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Connect the IP Dots to Assess M&A Deals, Litigation Threats, and More

By TechnoLawyer | Thursday, September 28, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a service that enables you to analyze IP portfolios for M&A due diligence, litigation strategy, and prior art research (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of on-demand service for capturing social media and other web evidence in accurate and defensible PDF documents, a practice management system with a large forms library that automatically captures the billable time you spend on document drafting and email, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

It may seem like we live in a world of abundant information, but much remains hidden — not necessarily private but too voluminous to review and connect all the dots. This is especially true of patent and other intellectual property data in the context of M&A due diligence, litigation strategy, and prior art research.

ktMINE … in One Sentence

ktMINE is a research service available through Wolters Kluwer that provides previously unavailable intellectual property data and analytics searchable by company, industry, and technology.

The Killer Feature

You can use public databases to piece together a company's patent portfolio. But good luck calculating its value. ktMINE applies machine learning to resources such as SEC, SEDAR, and other patent offices to provide such insights.

You start by searching for a company or keywords. In my demo, ktMINE's Market Lead of IP Strategy & Valuation Eric Podlogar ran a search for "wireless technologies." Clicking the Agreements tab at the top of the search results displays Royalty Rates Over Time — an interactive bubble chart listing the value of the licensing agreements related to your search. Heat maps and other charts show you which territories and SIC Codes represent the most activity.

View the data for a specific territory or SIC Code as well as by licensors, licensees, fixed payments, etc. The Royalty Rates Summary Chart lists the mean and median value as well as any outliers such as a category killer patent that many companies need to license. Drill down on any group of agreements for their summaries, including licensor, licensee, effective date, grant, terms, etc. You can view the full text of specific agreements that you need to review in detail.

"ktMINE offers significant time savings and unparalleled IP analytics by finding and connecting many types of IP data, such as license agreements, royalty rates, patents, and syndicated news," said David McIntosh, Partner at Ropes & Gray, IP Transactions.

Other Notable Features

In addition to Agreements, ktMINE's search results also include Companies, Patents, Patent Assignments, Trademarks, and News. Save your important searches and receive email alerts.

When searching by industry or technology, you can quickly find companies with your search term in their name, and those with the largest IP activity. Each company has a Company Profile — a dashboard listing its patents, trademarks, IP assignments, IP litigation, M&A deals, and recent news.

You can combine two or more company profiles to help forecast the value of the combined IP assets and assess an M&A deal before any initial outreach. ktMINE also enables you to view other companies that work with a target company, and search by Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) to identify licensing opportunities or litigation threats.

The search results for patents, patent assignments, and trademarks enable you to discover what's hot, and who's doing business together. Similarly, you can search court cases for the docket, information on the original complaint, and patents asserted, and narrow these searches by plaintiff, defendant, judge, CPC, etc.

What Else Should You Know?

"Through ktMINE, we are excited to provide IP lawyers and other professionals with valuable access to royalty rates, license agreement offerings, patent, trademark and mergers and acquisitions deal data that cannot be found anywhere else," said Susan Gruesser, Product Line Director for Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. "It's a powerful platform that quickly connects data sets in ways that other products can't." Learn more about ktMINE.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Legal Research | TL NewsWire

How a Litigator Uses an iPad; Reviews of Dell XPS 13, Faxaway; Defense Lawyers Held to Higher Legal Research Standard

By TechnoLawyer | Thursday, August 24, 2017

Today's issue of TL Serendipity contains these articles:

Fred Pharis, How a Litigator Uses an iPad; Reviews of TrialPad, Notability, PDF Expert, Outlook, Westlaw, and More

Kathy Carter, Review of Dell XPS 13 (Touch)

John Hightower, Defense Lawyers Held to Higher Legal Research Standard Than Plaintiffs Lawyers

Bunji Fromartz, Review of Faxaway

Don't miss this issue — or any future issues.

How to Receive TL Serendipity
Our most serendipitous offering (hence its name), TL Serendipity consists of contributions by TechnoLawyer members who have important information to share. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The TL Serendipity newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Business Productivity/Word Processing | Collaboration/Knowledge Management | Coming Attractions | Email/Messaging/Telephony | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Legal Research | Litigation/Discovery/Trials | TL Serendipity

Using the iPad Pro in Your Law Practice; Text Messages in Windows 10; The Future of Legal Research; Using a 4K TV as a Monitor

By TechnoLawyer | Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Today's issue of TL Serendipity contains these articles:

Ken Laska, Six Tips for Using the iPad Pro in Your Law Practice

Roy Greenberg, Updates on My Use of a 10.5-Inch iPad Pro in Law Practice

Eshan Sharma, Tip: Text Messages in Windows 10 via Cortana

Leonard Benade, The Future of Legal Research

Tom Trottier, Tip: How to Use a 4K TV as a Computer Monitor

Don't miss this issue — or any future issues.

How to Receive TL Serendipity
Our most serendipitous offering (hence its name), TL Serendipity consists of contributions by TechnoLawyer members who have important information to share. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The TL Serendipity newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Collaboration/Knowledge Management | Coming Attractions | Computer Accessories | Email/Messaging/Telephony | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Legal Research | Monitors | TL Serendipity

Drafting Assistant Adds Document Assembly, Expert Forms, and More to Its Microsoft Word Drafting Tools

By TechnoLawyer | Thursday, August 17, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a Microsoft Word add-in for drafting litigation and transactional documents with a new document assembly engine, forms library, and machine-learning tools (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of a new legal research service that use artificial intelligence to keep you apprised of new federal legislation and regulations, an AI-powered legal research technology that provides fast answers to common legal questions, including definitions, elements of a claim, and standards of proof, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

The briefs and contracts you draft often break new ground and benefit from your legal expertise. But just as often they incorporate material that already exists. And they always contain precise syntax that is time consuming to manually proofread. As a result, drafting benefits from automation — ideally a suite of tools within Microsoft Word.

Drafting Assistant … in One Sentence

Thomson Reuters' Drafting Assistant adds document assembly, reference, and proofreading tools to Microsoft Word (there's also a Drafting Assistant web app).

The Killer Feature

The new Build Document feature offers document assembly technology and a library of expert templates via integrations with Contract Express and Practical Law respectively. You start by selecting one of your own templates or a Practical Law template. Either way, you then use Contract Express' technology to enter data into the form fields to build your document.

Drafting Assistant can save your work at any point in case you need to hunt down some information or conduct research. Click the My Projects button to view recent documents, both completed and in progress. The Practical Law template library encompasses 12 practice areas, including antitrust, bankruptcy, commercial transactions, intellectual property, litigation, and real estate.

Other Notable Features

Drafting Assistant resides in a tab in Microsoft Word's Ribbon. Clicking the Drafting button opens a panel alongside your Word document that contains Build Document and other tools. Among these is the new Locate Precedent tool. Powered by machine learning, Locate Precedent enables you to compare a provision drafted by you or opposing counsel against publicly filed agreements in EDGAR. If you find a phrasing you prefer, you can add it to the document.

Also in the Drafting Assistant panel are a variety of tools for litigators, including the Locate Authority tool, which uses machine-learning technology similar to that of Locate Precedent. Select an argument in your brief and Locate Authority finds a supporting citation that you can add in your preferred style with a click. Flags & Links enables you to spot negative KeyCite signals for authorities you're citing. Alternatively, WestCheck creates a KeyCite report of all authorities in a separate document.

Other litigation tools include TOA Builder to build a table of authorities and Authority Compiler to a create PDF ebrief. "Drafting Assistant makes creating tables of authorities quick and easy," said Sarah Mauldin, Director of Library Services at Smith, Gambrell & Russell. "I like getting to look a bit like a magician by using a tool that transforms a painful process into one that is much less onerous."

Rounding out the suite of tools is Deal Proof, which has its own dedicated button in the Drafting Assistant ribbon tab. Deal Proof finds potential errors in your document such as undefined terms, unused terms, inconsistent paragraph numbering, punctuation errors, etc. Like a spell checker, Deal Proof now updates in real time as you make corrections.

What Else Should You Know?

Until this year Drafting Assistant required Windows. The Mac version will launch later this year, initially with Flags & Links and WestCheck followed by more tools in the future. "Mac users will have access to two of the most used features from Drafting Assistant," said Craig Larson, Vice President, Productivity Solution at Thomson Reuters. "Drafting Assistant provides a full range of solutions that improve efficiency and streamline document drafting workflows, validate citations, and perform other critical drafting tasks no matter where users are or what computing platform they are using." Learn more about Drafting Assistant.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Automation/Document Assembly/Macros | Legal Research | TL NewsWire

Federal Developments Knowledge Center Brings Subject Matter Experts and Artificial Intelligence to Bear on Federal Legislation and Regulations

By TechnoLawyer | Thursday, August 10, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a new legal research service that use artificial intelligence to keep you apprised of new federal legislation and regulations (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of an AI-powered legal research technology that provides fast answers to common legal questions, including definitions, elements of a claim, and standards of proof, document and email manegement software that integrates with Microsoft Office and scanners to consolidate all client-related data in one location, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

The dramatic shift in public policy positions by the Trump administration and Republican Congress has resulted in a myriad of regulatory changes in the executive branch with the prospect of major legislation such as health and tax reform around the corner. Keeping up with this activity is daunting.

Federal Developments Knowledge Center … in One Sentence

Wolters Kluwer's Federal Developments Knowledge Center offers one-stop-shopping for analysis, news, and primary source material related to federal legislation and regulations.

The Killer Feature

More than 100 attorney editors comprise the team behind the Federal Developments Knowledge Center. One of their innovations is Smart Charts, which provide insights on recent activity within practice areas of interest to you. Smart Charts encompass more than a dozen practice areas, including Banking and Finance, Global Trade, Health Care, Immigration, Securities, and Tax.

After selecting one or more practice areas, you choose from several Document Types — Enacted Law, Executive Order, Final Rule, Proposed Legislation, etc. A table then lists Key Federal Developments with links to the primary source, Related Expert Analysis with links to news coverage, and WK Commentary. Written by the attorney editors, WK Commentary saves you time by providing the effective date, a synopsis, and the likely impact and next steps. Instead of periodically checking a Smart Chart, you can set up email alerts for one or more practice areas.

Other Notable Features

The Federal Developments Knowledge Center dashboard provides the entry point to Smart Charts. It also contains linked lists of presidential actions, bills and enacted law, rules and regulations, news headlines, white papers, and other references. Click See All for any of these items to view the full feed in reverse chronological order with new items since your last visit highlighted to save you time. At the top of the dashboard, you can search through all or selected types of content.

Federal Developments Knowledge Center offers artificial intelligence (AI) to provide predictive analytics for legislation, including a Bill Breakdown to help you assess proposed bills so that you can advise your clients. An AI algorithm called Predictive Outlook provides two percentages — Pass Prediction (whether a bill will exit its committee and get passed in that chamber) and Percent Chance of Enactment. A chart illustrates the positive and negative forces affecting the bill and their relative weight in forming the Predictive Outlook. In addition to the Bill Breakdown, you'll also find links to the bill and related bills and statutes, as well as statements about the bill by the president and administration officials.

"Amid so much regulatory uncertainty, attorneys have been hard pressed to monitor multiple sources, analyze information and gauge potential impact for their clients," says Dean Sonderegger, Vice President & General Manager, Legal Markets & Innovation. "Federal Developments Knowledge Center is designed to directly address those pain points, identifying the issues that will have a real impact on clients and giving legal professionals a comprehensive source of up-to-the-minute information so they can advise their clients with more speed, ease and agility."

What Else Should You Know?

Every item in Federal Developments Knowledge Center offers a printer-friendly version. You can also email any item or export to Word format (Excel format for Smart Charts and other tables). You can try the service for free without obligation. Learn more about Federal Developments Knowledge Center.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Legal Research | TL NewsWire

Reviews of 10.5-Inch iPad Pro, Google Scholar, CaseMap, Chaos Intellect; Facebook as the New Town Square

By TechnoLawyer | Thursday, August 10, 2017

Today's issue of TL Serendipity contains these articles:

Roy Greenberg, Review: Not Sure What to Do With My 10.5-Inch iPad Pro

Mark Olberding, Facebook Might Be the New Town Square but Speak at Your Own Risk

Thomas Hutto, Review of Google Scholar

Douglas Shachtman, Review of CaseMap

Donald Hendel, Review of Chaos Intellect

Don't miss this issue — or any future issues.

How to Receive TL Serendipity
Our most serendipitous offering (hence its name), TL Serendipity consists of contributions by TechnoLawyer members who have important information to share. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The TL Serendipity newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Coming Attractions | Email/Messaging/Telephony | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Legal Research | Litigation/Discovery/Trials | Online/Cloud | Technology Industry/Legal Profession | TL Serendipity

Lexis Answers Uses Artificial Intelligence to Cut to the Chase in Legal Research

By TechnoLawyer | Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers an AI-powered legal research technology that provides fast answers to common legal questions, including definitions, elements of a claim, and standards of proof (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of document and email manegement software that integrates with Microsoft Office and scanners to consolidate all client-related data in one location, ediscovery software for quickly and inexpensively collecting and reviewing documents and email in small cases, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

When you need a legal definition, the elements of a claim, a standard of proof, etc. — legal basics that lie beyond the reach of your memory — it seems like a waste of time to skim cases for the answer. Instead, an intelligent assistant like those in our smartphones should provide the answer instantly.

Lexis Answers … in One Sentence

Launched recently, Lexis Answers is a free enhancement to Lexis Advance that saves you time by using artificial intelligence to anticipate your legal research needs.

The Killer Feature

Lexis Answers doesn't cost extra. It's baked into Lexis Advance. When you enter a search that falls within Lexis Answers' wheelhouse, an Answer Card appears atop the search results.

Product Manager Michael Etgen gave me a demo of Lexis Answers. He starts by entering the search "define res judicata." The Answer Card contains a definition from Bouvier Law Dictionary. Etgen then changes the search to "elements of res judicata." The Answer Card for this search lists res judicata's three elements taken from a Fifth Circuit case with a handy link. Etgen adds "NY" to this search. The Answer Card changes to show the elements of res judicata in New York, referencing a New York Court of Appeals case.

You need not memorize precise syntax to use Lexis Answers. It lists suggested answers as you type that you can select, and understands intent across different variations of language. For example, both "what is the definition of res judiacata" and "define res judicata" generate the same result. As Etgen demonstrated, Lexis Answers also understands jurisdictions such as states.

A team of lawyers with subject matter expertise trains the Lexis Answers algorithm, an ongoing process to ensure this flexibility, improve results, and expand the corpus of knowledge Lexis Answers understands. The algorithm also incorporates intelligence from Shepard's to ensure that cases used to provide answers are among the leading authorities as was the case for the above res judicata example.

Other Notable Features

Below the Answer Card, you'll find case law search results with your Lexis Answers query among the terms in the Search Term Map. Click on this term in the Search Term Map to view it in context without leaving the search results. The Search Term Map also tells you where in the opinion the term appears and its density throughout the opinion.

"Our goal is to create a smarter starting point to research," says Jeff Pfeifer, Vice President of Product Management at LexisNexis. "Using machine learning and advanced natural language processing technologies, Lexis Answers actually understands and interprets the intent of a user's search query — saving them time and effort by surfacing specific and actionable insights right at the top of their search results. This artificial intelligence powering Lexis Answers makes research easier, quicker and more intuitive than ever."

What Else Should You Know?

Lexis Answers currently encompasses legal topics from federal jurisdictions and most U.S. states and territories. As he wraps up my demo, Etgen tells me coverage will continue to expand to include all legal issues in all U.S. jurisdictions. Learn more about Lexis Answers.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Legal Research | TL NewsWire

Wolters Kluwer's Cybersecurity & Privacy Law Puts Research Materials for This Hot New Practice Area in One Place

By TechnoLawyer | Thursday, June 15, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a new research service that collects primary and secondary sources related to cybersecurity and privacy issues (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of a document management system with a new platform for securely sharing documents with clients and others outside of your firm, a Mac-based document management system with new technology for sharing documents externally with clients, co-counsel, and others, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

Cybersecurity has become one of the hottest legal practice areas. High profile security breaches and countless others below the radar have resulted in significant regulatory activity in the United States and abroad. There's also a growing body of case law weighing liability. Because it's a new practice area, research materials are scattered across various databases. A centralized resource would save lawyers and librarians valuable time.

Cybersecurity & Privacy Law Suite … in One Sentence

Launched recently, Wolters Kluwer's Cybersecurity & Privacy Law is a specialized suite of online research and practice tools on the Cheetah platform.

The Killer Feature

Cybersecurity & Privacy Law offers several Practice Tools called Smart Charts that help you advise on compliance issues. For example, many cybersecurity regulations contain rules about breach notifications — i.e., when a company must notify customers, regulators, etc. about a security breach. The Breach Notification Smart Charts provide answers to common breach questions that arise.

Senior product manager Steven Santel walked me through this Smart Chart in an online demo. You start by choosing one or more applicable topics such as "What forms of data are covered" and "What businesses are exempt." The next screen lists brief answers for each available jurisdiction as well as linked citations to the corresponding source material for more in-depth analysis.

Other Smart Charts include Marketing & Privacy Laws, State and Federal Employee Privacy Law Comparison, State-by-State Medical Privacy Statutes, and Global Privacy & Security Law Comparison. This latter resource enables you to compare cybersecurity laws in 68 countries. Topics include direct marketing, health information, registration with local authorities, and website cookies.

Other Notable Features

You access Smart Charts and other resources from the Cybersecurity & Privacy Law dashboard within Cheetah. From here, you can directly access state and federal laws and regulations related to cybersecurity and privacy. Also available are treatises such as Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 Handbook, Financial Privacy Law Guide, Securities Regulation in Cyberspace, and many others. By subscribing to email Treatise Update alerts, you can monitor changes important to your practice.

Cybersecurity & Privacy Law keeps you apprised of relevant news with full access to Cybersecurity Policy Report, Financial Privacy Law Guide, Computer and Internet Lawyer, and other leading publications. In addition, Wolters Kluwer editors curate links to relevant articles in newspapers and websites.

"Cybersecurity represents a key challenge for attorneys," said Dean Sonderegger, Vice President & General Manager, Legal Markets & Innovation. "It's a critical issue for law firms and their clients, it spans across nearly every practice area, and regulations are both emerging and evolving. To address this market need, we've developed an exciting new offering that combines primary and secondary content with practical guidance all in one location on our Cheetah platform."

What Else Should You Know?

At the top of every page in the suite is the global search bar, enabling you to limit your searches to topics such as advertising and marketing privacy, children and student privacy, communications privacy, data protection and security, emerging technology issues, financial privacy, global privacy and data protection, health privacy, state privacy protections, and workplace privacy and security. Cheetah saves your search history. The Worklist tool enables you to save a collection of resources in a folder. Learn more about Cybersecurity & Privacy Law.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Legal Research | TL NewsWire

Kluwer Arbitration Unveils New Search Tools for More Efficient International Arbitration Research

By TechnoLawyer | Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a redesigned international arbitration research service with tools such as Visual Connectors for Boolean searches (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of a Windows application designed to handle your OCR, PDF, and document comparison needs in one product, practice management software with a growing library of forms and templates, and built-in document assembly and e-filing, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

Many deals nowadays involve parties in different countries. In the event of disputes, neither side relishes litigating in the other country's judicial system. As a result, international arbitration has grown dramatically, offering advantages such as multinational enforcement, arbitrators with subject matter expertise, and simpler procedural rules. As with any dispute resolution system, lawyers need a comprehensive research tool.

Kluwer Arbitration … in One Sentence

Wolters Kluwer's Kluwer Arbitration, an online international arbitration research service with exclusive material, has undergone a major redesign that launches this week.

The Killer Feature

Chief among the new features are search enhancements designed to improve accuracy and speed. When using natural language, Kluwer Arbitration predicts what you likely want to search for as you type. Instead of searching all content, you can restrict your queries using filters such as Content Type, Publication Type, or Author. Also, you can search within search results.

Visual Connectors bring Boolean searches into the 21st century. Connectors such as AND and NEAR are visually distinct from your search terms. Click and drag a connector to move its position. Click and hold a connector to make granular adjustments (e.g., NEAR 2, NEAR 10, etc.).

"The key theme coming out of our customer engagement interviews was the need for simplicity in design and function to which we responded with a clean and intuitive user interface," says Managing Director David Bartolone. "The new research experience makes it easy for novice and expert researchers alike to search and quickly zero in on the right information."

Other Notable Features

Without leaving the search results, you can preview a reference by clicking on the matching keyword (the reference opens in its own window). Kluwer Arbitration offers printing options such as font size and whether to include summary information, enabling you to comply with the specific requirements that many arbitration venues impose on exhibits. You can also export references to PDF format or email the link to a colleague.

"Kluwer Arbitration is an enormous database comprising some of the most influential doctrine as well as a high number of awards and jurisprudence from all around the world of international arbitration," says Dr. Christian W. Konrad, partner at international arbitration law firm Konrad & Partners. "It is, therefore, an important and valued asset to our practice and one that we use on a daily basis."

In fact, Kluwer Arbitration is the largest database of its kind. Primary source material includes 500+ arbitration laws, 2,250+ Bilateral Investment Treaties, 1,250+ rules from more than 200 institutions, and 2,250+ arbitral awards. You'll also find 10,000+ court decisions, including 500 from Chinese courts summarized in English.

Secondary sources include more than 230 treatises (nearly all exclusive), and the complete archives of 11 journals related to arbitration. The IAI Arbitrator Tool and IMI Mediator Tool enable you to find and compare potential adjudicators. The Kluwer Arbitration Blog and Kluwer Mediation Blog are free publications accessible from Kluwer Arbitration.

What Else Should You Know?

Created by multinational law firm Clifford Chance for Kluwer Arbitration, Smart Charts offer practice tips. For example, you can find model clauses for arbitration agreements, compare arbitral institutions, and get advice on arcane issues like challenging an arbitrator and sovereign immunity. Learn more about Kluwer Arbitration.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Legal Research | TL NewsWire

Clarion Delivers Due Diligence Insights in Minutes, Not Hours

By TechnoLawyer | Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a due diligence and business intelligence research service with a new approach to presenting data from public filings (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of a cloud software platform that automates entity formation and compliance tasks, and enables you to offer these services under your own brand, do-it-yourself ediscovery collection software at a price point far below the industry average, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.

Due diligence for M&A and other securities deals is a necessary evil. Lawyers like you are best equipped to assess materiality so you cannot completely delegate it. However, if you could significantly reduce the time it takes to find material data, it would no longer seem so evil, just critically important. You might even use this data for business development opportunities too.

Clarion … in One Sentence

Launched recently, Wolters Kluwer's Clarion is an online due diligence and business intelligence research tool with a new approach to organizing and presenting data.

The Killer Feature

Clarion encompasses more than 22,000 public companies world wide as well as 60,000 private companies. But it's not a mere collection of public filings, requiring you to comb through 10-Ks and the like. Instead, the relevant data from public filings has been categorized and organized in a series of dashboards that match the attorney's workflow. The goal is to present targeted information in public data so that you can get answers in minutes, not hours or days.

For example, one important aspect of due diligence involves identifying a company's revenue by region within specific industries. With just a few clicks, Clarion displays this data for any public company. Bar charts for each region compare the company's total revenue with its revenue for a specific industry and the average for that industry. A trends graph indicates the sales trajectory over the last three years in each region. A map to the right offers a visual of the company's operational regions.

"Clarion was developed exclusively for legal practitioners," says Dean Sonderegger, Vice President & General Manager, Legal Markets & Innovation. "With unique, actionable data points and an intuitive point and click dashboard, Clarion efficiently gives attorneys greater control over research to enhance their ability to provide strategic counsel."

Other Notable Features

You begin using Clarion by either searching for a company or an industry. The latter is useful for finding new clients and new business among existing clients. When you find the company you want to analyze, a dashboard gives you a snapshot of revenue by industry and region as well as its customers, suppliers, competitors, and partners. You can then drill down into any of these categories to display an ever more focused series of dashboards.

Because SIC codes don't provide sufficient granularity, Clarion offers more precision. For example, instead of stopping at "Jewelry Apparel," Clarion goes further with smaller categories such as "Sunglasses and Prescription Frames." This granular taxonomy of industries exists throughout Clarion, enabling you to more thoroughly analyze a company's revenue, customers, competitors, suppliers, and partners.

When viewing a list of related companies, you can filter the list by industry as noted above. Other contextual filters also exist. For customers and suppliers, you can filter by relationship duration. For partners, you can filter by relationship type such as In-Licensing, Investors, and Joint Ventures. You can also search for a specific company to see if a relationship exists with the company you're analyzing. For each relationship, Clarion tells you whether it was mutually or unilaterally disclosed and by whom.

What Else Should You Know?

Every page in Clarion contains a Download button at the top right. Clicking this button generates an Excel file containing the corresponding data for use in a report. Learn more about Clarion.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Legal Research | TL NewsWire | Transactional Practice Areas
 
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