Media Center

Minter Ellison is one of the largest full-service law firms in Asia Pacific and the 13th largest in the world. The firm, which has more than 2,400 people in 16 offices in eight countries, is built on technical excellence, commercial acumen and in-depth local knowledge of how business is done in markets where they operate. Underpinning these core strengths is a clear focus on excellent client service.

In 2004, the firm decided to investigate technologies to further refine its client service, and the Brisbane office volunteered to pilot products for improving workflow. One solution identified was digital dictation - fortuitous timing, as it turned out, given that maintenance of tape-based equipment is becoming increasingly complex and expensive for high-usage organisations like law firms.

According to Ron Dutta, Minter Ellison's Brisbane Technology Services Manager, there are a large number of digital dictation products on the market. "But very few of them represent true workflow-based solutions, and even fewer have long-standing reference sites at large firms with multiple offices. Because of Minter Ellison's size and wide geographical spread, system stability was a key consideration.”

BIGHAND™ FACILITATES:

· Improved client service

· Reduced cost of delivery

· Quicker document turnaround

· Better typist resource allocation

· Enhanced management reporting

Following extensive research, Dutta approached Diskcovery Information Management for a solution. At the company's recommendation, the Brisbane team trialed the BigHand™ digital dictation system.

Simon Berglund from Diskcovery explains that the proven stability of BigHand™ at large firms in Australia, Asia and the UK was a significant contributing factor to the decision to pilot the product.
"A true, enterprise digital dictation solution must incorporate 3 crucial elements – software designed for enterprise-wide delivery, reliable hardware, and a formal project management methodology."

He goes on to say that, “The dictation / transcription business process is revenue-generating and mission-critical. The fee earner must be able to rely on the system to provide high performance, especially important when stationed on client site. Therefore, for a successful implementation, planning, installation, training and ongoing support are crucial. This comes from both product and professional implementation and support personnel."

The results of the pilot program have certainly pleased Minter Ellison's People & Development Director in Brisbane, Rolf Moses. "We knew what we wanted from a digital dictation solution. It had to be more reliable than our aging tape system, which was impacting on productivity because of broken or inaudible tapes. We also needed a system that could dramatically improve our support staff's ability to get through their workload and to function effectively in our team-based environment. For us, BigHand is essentially about leveraging technology to enhance team work.”

Another advantage for the firm has been that BigHand™ can be configured to allow fee earners, secretaries and WP operators to work from home. This contributes to greater workflow efficiency and a positive work-life balance, with improved results for both clients and staff.

"Any technological solution that enhances our ability to deliver to clients is a welcome addition to our daily work life," Denis Gately, Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's Brisbane office, said. "The BigHand™ solution has more than delivered on our expectations.”

About Minter Ellison Lawyers

In addition to being recognised as a market leader in the Asia Pacific, 13th largest legal group in the world and a key adviser to leading multinationals and Fortune 500 companies, our people have been independently recognised among the world's pre-eminent lawyers.

Our success is based on sticking to what we are good at – cross-border deals, big employment-related assignments, major infrastructure projects, capital markets/IPO transactions, energy and resources, and telecommunications and technology – and the values that drive our behaviour: integrity and trust; enduring relationships; balance; and excellence.