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Like most traditional Singaporean law firms, Lee & Lee was heavily reliant on paper-based processes, and any electronic files were stored in systems on-premises. When the pandemic hit, the firm knew it had to change its way of working to allow lawyers to remotely access important documents, especially during government-mandated circuit breaker periods.

About Lee & Lee

Lee & Lee is a full-service law firm that provides a comprehensive range of services through its Intellectual Property, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Corporate, Banking, and Real Estate departments.

One of Singapore’s oldest law firms, Lee & Lee was founded by Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Kim Yew and Kwa Geok Choo in 1955. While Lee Kuan Yew went on to become the Prime Minister of Singapore, the remaining partners developed the firm to become one of the leading law firms in Singapore, with more than 90 lawyers offering a full range of legal services.

A Journey to the Cloud

Like most traditional Singaporean law firms, Lee & Lee was heavily reliant on paper-based processes, and any electronic files were stored in systems on-premises. However, when the pandemic hit, the firm knew it had to change its way of working, as its lawyers were unable to remotely access many important documents. This meant business couldn’t continue as usual as Lee & Lee had to close its office premises during government-mandated circuit breaker periods.

Lee & Lee recognised it needed a cloud-based document management system (DMS) that would enable staff to work on files securely from any location, and help the firm mitigate against future disruptions. At the same time, the cost of storing electronic documents on their own servers was increasing, so they wanted a more cost-effective solution.

“We required a cloud-based document management solution that would support our journey to becoming a more flexible and resilient law firm that’s well-positioned to provide secure client services wherever and whenever they are needed,” said Toh Kok Seng, a Senior Partner on Lee & Lee’s Management Committee who led the firm’s initiative to source for technology solutions to achieve its objectives. “Moving to the cloud was also important as it would to help us reduce storage costs and become more efficient in the long run.”

After exploring different technologies, Lee & Lee chose NetDocuments for its intuitive
user interface and reliability as a powerful single system of record for managing,
finding and collaborating on files.

Francis Lim, a Partner in the Corporate Department noted, “We chose NetDocuments because it is a highly credible cloud solution. We were also impressed by the platform’s unique features such as predictive filing, that we knew would bring many benefits to our firm and lawyers.” He continued, “Moving from primarily paper-based processes to digital felt a bit daunting at first, so we needed to ensure we were in safe hands.”

Working Against the Clock

With Lee & Lee relying on NetDocuments to enable its lawyers and staff to work effectively during lockdowns, the platform needed to be implemented as quickly as possible to minimise disruptions. Partnering with NetDocuments and Verlata, Lee & Lee was able to roll out its new cloud-based DMS within six months.

“As you can imagine, it wasn’t easy to implement a new DMS platform in the middle of a pandemic,” says Toh. “However, we received strong support from NetDocuments and Verlata that made onboarding our lawyers a lot easier than expected. Verlata offered multiple training sessions and walkthroughs to ensure everyone could get up and running quickly.”

“We required a cloud-based document management solution that would support our journey to becoming a more flexible and resilient law firm that’s well positioned to provide secure client services wherever and whenever they are needed.”

Toh Kok Seng, Senior Partner, Lee & Lee

On Cloud Nine: Reduced Costs, Improved Security & Greater Flexibility

Having the NetDocuments cloud-native DMS platform has been a game-changer for Lee & Lee. They are experiencing significantly reduced storage costs, advanced security capabilities and increased flexibility for storing, accessing and working on documents.

When it comes to security, Toh knows that’s top of mind for clients: “Clients are increasingly asking about the security of our documents. With NetDocuments in place, we can confidently give them peace of mind, knowing that our documents will always remain secure while also meeting their compliance needs.”

“Clients are increasingly asking about the security of our documents. With NetDocuments in place, we can confidently give them peace of mind, knowing that our documents will always remain secure while also meeting their compliance needs.”

Toh Kok Seng, Senior Partner, Lee & Lee

One feature of NetDocuments that has enabled Lee & Lee’s lawyers to work more productively is predictive filing and version control. Lawyers no longer have to search through piles of papers to find the documents they need. Now, finding documents is almost instant, saving lawyers time so they can focus on more strategic work. At the same time, it has enabled them to reap the benefits of hybrid working.

“Using NetDocuments means our lawyers are able to work more flexibly from anywhere, which was essential during the pandemic and has now enabled the firm to implement a hybrid working model providing a better work-life balance for employees,” explained Lim. “The best part about it is that clients can’t tell if someone was working from the office or from home, as NetDocuments provides a seamless experience, no matter where employees choose to work.”

Firms ready to experience significantly reduced storage costs, advanced security capabilities and increased flexibility for storing, accessing and working on documents
are turning to NetDocuments. Get a personalised demo to see how NetDocuments can help your legal team do their best work.