LexisNexis Introduces Secure Client Portal to Small Law Market

Integrates WatchDox Technology into Time Matters 13; Provides Cloud-based File Sharing with Enterprise-level Security to Small Law Firms

The admin panel where shared documents or files can be reviewed along with activity details; this is also where users can change permissions. (Graphic: Business Wire)

CARY, N.C.--()--LexisNexis® Legal & Professional, a leading provider of content and technology solutions, announced today the release of Time Matters® 13, an award winning client, matter and document management system. Among several usability and feature enhancements, the new version of Time Matters centers on an integration with WatchDox™ technology, which provides customers – law firms and attorneys – with a secure cloud-based, or online, Client Portal for file sharing.

WatchDox, Inc. is a Palo Alto-based company that provides secure mobile productivity and collaboration solutions to large organizations including the Fortune 500. LexisNexis has an exclusive agreement to provide WatchDox’s technology to the legal market and is focused on making it available to small law firms. The technology integration with Time Matters 13 underscores the company’s drive to incorporate secure file-sharing capabilities across its portfolio of law firm practice management software.

“The capability to share files in a modern law firm is quite simply a requirement: clients increasingly expect counsel to be able to easily share documents,” said Susan Stobbart Shapiro, Esq., a director with Council, Baradel, Kosmerl, & Nolan, P.A. “What sounds promising in Time Matters 13 is the ability to share files from our existing matter management system and also to share with the confidence those files are secure.”

Specifically with Time Matters, this latest version of the software marks the first step to developing a more robust Time Matters Client Portal. In the future it may include the ability to share entire matter folders with customizable permission settings, online messaging and collaboration tools for clients and firms, and the capability to post invoices and collect payments.

“This technology solves an increasing concern for practicing lawyers and law firms working with sensitive information or within the constraints of information protected by attorney-client privilege,” said Alex Overcash, the Time Matters product manager for Law Firm Practice Management at LexisNexis. “The dramatic proliferation of mobile devices has raised client expectations that law firms should offer the capability to securely share documents across any device, anywhere, and at any time.”

The benefits of the existing Time Matters Client Portal, powered by WatchDox technology include:

  • Facilitates communication and collaboration on a matter by allowing the firm to share relevant documents, photos, video and audio files with a client, expert or other third party.
  • Reduces risk of unauthorized access to the shared file by giving the firm complete control over it at all times, regardless of whether it’s accessed through a desktop, laptop or mobile device.
  • Gives the firm visibility into all actions taken on a shared file and helps them demonstrate compliance with confidentiality requirements through an audit trail.
  • Is easy to set up and maintain – requires no additional hardware, software or technical knowledge once Time Matters is installed.

According to the ABA’s 2013 Law Technology Survey Report, 72 percent of respondents expressed concern for confidentiality or security in sharing or storing documents in the cloud. Despite these concerns, the survey also indicated law firms were assuming considerable risk because many attorneys are using cloud-based tools that may not have the proper security or encryption features in place. The latest version of Time Matters directly addresses those concerns and provides the means to easily share files across desktop, laptop and mobile devices.

“There simply hasn’t been a viable alternative until now,” added Overcash. “This is about security – providing law firms with a simple but highly effective way to know who has access to a file, what they can do with it, and for how long an individual may have that access to it.”

With the Time Matters online file sharing Client Portal, attorneys and legal staff have greater control over who has access to the files they’ve chosen to share, and may revoke those privileges at any time. Additional security measures for encryption, to establish time or event-driven access expiration policies, and an audit trail of all activities taken on a shared file are also available.

Time Matters 13, and the integration of WatchDox technology, represents the latest step along LexisNexis’ continuous effort to maintain its aspirational commitment to the market as documented in the LexisNexis Legal Software Bill of Rights. The LexisNexis Business of Law Software Solutions (BLSS) group, has made an impressive number of iterative software releases across its portfolio of products for law firm practice management including the initial WatchDox alliance with Firm Manager in May, three new dashboards for PCLaw® 13 in July and the new Juris® for Microsoft® Outlook® email add-in for Juris 2.6 in August.

The secure online file-sharing client portal comes at no additional cost to existing Time Matters customers with annual maintenance plan subscriptions. For additional information, including a short video demonstration of the online file-sharing client portal and Time Matters 13, please visit www.lexisnexis.com/SecureYourFiles.

About LexisNexis Legal & Professional

LexisNexis® Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of content and technology solutions that enable professionals in legal, corporate, tax, government, academic and non-profit organizations to make informed decisions and achieve better business outcomes. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content, to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. Part of Reed Elsevier Inc., LexisNexis Legal & Professional serves customers in more than 100 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide.

LexisNexis helps professionals at law firms and legal departments of all sizes manage the business element of their practice with innovative software and mobile solutions for customer relationship management, competitive intelligence gathering and assessment, time and billing management, matter management, client analysis, legal holds and more.

About WatchDox

WatchDox makes business more mobile and collaborative, while reducing the risk, complexity and cost of sharing information across and beyond the enterprise. Available as SaaS or on premise, WatchDox’ unique data-centric security enables organizations to control synced and shared files wherever they go: on any tablet, smartphone, or PC, even those beyond the IT department’s control. On mobile devices, WatchDox enables users to edit, annotate and collaborate with their files in one seamless, secure app. Top-10 global financial institutions, governments, and over 100 of the Fortune 1000 depend on WatchDox to protect their business-critical information.

Contacts

Media
LexisNexis Legal & Professional
Frank Strong, 919-415-3071
frank.strong@lexisnexis.com

Release Summary

LexisNexis introduces secure client portal to small law market; integrates WatchDox technology into Time Matters 13.

Contacts

Media
LexisNexis Legal & Professional
Frank Strong, 919-415-3071
frank.strong@lexisnexis.com