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Just like every other type of modern office-based business, law firms are becoming more dependent on technology to do their jobs efficiently and to the highest possible standards. But if you’re a law firm manager, what type of software should you include in your annual budget, and how can it help you run your firm more efficiently? Here is our list of the top five essential pieces of software any law firm needs to have.

#1 – Accounting software

We all need to keep track of our finances, and for law firms this is particularly important. Invoices, fees paid and money due needs to be watched carefully, and the best way to stay on top of the bottom line numbers is to employ a piece of accounting software. While paper ‘books’ are still useful, today nearly every business, revenue service and accountancy firm has gone digital. So investing in a good package such as QuickBooks online by Intuit, which can be integrated with your invoicing software and other packages, makes sound financial sense.

#2- Security

This has to be one of the most important priorities for any online business. For law firms, who are dealing with highly sensitive information every day, online security is an absolute must. To protect your system against online attacks you will need to not only install firewalls, but also anti-viral and anti-spam software too. Go for the most up-to-date version, and choose one that has a good reputation for reliability. One of the very best on the market is AGV, a combined anti-spamware, anti-virus and anti-spyware program that costs just $50. Investing in AGV is probably the best $50 you’ll spend all year! Don’t rely on freeware, as it is often easily hackable and vulnerable to outside attack.

#3 – Copying and scanning

If you’re going over to digital records then you will need to invest in a scanner to ensure that you can make digital copies of existing paper documents. The best combination on the market is the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500, which comes with a full Adobe Acrobat package and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. There are, of course, other scanners and software available, but if you have a lot of documents to scan in to your digital records then time efficiency will be an important consideration. So you may find that, while there may be cheaper versions available, they take much longer to scan in documents and are ultimately less cost-effective.

#4 – Digital dictation and voice recognition software

Want to get rid of those annoying dictaphone cassettes? Digital dictaphones are now commonplace, but transcribing audio into written notes is a time-consuming business. Dragon NaturallySpeaking from Nuance.com allows you to make digital recordings on the go and then transcribe them either in-house or by using an online transcription service.

#5 – Cloud computing

The cloud is, without doubt, the future of digital data storage. This concept represents the next generation of the Internet, and allows you to access your stored data files from anywhere in the world using any device. Using the cloud to store your records means that you don’t have to fill up your own hard-drives with data or invest in your own server. And with security now better than ever with full back-ups, the risk of losing your data is eliminated. Major names such as Google, Intel, Microsoft and Apple are all now cloud hosts, so go online to find the best one that suits your needs.

Sponsored review

Litigation Asia Summit 2013

The Litigation Asia Summit is the premium forum bringing together leading in-house counsel with specialist global law firms. As an invitation-only event taking place behind closed doors, the summit offers regional GCs and international external counsel an intimate environment for focused discussion of key new drivers shaping dispute resolution strategies.

The one-to-one business meetings provide access to managers of the largest dispute resolution budgets in Asia – corporate counsel with direct responsibility for researching and selecting law firms. A thorough selection process ensures a qualified audience, which grants unparalleled business and networking opportunities in a luxurious and stimulating environment.

To ensure the success of the Litigation Asia Summit, marcus evans is pleased to partner with a limited number of companies offering valuable services and expertise. The event sponsors are leaders in their fields. The number of companies in each product or service category is strictly limited to ensure an appropriate overall balance. For more information or to recommend a colleague, contact:
summits-apac@marcusevans.com

(more…)

Sponsored review

Contract drafting is a vital function at companies and law firms. But traditionally, contract drafting has consisted of recycling contract language of questionable quality and relevance. Many organisations are looking at alternative ways of minimising and mitigating such instances, thus, considerations in legal risk from the very start is essential to mitigate any possible risk for disputes in the future.

It is more critical than ever before that all business practitioners who deal with contracts or other commercial agreements to keep up with and deep dive into the skills and knowledge to effectively draft and develop a legally enforceable business contract by including the best contractual terms.

marcus evans is hosting “Precision Contract Drafting and Contractual Risk Management” on the 25^th to 28^th of February 2013 at JW Marriot Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This 4 days course will guide delegates allowing a greater hold in minimising risk, limiting losses and ensuring clarity from the very beginning whilst gaining the essential knowledge and success strategies in risk allocation, effective negotiation and conflict resolution. This course is specially designed to equip all industry professionals with effective contract drafting methods and dispute resolution as well as risk assessments for every business situation – from regular work environment to complex contract drafting and risk management. (more…)

Finance for Legal Professionals

Empowering the underlying principles of your financial know-how to provide sound advice and practical recommendations

Event Date: 23-24 Apr 2012
Location: Venue to be confirmed, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Many professionals in non-finance fields may feel inadequate owing to a lack of financial understanding. This two-day course will address the need and focus on the work and requirements of legal professionals. It will take delegates through from the fundamentals of finance to sophisticated financial analyses. By the end of the session, delegates will be able to demonstrate a marked improvement in their level of personal confidence when communicating about  matters involving finance and accounting.

Financial terms and jargons will be de-mystified with clear concise explanations, reinforced with short exercises. Delegates will learn to talk with confidence about matters concerning   income statements, balance sheets and cash flows. They will be able to understand the financial justifications behind major business cases and acquisitions. This engaging and interactive course will also focuses on some practical steps delegates can take to improve their influence within their organisations and add more value. An improved financial understanding will help them present their cases and make justifications for both decisions and advice. There will be numerous practical exercises and lively case studies to make the programme both interesting and relevant.

Take charge of financial decisions and succeed in their implementation attending this  dynamic and practical course.

Key Topics

- Discovering modern fundamentals of finance by understanding the nuts and bolts of financial statements

- Finding out why creative accounting is bad for the shareholders and for the business

- Clearly identifying the impact legal professionals have on businesses performance whilst adding value and promoting the role of the legal team

- Translating the link between cost pricing and breakeven

-Learning how to identify and present details of risks in elaborating on and contributing to investment decisions

For registration or an updated brochure, please contact Ms Cherrie at CherrieK@marcusevanskl.com.

Copyright (c) www.123rf.com

Divorcee Anita is a single mother of two young daughters. Life is tough for her as she copes with the pressures of juggling career and the children’s upbringing.

“I have to work seven days a week as a lecturer in various colleges to provide for my daughters. I am constantly worried about their well-being should an accident happen to me or I suffer from a serious illness”, Anita told me when I first met her at a café in KL.

Malaysia has seen an increasing number of divorces. In 2002, for every 9.6 marriages registered, one ended in divorce. In 2009, one out of every 6.1 marriages broke up.

While marriages increased by 21% (from 153,318 to 199,586) between 2002 and 2009, divorces increased by as much as 105% (16,013 to 32,763) during the same period. The National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia counsels 700 to 800 estranged couples a year. The National Registration Department registered 2,706 divorces among non-Muslims in 2002, and the rate rose to 5,647 in 2009. Between 2006 and 2009, the divorce rates mostly stagnated at about 5,000 a year. However, seven months into 2010, there were already 7,428 divorce cases.

A parent can become single after the untimely demise of a spouse, the adoption of a child or the guardianship of a young child. Under such circumstances, it will be appropriate to consider the setting up of a Single Parent Trust to protect the interests of single parents and safeguard the well-being of their children.

Assets that generate income, such as properties that have rental income, listed company shares, insurance policies, unit trusts and cash can be placed into the trust. Trustee can to use the proceeds to pay for the children’s expenses for education, medical care and maintenance.

The single parent will act as the main trustee. Only in the event of death, totally permanent disability or serious mental illness, the substitute trustee named will act on her/his behalf.

There are many advantages of creating a Single Parent Trust such as:

1. The single parent can ensure that her instructions or wishes are followed to provide regular incomes to the children for their maintenance, education and medical needs. The trust also allows the assets to be used for the intended purpose for the children.

2. The children can get money immediately. As the trustee owns the assets, there is no need for a legal process  through a court before the he/she can distribute the assets or incomes to the children.

3. Impartiality and avoidance of any dispute are assured. An appointment of a trustee company, such as Rockwills Trustee Bhd, as substitute trustee ensures that the trust is administered fairly and legal disputes therefore do not happen.

4. There is confidentiality. The instructions stated in a trust deed are strictly private and confidential. A court or an outsider will not know the contents of the deed and may not even know that a trust exists. Only the single parent and the trustee know about the trust and the children will come to know about the contents much later.

5. It is easy and affordable to set up a trust. The setup fee is only one-off, and no other charges will be levied until and unless the trust is executed.

About the writer:
Evanna Phoon is the CEO & founder of www.MalaysiaWills.com, No. 1 online will-writing service provider. She is the franchisee of Rockwills (a non-Muslim will-writing firm) and As Salihin (a Muslim will-writing firm). She has produced more than 200 free videos of estate planning and has written a book, “66 Items You Need to Know before Planning Your Will,” which can be downloaded for free on @ www.MalaysiaWills.com She can be contacted via info@malaysiawills.com

The decade-long push for improved corporate governance, increasing regulation and, in some cases, legal troubles have all given Corporate Counsels higher profiles with their boards. Directors turn to the General Counsel / Corporate Counsels for knowledge of best practices in corporate governance, detailed understanding of compliance issues and regulatory issues, and guidance not only about what is legal but what is right. We have witnessed boards becoming heavily involved in massive litigation and government investigations, leading directors to take a strong interest in the caliber and character of the Corporate Counsel.

In addition to this corporate consolidation, complex compliance and governance structure and globalisation have changed the corporate legal counsel role of today’s company. Accounting and reporting irregularities and recent corporate scandals have lead to closer scrutiny of the legal and business advice provided by corporate legal counsel. Duties that once only consisted of oversight and management of the legal function now include compliance, corporate governance, ethics and risk management responsibilities. The imperatives of the substantive legal duties and functional/operational responsibilities have joined to redefine the corporate legal counsel function.

This conference will approach means on how a transformed in-house counsel can drive greater productivity from themselves and the function by enhancing legal processes to achieve greater revenue by saving within legal budget

Key features
- Restoring smooth litigation managements process through innovative legal service delivery
- Constructing top- level service model by emphasising performance and cost effectiveness when evaluating external counsel
- Analysing gaps and needed improvements to the legal framework to fulfil its legislatives mandates
- Renewing the objectives of the legal department in validating legal budget to drive greater profits
- Evaluating current status of implementation and enforcement to present recommendations on keeping update with regulatory requirements under multiple jurisdiction

Key Focus
- Effectively collaborate with external counsel – Determining the right mix between working with external counsel and utilising more efficiently internal legal capabilities
- Mitigating and managing risks through corporate compliance performance
- Legal cost management
- Turning metrics into analytics that helps improve legal function involving  qualitative and quantitative data
- Streamlining processes and strengthening partnership with internal clients to achieve faster decision making and response time

Key Topics
- Facing the legitimate interests of compliance with competition and anti–trust   law and its implications on your organisation
- Empowering a smooth litigation management process by understanding the demands of the function of a corporate counsel while producing positive litigation results
- Reconciling budget cost and alternative billing agreement as an opportunity to account for value
- Legal cost containment
- Reducing legal transaction cost associated with reaching an agreement by providing an efficient and substitute for trial – Out of court settlement
- Expediting profitable outcome through a successful partnership with external counsel for optimal results and deliverance

*eLawyer online subscribers are entitled to an exclusive discount of 10% when registering with Ms. Cherrie.

Please contact Cherrie at 603-2723 6662 or email to CherrieK@marcusevanskl.com for details and quote “Legal – eLawyer” during registration. *

More companies in Malaysia are renegotiating their contracts for better prices or linking it to the current oil prices, which defies the normal practice of oil and gas contracts however this matter should not be overlooked as the fluctuating oil prices can cause losses for a company. New contracts are also being drafted to tackle the current oil prices. Besides these issues they are also looking into the liquidity cap, warranty provision and other risks in relation to oil price.

There is also an increase of companies including the insurance clause into the contract. However they are still facing problems on how to include it in the clause and how to make it fit into the policy and also its implications.

With the current situation service providers are also foreseeing that there will be default in payments this will also cause an increase in dispute cases thus causing companies to make decision on whether to mediate litigate or arbitrate.

Oil and Gas Legal Contract Excellence 2011 conference is tailor made. If you are looking at up to date insights on various facets of oil and gas legal contract, this is the conference you shouldn’t miss! This conference will also provide opportunities to explore current best practice and case scenarios allowing delegates to gather insights needed to successfully negotiate and draft legal contracts for long term business sustainability and success.

Key benefits:

• Ensuring organisational sustainability in the current economic climate through utilising the contract as a tool to safeguard your business against losses
• Enhancing and maintaining relationships with insights on effective negotiating and drafting contracts
• Improving techniques in renegotiation of contracts to reduce complications in keeping up unforeseen circumstances and business variations
• Gaining insights on approaches to handling dispute cases
• Protecting your E&P business via strategies in optimising and incorporating insurance clause into the contract
• Mitigating the increased risks of fluctuating oil prices
• Adjusting and adapting to business and economic changes

Testimonial from past similar events:

“Excellent program and speakers, highly informative and enjoyable”

Petroleum Geo – Services

“Good mix of speakers who were clearly very experienced in this area”

Addisons

“Useful tips offered and practical solutions to typical problems found in oil and gas contracts”

Scomi Oil Tools

“One of the better-organised conferences I’ve been to”

Nippon Oil Exploration

*eLawyer online subscribers are entitled to a discount of 10% when registering with Ms. Catherine.

Please contact her for details and quote MP- eLawyer during registration. *

 http://www.marcusevans.com/marcusevans-conferences-event-details.asp?EventID=17111&SectorID=3

Event title: Contract Dispute Management & Negotiation
Date: 26th & 27th July 2010
Venue: Prince Hotel, KL, Malaysia
Time: 8.30am – 5.30pm
Organiser: Marcus Evans

Event details:

Currently, the situation of dispute management and negotiation in Malaysia is still in its maturity stage. The demand of solving disputes through mediation and negotiation is escalating because society views mediation as an effective ADR mechanism compared to litigation. This is simply because the process of arbitration and litigation can be costly and timely compared to the inexpensive and fast outcome in disputing commercial cases through mediation.

The usual disputes faced by practitioners in Malaysia are arising from interpretation of documents, breach of contract and infringements of rights to name the least. Practitioners in charge of contracts must understand that an effective contract is the beginning of a successful business cycle and a prevention of dangers and risks facing your projects/deals. Furthermore, practitioners in Malaysia fail to acknowledge that when negotiating, drafting and entering into such agreements, it is essential to understand the legal and commercial issues surrounding them. As the use of Mediation is receiving more awareness among practitioners in Malaysia, many lawyers and legal advisors in Malaysia who are now representing their clients as mediators are also not aware of how the entire process works.

There is a need to examine the above-stated issues and you can learn how by attending this premier professional two-day course which is specifically developed to help you have a complete understanding on how to apply effective ADR mechanisms focusing mainly on mediation and negotiation to ensure that you handle a dispute effectively and efficiently.

http://www.marcusevans.com/marcusevans-conferences-event-details.asp?EventID=16653&SectorID=37

* All eLawyer members are entitled to a discount of 10% when registering with Ms. Catherine. Please contact her for details and quote MP- eLawyer during registration. *

For further info & brochure, please contact:
Ms. Catherine Foo
T: +603 2723 6757
E: catherinef@marcusevanskl.com

This is your Privileged Invitation to attend the 6th Annual Malaysia Land & Property Development Conference to network with Land Authority, Developers, Owners, Contractors, Architects, Valuers, Investors, Tax and Legal Experts, Transaction Advisers and all stakeholders in the Malaysian land and property market.

Land & Property Law is an extremely complex, unique and touchy issues in Malaysia. Your deal in property development may be at risk if your land acquisition and development is not administered in strict compliance with the regulatory requirements set by the different ministries in the country. Numerous land and property disputes have been brought to court here leaving a bigger impact on project profitability, partnership and delayed-completion. This is one of the critical concerns of property developers and owners found in a recent market survey.

Themed “Leveraging on new developments & Ensuring compliance in land & property administration”, Malaysia Land & Property Development conference, into its 6th successful year delivers a solution-driven agenda that addresses the complexity and uniqueness of the Malaysian land and property administration. Apart from the hot sessions on the annual review and update on regulatory requirements and land development opportunities, this year’s agenda will discuss salient points that have often landed property developers, construction companies, project partners, financiers and sponsors in court.

This is the #No 1 land & property law conference that offers:

• Perspectives from Land Authority, Developers, Valuers, Investors, Tax and Legal Experts, Transaction Advisers
• Comprehensive coverage on the latest land and property regulatory and compliance issues
• Strategic insights on the key challenges for 2010 and beyond
• Detailed discussion on critical issues and action plans in achieving a crisis-free land administration and project developments
• Opportunity to meet industry peers and networking with renowned industry leaders
• Answers to your questions and professional advice from the respected leaders in the field

PLUS a Separately Bookable – Practical Fundamental Workshops on:
Workshop A: FUNDAMENTALS OF LAND LAW FOR NON LAWYERS
Workshop B: THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC LAND LAW & ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN CONVENTIONAL LAND & PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

Register now and pay before 22 January 2010 and enjoy savings up to RM600

PLUS 10% Discount for a group of 3 or more sign ups!

Contact Details:

Conference website: http://www.abf.com.sg/project/std/project/9576MC_STD/9576M_STD.html
Contact Person: Ms. Elisabeth
Tel: (603) 2070 3299 or (65) 6536 8676
Fax: (603) 2070 3369 or (65) 6536 4356
Email: amber.chung@abf.com.sg
Website: www.abf-asia.com