BTI Consulting Ranks Ballard Spahr Among Top Firms for Use of Technology

Ballard Spahr is among the top 15 percent of all law firms using technology to add to client value, according to a recent survey from BTI Consulting.

BTI Consulting is a leading provider of strategic, client-based research in the legal community. It gathered information through interviews with nearly 700 corporate counsel at the world's largest companies.

"We continue to explore and develop ways to leverage technology to enhance the value we deliver to clients," said Chief Client Value Officer Melissa Prince. "Technological innovation helps us build trust and cultivate strong and collaborative client relationships by promoting responsiveness and efficiency."

A pricing and legal project management system the firm launched last year uses technology that allows the firm's pricing team to budget, price, manage, and track matters in real time—and to share that information with clients. The tool promotes transparency and facilitates proactive communication and collaboration between clients and Ballard Spahr lawyers. The Financial Times recognized the system in its most recent Innovative Lawyers North America report, which highlights value-added law firm innovation.

The firm also recently rolled out a document automation system that uses questionnaire-based technology to generate first drafts of documents. This system currently is used for real estate transactional documents, but can be used in any practice that involves a high-volume repetitive process to increase efficiency, decrease turnaround time, and promote profitability.

These technological innovations are part of Ballard Spahr's overarching Client Value Program, which strives to develop strategic and productive partnerships with clients through value-based pricing, efficient matter management, and proactive communication. The firm provides value to clients beyond its work on specific legal matters: It develops and delivers customized educational and training programs, collaborates with clients on pro bono, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, provides attorneys and administrators for secondments to help clients with short-term project or long-term staffing needs, and offers consultations on vendor selection.