Henmans LLP has carried out a review of IT systems and is laying down a unified foundation for the future with SOS Connect from  Solicitors Own Software. The aim is to equip the firm with a modern, open and fully integrated case, practice management and marketing solution which will improve the firms’ agility and ability to compete proactively, in a changing legal services and IT landscape.

SOS Connect will replace the existing, Solicitec and Axxia systems which are reaching end of life and be rolled out to every one of the 130+ members of staff.

Henmans LLP is a regional law firm based in Oxford with a national reputation for heavyweight expertise in its specialist areas, such as clinical negligence, commercial & professional negligence dispute resolution, corporate, employment, personal injury, private client, family, charities and property. The firm recently made the national news with its success in helping Karen Saunders win significant damages of £282,500 awarded by the NHS after a French surgeon operated on the wrong toe. The firm has undergone steady expansion in recent years and continues to grow.

The IT selection process began in earnest at the Legal IT Show 2009 with the realisation that change would be necessary whether the firm chose to follow the Lexis Nexis product roadmap following their acquisition of the Solcase and Axxia solutions, or not. The starting point was to see which integrated systems were in use with other law firms. This led to a short list for more detailed evaluation of various systems including SOS.

There were a number of factors which led to the choice of SOS Connect. Henmans LLP head of information management and technology Colin Paice commented: “SOS Connect is based on modern, flexible technology giving us an expandable platform to compete with new business models including virtual practices, extranets, mobile and remote working. We liked the tight integration of accounts, case management and marketing which enables a golden copy of reference data and a completely unified system to be accessible by the whole team.

“SOS also has the advantage of close integration with Solcase and previous experience of converting data from Axxia systems which augurs well for a smooth changeover,” continued Colin Paice. “SOS Connect’s automation and case integration of email was also the best we saw, but of equal importance was our confidence in the SOS people and the prospect of a fruitful, long-term relationship.”

Initially Henmans LLP will roll-out SOS practice management and accounts enabling standardised business processes such as for file opening, together with performance and statistical data to be adopted by everyone. “We didn’t want a big bang implementation and with SOS we can introduce case management to areas not catered for currently, such as family and corporate before phasing in the other departments from Solcase.”

David McNamara, managing director of SOS said: “Attracting dynamic, successful law firms such as Henmans LLP vindicates our investment in SOS Connect, our independence and our commitment to anticipating the needs of law firms. Our goal is to provide systems that can underpin and flex to the changing needs of law firms for many years to come.”