About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hamptom LLP

Founded in 1927, Sheppard Mullin is a full-service Global 100 law firm handling corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation, and complex financial transactions. From their 15 offices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, the Firm offers global solutions to clients around the world, providing seamless representation in multiple jurisdictions.

Why Sheppard Mullin Chose NetDocuments

Prior to partnering with NetDocuments, Sheppard Mullin had been with their former document management system (DMS) provider for more than 20 years. The Firm had reached a critical point where server replacements and infrastructure restructuring were imminent, and leadership decided to look into other options. Additionally, firm-wide surveys uncovered a strong desire for a solution that was more modern and user-friendly.

When the Firm’s former CIO Donna Paulson, began the search for a new DMS, her top priority was finding a cloud-based platform that could deliver the highest standard of security, while still appealing to new lawyers. It wasn’t long before she realized that NetDocuments was the ideal solution, especially when it was compared to other vendors on the market. According to Curt Montague, Sheppard Mullin’s Director of Technology Services, “We just couldn’t match the level of security that NetDocuments was proposing,” adding that according to their research, NetDocuments was the only truly cloud-based platform when compared to other vendors.

Unprecedented Firm Adoption and the Successful Transfer of More Than 40 Million Documents

According to Montague, Sheppard Mullin’s implementation experience was easier than expected, and he credits a large part of that to the unmatched levels of support provided by the NetDocuments team. “It was very organized, we knew what we needed to do, the team always answered questions quickly,” he said. The level of support delivered by NetDocuments was incredibly beneficial, especially as the Firm transferred more than 40 million documents to its new system. Firm leadership was particularly impressed with the level of interaction and communication they experienced throughout the process. Rather than being run through a process, they were guided through the journey in partnership with NetDocuments.

“We just couldn’t match the level of security that NetDocuments was proposing.”

Curt Montague, Director of Technology Services, Sheppard Mullin

Once NetDocuments was implemented, Sheppard Mullin immediately saw a large percentage of staff utilizing and working within the platform. Thanks to painless onboarding, the majority of the Firm felt confident navigating the new platform after just one week of training and a week of follow-up support. “I think that having a culture of document management for so long helped,” Montague said, adding that helpful resources and a filing mandate further fueled the Firm’s widespread adoption. Employees had already established a routine of adhering to filing protocols, making additional training unnecessary.

Easy Customization for Enhanced Flexibility

Sheppard Mullin utilizes NetDocuments partly to prevent fragmentation of data, but that hasn’t limited the ability of its staff to remain flexible when working on the go. In fact, many attorneys access the platform from phones or tablets.

“I do think [having a cloud-based solution] has helped, because as people are working from home, they can access those files a lot easier,” said Montague. “It’s helped us be more flexible when out of the office.” That flexibility definitely benefited the Firm recently, as offices have transitioned to working from home more frequently in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Montague notes that the transition was actually very simple, as many attorneys were already used to a mobile environment and had easy access to documents.

“NetDocuments has allowed us to be a lot more agile when supporting our attorneys.”

Curt Montague, Director of Technology Services, Sheppard Mullin

The Firm has also found enhanced flexibility as a result of customization. The culture of Sheppard Mullin has never been one size fits all, and NetDocuments has allowed each of its groups to create customizable experience for maximized efficiency. “NetDocuments has allowed us to be a lot more agile when supporting our attorneys,” said Montague. “Our culture and the flexibility of NetDocuments have really started to gel, and we look forward to continuing that.”

Shared Commitment to Innovation

Before switching to NetDocuments, Sheppard Mullin’s attempts to adapt were somewhat thwarted by its previous system—a platform which, according Montague, remained mostly stagnant. This changed when NetDocuments came into the picture. Now Montague jokes that he can’t keep up with the constant innovation. “You know, we used to have to do a lot of work to upgrade a client-based system, so this speed of innovation is just amazing, and that feeds into the flexibility, too,” he said.

Montague also appreciates the feedback loop that exists to NetDocuments clients, adding that his team’s ideas are always heard and validated, and often become the basis for features or enhancements. “If you want a new feature, you can put it out there and if it makes sense, the NetDocuments team is eager to help solve for it, so I appreciate that,” he said.

Looking Forward

Sheppard Mullin has a history of steady growth, a trend that Montague expects will continue into the future with the help of the adaptability provided by NetDocuments. The Firm also intends on continuing to create into a cloud-first environment by implementing other cloud-based tools, a decision driven by the success they have seen with NetDocuments. “We’re sensitive to our clients’ needs, but I think that the NetDocuments security has really allowed us to show that the security in the cloud is better than what we can do ourselves,” said Montague. “That’s given us the stability we needed to be a cloud-first organization.”

As for whether or not Montague would recommend NetDocuments to other firms, the answer is clear. “Yes, absolutely,” he said. “The support has always been amazing, and I think [the NetDocuments team] is very responsive and very innovative.”

To learn more about NetDocuments and how you can work smarter with an intelligent document management system, click here to request a personalized demo.