POSTED: Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 1:00 am

BY: dmc-admin

While attorneys always strive to meet the needs of their clients, they can’t necessarily be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

E-mails and phone calls are traditional means for updating clients, but people are increasingly expecting “instantaneous responses,” said Axley Brynelson LLP attorney Robert C. Procter.

To address this, the Madison mid-size firm and others in the state have begun utilizing “extranets,” external online databases where clients can securely log on and access case files or billing information anytime, anywhere.

“I think it’s the next step in keeping clients informed,” Procter said.

A business and construction attorney, Procter said the firm’s extranet comes in handy for large litigation cases where he acts as local counsel.

Those cases typically involve a high volume of documents and clients who are demanding more control over when and how they can access their files, said Axley’s Director of Client Relations, Kate Scoptur.

She said the firm recently utilized extranet technology in a case involving contract work for 50 golf cart dealerships of a Mississippi-based company.

“They wanted one central place where they could access information when they needed it,” Scoptur said.

That includes quicker access to billing invoices.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP attorney Daniel S. Jones said that instead of waiting three days for a paper copy in the mail, clients can view a secure digital copy and settle their accounts faster.

The patent attorney has had success using the firm’s extranet as an alternative to sending and receiving e-mails with bulky attachments.

He noted that inventors often have electronically stored 3-D models that are needed to create accurate patent applications. Instead of forcing the massive files through the firm’s e-mail server, Jones recommends that clients upload them to the extranet site for easier access.

“You can almost see the lights dim when one of those files is e-mailed because it takes up so much bandwidth,” Jones said.

Some reservations Not everyone is on board with the technology.

Jones said that only a handful of attorneys use the extranet at Michael Best, though its popularity has grown in the last year as lawyers become more familiar with the system.

“The primary challenge is finding clients interested in this type of communication,” he said.

“Not everyone feels comfortable going onto a server and downloading something.”

Donald H. Slavik, who practices at personal injury firm Habush Habush & Rottier SC, said that his firm is exploring the possibility of testing an extranet system in the next year.

But he said the firm wants to make sure whatever system they try is fully secure and easy for attorneys and clients to use.

For example, if a client expects to have access to pleadings in his or her case and see what the complaints and discovery requests are, Slavik wants to make sure there are no attorney-client privilege problems.

Further, he said, “we’re a contingent fee-based firm and productivity is of vital importance. A system has to be attorney-proof in the sense that it should prevent any mistakes and breaches of confidentiality automatically.”

Procter said extranet systems, such as Microsoft SharePoint, tend to be “user-friendly” and his clients have not had any security complaints. Users are required to enter a code or password specific to their case in order to view information.

In order to avoid mistakes, attorneys should be familiar with the technology before attempting to use it, said Jones.

“Someone who checks the wrong box before posting something could create some headaches,” he said. “It’s really only as good as the people who are using it.”

But he said that mid-size firms that effectively promote their extranet can prevent bigger firms from having a perceived competitive advantage.

“If you are up against firms that provide better communication and have better systems, a client views that as a negative,” Jones said.

Scoptur said Axley is in the process of updating its extranet software to incorporate aspects of its Web site, such as podcasts and articles. The goal is to utilize the extranet not only as a means of client communication, but also a marketing tool, she said.

“We want to adapt our extranet to fit the firm’s personality,” Scoptur said. “We’re thinking of it now more as a marketing issue than an IT issue.”

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