Lawyer-led innovation driving success for LEAP in New Zealand

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With offices in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and now New Zealand, LEAP is leading the world in the development of integrated legal technology

MANY WHO come to New Zealand make assumptions. Underestimated and often left off maps – from IKEA's to the US Museum of Natural History's – this thriving hub of innovation is in fact discerningly intelligent and remarkably different. LEAP, as an Australian legal practice productivity solution established over 30 years ago, is no stranger to the assumptions people make of the Antipodes. Unlike others, LEAP has deployed a team on the ground who are immersed in New Zealand's legal ecosystem and listen attentively to the everyday experiences specific to New Zealand lawyers. This client-centric philosophy has been the driving force behind the success of LEAP New Zealand, which launched in September 2022 and has since grown rapidly.

Law firms using LEAP legal software enjoy the full benefits of a state-of-the-art practice management system, as well as legal accounting, document assembly and management, and legal publishing assets – all in one integrated solution. A trusted partner to more than 61,000 lawyers across the globe, LEAP provides a legal practice productivity solution that empowers law firms to maximise profitability through the efficient and innovative delivery of legal services to its clients. With offices in the US, Canada, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, LEAP is leading the world in the development of integrated legal technology for law firms.

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“When entering any new market, listening is crucial. It’s the only way you can understand what clients want, need and how you can help. Fortunately, LEAP has decades of experience entering new markets”

David Billington, LEAP New Zealand

LEAP's move to the neighbouring market makes perfect sense, says Donna Broadley, CEO of LEAP Legal Software APAC, as lawyers in both markets share an appetite for innovation and change. “Being cloud-based, LEAP allows you to run an efficient and flexible law firm from anywhere, at any time,” Broadley says. “We have a lot of experience doing this. A decade before COVID-19 hit, LEAP freed law firms from complex and costly physical servers, empowering the rise of New Law and agile firms in Australia, the UK and the US.” A trusted partner to more than 61,000 lawyers across the globe, LEAP offers a legal practice productivity solution that

empowers law firms to maximise profitability through the efficient and innovative delivery of legal services to their clients. Law firms using LEAP legal software enjoy all the benefits of a state-of-the-art practice management system, as well as legal accounting, document assembly and management, and legal publishing assets all in one integrated solution. “We’re proud to be a popular choice for boutique firms and sole practitioners, as well as larger firms. In fact, we recently onboarded a large 90-plus law firm offering a full range of legal services across multiple offices,” Broadley says.

The power of LEAP lies in its region-specific customisation. Unlike many who might ship an innovation wholesale, with minimal changes to localise content, or on-the-ground support, LEAP delivers tailored solutions purpose-built to address the needs and challenges of New Zealanders. It’s an approach that has seen it succeed in the US, the UK and Canada. “When entering any new market, listening is crucial. It’s the only way you can understand what clients want, need and how you can help. Fortunately, LEAP has decades of experience entering new markets. As an Australian company, we’ve expanded to the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada,” says David Billington, general manager of operations at LEAP New Zealand. “That’s why we prioritised gaining market intelligence and working closely with our early adopter firms. Through these channels, we’ve gathered valuable information and implemented features around AML, discretionary trusts and accounting.”

LEAP’s experience shows. Since hitting the ground in New Zealand last year, the company has continued to grow – from 24 employees at the start, to 38. And LEAP has also created a local New Zealand help desk support team to provide law firms with the best possible experience, says Billington. “LEAP is also robust enough to support law firms to work securely and effectively from the cloud,” Broadley says. “As LEAP provides a single source of truth for all your matters, you can easily work in a hybrid office model. It also helps anyone in your team get a clear sense of how a matter is progressing, and communicate clearly with your clients. These are innovations we’ve been thrilled to share in New Zealand.” When Vanessa Leishman established her Auckland office in January 2022, she chose LEAP.

“We invest over $20m a year in innovation, research and development. Much of this innovation is informed by listening to law firm staff, who are, after all, the day-to-day users of LEAP”

Kathryn Middis, LEAP New Zealand

“I started using LEAP in March 2014 when I commenced my family law firm in Australia,” Leishman says. “I chose LEAP because of its functionality, comprehensive content and ease of use. I also found that LEAP provided excellent and prompt technical support when I needed it. “When opening my firm’s Auckland office in January 2022, I couldn’t find any comparable practice management system within the New Zealand market. I was happy to work with LEAP as they became established in New Zealand and had no hesitation in using LEAP in my New Zealand family law practice based on my experience with LEAP in Australia. “Being a comprehensive, cloud-based practice management system, I can operate my practice essentially paperless and can access my files and documents from anywhere in the world and at any time, which is of great assistance to me with my trans-Tasman family law practice.”

LEAP places a high value on innovation, and listening has always been an important part of how it does business. “We invest over $20m a year in innovation, research and development. Much of this innovation is informed by listening to law firm staff, who are, after all, the day-to-day users of LEAP,” explains Kathryn Middis, sales manager at LEAP New Zealand. “This can involve working closely with consortiums, engaging with user groups, conducting complimentary client visits through our legal practice advisors, and reviewing feedback from our community. This process creates a strong feedback loop, which ensures we focus on delivering valuable innovation to the New Zealand legal market.

Locally driven, region-specific customisation and support driving LEAP

Listening to law firms essential to driving innovation

Published 19 Jun 2023

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“LEAP is an innovator, and we continually strive to improve the productivity and profitability of firms using LEAP,” Billington adds. “On the horizon are further enhancements around AML, discretionary trusts and legal accounting, as a direct result of client feedback. We’ve been fortunate to be warmly welcomed by the New Zealand legal community, and given the response so far, we’re excited to continue to deliver our cloud-based productivity solution to lawyers here.” Indeed, it’s these innovations that Leishman can’t live without. “I love that once you have entered all the important client and other party information on opening the electronic file, the information is automatically populated when you create court and other documents," she says.

"I also appreciate the ease with which you can save emails received directly to the file and create and send emails from within the file, which are then automatically saved, reducing the risk of misplacing correspondence. "I could not live without the LEAP app on my phone, which is an essential part of the LEAP offering for a lawyer who is always on the go. A few of my favourite features are that I can access documents and client information, make phone calls, time-record, send correspondence and scan documents, all from within the client’s file while at court or in a meeting.”

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