Case Study - Hackard & Holt Law Firm

Sacramento-based law firm Hackard & Holt has built an impressive reputation in the field of mass tort law for its high-profile work representing victims of defective medical devices and failed pharmaceuticals. The firm’s growing caseload had led to staff expansion and the opening of a second office. Wanting to avoid the complexity and expense of two separate phone systems, and eager to retire its rigid, hardware-based phone system, Hackard & Holt turned to Vertical’s TeleVantage solution. TeleVantage has made it easier and more efficient for staff attorneys to communicate with clients, handle heavy call volumes and track phone usage and expenses.

Staying Connected
With the opening of the new office, Hackard & Holt’s CTO and Director of Human Resources, John Long, saw an opportunity to improve the firm’s telephone system. The current system’s hardware-based format made even simple modifications expensive. Realizing that the existing system wouldn’t scale to meet the firm’s growth, Hackard & Holt chose to upgrade its system substantially by implementing Vertical’s TeleVantage solution.

TeleVantage was installed at the firm’s home office and the new location, creating a virtual link between the offices via two T1 data transmission lines. “Staff at the second office have their phones linked back to the first building, almost like an extension cord,” observes Long. All phones reside on one TeleVantage server, enabling employees to share the same graphical call interface, and saving the firm approximately $10,000 annually. “This is a huge cost benefit for us,” says Long. “The bottom line is that TeleVantage has helped us reduce our phone service costs by nearly half. We’ve doubled our staff, yet we’re still realizing a 40% savings on our total phone bill.”

Easier administration and management with TeleVantage has also yielded significant time and cost savings for Hackard & Holt. The firm was able to eliminate its reliance on a third-party service vendor for system administration. Long now manages the new telephone system across both locations, resulting in additional savings of approximately $4,500 annually.

Conducting Business Worldwide
The geographically dispersed nature of mass tort law makes effective telephone communications critical to the ongoing success of Hackard & Holt. Because more than 50% of clients never set foot in the office, the telephone is the firm’s primary means of gathering information, taking depositions and performing essential case-related activities.

TeleVantage is ideally suited to this environment, offering features such as point-and-click dialing, instant conference calling and “follow-me” call forwarding that save time, make conducting business quick and easy and dramatically improving both client service and staff productivity. TeleVantage ensures that the firm can stay in touch with clients and other counsels conveniently, reliably and on schedule.

Tracking Calls – and Improving the Bottom Line
Tracking phone time is critically important, as Hackard & Holt operates on a contingency fee basis. TeleVantage has been invaluable in helping the firm recover telephone costs and charges previously lost due to complex and inefficient tracking and accounting procedures. Each client is assigned an account code, enabling the firm to easily track telephone charges and apply them to cases, thereby leading to increased revenue, time savings and an improved accounting process.

Ensuring Future Growth
Despite the firm’s increasing caseload, the intuitive call management features of TeleVantage have allowed Hackard & Holt to operate with just one receptionist in each of its locations. With TeleVantage, a live voice greets every incoming caller during business hours, underscoring the personalized client service on which the firm’s reputation rests. Without an updated phone system, Long feels that it would have been extremely difficult for the firm to expand to a new location and maintain the level of service that clients expect. Says Long, “With TeleVantage, we have two different office suites, but one window into our firm.”

ABOUT VERTICAL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Vertical Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of next-generation IP-based voice and data communications systems for business. Vertical combines voice and data technologies with business process understanding to deliver integrated IP-PBX and application solutions that enhance customer service and business productivity. Vertical’s customers are leading companies of all sizes–from small to large and distributed–and include CVS/pharmacy, Household International and Apria Healthcare. Vertical is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. and delivers its solutions through a worldwide network of systems integrators, resellers and distributors.

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