Summary

When requesting user access, legal team and counsel email addresses can by default be added to the legal team workspace, when the request comes from the legal team. If the email address(es) requested do not appear to be the legal team or counsel, this will need to be queried. 

Process

When an email request asks for non-legal / non-counsel team email addresses (for example billgates@microsoft.com) to be added to the platform, we start by sending the wording from the initial query set out below, ensuring the highlighted sections are updated. The wording may need to be amended to account for the fact that: 

  1. The request is for one user to be added rather than multiple users.
  2. The request is for legal team / counsel members to be added as well as non-legal / non-counsel email addresses. In this scenario we should proceed to add the users we can and query the remainder, confirming the same in our response. 
  3. The request is for a matter where the new workspace fees are different - for example SG or HK matters. 

There are then three outcomes following the response from the initial query email:

  1. Users can be granted access to the existing legal team workspace - in this secnario, the email address(es) originally queried can be added to the legal team workspace as normal.
  2. Users require access to a new workspace - in this scenario, a new workspace will need to be set up by a SOL/SOM and then access can be granted to this new workspace.
  3. Users are to be added as a new party on the matter - in this scenario, the follow up query email will need to be sent in response.

Once the relevant instruction requested in the follow up query email has been received, a SOL/SOM will take this forward with the client. 

Email Template - Initial Query

Dear

Thank you for your email. We note that the users below don’t appear to be Emailing Party or Counsel email addresses. Can you please confirm if you are happy for them to be added to your workspace, noting that they will have access to all shared work product, such as custom bundles, tags, and notes shared with “My Team”? 

Alternatively, if they need to be added to a separate workspace we can proceed in one of two ways, noting that all associated fees and any usage by them will be billed to Emailing Party under your contract:

  1. Clients, witnesses, or experts - If these users are clients, witnesses, or experts we can create a separate workspace for a fee of £400 and add these users to the new workspace – we would just need to know which category these users fall into for the naming of the workspace. 
  2. Other - If these users are not clients, witnesses, or experts, we can create a new workspace for £400 and proceed with one of two options:
    1. Add a Legal Team User - Add these users to the new workspace, provided a user from Emailing Party is also added to the same workspace. For completeness, if a user has access to multiple workspaces, they are not charged multiple weekly access fees. We would also flag that the user added from your legal team will be able to see any notes made by these new users and they will need to ensure they are making work product in the correct workspace as it cannot be seen or copied across the workspaces.
    2. Do Not Add a Legal Team User - If you do not want to add a user from your legal team to the same workspace, we would require an email to be sent copying all parties currently on the matter, confirming the intention to provide access to the new users in their own workspace. 

If these users need to be added as a new party on the matter, please let us know and we can follow up with the next steps. We will await further instruction before proceeding with adding these users.

Kind regards

Copy


Email Template - Follow Up Query

Dear

Many thanks for confirming that the users will form a new party on the matter. To arrange this, we will require an email to be sent to Opus 2, copying all existing parties and the new party confirming:

  1. Which top-level bundles the new party are to be granted access to.
  2. Updated cost splits on the matter, or equally that the new party are not responsible for any shared fees.
  3. If the new party is responsible for their own access fees, or if these fees should be split between the existing parties in line with the agreed cost split for the matter. 
  4. If the new party needs to be copied in instructions relating to the shared bundle moving forward. If they are to contribute to shared fees moving forward, we will require them to be copied but if not, this is a decision to be made by the existing parties and the new party. 

We will then be able to arrange for a proposal to be circulated to the new party and upon receipt of a signed copy of the same, we will then be able to arrange for their access to the shared bundle. 

We will await further instruction before proceeding with adding these users. 

Kind regards

Copy