Client and fee-earner collaborating on a will
Legal technology innovator Peppermint Technology, a Legal Futures Associate, is first to offer a fully collaborative communication tool as part of its Legal Service Platform.
The ‘Collaboration Suite’ forms a key part of the Peppermint vision to bring together applications, content, collaboration tools and transactions on one platform. The platform aims to enrich the client experience, improve fee earner effectiveness and reduce costs.
The Collaboration Suite works natively with all other applications and content in the Legal Service Platform. Staff can collaborate in real-time with colleagues, business partners and clients across multiple locations, eliminating the need to e-mail documents back and forth for amendments and approval.
Users are also able to grant temporary control of their mouse and keyboard, in a controlled environment, allowing trusted parties to navigate and make direct changes and amendments to documents.
Combined with the Peppermint Portal, the Collaboration Suite creates a ‘deal room’ environment where corporate clients can access, share and work on documents with their solicitor. In complex deals where meetings need to be held quickly and at ad hoc times, the platform enables an immediate meeting environment without the limitations of traditional audio and video meetings. By bringing together documents and people the platform provides a similar experience to a physical meeting, in an instant.
These collaboration tools can transform how personal clients are dealt with in the future. By combining the use of audio, video and document sharing in one experience, a lawyer can deliver a legal consultation direct to the client’s home or to a remote legal service point. While this will never replace the need for face-to-face meetings, it provides a new and immediate channel of communication and collaboration.
The Peppermint Platform Collaboration Suite offers many operational benefits to a legal provider. Staff can work anywhere, in any office or from home, and still enjoy the same collaboration experience as if they were in the office with colleagues. Firms can also use the platform to extend their business development activity and are no longer restricted by the geographical reach of their office and branches.
The same tools can be used to provide training and support to staff by giving them instant access to the knowledge pool of the entire firm without the need for expensive and timely training sessions.
Peppermint CEO Arlene Adams said: “By bringing together collaboration, applications and content in one platform, legal providers can establish new communication channels and services to clients and expand their routes to market. This is a great demonstration of how modern technology, and specifically a business platform, can enable performance and competitive advantage.”
