The Deliver phase is where the fun really starts:

The life cycle of a matter is complex and often nuanced, influenced by factors such as geography, transaction type, and the scope of the matter. For the purposes of our LPM methodology, we group the different delivery phases of work under a single ‘Deliver’ segment, acknowledging that the complexity and reality are much more nuanced.

Throughout the various stages of providing substantive legal advice, it’s crucial to ensure that both lawyers and clients remain aligned. Here’s how the Deliver phase can be structured to keep everyone on the same page and collaborating effectively:

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?”

Henry David Thoreau

Coordination: During the Deliver phase, assign an #LPM or nominate a Managing Associate (MA) to coordinate across the various work streams end-to-end, ensuring activities are staffed, started, and executed in accordance with the plan. This coordination should be efficient, allowing the lawyers to focus their time on providing legal advice while the LPM or MA ensures that the core team:

• Have been fully briefed on the scope and what is not in scope.
• Understand the #plan, their responsibilities, deadlines, and inter-dependencies
• Logistics are organised, including time recording, working parties, and precedents.

Monitoring: Legal matters move lightning-fast, and things can change in an instant. You’ll need to maintain real-time monitoring of progress, resources, and deadlines against the plan. This oversight enables early identification of scope change and the resolution of any issues, minimising disruptions and keeping the matter on schedule. Some practical ways to do this:

• Host a regular standing meeting with work-stream leads only to receive updates and keep everyone on the same page.
• Utilise digital workflow tools, such as HighQ, to track tasks, status, and deadlines.
• Use rapidly evolving AI tools to analyse time recording data, summarise and compare progress to the plan each week.
• Keep on top of the emails, emails, emails….

Adaptability: The Deliver phase is not just about sticking rigidly to the plan; it’s about being adaptable and seeking ways to continuously improve in real-time. When the matter team is heavily focused on the details of providing advice, the LPM can provide a fresh perspective and identify new opportunities:

• Deploy legal technology to speed up specific parts of the matter or a work-stream.
• Optimise resourcing to remain within budget or adjust for planned absences.
• Highlight critical risks and recommend solutions to minimise disruption.

Reporting: Regular updates during the Deliver phase keep clients informed of progress and any changes. This transparency fosters trust, enabling clients to feel confident that their objectives are being effectively delivered. Often, the most complex legal matters have a far-reaching impact across our clients’ organisation, so the days of a quick email update should be consigned to the past. Clients should expect professional reporting, showcasing the value that the matter is delivering to the businesses, which can easily be shared with the clients’ EXCO or C-Suite, and focused on the following areas:

• Overview of timelines, escalation of new legal issues, and recommendations.
• Summarise the impact of any scope changes and recommendations.
• Outline the financial metrics versus the budget, and summarise the overall value being delivered.

Providing first-class legal advice is the minimum clients expect. Law firms that can combine their market-leading legal expertise with excellent LPM methodologies to keep matters on track and delivered efficiently, whilst maintaining transparent lines of communication, can truly differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Next-generation matter management starts here — contact us at Telescope.

By Aaran Scott, a global legal operations strategist and keynote speaker, drawing on 10+ years of partnering with leading law firms to transform matter management and deliver exceptional client value.