ASTERA Legal

«Each law firm works a little different. The fact that we can adapt and further develop processes was a crucial factor for us.»

Isabell Hitzer, Managing Partner, Attorney-at-Law, ASTERA Legal

ASTERA Legal advises on complex financing and restructuring processes with a deep understanding of the market and economic foresight. The focus is on acquisition and corporate financing as well as the support of financiers, investors and companies in demanding financing situations.

Locations: Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Challenges

• Modern, flexible solution for billing and time tracking as well as address and file management
• Up-to-date and strategic evaluations (controlling)
• Connection to iManage

Benefits

• Simple entering and automatic charging of all billables per case

• Due to DATEV extension fast transmission of data to tax advisor

• Maintaining the flexibility to easily map future processes in Vertec

Vertec Base Package, Budgeting Package

1-20 Users

The foundation of a law firm becomes an opportunity for new structures

The moment of founding a law firm is both exciting and challenging. In addition to legal expertise, processes, structures and tools must also be right from the start. For ASTERA Legal, it was clear early on: When the law firm started, it could only be with a modern, flexible law firm software in the cloud that really made day-to-day work easier.

They were looking for a solution that reliably combines time recording, billing, address and file management – and at the same time enables precise financial controlling structures.

When setting up a law firm, you not only need an overview of current cases, but also of economic developments and strategic KPIs.

In addition, there was an important technical requirement: The new software should be seamlessly integrated with existing systems, such as iManage, which had already been used for document management.

A high degree of individualization – the decision for Vertec

When choosing different solutions, one feature was particularly important: adaptability.

“For a law firm like ours, it is important that legal software is not rigid,” says the team headed by Isabell Hitzer, describing the requirements for their legal solution.

«Every law firm works a little different. the fact that we can adapt and develop processes was a crucial factor for us.»

With Vertec, the law firm found its practice management system in the cloud that creates structure without losing flexibility.

A clearer day-to-day overview of important KPIs

The benefits were particularly noticeable in two key areas:

• Law firm controlling and
• invoicing

Today, all billables spent can be easily and completely entered per case. Charging is automated and transparent. This saves time – and at the same time ensures a reliable basis for operational decisions.

Vertec brings tangible benefits in controlling

The law firm receives up-to-date analyses and KPIs, which not only facilitate operational decisions, but also enable economic management of the law firm.

Another practical advantage is that the connection to DATEV which allows relevant data to be transmitted to the tax advisor quickly and easily. Manual intermediate steps are eliminated.

Step by step to the optimal solution

The potential of Vertec as a software is great – but the firm has deliberately chosen a pragmatic approach.

The most important piece of advice on software implementation from ASTERA Legal is:

«In the beginning, you should not try too hard to customize everything immediately. Give it a smooth start using mostly the standard configuration and see over time which adjustments really make sense.»

This iterative approach has proven its worth. Process were initially able to prove themselves in everyday life and were subsequently expanded in a targeted manner.

Collaboration with Vertec on eye level

Another important success factor was the cooperation with Vertec.

The firm particularly appreciates the partnership-based exchange with the Vertec project management. Ideas and requirements are not only implemented – the Vertec team also proactively proposes its own solutions.

ASTERA Legal is ready for the future

Today, the law firm benefits from clearly structured processes, transparent controlling and efficient accounting. At the same time, it remains flexible enough to reflect future developments and new ways of working in the software at any time.

This is especially important for a young law firm:

a software solution that not only just fits – but even grows alongside the law firm