publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/355985
ILTA WHITE PAPER: JULY 2014 48 and professional growth. As noted, firms have many strategic reasons for combining, among them providing seamless service to global business clients, broadening their client base and strengthening and deepening their practices. From a KM perspective, countless compelling secondary benefits arise. These benefits enrich the entire organization, its structure and its people. For those interviewed, getting a first-hand glimpse of and dipping into other firms' best practices tops the list of opportunities. In all aspects of legal practice and operations, participants have an unparalleled chance to compare notes, reconsider tried-and-true processes and get a risk-free look at what happens if they take a different path. Everyone commented on the extraordinary value organizations get from rethinking their established practices against the backdrop of what works elsewhere. Those interviewed made many changes in their firms, including adding new fields to their DMSs, restructuring library services from a local to national focus and breaking IT into content and applications teams that work more closely with lawyers and paralegals to get a deeper sense of how they practice. NEW TALENT BRINGS NEW IDEAS As with studying other firms' best practices, the infusion of talent with novel perspectives, skills and knowledge, not to mention unfamiliar ways of thinking, creates a whole new group dynamic that deepens firms' prior cultures. Simply put, the more people you bring together, the more good ideas you are bound to generate. People in all roles have the opportunity to both learn from and teach their new peers. One KM professional finds that KM itself gets a massive boost in combinations from learning how other groups share, what incentives sparked contribution and which techniques worked to prevent naysayers from stalling change. Another KM professional adds that law firm combinations make KM easier through pooled collections and shared resources; with broader access to both people and information, responding to lawyers' inquiries and clients' needs becomes much simpler. Sukesh Kamra illustrates the point as follows: "In the past, when clients asked for access to our reference librarians as added value, I had to say no because I lacked the resources. Now when we are asked for value-added services, I not only say yes, I also have the resources to give real shape to those services in concrete ways that our competitors cannot. This, in turn, demonstrates the value of KM to the firm through tangible returns on investment." By shedding light on the need to share information, abandon silos and collaborate, combinations can also generate new awareness of KM. In one firm with no formal KM, multiple mergers have raised substantial interest in KM development. Having witnessed the power of WHEN FIRMS COMBINE: A KM PERSPECTIVE ON LAW FIRM MERGERS Law firm combinations make KM easier through pooled collections and shared resources.