Potential Pitfalls of Collaboration, Where to Be Wary

• Author: Dennis Kennedy - Tom Mighell
• Pages: 247-253

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Potential Pitfalls

of Collaboration—

Where to Be Wary

In this book, we want to paint a realistic picture of collabo-

ration tools. Without question, the promise of collaboration

using technology is great. Excellent tools already exist, and

new and better tools always seem to be just around the corner.

However, we do not see collaboration tools only through rose-

tinted glasses.

The truth is, the history of using advanced technologies

in the practice of law is the story of more failures and so-so

results than it is a list of resounding successes that people try

to imitate. Many technology projects are overhyped and, in a

classic recipe for failure, overpromised and under-delivered.

Firms sometimes boast of modest successes, but nothing

compared to what was promised. Will this new generation of

collaboration tools and platforms be any different?

In our view, yes. In large part, that is because the underly-

ing systems and collaborative processes are already in place.

People in different geographic areas are accustomed to work-

ing together on documents. Track Changes is routinely used in

documents exchanged by email. People use a number of social

media platforms on a daily basis. The focus on practical tools

that reflect the ways lawyers already work, combined with the

industry’s experience and learning in knowledge management,

will benefit vendors and lawyers and find their way into prod-

ucts and services.

Perhaps most important, we will also see successes

because the past has trained lawyers to take a realistic and

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