LawFuel Law Firm Newswire – Incisive Media Study Finds Medium/Large US Law Firms Represent $2.2 Billion Technology Opportunity

NEW YORK (September 3, 2008) LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – The 1,000 large and medium size law firms in the U.S. represent a $2.2 billion opportunity for technology marketers over the next 12 months, according to the 2008 Law Firm Technology Leadership Study. The survey, updating a similar study in 2006, was commissioned by Incisive Media, a global leader in specialized business news and information, and parent company to leading legal media including The American Lawyer, Law Technology News and Legal Week.

Additional results from the survey include the following:

· – Almost 90% of law firm respondents indicated that they plan to buy or upgrade mobile products over the next 12 months. Large and medium size firms are projected to spend almost $225 million on mobile products

over the next 12 months.

· – Improving network bandwidth is one of the fastest growing technology initiatives at law firms.

· – While most large and medium size law firms continue to maintain a centralized decision-making system and maintain “technology committees” to advise in the purchasing process, CIO/CTO/IT directors remain the

critical decision-makers for technology purchases.

· – Attorney, rather than client, demands continue to drive firms’ technology investments and attorney productivity is still one of the most important factors in justifying technology investments.

· – Decision makers at large and medium size law firms continue to be more likely to use legal print publications to gather information prior to purchasing information technology products and services.

· – Use of legal online sources by technology decision-makers has increased significantly with legal technology-related blogs being one of the fastest-growing online sources.

The study, conducted by Millward Brown, provides insight into law firm IT needs, technology and product purchasing patterns and IT decision-making by senior law firm and law firm IT managers. A consultative review of the findings was also provided by Millward Brown’s sister company KMR, known for the biannual IntelliQuest Studies on technology purchasing behavior. Findings are based on survey responses from a national sample of senior law firm decision makers involved in technology purchasing.

Additional information on the report can be obtained by contacting Michael Medwig at michael.medwig@incisivemedia.com or (212) 457-9470.

Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and information, in print, in person and online. The company’s principal markets include commercial real estate, financial services, legal services, marketing services and risk management. Incisive Media’s market-leading brands include Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, Post, Real Estate Forum and The American Lawyer. For more information, visit www.incisivemedia.com.


DLA Piper boosts leveraged finance capabilities in Amsterdam

Amsterdam – LawFuel – Law Firm Newswire – DLA Piper has appointed Gerard Kneppers as a partner in its Finance and Projects group in the Netherlands. He joins from Dutch law firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek. Gerard will lead the leveraged finance practice, working closely with Finance and Projects Location Head, Bart Joosen.

Gerard has a 13-year track record in international transactions, including significant experience in acquisitions, asset and project finance. His wide-ranging finance experience, which includes mergers and acquisitions makes him ideally suited to lead the team advising local and international lenders and borrowers on their debt-related finance needs.

Bart Joosen said: “Gerard is a respected finance lawyer who has, during his career, built up a wealth of relevant transactional experience, and I am therefore delighted that he chose to join DLA Piper in the Netherlands. We have a growing finance practice and Gerard is the ideal person to contribute to the further expansion of this practice, which has been experiencing significant growth in recent years. I look forward to working with him.”

Lawyers in the practice advise the finance teams of some of the major lenders and borrowers in the Netherlands and abroad on a variety of finance transactions. They advise debt providers, financial institutions, senior and mezzanine lenders, arrangers, agents, equity capital providers and other strategic investors, private equity funds and other borrowers on all aspects of leveraged debt financing.
Gerard, 38, has a B Proc (cum laude) and an LLB from the Rand Afrikaans University in South Africa. He is a South African qualified lawyer.
Gerard joins DLA Piper on 1 September.

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