Confidential Matters

By default, most firms make the applications they use to store client data and to manage work product open and internally accessible by all attorneys and support staff. Increasingly, clients are raising concerns that their materials may be viewed by hundreds or even thousands of uninvolved attorneys and support staff. And they're increasingly demanding that firms more closely control internal access.

While attorneys and law firm staff are professionals bound by a strict code of ethics, client perceptions take precedence. Indeed, it is not unusual for potential clients to require that firms document their information security practices as part of responses to RFPs or even to commission third party audits of firm information security practices.

Client drivers for enhanced confidentiality include:

• High Profile / PR Sensitivity -- Individuals or organizations concerned about potential press leaks, even those that only reveal the fact that they have solicited legal advice
• IP of Utmost Business Value -- Clients from industries such as pharmaceuticals, where the mistreatment of intellectual property such as patents or trade secrets may have dire consequences
• Regulatory Controls -- Various regulations and statutes such as HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley and consumer regulations may drive clients to insist on greater protections and increased logging
• Client Customer Requirements -- Clients' obligations to their customers or partners may control how data may be handled when communicated to third parties including outside counsel

The Problem

To foster collaboration and leverage existing work product, law firms generally provide open internal access to internal information repositories. However, in order to serve clients with heightened confidentiality requirements, firms must change their normal operating practices.

When faced with client requests, firms typically lock down access to specific documents and work product manually. Unfortunately, manual approaches create new burdens for attorneys and support staff and increase the risk of human error. They also don't extend safeguards across all repositories where client information or descriptive data is stored and available.

The IntApp Solution -- Wall Builder

Wall Builder offers the industry's strongest protection for firms looking to implement strict access controls to address client concerns and differentiate themselves from the competition. It's the only solution that delivers real-time enforcement, extends security across multiple applications and automatically updates access rights in response to staff behavior to keep wall definitions up to date.

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