Operations:

Many attorneys excelled in law school and are true artists at working up and litigating cases. Those same attorneys weren’t taught in law school how to RUN a law firm. Your Vista consultant works with you to help you with the business of law, not the practice of law. We take a look at all your operations and work with you to streamline them, including case management/case flow, procedures for closing cases, office procedures, and the development of comprehensive SOP manuals. We help with internal marketing by working with you to develop a stellar client experience cycle, help your team to institute surveys and effective client feedback systems, and regularly market to your base. Vista consultants also work with your firm strategic leaders on high-level planning such as succession/merger & acquisition planning, strategic planning, and vision and mission development.

Reporting:

Vista develops comprehensive dashboards or helps identify needed reports. Once we identify what you should be tracking, we provide regular report analysis, such as the generation and review of key monthly reports. We break needed reports into two categories: scoreboard reports for firm leaders and deep dive reports for department heads. Scoreboard reports let the firm owners know if the firm is winning or losing. They are 30,000-foot view reports that tell us how things are looking. We then dive deep into analyzing intake, case load, marketing, attorney production, and so much more. You may be thinking, “but my case management software already has reports.” You’re absolutely right. But most case management companies provide a list of reports and move on. They don’t help you identify what you SHOULD be tracking. They don’t manage your PRACTICE, just your cases. And, they certainly don’t review the information with you, helping to identify holes, bottlenecks, or team members who need some coaching to succeed.

Intake:

Vista consultants feel passionate about solid intake practices, and we have experience in taking an intake department and turning it into a well-oiled machine with dedicated, caring team members. We know the job of an intake specialist is critical at the firm, and we also know the work can take its toll. We work closely with your intake manager and team members to coach, develop procedures, stop the potential client from shopping your competition, and analyze referrals.

Human Resources:

Every firm should work toward creating a culture by intention, not one by default. Enter your Vista consultant, who becomes part of the fabric of your team, championing culture and, at times, wearing the black hat to communicate expectations. Your Vista consultant will work with you to develop good human resources practices. We can provide performance and attitude analysis, organizational structure planning and development, training procedures, hiring/firing procedures, and scorecard/job performance analysis.

Accounting:

Your Vista Consultant is well versed on law firm accounting and can review your accounting procedures, analyze P&L statements and attorney compensation plans, and recommend best practices for budgeting and spending analysis. We can also help determine your firm’s Pareto point (the 20% of your cases likely generating 80% of revenue). We also provide recommendations for typical spending in key areas, like compensation and marketing.