Conway Baxter Wilson LLP Streamlines Document Management and Enhances Collaboration

Conway Baxter Wilson LLP is a prominent litigation firm based in Ottawa, Canada. The firm faced challenges with an outdated on-premises server, unreliable remote access, and scattered documents across various systems. 

Egnyte provided an intuitive, secure, and accessible platform that consolidated the company’s data, enabled seamless collaboration, and significantly improved operational efficiency.

The Challenge: Outdated Infrastructure and Dispersed Data

Prior to Egnyte, Conway’s file management system was a local file server where documents were stored on a shared “C” drive. This setup, while familiar, created several bottlenecks. Kevin Caron, a partner at the firm, noted that remote access was somewhat unreliable and the connection was often poor. It was also difficult for users to collaborate on documents simultaneously. When it came to external sharing with clients and partners, associates had to manually move documents from the server to OneDrive, creating data sprawl. This decentralized approach made it difficult to locate the most current versions of documents and raised concerns about the security of their data.

Adding to the complexity, some users, including associates with visual impairments who preferred a Mac for its screen-reading software, faced significant compatibility issues with the on-premises server. This often forced them to maintain entire client files on individual OneDrive accounts, further contributing to data sprawl and creating potential risk for sensitive legal information. Julie Mouris, a pPartner/aAssociate at the firm, described the previous system as outdated and challenging, “Before, only one person could work in a document at a time, which created major bottlenecks during court filing deadlines. Multiple people often needed to make edits, but everyone had to wait their turn, making an already high-pressure process even more challenging.”

The Solution: Egnyte’s Intuitive and Secure Cloud Platform

Conway evaluated several document management systems, including those specifically designed for the legal field. However, those specialized solutions were more complicated and required a bigger time commitment. With previous exposure to Egnyte through a client, Caron suggested exploring its capabilities. A demo quickly revealed that Egnyte offered the core features the firm needed: robust external sharing, advanced security features, remote access capabilities, and most importantly, simplicity in use.

This intuitive interface was crucial for the firm, which has a variety of lawyers of different age groups and comfort levels with technology. Michelle Thibert, Conway’s IT Coordinator echoed this sentiment, noting a quick onboarding process for users. She recalls the implementation and launch: The move to Egnyte was very seamless, considering that we essentially changed our entire document management system and workflows.”

The Results: Enhanced Collaboration, Accessibility, and Operational Efficiency

Since implementing Egnyte, Conway has experienced a transformative shift in its document management and collaboration capabilities. The firm now benefits from:

• Seamless Co-Editing: The ability to co-edit Microsoft documents directly within Egnyte has been a key feature. This is particularly impactful for preparing lengthy legal documents like factums (written arguments for court) and post-trial written submissions, which can be up to 200 pages long. Teams can work on one argument within the document while another team simultaneously works on a different argument, significantly improving efficiency while avoiding versioning issues. This capability extends to real-time adjustments during trials. 
   
• Centralized and Secure Data: All documents are now saved in one place for everyone. Conway utilizes Egnyte s anomaly detection to receive alerts when someone accesses or deletes a large number of documents, helping to prevent accidental deletions and streamlining recovery. Thibert noted that their old system required replicating from the last backup image. With Egnyte, the process is much faster. Caron also stated that security is a significant concern as a law firm, and Egnyte gives them peace of mind.
   
• Improved Accessibility for All Users: Egnyte s compatibility with Mac, including its integration with the Mac Finder, has been revolutionary for the firm s Mac users, especially visually impaired lawyers like Associate Mohammed Elshafie who relies on his Mac’s screen reading software. Elshafie shared the following perspectives: “Egnyte works beautifully and has made a world of difference. 
   
• Simplified External Sharing: The firm can now share documents externally directly from Egnyte, eliminating the need to upload files to OneDrive first. Thibert appreciates Egnyte’s ease of link sharing with an included password to augment security protection.

Overall, Egnyte has been a significant improvement for the firm.  As Partner/Associate Julie Mouris summarized, Egnyte has made everything at the firm more streamlined and better for everyone. Partner Kevin Caron added, Egnyte just works out of the box, and its secure, which is obviously a big thing for us as a law firm. With Egnyte, Conway successfully modernized its document management, by enhancing collaboration, strengthening security, and ensuring accessibility for its entire team.