Leading Law Firm, Bracewell Centralized Client Data with Litera, Driving Efficiencies and Collaboration
The Challenge
Bracewell LLP, a leading law firm, struggled with outdated and inefficient processes for tracking pitches and proposals to prospective clients and connecting them to deals and matters. With no centralized, searchable database, the firm relied on Excel spreadsheets, document management systems, and multiple manual entry points to manage business development data.
For over two decades, attempts to implement a successful system failed “probably 8 to 10 times, a few with spectacular failure,” said Paul Grabowski, Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer at Bracewell. The lack of structured data made it difficult to generate timely, accurate reports, track opportunities, and measure return on investment (ROI) for business development initiatives.
The firm needed a single source of truth that could consolidate pitch, proposal, deal and matter data, streamline reporting, and provide real-time insights for attorneys and business development teams. Additionally, they sought a solution that would improve lawyer adoption and eliminate inconsistencies in data tracking.
The Solution
To address these challenges, Bracewell turned to Litera Foundation, a powerful data management platform designed to centralize and structure firm experience data. With Foundation, the firm implemented:
- A Single, Searchable Database: Consolidating the firm’s deal, matter data, business development content such as bios, pitches, proposals, RFPs, brochures and more into one easy-to-access platform
- Real-Time Reporting and Insights: Automating report generation for business development and firm leadership
- Seamless Lawyer Adoption: Making it easy for attorneys to search for and contribute to firm-wide experience data
- Integrated Workflows: Connecting Foundation with the firm’s Intranet to provide instant access to information on pitched business development opportunities; connecting it to the external website so that Foundation can serve as the source of truth for biographies and allow attorneys, their assistants and the business development team to edit biographies directly in Foundation
By integrating Foundation with their existing systems, Bracewell enabled lawyers and business development teams to quickly retrieve opportunity data and run reports without relying on outdated spreadsheets or manual processes.
To drive user adoption, Bracewell organized a roadshow to demonstrate how Foundation could assist attorneys in tracking opportunities and contributing effectively. “We aimed to highlight the value of Foundation and how easy it would be to search on the Intranet. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive,” said Jacqueline Madarang, Director of Marketing Technology and Operations at Bracewell.
The Results
The implementation of Foundation has revolutionized how Bracewell manages opportunity tracking, deal tracking, and its library of content. The firm moved from a manual, fragmented system to a centralized, data-driven approach, leading to:
- Faster Proposal Generation: Reduced preparation time from days to minutes, allowing attorneys to respond to client requests faster
- Improved Data Visibility: Leadership now receives automated reports with accurate, up-to-date insights on firm initiatives
- Better Collaboration: Lawyers, business development, and marketing teams can seamlessly access and share deal data
- Stronger ROI on Business Development Efforts: The ability to track past pitches, proposals, and RFPs has improved strategic decision-making
“Our Director of Business Development called Foundation a godsend,” said Grabowski. “The difference is night and day. The lawyers now trust the data, and the complaints have disappeared.”
Additionally, the firm’s ability to onboard new lateral partners has significantly improved. “When we opened our Paris office, all the branded materials and data were in Foundation from day one,” Madarang explained. “If a new office opened tomorrow, we could have everything ready in five minutes.”
By leveraging Foundation, Bracewell has transformed business development from a reactive process to a proactive strategy, ensuring that attorneys have the data they need at their fingertips.
Additional Team Members Involved
- Brett Goncher, Senior Business Development Content Manager
- Leah Smith, Business Applications Manager
- Allegra Rehder, Marketing & Business Development Coordinator
- Karina Kirby, Foundation Administrator
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