“If I want a cyber-secure office, I need to have my data in safe hands. And Kleos has proved to me that I can trust it.”

We spoke to Guillermo López, founding partner of Take Easy Legal, a law firm specialising in digital law.

TAKE EASY LEGAL is a law firm specialising in Digital Law, specifically legal and technical cybersecurity for all types of organisations. This innovative firm also has a vocation as a technological and legal consultancy, seeking to address the needs of its clients from a 360-degree perspective, in relation to these matters. Its founder, Guillermo López, tells us during a pleasant and relaxed chat all about his experience with Kleos by Wolters Kluwer, the leading legal management software in Europe. In addition, the founder of Take Easy Legal tells us about the vision of this promising firm.

Q.: Not all law firms feel the need to digitalise their office, for one reason or another. In this regard, in your particular case, could you tell us what your firm's approach was before investing in Kleos and what were the triggers that made you change your mind?

A.: Before Kleos, our firm was very traditional: our day-to-day work was a white notebook where we entered everything we had to do. We worked on a constant short-term basis.
When the number of procedures and paperwork started to increase and we had to manage a huge amount of proceedings, we realised that we were focusing a lot on where this or that had to go, instead of focusing on our activity. There was a lot of paper piling up and, eventually, there came a point where I didn't want any more paper, so we decided it was time to talk to a software company to implement an office manager.
Technology has been around for as long as I can remember and I’ve always been very digitally minded. I didn't want my office to become obsolete. So, we started to get rid of paper, we stopped printing, we finally digitised our documents and everything was recorded in the software. I understand that not everyone likes to go paperless, but for me it is an essential part of the organisation.

Q. What have been the biggest changes in the firm thanks to Kleos?

A.: From the firm's point of view, you need to be seen by another type of client, people who are looking for different kinds of synergies; we are in a market niche in which we understand that we have to move and be more digitalised. I have fully immersed myself in a digital world and I’ve transformed my office into a totally remote office, without a physical location.
That is when, through Wolters Kluwer, I incorporated my office manager, which has been indispensable for a long time. However, not everyone sees it that way. Until I implemented Kleos, I didn't think it was absolutely essential, but now it is: time control, digitisation of documents, alert notifications, control of the hours you are spending on a case, etc.
In addition, it has improved the relationship with clients, which is much smoother and very secure. I give my clients direct access to the necessary documents, avoiding paper and wasted time, and they know the status of all their cases. In addition, at all times, Kleos tracks where I am in all my cases and lets me know when a deadline is due. We are self-sufficient and autonomous.

Q.: We know that there are firms that are concerned to a certain degree about the cybersecurity of their business. What is your opinion of this?

A.: My law firm is dedicated to Digital Law and without an office manager it makes no sense for my firm to work in that field. If I want a cybersecure office, I need to have my documents and data in safe hands. And Kleos has proved to me that I can trust it. I want to protect sensitive data and I don't want it falling into the hands of criminals.
It is important to have a cyber-secure company, with legally implemented regulatory compliance, with employees who are aware of what to do and what not to do. In the event something happens -and there is always a possibility of an illegal intrusion- we know exactly what we have to do. That's our job: we help to overcome the situation as smoothly as possible.
Moreover, it should be borne in mind that, to be able to work with certain customers, it is necessary to be cyber-safe. For example, according to the NIS2, which comes into force next year, there are obligations that not only apply to companies with essential items, but also to those that provide them with services. Therefore, they will be obliged to audit who they are working with: to know whether they are safe, they comply with regulations and, furthermore, whether they know how to manage them.
In this context, in the legal sector, an office manager is a basic necessity, it's like having a pen. Otherwise, there will be clients you won't be able to work with.

Q.: Before making the decision to invest in this type of technology, did you already know what a system like Kleos could do for your business? And, after implementing Kleos, has it really changed the way you work or has your office grown as you had planned?

A.: I had already decided to incorporate an office manager, and I was weighing up several options. We’ve moved in different markets, from very humble to very industrial clients. With that catalogue of clients, not everyone in the firm saw the need to incorporate the office manager. I did, as I was always inclined to try new technologies, to see what works and what doesn't. Now I can say that it does work. This type of tool is a plus in terms of shortening deadlines, you have more time to work out a strategy.
On the other hand, when I go to court, it's great, because I can consult my office from my mobile phone, I don't have to call the office to make enquiries. This is the same idea that to some extent lies behind the incorporation of an office manager. We need to incorporate technology to be more self-sufficient and resolute.
Even if the justice system or public authorities, or many law firms, are lagging behind in the use of technology, why should my law firm be the same? I have to differentiate myself, I want my office to be technological and stand out for that, hence the adoption of technological solutions that improve it, such as Kleos. My collaborators or clients no longer want to go to the office, they want to hold meetings by videoconference. This is an evolution of society, and all of this goes hand in hand with having your office digitalised.
In addition, I can grow much faster, or in a sustained way over time, without ups and downs, because customers trust the person and the tool they have without having to call you. They know where they are at all times. They simply have direct access to Kleos. This way of understanding the business is very different to what we have traditionally done in our profession.
Not adopting this type of solution slows down your work, but obviously if you think that working in a traditional way suits you, you can carry on like that. However, my opinion is that, in these cases, the office will function for as long as that person continues to work, it isn’t going to evolve or a acquire a perpetual status. Trading companies are started on an indefinite basis, why not a law firm? However, I have the vision to give that indefinite status to my firm.
Also, as regards new people who join the firm, I want them to have this tool at work. It means you don’t have to call the partner in the office or the managing partner to find out what they’re doing. With the office manager, you know the point each person in the firm has reached. It’s essential for growth. There is no need for control.

Q.: You said that you were comparing solutions at the time of contracting. What were the differentiating elements that led you to work with Kleos?

A.: I was already aware of what I needed. Then, precisely because I thought I didn't know how to invest the limited amount I had earmarked for it, I looked for normal solutions, without unnecessary extra features, but something decent that would serve my purpose. I thought ‘I don't want a second-hand car, but at least I want it to serve my purpose.’
So then I started researching and when I had almost decided to choose another manager, they told me about Kleos. They told me that it was in the cloud, that I didn't have to work locally, and I also saw that security was a guaranteed element. With Kleos, you have everything on your mobile wherever you go, and what's more, you don't need to install it. The next step was to find out how much it cost, and when I saw the price, it really seemed very affordable, especially considering everything that is included. Besides that, I had the security of keeping my files organised in a calendar, and in the cloud; for that price... it was worth it. The tool is super powerful, like a Ferrari that is quietly driving along a motorway without wasting a lot of petrol.

Q.: We can see that you take everything related to cybersecurity very seriously, as it could not be otherwise given your expertise. Going a bit deeper into your business, which is dedicated to just that, could you tell us about the vision and vocation of Take Easy Legal?

A: Our vision is to become a consulting firm in Digital Law. From an absolutely 360º perspective. We warn organisations of all those illegal intrusions they may have, we advise and we also provide digital and technical consultancy through our partners. We also have ways of reacting in less than 24 or 48 hours to those elements of intrusion that we see on a daily basis. And finally, we also help companies that have suffered some kind of cyber-attack to recover, that is our speciality. How do we do that? Through our awareness, training, prevention and by adding those technical elements so they know how to manage those risks. And that through elements like yours, an office manager that evolves with the organisation, and depending on the organisation’s service and need, we add those services. That's the best thing you provide: with a minimum investment you can have a super-organised office. As the organisation grows, the necessary functionalities are added.
The vision of our office cannot be understood without the absolute change that has taken place in recent times in society, due to the pandemic. Now, everything that used to happen in the real world is not just on the street, but also on the internet, in the virtual world, both the good and the bad. In the digital world we now find more crime. What happens is that organisations and people are not aware that if someone can steal our wallet in the street, now they can also do it to us on the internet, and we don’t know how to move around there, neither people nor companies, which are made up of people.
We technically and legally analyse how that organisation is doing; if it needs to implement new processes, new technology, if it needs to keep that software or that hardware as it is today, but exploit it in a better way, etc. This is done by being aware that your company is what you most want to make work in this world. If you have that awareness, what you don't want is anyone interfering in what hurts you the most within the company, which could be your industrial patent, your know-how, your current accounts, your automated processes, etc. The fact that one of these fundamental elements in the company could fail for three minutes and cause you serious harm, as the result of an illegitimate intrusion that could have been prevented by our technical and legal consulting.
To do this, we have technology partners, whether they are manufacturers, integrators or service providers, who help you analyse how your company is doing and how you want it to be in the future, so that it is much more competitive. This means that as soon as you have the possibility that you are ‘getting a bug’, the alarm bells are already ringing.