Lean Solutions
Nearly two decades ago, we were the first law firm to embed project managers into client service teams. Today, this model is the gold standard for firms that want to drive innovation and client-defined value. Since that time, our team has evolved from being the industry's largest group of legal project managers, to being a sophisticated service delivery partner that brings design, technology, and business acumen to the firm's services.
HOW WE HELP
Working alongside Seyfarth lawyers, our Lean Solutions team leads planning and execution on complex legal matters and large portfolios, delivering enhanced value and better client experiences. As Lean practitioners by training, we focus on what matters to the work the firm does with clients, working with partners on assessing, onboarding, and orienting clients to create clarity around immediate needs and strategic goals.
Our deep experience with change management has taught us that every meaningful initiative needs to keep people in mind. We’ll leverage our legal-specific know-how to translate what those objectives actually mean to your team, by delivering best practices that work within the practice and business of law. Processes are how best practices become everyday behaviors, and our process expertise is a vital ingredient.
KEY CAPABILITIES
Project Management
An integral component of our client service model, the tools and techniques of legal project management underpin our delivery of efficient and effective legal services. We have one of the most mature teams of legal project managers (PMs) in the industry, staffed with credentialed project management experts. They are dedicated to working with our attorneys and client teams to create efficient and cost effective solutions via project planning, client management, process improvement and unique client and legal service delivery solutions.
Our PMs bring practical business knowledge to client engagements, drawing upon many years of working with clients in legal matters and their training in project management, Agile, Scrum and Lean Six Sigma. They play a key role in ensuring that complex matters are clearly defined and scoped at the outset, assisting in the development of process controls, right-size staffing, budgeting and an agreed-upon schedule to meet the client’s operational and strategic goals. Throughout the course of an engagement, legal project managers make certain that the activities of all team members are focused on the highest priorities, integrated with the strategic plan and delivered in the most timely and cost effective manner. This allows clients and partners to focus their time and attention on the most critical legal aspects of the case.
Process Analysis and Improvement
Our years of experience have demonstrated how process analysis and improvement positively impact business and legal performance, engagement outcomes, budget management and cost controls, and general operational quality. A clear and documented process enables clients and outside counsel to identify and more directly focus on the most critical and strategic aspects of a matter by simplifying, streamlining, and visualizing the delivery and management of legal services. Process improvement can also offer clients opportunities to build consensus and manage change within their own teams.
A key tool in our delivery of process improvement is process mapping, in which we lay out the steps to handling certain types of matters so efficiencies can be incorporated, waste eliminated and processes streamlined. They provide a roadmap for Seyfarth teams and clients to execute on matters effectively and ensure that the proper resources are assigned to each matter. Knowledge management tools (e.g., best practice documents and checklists) are embedded into each process map to ensure the greatest efficiencies. Process maps allow teams to define and document each step of a standard legal process, integrating quality assurance procedures and control mechanisms into every step. To create a process map, one of our trained PMs facilitates a live session in which key stakeholders and our attorneys gather to address each step of the process—from current state to desired future state. Process maps also help us develop budgets, project plans, task lists, time estimates for those tasks and workflow.
OUR SERVICES
Operationalizing Change. It's one thing to have great policies or great technology in place. But unless humans adopt new behaviors required, the effort is for naught. Getting change to stick involves an appeal to hearts and minds; that's where our people and process expertise comes in.
Functional Optimization. Legal teams are expected to do a lot more with a lot less today. We work with partners to identify and execute on areas for improvement—such as efficiency, consistency, quality and cost efficacy—to drive the goals of the client.
Program Management. We design robust solutions for the most complex legal work to ensure successful execution of your business and legal goals. We bring deep legal experience and project management capabilities to thorny advisory, transactions, and litigation matters.
Shared Solutions. In collaboration with Seyfarth Labs, we design, develop, and manage solutions to support high-volume legal work that shares common characteristics, providing enhanced service, transparency, and speed for our clients.
Nearly two decades ago, we were the first law firm to embed project managers into client service teams. Today, this model is the gold standard for firms that want to drive innovation and client-defined value. Since that time, our team has evolved from being the industry's largest group of legal project managers, to being a sophisticated service delivery partner that brings design, technology, and business acumen to the firm's services.
HOW WE HELP
Working alongside Seyfarth lawyers, our Lean Solutions team leads planning and execution on complex legal matters and large portfolios, delivering enhanced value and better client experiences. As Lean practitioners by training, we focus on what matters to the work the firm does with clients, working with partners on assessing, onboarding, and orienting clients to create clarity around immediate needs and strategic goals.
Our deep experience with change management has taught us that every meaningful initiative needs to keep people in mind. We’ll leverage our legal-specific know-how to translate what those objectives actually mean to your team, by delivering best practices that work within the practice and business of law. Processes are how best practices become everyday behaviors, and our process expertise is a vital ingredient.
KEY CAPABILITIES
Project Management
An integral component of our client service model, the tools and techniques of legal project management underpin our delivery of efficient and effective legal services. We have one of the most mature teams of legal project managers (PMs) in the industry, staffed with credentialed project management experts. They are dedicated to working with our attorneys and client teams to create efficient and cost effective solutions via project planning, client management, process improvement and unique client and legal service delivery solutions.
Our PMs bring practical business knowledge to client engagements, drawing upon many years of working with clients in legal matters and their training in project management, Agile, Scrum and Lean Six Sigma. They play a key role in ensuring that complex matters are clearly defined and scoped at the outset, assisting in the development of process controls, right-size staffing, budgeting and an agreed-upon schedule to meet the client’s operational and strategic goals. Throughout the course of an engagement, legal project managers make certain that the activities of all team members are focused on the highest priorities, integrated with the strategic plan and delivered in the most timely and cost effective manner. This allows clients and partners to focus their time and attention on the most critical legal aspects of the case.
Process Analysis and Improvement
Our years of experience have demonstrated how process analysis and improvement positively impact business and legal performance, engagement outcomes, budget management and cost controls, and general operational quality. A clear and documented process enables clients and outside counsel to identify and more directly focus on the most critical and strategic aspects of a matter by simplifying, streamlining, and visualizing the delivery and management of legal services. Process improvement can also offer clients opportunities to build consensus and manage change within their own teams.
A key tool in our delivery of process improvement is process mapping, in which we lay out the steps to handling certain types of matters so efficiencies can be incorporated, waste eliminated and processes streamlined. They provide a roadmap for Seyfarth teams and clients to execute on matters effectively and ensure that the proper resources are assigned to each matter. Knowledge management tools (e.g., best practice documents and checklists) are embedded into each process map to ensure the greatest efficiencies. Process maps allow teams to define and document each step of a standard legal process, integrating quality assurance procedures and control mechanisms into every step. To create a process map, one of our trained PMs facilitates a live session in which key stakeholders and our attorneys gather to address each step of the process—from current state to desired future state. Process maps also help us develop budgets, project plans, task lists, time estimates for those tasks and workflow.
OUR SERVICES
Operationalizing Change. It's one thing to have great policies or great technology in place. But unless humans adopt new behaviors required, the effort is for naught. Getting change to stick involves an appeal to hearts and minds; that's where our people and process expertise comes in.
Functional Optimization. Legal teams are expected to do a lot more with a lot less today. We work with partners to identify and execute on areas for improvement—such as efficiency, consistency, quality and cost efficacy—to drive the goals of the client.
Program Management. We design robust solutions for the most complex legal work to ensure successful execution of your business and legal goals. We bring deep legal experience and project management capabilities to thorny advisory, transactions, and litigation matters.
Shared Solutions. In collaboration with Seyfarth Labs, we design, develop, and manage solutions to support high-volume legal work that shares common characteristics, providing enhanced service, transparency, and speed for our clients.