PerfectLaw Podcasts

Episode #2 - Meeting Expectations

Dave Nelson, a Chambless & Higdon, LLC partner discusses his experience as a new PerfectLaw user and how the software meets his expectations.

Full Transcript

00:00 Anthony Beasley

OK, so we want to continue our conversation with with Chambliss, Chambliss, Higgs and this is Dave Nelson. David Nelson is the managing partner of the firm and wasn't necessarily directly involved in the final decision to move to perfect law, but.

00:16 Anthony Beasley

Dave has spent some time at least letting us know certain things about how he feels, so I thought it would be great to just let Dave talk to us a little bit about perfect law. From his standpoint. A lot of times managing partners aren't directly involved with reviews, but then they have to use the software. So Dave, just tell us a little bit about your thoughts about what's happening with perfect law in the last year since you guys have been using this.

00:37 Dave Nelson

So we've seen a, I think, an increase in our productivity, an increase in our, uh, I think collections in terms of how our billing has gone. I think everything is turning around quicker for us, and I think that as our staff has gotten more used to the system, it is become easier for them.

00:58 Dave Nelson

To function both on the back.

01:00 Dave Nelson

Office standpoint an on the front.

01:02 Anthony Beasley

Office side OK. Now I asked him a little bit of a little bit ago about his. You know how he felt as an attorney. I'm having to work in a system. Obviously Jason has spent a little bit more time in the review so he's a little bit more hands-on, but from your standpoint.

01:19 Anthony Beasley

You know, coming into the software and using it as an attorney, what's your thoughts on that?

01:24 Dave Nelson

So I found the software to be very helpful, particularly in terms of how it it allows on the defense side with the time, keeping aspects that are built into our system so it allows us to do our work and then automatically prompts us to enter the time and so it helps keep track of that.

01:44 Dave Nelson

Which is obviously very important to what we do for a living.

01:48 Anthony Beasley

OK, now obviously as a managing partner you're responsible for a lot more than just you know the business side of doing case law and other things and.

01:58 Anthony Beasley

Management firm on a lot of different levels. An when you look at perfect laws of product and you look at where you were to potentially where you're going from here, what's your thoughts on what we bring to the table for you?

02:13 Dave Nelson

So we found it to be great both from a back office standpoint in terms of the building at all and on the front office document management side of the.

02:23 Dave Nelson

Wage and it's been great.

02:26 Dave Nelson

So in terms of.

02:28 Dave Nelson

Taking electronic documents, saving them to the file, taking videos, saving them to the file, being able to locate those documents easilly. We've seen a great improvement in in that and in terms of We're not paperless, but as we've.

02:47 Dave Nelson

Sort of work more and.

02:48 Dave Nelson

More with perfect law. It's allowed us to.

02:51 Dave Nelson

Work more and.

02:52 Dave Nelson

More within the system, which means that whether we're in the office or out of the office, if we have our computer or laptops with us, we're able most of the time to access the documents, find what we need and and so that's all. Been very helpful to our practice.

03:10 Dave Nelson

I am just giving an example. I was just in a meeting an my partner was with me and she was using perfect law to look for documents, an interact with other.

03:19 Dave Nelson

Folks who are meeting with.

03:21 Anthony Beasley

OK.

03:22 Anthony Beasley

Alright, so now you also you're the outgoing president. For if I'm not. If I'm not mistaken, you outgoing president of the Georgia defense lawyers Association, and obviously in your time in the industry, heard some claims from Jason and others about.

03:42 Anthony Beasley

What perfect law brings to the table for?

03:45 Anthony Beasley

An insurance defense firm, an being a representative that looks at not just your firm, but also when you look at the needs of people in your industry and especially in the state of Georgia. What's your thoughts as far as what we bring to the table in your practice area and what we're able to do for firms on that level?

04:02 Dave Nelson

So I think that you know just from and all firms have an accounting aspect. I'm not really familiar.

04:09 Dave Nelson

With how they run it on the planet side, but from a document management standpoint, from a calendaring standpoint, in terms of keeping track of deadlines, keeping track of appointments, being able to.

04:27 Dave Nelson

Profile emails.

04:29 Dave Nelson

Documents that come in electronically, be they electronic medical records and a like. All of that is very helpful, so I think that whether you are defense lawyer or a planet's lawyer, it's a product that will allow you to organize your file in a way that first of all you want it to be organized because you're not.

04:50 Dave Nelson

Set on one particular box that you have to fit in and then section allows you to work with those documents both there in the office and when you're out traveling locally.

05:05 Anthony Beasley

OK, well we certainly appreciate your time. I know sometimes it's very hard to tie down a managing partner to get comments and an you know I feel I feel great that we were able to snag you for a few minutes. I know that from Jason's comment and I know we're working with you guys that you guys are also kind of taking your accounting to the next level. Going into business intelligence. I mean, you're you're talking.

05:29 Anthony Beasley

Next level, accounting for most law firms because a lot of law firms would. You know you probably have seen so far and dealing with the business intelligence aspect is to make the decision to move forward with our product. It is something that's new in the law firm and the way you look at things. So we're definitely looking forward to hearing more from you as you guys implement.

05:50 Anthony Beasley

That particular module of our software, but we wanted to say thank you, Ann. We're always here if you need anything. Obviously you know it's great to have you guys as a user and a cheerleader, and somebody that we can look forward to. But if there's anything that we can do that will help you guys out, we're here.

06:07 Dave Nelson

Well, thank you. We've been very, uh, it's been great working with your team and the product's been great and it really we have. I think a a can safely speak for the partners and associates in our firm who enjoy using the product day in and day out and the staff.

06:27 Anthony Beasley

Great, so thank you. Thanks for your time. Thank you.