1 2

Case Study: Burr & Forman LLP

Burr & Forman LLP: Law Firm

Attorneys at full-service law firm Burr & Forman boost productivity by sharing legal documents quickly and securely with Hightail.
THE PROBLEM For any law firm, preparing a case is a document-intensive task. From initial e-discovery to legal briefs, depositions, exhibits, media and more, the legal world is built around the steady exchange of information. Burr & Forman is a century-old firm with more than 500 employees in eight offices across the U.S. southeast. The firms attorneys and paralegals handle a wide variety of legal services and regularly have to share huge batches of documents with clients, witnesses and other attorneys. Email is unreliable when it comes to such large volumes, so the firm used FTP to share documents. However, this proved an overly complex solution, not only for the various recipients, but also for Burr & Formans attorneys. Instead of wasting each attorneys revenue-generating billable hours on FTP admin, the firms IT staff were increasingly needed to set up and maintain the system. For Burr & Formans Chief Information Officer, David Michel, this was an inefficient use of resources. Your options are to either use technology or hire more people, he explains. These days, technology is an easier sell. In addition, FTP lacked the security and control required when dealing with confidential and sensitive case material. THE SOLUTION Security was a major priority in Davids search for a sharing solution, but it also needed to be user-friendly. The firms attorneys should be able to share documents without IT support or training. In a law firm where time is money, its hard to get the time to train people, he says. The solution had to be intuitive and easy for everyone to use. After assessing numerous options, David found that Hightail satisfied both his priorities and soon most of the attorneys at the firm were using the service to share documents. One key reason for this widespread adoption was Hightails plugin for Microsoft Outlook, which allows users to reliably email large attachments. Similarly, another Hightail plugin helped extend Microsoft SharePoints collaboration capabilities beyond the firms firewall. Hightail fit seamlessly in with the tools that people were already using, meaning they didnt have to make major changes to how they did things. Our users are working in SharePoint all the time, explains David. To share documents they simply right-click and send them via Hightail. That makes it much easier for everyone to communicate and collaborate.

Founded: 1905 What they do: Full-service law firm No. of employees: 500 Learn more at: www.burr.com

THE IT CASE Another factor in the successful implementation of Hightail at Burr & Forman was how easy it was for IT to set up and administer. David was adamant that the sharing solution shouldnt burden the IT department like FTP had. You cant really have a system that requires IT to manually add and remove users, he says. Its just not a good use of their time." With Hightail, all account information and activity, including user set-up and system security, is managed through Microsoft Active Directorythe backbone of Burr & Formans administration system. This integration enables administrators to easily provision users, enable single signon and apply security policies. Hightail was very easy and quick to set up, adds David. I dont have to worry about it. DAY IN COURT Many of Burr & Formans attorneys spend a lot of time out of the office, whether meeting with clients or representing them in court. Having instant access to the huge wealth of case materials from anywhere is critical to the success of any case. More and more of our people use iPads, says David. Everyone has an iPhone or a Droid. With Hightail, no matter where you are, youve got a folder just like the folder on your desktop. Rather than continually returning to the office and facing a mountain of paperwork waiting for signature, Hightails sign feature allows users to get it done on the go. According to David, the ability to digitally sign documents with your finger is wonderful. and tracking features ensure AMAG remains HIPPA-compliant.

HIG HTAIL

Page 1 of 2

Case Study: Burr & Forman LLP

Hightail does what it says its going to do. Its easy to set-up, doesnt require user training and allows our attorneys to be self-sufficient. It just works.
David S. Michel Chief Information Officer Burr & Forman LLP

How Hightail helps: Attorneys and paralegals can quickly and securely share large volumes of legal documents with clients, witnesses and partners. Attorneys can easily access case material using mobile devices when out of the office. IT department adds and manages users using existing Active Directory infrastructure All sensitive and confidential material is secured, managed and tracked with encryption technology and control features.

THE VERDICT By increasing productivity among Burr & Formans attorneys, paralegal and IT department, David estimates that Hightail saves the firm more than $160,000 per year. In addition, Hightails encryption technology and control features, including file expiration dates, return receipts and tracking, helps the firm adhere to information governance policies. Hightail does what it says its going to do, concludes David. Its easy to set-up, doesnt require user training and allows our attorneys to be self-sufficient. It just works.

Why Burr & Forman likes Hightail: Ease of use allows attorneys to be self-sufficient Reduces time spent on IT support and account administration E-signature lets users sign documents on the go Increased productivity saves more than $160,000 annually

HIG HTAIL

Page 2 of 2