system’s capabilities.

“After experiencing its benefits firsthand, we highly recommend PracticeEvolve to other law firms. The system has proven to be an excellent fit for our needs. We’ve found the logical layout for files and the single source of truth approach to be especially exceptional in improving our operations. To fully leverage its flexibility however, it’s important to plan ahead and consider how you want the system to work for you. We truly believe that PracticeEvolve can bring significant benefits to any law firm.”

As Heaney & Partners expands its business, PracticeEvolve’s legal practice management system will continue to be a vital asset. With PracticeEvolve by their side, Heaney & Partners is poised for even greater success as they look towards the future. The firm can confidently rely on PracticeEvolve to support their growth and help them achieve their goals.