P2P

A lthough the legal industry has been undergoing a digital transformation over the last 10 years, progress has often seemed excruciatingly slow. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, everything changed. Almost overnight, we had to adapt to working remotely. Travel was out of the question. Co-workers were no longer a few steps away. Most lawyers and staff were not set up at home with adequate broadband or secure access to the tools and data that they rely upon every day to do their jobs and collaborate with colleagues and clients. With COVID-19, we learned rapid change was not only possible—it was necessary. Lawyers and staff stepped up and made the transition, learning how to use new tools and inventing more efficient processes along the way. In the face of an unprecedented crisis, we all adapted and, as a result, the industry has been transformed. Now, as things are slowly opening, it's time to ask: What did lawyers learn? Which new practices will we gladly give up, and which will remain with us long after the pandemic is over? Achieving rapid digital transformation At Vorys, we were able to adapt to the pandemic very quickly, with little disruption. How? An important factor was that we already had a framework in place for identifying potential problems before they occur and planning for them. Managing digital transformation requires a deliberate change management strategy within the organization. It starts with consistent messaging and, as our firm has learned over the years, it also requires effective training and outreach to ensure users successfully adapt. While the onset of the pandemic caught us off guard, we were already moving in the direction of increased digitization of litigation workflows and enabling remote collaboration. For example, we had successfully implemented Opus 2, a connected case management solution that is purpose-built for remote and hybrid environments. Opus 2's virtual evidence and fact management solution minimizes delays and helps foster more meaningful, real-time collaboration on litigation cases. It also allows us to easily work closely with co-counsel, clients, and expert witnesses in different locations. Opus 2 has been enormously helpful in the new work environment by connecting us all in one platform securely, wherever our team members are. At Vorys, we have an information management team made up of stakeholders from across the firm who meet regularly to discuss business problems so we can identify potential solutions and plan for implementation. These meetings focus on maintaining business continuity and developing a technology roadmap that will help us respond to and successfully mitigate unexpected changes in the marketplace or business environment. Our experience with Microsoft Teams is a good example of the utility of regular, formal planning sessions. Before the pandemic, Vorys had begun piloting Teams with our information management team to enable new efficiencies and more responsive service to our clients. We knew that other firms had benefited significantly from using Teams. We learned, for instance, that rolling out Teams to groups of attorneys can simplify the process of document revision. Within Teams, multiple individuals can edit a Word document simultaneously, collaborating in real-time and resolving issues immediately—eliminating the long waits involved when one person at a time edits a document and emails it to next one in line. When the shutdown was imposed, we were in the midst of developing a strategy for our transition to Teams. Within a week of closing our offices in the middle of March 2020, we chose to roll out Teams firmwide. 15 I L T A N E T . O R G

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