Horwich Farrelly (HF), a leading law firm in the UK and Ireland, has been on a transformative journey to become the most dynamic, customer-focused legal service provider. As part of their modernization efforts, HF implemented Clio Operate (formerly ShareDo), a cloud-native case management system, to enhance efficiency and deliver exceptional client experiences.
Industry: Legal
Location: UK
Size: Enterprise (1,000+ employees)
HF faced significant challenges with their legacy CMS, which was not cloud-native and had become increasingly expensive to maintain. The old system fell short in supporting HF’s goals of delivering innovative and integrated solutions. The complexity of the legacy system necessitated extensive customization and workarounds, leading to inefficiencies and user frustrations. Additionally, scalability was a major issue, as the old CMS could not easily integrate with other best-in-class solutions, hindering the firm’s ability to adapt and grow.
To address these challenges, HF embarked on a comprehensive search for a new CMS. The selection process began with initial contacts with 28 vendors, followed by detailed requests for proposals sent to 10. Of these, only four vendors were able to meet HF’s stringent requirements, and three were shortlisted for presentations. Ultimately, Clio Operate emerged as the unanimous choice, receiving 100% backing from representatives across all of HF’s practice areas and business functions.
Clio Operate stood out for its extensive configurability, featuring a robust API suite for integration and a user-friendly low-code/no-code interface for ease of configuration. This flexibility allowed HF to build custom solutions through microservices, avoiding the need for direct product customization—a pitfall they had encountered with their previous CMS. Clio Operate’s cloud-native, API-first architecture ensured seamless integration with other platforms.
In addition to its configurability, Clio Operate offered solution accelerator packs pre-configured for different practice groups. These accelerators significantly reduced time to market and costs, as opposed to solutions that required building from scratch. Clio Operate’s efficient case and matter management capabilities simplified countless daily tasks across the matter lifecycle and provided valuable business insights through contextual radar charts, dashboards, and embedded Power BI reports.
The deployment of Clio Operate was notably swift. Within six weeks of signing the contract, HF had an instance of Clio Operate up and running in Ireland. The firm adopted an iterative delivery approach, gradually rolling out the system across the business and incorporating practice-specific functionalities. This phased implementation is expected to culminate in the entire firm being on the new CMS by early 2025.
The implementation of Clio Operate brought about significant efficiency gains for HF. The modern enterprise platform reduced the time spent on legal administrative tasks, thereby shortening case lifecycle times. This improvement not only added value for clients and their customers but also enhanced HF’s cash flow by enabling faster billing cycles.
Clio Operate also offered substantial improvements in data management. The system ensured accurate data capture and validation through rigorous data quality rules, which safeguarded against incomplete tasks and inaccurate information entry. This enhanced data accuracy facilitated better access to and insights from the firm’s data, enabling more informed decision-making.
HF’s staff found the new system empowering, as it increased their self-sufficiency. Despite the typical challenges associated with adopting a new system, user feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The firm anticipates that users will soon fully exploit Clio Operate’s benefits and share these advantages across their teams.
From a strategic perspective, the implementation of Clio Operate aligned seamlessly with HF’s business goals. The firm was able to leverage technology and data not just for operational efficiency, but as tools to enable broader business objectives. By turning data into actionable information, Clio Operate empowered HF’s end users, ultimately benefiting the clients they serve.
The implementation of Clio Operate has revolutionized Horwich Farrelly’s case management approach. By driving efficiency, improving data management, and empowering staff, Clio Operate has positioned HF well on its path to achieving its vision of becoming the most dynamic, customer-focused law firm in the UK and Ireland. This transformation underscores the critical role of technology in enabling legal professionals to focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional service to their clients.
