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Kennedys, one of the leading dispute resolution firms in the City of London, has implemented the first digital dictation workflow system in Hong Kong as part of a firm-wide initiative.

Digital dictation workflow provides infrastructure flexibility and helps improve document turnaround times, thus aiding client service. The Top-100 law firm now has 377 users of BigHand’s Digital Dictation software across 6 sites, after rolling it out in London (Chiswell St, Lloyd’s Avenue and Mark Lane), Brentwood, Newmarket, and now Hong Kong. Kennedys’ Belfast office is to be the next to receive the award-winning software.

Carolyn Lees, IT Director at Kennedys, commented:

“Rolling out a new technology across any network of offices can be complicated, and digital dictation is more unusual due to the transfer of compressed sound. In this situation proven software and specific technical expertise are crucial: BigHand have delivered this.”

“The speed at which we were able to install, train and complete the Hong Kong project is testament to the quality and easy system administration of the BigHand software, as well as the good relationship we have formed with their technical team.”

The whole Hong Kong office was moved over to BigHand TotalSpeech within just 2 weeks, including installation and training. The Hong Kong dictation server was actually built in London, and then shipped (already configured) to Kennedys’ Hong Kong office for quick and easy installation.

BigHand are the only supplier to have experience of implementing digital dictation projects at international offices.Before the installation a Kennedys’ Project Co-ordinator completed a BigHand ‘Train the Trainer’ course, in order to develop all the necessary technical skills to provide first line support in-house. Throughout the project a BigHand Consultant was also seconded to Kennedys, providing initial on-site training and technical assistance.

Overall Kennedys has now seen inter-department and inter-team work sharing increase as a result of digital dictation workflow. Lawyers are also able to utilise night secretaries or CWP at the touch of a button, and have direct access to a variety of remote working solutions including company laptops, Olympus DS-330 or Sanyo ICR-B130 devices.

ENDS

Notes

Kennedys

Kennedys is one of the leading dispute resolution firms in the City of London. The firm has 67 Partners. It has six UK offices, three in the City, and one each in Brentwood, Belfast and Newmarket. Worldwide the firm has offices in Hong Kong, and Auckland and associated offices located in New Delhi, New York, San Francisco, Paris, Madrid, Karachi, Beirut, Dublin, and Moscow. The firm is a major player in the insurance/reinsurance dispute resolution field and also has great depth of expertise in areas such as employment law, clinical negligence, construction, insolvency, corporate manslaughter and company and commercial law.

Contacts:Carolyn Lees, IT Director, C.Lees@Kennedys-law.com

BigHand

BigHand’s leading product ‘TotalSpeech’ recently won the Society for Computers & Law 2003 Award for “the most outstanding application of information technology to the law in UK and Ireland”. TotalSpeech was also voted Best Legal Office Automation System at the Legal Office Technology Awards 2002.BigHand is the leading independent digital dictation and speech recognition consultancy in the UK legal market, maintaining the highest number of digital dictation installations in the sector. BigHand is a leading supplier of IT services to City law firms. Further information is available at www.big-hand.co.uk

Contacts: Dan Speed, Marketing Manager, 020 7793 3076, danspeed@big-hand.co.uk