Presentation on Sept. 30, 2013 at the Ontario Bar Association on how to set up a virtual law offices and the benefits of doing so.

1. TECHxpo 2013
The Virtual Office: Strategies for Using
Mobile Devices to Maximize your
Productivity
Omar Ha‐Redeye
Fleet Street Law
My Support Calculator
September 30, 2013, 3:00 pm

2. What is a Virtual Law Office?
• strict definition: client‐lawyer interaction that occurs in an online
space
• Also known as eLawyering or Virtual Law Services
• Only become practical in recent years
• common definition: defined by how a law practice is organized and
less on how the legal services are offered to clients
• Focus on firm structure, in addition to the delivery of services

3. Contrasting Different Models
Strictly In‐home
Rented Virtual Office
(Generic)
Rented Virtual Law
Office
Features
Cost Most inexpensive Most expensive Usually in between
Storage space Most limited Usually none or limited More flexible
Work efficiency
High level of
distractions Lots of quiet work space
Often subject to
availability
Communication
Options Low to Medium Medium to High Medium to High
Meeting Space None High Medium to High
Practice support Very low Low Medium to High

4. Models of Virtual Law Offices
and Blended Models
• Hybrid model provides access to training areas and boardrooms
• Complex legal work may not appear as conducive to the virtual office
• interdisciplinary in nature or require input from several different legal specialities,
• ad‐hoc and strategic alliances with other practitioners or established firms can allow
for the work to be shared
• Include this arrangement in the retainer agreement
• attach a virtual office to a more traditional firm as an “of‐counsel”
• allow for strategic use of firm resources while still retaining independence and
flexibility.
• may require certain non‐compete or non‐solicitation agreements, providing their
own limitations

5. Why a Virtual Law Office?
• Legal disruption due to 2008 recession
• Displaced lawyers, firms looking to alternative structures, lawyers looking for
alternatives
• Creates considerable flexibility to start‐up law firm
• Minimize rent overhead and staff expenses, two major fixed costs for any
business
• Allows for blended structures, relying on others in association or chambers to
offset overhead costs
• Provides a competitive advantage to the small and solo practitioner

6. Limitations of a Virtual Law Office
• Working out of home has its own unique challenges
• Lack of workspace and storage
• Interruptions and distractions due to personal chores and family responsibilities
• Some practice areas heavily dependent on face‐to‐face communication
• Litigation is still an in‐person profession
• court appearances still require proximity to the court house
• know‐your‐client requirements require special attention for out of jurisdiction clients
• Mediation practices
• Litigation coaching

7. The Technology is New, The Concept is Not
• First virtual law office in 1996 by Andew Woolley in England
1. stable core group of lawyers with a collaborative relationship
2. held together through technology and using flexible support staff
needs
• Tradition of semi‐independent barristers in England going back to the
Inns of Court
• The practices remain separate, but barristers may share staff resources and
assist each other with files
• Sufficient confidentiality to allow lawyers in the same chambers to act on
both sides

8. What’s Needed to Go Virtual?
• ☑Got Some Attitude
• ☑ Got Mobile
• ☑Got Communications
• ☑Got Surge Capacity
• ☑Got Google Juice

9. ☑Got Some Attitude
• Lawyers tend to gauge success by approximating their career path
against those of other lawyers
• cost of their oak table, the view from their office and how high their billable
hour is
• virtual lawyer can use entirely different indicators of success
• work‐life balance, client satisfaction and the promotion of access to justice
• virtual lawyer is willing to challenge norms and explore new frontiers
• treat their practices as ongoing experiments rather than just relying on
published and agreed upon best practices

10. ☑ Got Mobile
• Popularity of legal accounting software hosted entirely in the cloud
• Clio named one of the fastest growing companies in B.C. in 2013
• New PCLaw 13 (July 2013) offers 24/7 Remote & Mobile Connectivity
• High‐speed scanners are a necessity
• Document access on the go
• Virtual library provides time efficiencies
• Explore apps to enhance productivity
• Emerging legal‐specific apps
• E‐books are indispensable

11. ☑Got Communications
• Smartphones allow making calls on the go, but query whether you want all
of your clients to have your personal cell phone number
• Instead, VOiP extension can be seamlessly forwarded to a personal cellphone or
home office line
• customizable and can be set only for certain hours of the day
• Virtual Legal Assistants can provide a personal touch for clients
• Consider confidentiality under Rule 2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct
• Faxes are still a required component of practice for many areas
• Digital faxes allow you to send and receive faxes electronically
• Allow for quick collaboration with multiple authors, reduce the need to come in to a
physical office to collect correspondence

12. ☑Got Surge Capacity
• Files frequently get larger or busier than anticipated
• personal circumstances may limit how much work can be done on a file
• absolutely essential for a virtual lawyer to have some plans in place
• Limited power of attorney to continue a practice during a planned
absence, or to act on your behalf in the event of illness, incapacity or
disability
• Establish infrastructure in advance
• A buddy system with other virtual lawyers, an association, or larger firm
• Independent research lawyers, virtual law clerks and process servers,
document preparation, file review and drafting services
• Greater emphasis on lawyer as a project manager or coordinator of resources

13. ☑Got Google Juice
• Develop a strong and robust online presence
• Online directories and referral services
• OBA’s new Find a Lawyer service
• independent website a mandatory prerequisite
• Blog, blog, blog. Then blog some more.
• majority of clients either find virtual lawyers online or have
researched their practice before signing the retainer agreement

14. Summary
• virtual law practice reflects some of the best opportunities of the
changing legal market,
• greatest utilization of the technology currently offered to lawyers
• cost savings of the virtual practice nearly ensures its broader
adoption in the legal community in the years to come
• new and exciting opportunities for practitioners to tackle access to
justice issues and serve marginalized populations
• See CBA Access to Justice Committee’s summary report on use of incubator
programs to develop public‐facing law practices