Setting up your new Texas Law Firm
Despite the amount of formality and tradition in law, it is quite a fluid industry when it comes to firms merging, splitting and forming. We have been around for partner exits, new firm formations and everything in between. One of our success stories involved setting up an IP firm day one when we walked into the new office space with the 2 founding partners. That firm quickly grew to 55+ people in 2 years, with offices from Silicon Valley to NYC.
A few things to consider when setting your new firm:
Servers vs cloud - this is an ideal time to go all-in on cloud. When comparing start up costs, legacy billing and practice management systems often end up being more expensive to start, and the same cost as a cloud native system over 2 or 3 years. With the cloud native systems you get quicker setup, better functionality (typically) and peace of mind from not worrying about server upgrades, software migrations and other headaches.
Internet connectivity - if your firm is going to be leveraging a cloud based VoIP phone system, you will need to make sure and have a robust internet connection and a powerful firewall to ensure quality. This is compounded when running additional cloud services. With new construction it can sometimes take 3 to 6 months for an internet provider to get service to a building, we recommend that as soon as a lease is signed, start contacting vendors and planning. In our experience, the number one issue that comes up during moves is related to the internet provider.
Migrating client data - when partners are bringing clients with them to a different firm, moving that data into the new systems can be a complex undertaking. It may be more than just a bunch of files. You have to import information into your practice management, and move data into a document management system such as iManage. If you are in the middle of trial preparation, there may be considerations around separating specific matters in your eDiscovery platform.
Office build out - cabling, furniture layouts, audio visual (AV), wireless and more. There are a lot of factors that go into a successful office setup.
Our team of legal experts have built firms from the ground up, helped established firms relocate, and worked with firms to setup branch offices. We can make it a seamless transition so that everyone walks in day one and is able to get back to work.