Using our managed services packages to add flexible resources at times of demand across multiple practices areas and help deliver the Firm's automation strategy
At echo.legal, our mission is to make document automation seamless for law firms and increase legal technology adoption amongst the lawyer community. We’re bringing document automation and legal technology to life through our stories of how we have partnered with our clients.
Let's dive into our story of how we worked with Bowditch, a highly regarded US-based law firm, to help them use Contract Express more effectively.
The Document Automation Challenge
When Bowditch first approached the team at echo.legal, they were looking to standardise and streamline document automation across the firm, increase levels of adoption within the lawyer community and minimise inconsistencies in document creation.
In legal tech terms, streamlining involves simplifying the steps involved, so it's easier for lawyers to use the technology, like Contract Express, to create documents. The goal is to save time, reduce mistakes, and make everything work better.
Recognising the need for a more effective document automation strategy Doug Plaisted, Project Manager at Bowditch, said "We wanted to ensure our legal document creation was more standardised and user-friendly. We also wanted to maximise the potential of Contract Express."
Partnering with echo.legal
Without a dedicated document automation team within the firm at that time, echo.legal came on board as an additional resource to augment Bowditch's document automation processes and enhance the firm’s templates.
Bowditch made use of echo.legal’s Managed Services solution. Head of Client Innovation Julie Saliba explained:
“Our Managed Services solution provides a flexible solution for law firms looking to deliver updates across different areas. We can allocate the right resources as and when each practice area requires support with our lawyer automators. This ‘bank of hours’ approach is especially useful for law firms who do not have a dedicated document automation team, but are seeking to drive legal innovation within the firm or even for those who do have an in-house team but need to flex their capacity based on demand.”
Doug Plaistead commented:
“The team at echo.legal were incredibly accommodating. They allowed us to allocate hours across different areas of the firm as we worked on standardising our documents. This adaptability was invaluable.”
Bowditch was keen to give its lawyers the tools they needed to take full advantage of Contract Express. echo.legal provided on-demand training and support, giving the team the confidence to use their document automation technology to its full potential. This has not only given the firm a competitive edge but also has allowed their lawyers to effectively manage documents, improve productivity, reduce errors and ultimately better serve their clients.
One of the key tasks echo.legal worked on was the enhancement of Bowditch's Estate Plan suite of documents. This is a sophisticated suite that generates multiple Estate Plan documents for clients and their families based on a single questionnaire, and includes creating mirror versions of these documents. Bowditch had a specific goal in mind: reduce the time it takes to create these documents while ensuring consistency.
To achieve this, echo.legal worked to avoid redundant data entry across various documents, cover letters, and charts. They established a method to reuse party information across the suite, allowing contacts to be efficiently assigned to different roles throughout the document collection. In the process, the team identified areas that could be simplified, made things more consistent, and enhanced the questionnaire. The outcome was not just simplified document creation but also increased user engagement with these documents, making the whole process smoother and more user-friendly.
Creating a technology roadmap for the long-term
So, what’s next for the firm?
Today, Bowditch's Contract Express is set up for success. They have significantly streamlined the creation of high volume documents, making the contracting process more efficient.
Doug commented:
"echo.legal understood our needs and consistently provided clear, practical solutions. Their expertise and problem-solving abilities have definitely simplified our document automation processes.”
For Bowditch, this journey wasn't just about using new technology. It was about creating more room for growth, new ideas, and better ways of working, and document automation has played an important role in their wider strategy. By freeing up their senior lawyers from routine tasks, they can now focus on mentoring junior lawyers, serving clients, and expanding their firm.
On Bowditch’s growth plans, Doug continued;
"Our objective is to empower our teams, delegate tasks, and allow our senior lawyers to concentrate on serving clients. This project has aligned well with our continuous improvement mindset."
Having successfully partnered on this document automation project, the echo.legal team continues to work with Bowditch, helping the firm leverage technology, continue on its digital transformation journey, and position itself for growth.
echo.legal is owned and managed by founders and members of the original Contract Express team. We have worked on many of the world's largest deployments of Contract Express at major law firms and corporate legal departments. If you’d like to speak with one of our team about how we could partner with you, contact Julie.Saliba@echo.legal or William.Sumners@echo.legal for an initial chat.