Canadian Lawyer

LEGAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE ADAM RICHARDSON is an atypical lawyer. He joined Korman and Company with a JD from Western Law and a bachelor's in busi- ness administration from Western's Ivey school of business. Richardson is both a respected partner at this real estate practice and well known for his forward-thinking views as an astute businessman. We asked him how Korman and Company leverages technology to run its practice as a successful business and what other law firms need to consider if they are looking to do the same. Richardson told Canadian Lawyer that running a successful law office has a lot to do with how well you service your clients. Korman and Company has a high degree of lawyer involvement with its client files, and investing in the right technology is critical in enabling efficient, high-quality service. That's exactly what happened this past year when Korman and Company transitioned to Unity, a web-based conveyancing platform. Richard- son says it's already paying dividends. "Efficiency and responsiveness are the day or week with instant access to events or matter details, all while on the go. Richardson uses UnityPi to quickly grab key client infor- mation when he's on the road working with a realtor or a mortgage broker, which he views as essential in today's age of mobility. "Gaining access to client information and responding to client needs promptly, even when we're not in the office, is the new expec- tation," explains Richardson. "In the eyes of a client, a 24-48-hour wait for an email reply is no longer acceptable. A lawyer who doesn't meet client expectations could see their name posted in a bad review on Google, adversely affecting their brand and future business." Richardson sees tech-driven efficiencies like those provided by Unity and UnityPi as critical to help his law office grow profitably. He believes firms that operate as a business will drive the future of real estate practices. "Lawyers that think like business managers and leverage technology to gain efficiencies will give them the competitive edge needed to succeed in today's market." Running your law office as a business two most important ways technology helps us provide a superior customer experience," Richardson told Canadian Lawyer. By moving over to the Unity platform, Kor- man and Company was able to leverage these advantages as it recently expanded operations beyond the GTA into offices in Durham and Ottawa. Through Unity's web-based func- tionality, it can share information quickly and seamlessly between offices. Richardson explains, "You're no longer lim- ited to the physical people and computers in one office. If clerks need to access a file or con- duct a title search and import that informa- tion into their system, they could do so from any location including their home. That's par- ticularly important when it comes to business continuity planning. If there's a snowstorm or other disruption that prevents the staff from coming into work, they can still be productive and responsive to our clients." Korman and Company has also started using the newly released mobile app, UnityPi. Using their mobile phone, anyone can now plan their Leading Toronto real estate lawyer explains how his firm invests in tech to gain a competitive edge "Efficiency and responsiveness are the two most important ways technology helps us provide a superior customer experience." Brought to you by www.canadianlawyermag.com 11

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