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ATLANTA – August 19, 2016 – The College of Law Practice Management (COLPM) announced today it selected Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins) as a 2016 InnovAction Award recipient for the firm’s Ogletree Deakins AdvantageTM portfolio engagement service delivery model. The COLPM InnovAction Awards recognize outstanding innovation in the delivery of legal services, demonstrating what can happen when passionate professionals, with big ideas and strong convictions, resolve to create effective change. Award recipients were judged on criteria that included the originality of the approach, beneficial disruption of legal services, value for clients and/or the legal industry, and the effectiveness or measurable benefits of the entry.
Ogletree Deakins AdvantageTM is an innovative service delivery model that leverages technology to streamline the handling of day-to-day legal issues. This goal is achieved by examining employment-related processes, including analysis of a client’s past litigation and claims, to identify problematic areas. Ogletree Deakins then implements a corrective plan that includes using tools to improve these processes.
Introduction of these improvements can result in increased predictability and control of legal costs, consistent application of employment policies, faster resolution of legal issues, and an overall reduction in the number of claims for clients. Throughout the engagement, a dedicated Ogletree Deakins Legal Project Management (LPM) analyst coordinates the relationship, maintaining responsibility for plans and budgets, status reports, status meetings, and an annual review.
Ogletree Deakins AdvantageTM uses proprietary technology to enhance knowledge management capabilities and increase legal project management efficiencies. The included technology promotes communication between the client’s legal and human resources teams and Ogletree Deakins attorneys, and enables managers to be proactive in responding to legal issues before they become costly legal claims.
“OD Advantage™ is built on a foundation of legal project management, knowledge management, and technology that offers clients the benefits of predictability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness,” said Chuck Baldwin, Ogletree Deakins’ managing director and a shareholder in the firm’s Indianapolis office. “We are thrilled to be recognized for this platform, which truly redefines what it means to marry innovation with law practice management.”
“With the tenets of our Client Pledge in mind, we developed OD Advantage™ as a system that is tailored to suit our client’s business needs, while keeping budget, innovation, and education at the forefront,” said Brian McDermott, a shareholder in the firm’s Indianapolis office. “We’re excited to continue to offer the tools in this platform to clients seeking to improve their processes and increase efficiency.”
Ogletree Deakins will accept the 2016 InnovAction Award on September 16 at the College of Law Practice Management 2016 Future’s Conference in Kansas City, MO.
About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for five consecutive years. In 2016, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law – Management category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 750 attorneys located in 49 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.
About COLPM
The College of Law Practice Management (the College) is a not-for-profit organization formed in 1994 to honor and recognize distinguished law practice management professionals, to set standards of achievement for others in the profession, and to fund and assist projects that enhance the highest quality of law practice management. The College and its Fellows inspire excellence and innovation in law practice management by honoring extraordinary achievement; developing, exchanging and disseminating knowledge; and stimulating innovation in the delivery of legal services.
About 2016 InnovAction Awards
The College continues its global search for ingenuity in law practice management. Designed to inspire creative thinking in a field known for its over-reliance on precedent, the InnovAction Awards are intended not only to identify effective innovation but also to inspire it through international recognition.