Australian commercial law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler has announced it has implemented BigHand Mobile (BlackBerry Edition) across the firm as part of a cutting-edge BlackBerry Leading business application strategy. Using BigHand Mobile (BlackBerry Edition), lawyers can dictate documents, set tasks for assistants, record diary notes or issue verbal notes-to-self while on the move, further boosting their mobile productivity. The BigHand project is part of an overall IT strategy to leverage the firm's investment in BlackBerry Smartphones, which provides lawyers with a range of mobile functions, including the ability to check key financial and client analytics, use their BlackBerry to print to fax from any available fax machine, and route desktop phone messages direct to their BlackBerry.
David Leong, director of information technology at Arnold Bloch Leibler, commented: "When we first talked to BigHand, we had a concern that only the more senior lawyers would use dictation as an effective business tool but we were delighted at how successfully it has been adopted across the board. Some use BigHand for out-of-office document drafting while others use it to manage tasks and set reminders via verbal diary notes. Overall it helps individuals become more productive as it is far easier to dictate than attempt to type when you are on the go - and BigHand software makes it easy."
"And whilst mobility was the catalyst for our initial interest in BlackBerry dictation, it turns out that by adopting BigHand's underlying workflow features we were also able to make process enhancements across the firm - in both mobile and office-based scenarios. For example, some work is now in-sourced from our Sydney office to our transcription and text editing team in Melbourne. Whilst this started as an out-of-hours service we find larger tasks being directed to Melbourne during the working day as BigHand transfers this work instantly and the team in Melbourne has greater capacity to turn documents around more quickly."
Joey Borensztajn, a senior commercial partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler, commented: "The introduction of BigHand has been an obvious addition to, and contributed significantly to the functionality of, our Blackberrys. I am a heavy user of dictating technology and have benefitted from the old-fashioned tape technology and, more recently, telephone-delivered dictation. BigHand is however in a different league, as it is completely mobile and allows me increased flexibility and efficiency in my work practices. With BigHand, I can dictate memos, documents, file notes and instructions for my assistant or to our transcription and text editing resources outside normal hours from anywhere and at any time. BigHand also provides a solution to managing efficiently the ever-increasing volume of emails: without leaving my desk, or wherever I am, I can dictate replies to emails which are then typed for me and I then simply copy and paste the text into my reply without the need to use the keyboard."
Arnold Bloch Leibler has 105 lawyers and 35 secretaries using BigHand Digital Dictation software across its Melbourne and Sydney offices. Implementation and project management was provided by AlphaWest, a leading Australian IT services business, with the firm piloting the system in April and implementing it across the firm in August.
Contact:
Dan Speed, Marketing Director, BigHand. Email: dan.speed@bighand.com
Kate Hamilton, Hotwire. Email: kate.hamilton@hotwirepr.com Tel +44 (0)20 7608 4671
About Arnold Bloch Leibler
Arnold Bloch Leibler is a leading Australian commercial law firm with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. The firm provides strategic legal and commercial advice to a diverse range of Australian and international corporations, high-net worth individuals and large family businesses.
Arnold Bloch Leibler has developed a reputation for its innovative, commercially focused advice and is regularly involved in some of the most important landmark transactions in the country, helping clients with their most important or difficult legal matters ? when their reputation is at risk, in crisis situations or before embarking on key initiatives.
About BigHand
BigHand is based out of Chicago, London, Sydney and Toronto. BigHand is the leading digital dictation vendor in the global professional services sector. BigHand3 was awarded ?Best of Breed System of the Year? at the Legal Technology Awards for 2008, and BigHand Mobile (BlackBerry Edition) was voted Mobile Product of the Year at the CNET Business Technology Awards 2008. BigHand has also been nominated in the Sixth Annual Law Technology News (LTN) Awards for 2009 as Dictation System of the Year and Mobile Tool of the Year. Further information is available at http://www.bighand.com