Law Firm Finds an 'Out of the Ordinary' Technology Partner

Unfortunately, managing partner Rick Lifshitz and the law firm of Mandel, Lipton & Stevenson have had some "typical" experiences with technology and technology providers. Typical in that the demands of their growing technology investments quickly outstripped their ability to handle them internally, and typical in that their previous technology providers fell short on performance while costs spiraled.

A switch to Micro-Tech U.S.A as its technology partner has changed everything, giving the firm low-maintenance and high-performance resources, a technology road map for the future, and predictable, manageable costs.

Mandel, Lipton & Stevenson is a midsize firm that numbers 15 attorneys and 20 support staff. For more than 30 years, the firm has handled a broad range of general practice work, and has areas of emphasis that include family law and adoptions, corporate law, immigration and real estate. Lifshitz describes the IT resources of the firm as "a critical area of the practice, without a doubt."

Since first embarking on technology improvements in 1986, the firm has made significant investments of hardware, software and time resources to streamline operations and make information more accessible. Yet as the systems became more complex, the costs associated with them grew and Lifshitz went through a string of technology providers.

"The predecessor to Micro-Tech was an entity that upgraded our network dramatically, but the dollars were just flying out the window," Lifshitz said. "Every time we turned around, we needed something else and it was another $20,000. It was a nightmare."

A botched upgrade of a document management application took the application down for more than two weeks -- leaving attorneys without access to critical documents needed for client cases. Lifshitz had had enough.

When Micro-Tech U.S.A was brought in, the first task was to perform a Technology Assessment Profile (TAP) -- a thorough investigation of existing IT assets and liabilities, the business goals desired, and the resources required to meet them. Micro-Tech found a number of conflicts, mistakes and inefficiencies with the previous vendor’s work and made recommendations that would put the firm on the right track and reduce maintenance issues.

"They gave me a number of options -- instead of saying, ‘This is what you have to do,’ which is what others have said in the past," he said. "They prioritized what our needs are and gave us a road map. We need our computers to work well to be profitable and Micro-Tech does that for us."

Micro-Tech salvaged the previous vendor’s work in some areas and made wholesale changes in others. Overall, they made significant improvements to the network and in the applications, improving the stability, performance and security of them. Understandably skeptical given his previous experiences, Lifshitz initially thought he was going through the same routine again. However Micro-Tech came through with improvements within the allotted budget.

Today, the firm’s resources include a Microsoft NT network that interconnects staff desktops, and six servers running a variety of applications. Among those applications are Javelin -- a time and billing application designed for legal practices -- and the PC DOCs document management solution from Hummingbird. Employees also have standard productivity applications, e-mail and Internet access. Users also have remote access to applications and data using a Citrix MetaFrame server solution.

The firm now has a Service Agreement contract with Micro-Tech to perform regular maintenance and management services. Employees can focus on using the systems instead of learning how to keep them running.

"I’m always pulling both sides of the rope -- trying to get a handle on expenses while at the same time giving our practice the tools it needs," Lifshitz said. "I think we are finally getting what we’re paying for.

"Micro-Tech’s people are very responsive and honest about their abilities, and we are at the point where I trust them to look after our best interests," he said. "It’s been a very good relationship, with no negatives, and I would recommend them."