Lawyers need to embrace technology
The COO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth is calling on law firms to embrace technology to enable them to work smarter and faster. Jon Kenton has a tech background and describes the growth and scale of the technical innovation in legal services as a “fascinating time”. Kenton says that one area that technology can really help is the scanning and processing of information which has the potential to speed up case handling. Together with the benefits of online sharing of information and communication, Kenton makes the case for being a tech-savvy law firm.
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LawLab opens up conveyancing tool
LawLab is making its online conveyancing tool available to all real estate agents, rather than just the high volume users that currently have access. The system allows agents and even buyers, in fact any of the parties involved, to share information, track progress and exchange messages.
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Mobile technology could save you time
Speaking at last week’s Association of Legal Administrators conference in Toronto, tech entrepreneur John Kuntz urged delegates to look at mobile technology to enable lawyers to keep track of time and key events. While it was noted that lawyers may continue to communicate in time honoured ways, Kuntz said that one of the biggest advantages of mobile technology is the ease in which lawyers can make notes of conversations, meetings and other relevant information. This record is useful for case notes but also for billing clients.
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When a win in court ends as a massive fail
A 16-year legal battle over a computer credit agreement has finally been settled. The action, which was brought by a man from Scotland against retailer PC World has been through various courts and ultimately was decided in the Supreme Court. This is, however, a cautionary tale, because although the plaintiff won the case and was awarded £8,000, the battle has cost him an estimated £250,000 in legal fees. This highlights the issue of advice given to a client as the chance of winning the case, but also in setting ceilings for costs to avoid nasty surprises.
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The case of the TV network and the pink slime
A defamation case has been allowed in South Dakota following a TV news report that it's alleged may have caused viewers to believe that a product known as ‘lean, finely textured beef’ may not be safe to eat. The ABC television network is being sued for $1.2 billion after critics derided the product as ‘pink slime’. It could mean an anchorwoman and others being removed from the network. The plaintiffs claim that the TV coverage led to job losses and plant closures.
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