TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES - A BUSINESS LAW FIRM ACTING LIKE ITS CLIENTS

By: Christopher P. Parrington, Esq.

Typically, lawyers and technology blend together like water and oil. While many attorneys still resort to “the good old days,” Skjold ▪ Barthel, P.A., has accepted technological advancements with open arms. Technology is a key to providing the best possible service to clients; therefore, Skjold ▪ Barthel is excited to announce that it has recently acquired technology that allow it to provide new and unique services to its clients.

What new technology has Skjold ▪ Barthel recently acquired?

In Spring 2007, Skjold ▪ Barthel expanded its investigation and research capabilities. As is typical in the legal profession, Skjold ▪ Barthel can provide in-depth research on the law of a case. Now, however, Skjold ▪ Barthel has expanded its research and investigation to include in-depth background on the parties involved, the judges assigned, and the other lawyers involved. Skjold ▪ Barthel can investigate and determine the financial condition of an opposing party to assist its clients in determining whether litigation will be meaningful, or likely result in an uncollectible judgment. Skjold ▪ Barthel can also determine whether the other side of a transaction is worthy of its representations, rather than someone classified as a “career litigant.” Skjold ▪ Barthel is able to investigate whether opposing counsel is experienced in a particular type of case, and an assigned judge is right for that matter, or whether past rulings suggest that a judicial removal is appropriate. These are only a few of the many tools now available to Skjold ▪ Barthel.

What does this mean for Skjold ▪ Barthel’s clients?

The opportunities this new technology provides are endless. For example, Minnesota law provides that a party to a lawsuit may once remove a judge, as a matter of right, within 10 days of notice of the assignment; otherwise, a judge may only be removed from a case upon a showing of prejudice. Given the number of judges in Minnesota and their varying interpretations of the law, the assignment of a particular judge could be critical to a case. Skjold ▪ Barthel can research whether a judge is experienced in an area of the law, or has made prior rulings that contradict the arguments to be presented to determine, before it is too late, whether removal is appropriate. Furthermore, Skjold ▪ Barthel can research whether opposing counsel has ever taken a position in a prior case, which contradicts his client’s position in the current case. Nothing could be more powerful than to notify the Court that a client’s argument is the exact same argument made by opposing counsel in another matter. Skjold ▪ Barthel can also research whether opposing counsel has ever represented other interested parties, giving rise to a conflict of interest. Skjold ▪ Barthel’s research can go beyond the law, and include background and details of everyone involved, to assist in determining the proper legal strategy