How KaurMaxwell got started with the help of LexisNexis

New SME law firm KaurMaxwell was able to get off the ground with its use of LexisNexis, say founder and managing partner Mandeep Kaur Virdee and practice manager Charlene Robinson

KaurMaxwell started in early 2018 with the aim of getting the basics right, something many firms overlook, and providing a service with true value. To do that, founder and managing partner Mandeep Kaur Virdee says she wanted the firm to be as cost-effective as possible and to use technology to increase efficiency.

“Basically, I want to set up the fee earners to act as individual lighthouses and be able to practice in an easy, quick and efficient way.”

And the technology that backs KaurMaxwell’s business goals and allows staff to work efficiently and effortlessly is LexisNexis. The best thing about LexisNexis is the ability it gives my firm to do work and do it well, she says.

“Because of the pure breadth and depth of black letter law research and practical guidance that LexisNexis provides, we don’t have to rely on counsel as much as perhaps firms that don’t use LexisNexis. The information it gives us creates a really good sphere of technical understanding of the topics we advise on.”

For example, from a litigation perspective, Virdee explains, being able to research topics and case law easily is hugely beneficial to the team.

But the benefits don’t stop there. “LexisNexis has toolkits for everything – there are toolkits for anti-money laundering, file opening and closing, checklists and so on. All of these have been very helpful from a fee earning and business operation standpoint – it means that we don’t have to rely on multiple third parties and can focus on providing a valuable service by single sourcing.”

Starry-eyed startups

Virdee has first-hand experience about the importance of the technology, structures and support needed to run a successful law firm. Having started the firm while eight months pregnant and still fee earning at the same time, she says that the reason many people don’t start up their own firms is the sheer amount of work and red tape involved in practice management.

She says LexisNexis was an instrumental help when it came to getting the firm off the ground. “LexisNexis made it realistic for us when we started, which was extremely well-received as I wanted the safety of having a solid knowledge base like LexisNexis. Obviously, price was a concern, but it was actually surprisingly affordable for a small practice like ours.

“I’ve personally found LexisNexis to be excellent. I cannot say enough how difficult and scary it is to actually start a law firm at eight months pregnant.

“The person who was our relationship manager was fantastic and really paid attention, and understood my situation. He was flexible and met me in London when it suited me – as I could only do so many hours and my daughter was only months old. I was anxious about getting a good research and guidance online tool in place and making sure everything and everyone was taken care of.”

It can be easy for SME law firms and smaller NewLaw or startups to feel like the technology that larger firms use is out of reach, Virdee says, but with LexisNexis that’s not the case.

“It’s really nice that they’ve gone out of the way to make me feel – regardless of how big or small the firm is – that I was catered for. And they took the time to build that relationship with me and my firm, and really understand us, not just from a business perspective but also on a personal level.”

Train up

KaurMaxwell has really been able to hit the ground running because of the firm’s swift adoption of LexisNexis solutions like LexisLibrary and LexisPSL and the support it has provided in ensuring that the practice management side of the business has also been catered for with LexisPSL practice compliance and management. Being such a new firm, naturally, there are still things that need a little ironing out, but it’s a lot less stressful because of LexisNexis’s help, Virdee says.

Charlene Robinson, practice manager at the firm, adds she is currently in the process of organising more training for staff. “It’s time for a bit of a refresher for staff. We use the full suite of LexisNexis products, but we could be better at fully leveraging LexisDraft, for example. The general feedback about the initial training was that it was enjoyable, informative and easy to follow.”

Virdee says that staff were encouraged to get on with using LexisNexis right from the beginning and – since LexisNexis provides unlimited and accessible training – if staff feel the need to brush up on something on their own time then that’s easily done.

Robinson adds that it’s really the approach to the relationship and its valuable research and guidance information that make LexisNexis commendable in her eyes. And, she says, she’s even used the resource whenever she’s needed some assistance with precedence documents in relation to the firm’s in-house policies.
Overall, LexisNexis has a really well-placed business model, says Virdee. “I was afraid that it wasn’t going to ‘resize’ itself to fit the size of firm KaurMaxwell is; I was convinced that wasn’t going to happen. But LexisNexis really took our business to heart and is invested in our relationship, growth and success.”

She says that, for legal technology providers, being able to speak to a law firm, large or small, or even just a lawyer providing a service, they’ve got to be able to adjust themselves, and LexisNexis are equipped to do that and much more.

*This piece first appeared in LPM December/January 2019*