Morning Briefing: What’s challenging your productivity?

What’s challenging your productivity?
What’s the one thing that always seems to slow down your productivity? Research firm Workshare asked 220 legal professionals for their opinion on that and a number of other issues in their workplaces and has just published its findings. It discovered that 51 per cent of legal professionals collaborate with at least five others on a project, mainly to discuss changes, to gather feedback, to discuss progress and to ask for actions to be completed. The biggest challenge to productivity (for 59 per cent) is… slow document turnaround. The vast majority (86 per cent) said it is hard to keep track on who has edited documents, when and what changes were made; and 44 per cent say keeping track of the correct version of a document is a challenge. Overall 78 per cent say it is hard to keep up with productivity targets set by their firm and the same percentage believe that technology is the most adopted strategy to try to be more productive. In conclusion law firms it shows that law firms need to embrace technology for challenges such as document sharing and collaboration to increase the productivity of their teams.
 
Eversheds announces new alliance in South Africa
Eversheds has formed a new alliance in South Africa with local firm Walkers. The Cape Town-based full service firm will operate under its own name. Eversheds already has two offices in the country, in Johannesburg along with locations elsewhere in Africa.
 
Apple to pay US$532.9 million over iTunes IP infringement
A judge last night ordered Apple to pay US$532.9 million to Texas firm Smartflash for infringing three patents with its iTunes software. After an 8-hour deliberation a federal court decided that not only had Apple used Smartflash patents but had done so willingly. CNBC reports that the lawsuit was filed in 2013 with Smartflash seeking U$852 million in damages. Apple says the verdict shows that patent law should be reformed.
 
Law firm charity donation refused by cancer charity
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