The law firm of Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen upgraded from separate case management and financial software systems to fully integrated Aderant Total Office software. The new system provides seamless integration between front and back office functions, eliminating errors and saving time. Customizable features allow the firm to track important case details. Three years later, the software has improved management of staff and cases, enhanced reporting capabilities, and created a more stable system.

1. ADERANT SUCCESS PROFILE
ADERANT TOTAL OFFICE
PLAINTIFF FIRM BENEFITS FROM FULLY INTEGRATED
CASE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen is one of Virginia’s oldest and largest law firms “Aderant Total Office has been great for
specializing in personal injury and medical malpractice. The firm has seven us. It is a very sophisticated system, and
attorneys listed in Best Lawyers in America, and was named one of the Best Places
is a marked improvement from what
to Work in Virginia by Virginia Business and Best Companies Group in both 2011 &
we have used in the past. We may be
2012. These honors and many others are a reflection of the experience, knowledge
a 100-year-old law firm, but thanks to
and skills that the firm brings to personal injury cases.
Total Office we have a highly efficient,
In 2002, the firm upgraded its case and financial management software, purchasing
21st-century case and financial
two separate systems and integrating them through a third-party interface that was
customized and installed by a software consultant. While this was an improvement management system.”
over the firm’s old DOS-based case management system and accounting
Tracy Puritz , Executive Director
spreadsheets, it wasn’t a solution that would stand the test of time.
Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen
When it became necessary for a software upgrade, its third-party interface severely
limited the firm’s ability to upgrade either its case management or financial systems.
As a result, the firm was forced to operate with outdated versions of both its case
and financial software, and ultimately lost technical support from vendors. It
became clear that they needed a truly integrated system that could support the
needs of a growing, innovative firm with multiple offices.

2. ADERANT CASE STUDY
ADERANT TOTAL OFFICE
TOP PRIORITY: INTEGRATION PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
To determine how to accomplish that goal, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen A successful implementation depends on good training. Allen, Allen,
formed a 20-member committee to review and evaluate software Allen & Allen chose to centralize training, bringing everyone to the
options. They set as a benchmark the upgrade that was offered by headquarters in Richmond over the course of two weeks. A bank of
the firm’s existing case management vendor, which featured a built- computers was set up in a conference room and customized training
in interface with a widely used accounting software package. The
sessions were held for management, intake and administrative teams,
committee reviewed nearly a dozen software options before selecting
as well as all of the attorneys and their direct legal support.
Aderant Total Office (formerly Client Profiles).
“Our goal was to implement without dramatic impact on the
Why Aderant Total Office? In a word, integration. Very few of the
employees, and I think we accomplished that,” said Tracy Puritz, the
vendors that the firm considered could provide both case and
financial management software. Among those that could, Aderant firm’s executive director. “We wanted to make sure that we had good
stood out for its robust case management tools and intuitive user training in place, and that we implemented the software at the right
interface. time for the right people.”
The firm was also drawn by the level of customization that Aderant During the first two weeks, the firm moved at a measured pace, slowly
offered. The firm has eight different law types with detailed and adapting to the new software. They didn’t cut any case-related checks
unique screens, pick lists and to-do packages attached to each. In or close any cases, giving themselves time to adjust to the new system
addition to the screens provided by Aderant at the outset, the firm and make sure that everything was operating correctly. They also
created six new tabs to identify, monitor and track crucial case did a lot of advanced planning, especially on the accounting side,
management information. As different elements are identified or working closely with Aderant’s technical support team to confirm the
there is a new ruling or change in the law, the firm is easily able to
system was properly configured.
design new fields, checklists and pick lists that pertain to the change.
Any information then generated through these new fields can be
tracked through a written report.
Customization is particularly important to the firm’s intake process, THE PAYOFF
which uses custom screens to capture data relating to the nature of
Now, three years after implementation, Aderant Total Office has met
the call. Those data fields correspond with a specific merge document
that attorneys can use to print a report prior to meeting a new client. the firm’s expectations, and in some cases, exceeded them. Front
In addition to developing fields that apply to the individual and cause and back-office integration has been the primary benefit, providing
of action, the firm also created fields to capture marketing and referral valuable business intelligence for firm management and increased
information. The subsequent reports enable the firm to track the accuracy for billing and accounting.
types of calls received, the number of calls taken during a particular “The integration of the front and back offices is pretty flawless,” said
time frame and who took the calls.
Nancy Pugh, the firm’s controller. “Double-entry is eliminated.
Aderant’s status as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner was also Cash, case costs, and trust accounts are always in balance. Printing
important to the firm. Not only does Aderant offer complete front and voiding of checks is smooth and charging to the correct case is
and back office integration, but also an unmatched integration with seamless.”
the Microsoft applications used by everyone within the firm. Add in
a highly competitive pricing structure, and the choice became clear –
Aderant Total Office was the right solution for the firm’s needs.

3. ADERANT CASE STUDY
ADERANT TOTAL OFFICE
The reporting capability of Total Office, as well as the ease of
report writing, has enhanced management’s ability to quickly and
efficiently address staffing issues and better balance individual case
management needs. Customized reports provide management with
a snapshot of case status, top 50 cases, top valued cases, cases in
litigation, active case inventory by value class, case intake comparison
to prior periods, and much more. A consolidated case information
report has been developed that provides attorneys with a quick view
of pertinent case information without the need to query various
screens and tabs. All told, the IT department has developed more
than 200 custom reports within Total Office over the past three years,
saving the firm a significant amount of time and effort compared to
systems that require the software vendor to develop the reports.
Total Office has also made it easier for attorneys to share case
responsibilities even if they are located in different offices. All case
information can be reviewed simultaneously by computer rather
than relying on the physical file. The Parties tab lists everyone
involved with the case, including the plaintiff, defendants, insurance
companies (and their coverage), witnesses (and their deposition
dates) and more. All the documents and pleadings are stored in the
Worldox tab, which is attached to the case. The Scheduled Events tab
houses all important appointments, hearing and deposition dates.
Everything the attorneys need is instantly available, no matter where
they are located.
The system is also vastly more stable than the previous configuration,
which would often crash and leave attorneys and support staff with
no access to critical case documents. Law firm staff are now able to
easily locate documents.
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