Peer to Peer: ILTA's Quarterly Magazine
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/1480787
21 I L T A N E T . O R G Not all matters will require Microsoft Teams workspaces, and various types will warrant different approaches. For example, a complex M&A matter — which will likely require protocols to ensure confidentiality and prevent privacy and compliance breaches — presents an elevated level of complexity compared to a corporate advice matter, where your firm works with clients on corporate compliance strategies and measures to mitigate risk. B E S T P R A C T I C E Establish naming conventions and classifications Standardizing document naming and classifications within Microsoft Teams ensures that team members are consistent with file storage conventions, facilitating quick and easy access to shared data. Applying controls to information privacy, as well as to data retention protocols specifying how long data should be stored before archiving or deletion, helps protect the firm from data breaches and regulatory exposure. For example, your firm can incorporate client or matter codes in corresponding Microsoft Teams names and denote teams that share information externally with an "EXT" prefix. Solutions that natively integrate with Microsoft Teams can automate and enforce the use of standardized names and team properties, making it easy to locate and link related teams and apply discrete controls. Users will also appreciate intuitive navigation and applied hierarchies within Microsoft Teams — such as sub-teams for linked matters and their dependent elements — along with customizable stylized dashboards for easy access to information and data. B E S T P R A C T I C E Implement security policies In a connected firm, centralized control over security measures managed across information sources — including intake, FMS,PMS,DMS, and more — helps protect your firm from liability. The same level of rigor must also apply to Microsoft Teams, particularly matter-centric teams. When you create a team, access to that team should be limited to the defined subset of users who have access to the matter. You should also consider retroactive updates to security measures, and — for teams that communicate externally — external user management protocols. B E S T P R A C T I C E Integrate with the document management system For teams to collaborate efficiently, effectively, and safely, members need to be able to access and share data and documents across multiple systems. To preserve data security and compliance, firms need to be able to track activity and document changes to their systems of record. The solution your firm selects should link with the document management systems — connecting with the legal organization's main systems of record — to allow for a free flow of documents and information between existing data repositories and linked teams. The system should also provide a complete audit of changes within the systems of record. By using a solution that natively integrates with Microsoft Teams, your teams can enjoy the benefits of automated email filing capabilities, tracked email-based matter activity, and centralized storage of matter-related correspondence and attachments — all of which can be easily linked to Microsoft Teams collaboration spaces while observing privacy and compliance controls. B E S T P R A C T I C E Build out data sets and analytics When collaborating on client matters, teams need not only the flexibility to incorporate diverse data sets — including information from external sources — but also actionable insights into team activities.