Management buyout! Refreshed corporate identity! New Scottish office! Cloud-based payroll portal!Raft of software enhancements wrapped up tocreate Interactive version 4!

These are just some of the exciting changes we’ve introduced at Quillin 2017. Interactive 4 has some great new functionality, looks smartand helps lawyers in England, Wales and, now, Scotland meet theirrespective regulatory requirements. Interactive’s accounts module also continues to be enhanced, making for even greater support for in-house cashiers as well as users of our outsourced cashieringservice, Pinpoint.

Interactive 4’s designed to operate on tablets and mobiles as well asPCs. A new dashboard allows your fee earners and managers tounderstand individual and practice performance at a glance.

Delivering more and more case management functionality alongside analready robust legal accounts module is a key part of our strategymoving forward. To this end, our document management module hasbeen upgraded to accommodate storage of your practice precedentsand templates. This comes with seamless integration with Word andOutlook, and easy conversion to the more secure PDF format.

Interactive 4 also integrates with a growing number of statutory forms,starting initially with the main family court forms. Our portfolio ofintegrated forms is set to expand throughout 2018.

For practices adopting a best-of-breed approach by choosing aspecialist case management system, we’ve recently strengthened ourintegration toolkit, now enabling time records plus client and matterdetails to be sent to Interactive’s accounts via third-party systems.

We anticipate further integrationof financial transactions next year.

Criminal legal aid firms havestarted making use of our handypolice station app, installable onWindows tablets or laptops. Ourapp enables duty solicitors tocapture prescribed data at thepolice station while offline andsynchronise the data toInteractive when online at theoffice later.

Our payroll team has been busy too. Not only do we supplyelectronic payslips; we now provide a web portal to facilitate amuch safer and reliable route for transferring sensitive salaryinformation from employer to bureau. Our offering has widenedto provide a white label service for accountants too.

So, as the year draws to a close, I’m sure you’ll agree a lot’sbeen achieved at Quill in the past 12 months.

As you prepare for an undoubted well-earnt break over thefestive period, don’t forget that, first and foremost, it’s yourpractice’s compliance that will keep your doors open for businessin 2018. And that means having a robust legal accounts systemat the heart of your business. We provide you with just that – alegal accounts package with a growing-and-growing repertoire ofcase management functionality built in and horde of add-onsolutions available at your fingertips for full-service support.

Winter 2017Readit !

The transformative power of Quill!

You’ll see lots of familiar features in your Winter 2017 Readit too. Our clients speak openly on ‘Street Legal’, we say hello to employees, Enderley Consulting talks all

things GDPR and there’s a round-up of our charity news.

Interactive gets a new-style dashboard and interfaceThe latest version of Interactive, i4, has undergone development to gain a modern look and feel that includesthe ability to view on both PC and mobile devices. Take a look at the new dashboard...

This is the page you’ll see when you log intoInteractive first time round. There are all mannerof statistics, charts, graphs and lists giving aninstant real-time indication of current status, plushelpful hyperlinks to drill down to further detail.

Now, however, you can actually change this first screen, calledyour landing page, to something else, should you wish to. Agood example is your tasks list which may be your number onepriority. Once changed, every time you log in and subsequentlyclick on the Q icon in the top left-hand corner of your blue mainmenu bar, you’ll be directed to this designated landing page.

Next, moving on to your top menu bar, there’s a new ‘+’ button,which is a quick link for opening a new case.

Alongside this, there’s the recent cases button. Thisis situated in the same place as before but it’s hadan image refresh.

Other links in this top menu bar have changed too. These are supported by easily recognisable icons. Theshortened list comprises ‘Cases’, ‘Contacts’, ‘Money’, ‘Tasks’, ‘Time’ and ‘Reports’. These are mostly selfexplanatory but it’s worth noting that e-chits falls under ‘Money’. Also, if you have due / overdue tasks, they’llshow in this menu bar. There’ll be a circled number alongside the ‘Tasks’ button.

We’ve moved secondary menu options to a dark grey navigation panel on the left-hand side. It’sbetter to scan and is, we believe, a more natural user interface. In summary, it’s the wraparoundscreens that have changed. The internal screens remain the same. This touch of familiarity will easethe implementation of i4.

We’ve given you a whistle-stop tour only here. A user guide is available for those of you wanting todelve more into the upcoming changes, for example instructions on setting your landing page,adding a new matter to an existing client, searching, filtering and navigating reports.

Email support@quill.co.uk to ask for your copy. We’ll get in touch with all our clients in due courseas we roll out this new release of Interactive.

TThhee NNeeww DDaasshhbbooaarrdd

The old Interactive dashboard has been updated to give it a more modern feel that can be viewed

not just on a PC, but on mobile devices as well.

There are differences between the old screens and the new screens.

Clicking in the Quill Logo will still bring you back to the landing page.

SSeelleecctt LLaannddiinngg PPaaggee

It is now possible to select a land page, this is the first page you will see when you log in to

Interactive, so if tasks are more important to you then the statistics graph then database can be set

so the first page displayed are tasks.

With the new features, you can:

Easily produce mail-merged letters anddocuments using templates and precedents

Integrate with key family court forms

Create your own bespoke Word templatesusing our optional add-ins and make themavailable practice wide

Convert Word documents to PDF forsecurity prior to dispatch

Use branded electronic letterhead as andwhen required with option for differentversions per branch

Drag and drop files from your desktopstraight to cloud or right click and upload

Record time at the point of documentstorage to capture chargeable activity

Zip multiple related documents or emails tosend to third parties

New-and-improved templates & precedentsWe've made more exciting enhancements to Interactive documents, allowing you to quickly create, save andsend your letters and documents from templates and precedents online.

Why not see this functionality in action via a live webinar? Our sales consultants would be delighted to set up a webinarfor you, free of charge, with no obligation.

Email us at info@quill.co.uk.

2

First, you get your DSCC call, head tothe station, there's no internet soout comes pen and paper.

Later, back at the office, you trawl throughyour notes, decipher your rushed handwritingand input into your software. It's timeconsuming, inefficient and downrightfrustrating.

Our Police Station App is a sought-afteralternative to these outdated, long-windedproceedings. Installed on your Windowstablet or laptop, our Police Station Appallows you to:

Work on-the-go when offline

Auto-store your electronic notes and time records

Synchronise when back online

Instantly share your files with colleagues and managers

Digitise the entire criminal legal aid process

Police Station App for criminal legal aid lawyersHeard about our new Police Station App? It’s revolutionising the way criminal legal aid lawyersdo their work both at the police station and in the office. Let us set the scene...

Linked to Interactive, everything's thensaved to the same centralised locationalong with your other matter documents.

Your working life will be much easier andmore profitable as a result.

By using both systems in tandem – PoliceStation App and Interactive – experiencea whole raft of bolt-on benefits such asrisk management assistance, businessintelligence insights and businesscontinuity guarantee, to name a few.

Read more:www.quill.co.uk/PSA

Order App: info@quill.co.uk

Download datasheet: www.quill.co.uk/datasheets

Enjoy all the multiple time-saving features and bene4ts of

Redbrick Practice Management

Introduce even better results with Quill’s Interactive accounts system and

Pinpoint cashiering service

Choose Redbrick-Quill integration for streamlined

case and accounts management

Choose a combined Redbrick-Quill set up comprising work6ow-led case management and legal-speci5c

accounting functionality. Even opt for complete outsourced cashiering provision for expert back o7ce support.

Thereafter, create cases in Redbrick and manage accounts in Quill using one fully integrated system.

Speed up mattersUse Redbrick’s modules for practice

management, identity checks and

searches; sync with your Outlook emails

and diaries; save, on average, 200 hours

per month.

De4ne how you workUtilise an extensive range of out-of-the-

box work6ows or customise to suit your

preferences depending upon your unique

processes. Let Redbrick mould to you, not

the other way round.

Boost your bottom lineTake advantage of readily available

productivity and 5nancial reports to track

performance, and adopt a pay-per-

transaction pricing model to save money.

Your pro5ts will increase as a result.Enter data only onceWith Interactive as an additional module

within Redbrick, utilise a single point of

data entry to eliminate duplication which

in turn enhances accuracy and mitigates

risk of error.

Keep on top of your 4nances

Prepare monetary transfers, post bills,

pay disbursements and carry out other

ledger transactions according to the

stringent requirements of the CLC

Accounts Code or SRA Accounts Rules.

Outsource your cashiering role

For assured regulatory compliance, let

the specialist Pinpoint team manage your

books. You and your accountant can

remotely access your accounts data 24/7,

any device, any location.

To 5nd out more or to book a free, no-obligation demonstration, contact the Quill team.

Email info@quill.co.uk, call 0845 226 2587 or visit www.quill.co.uk/redbrick.

An initial investment of time was required to join the various elements of Redbrick and

Interactive together. We’re now fully operational with everything working smoothly, helping

our new sta4 members to hit the ground running with all legal cashiering outsourced.

Dawn Pickett, Licensed Conveyancer, DP Conveyancing

Rebrick-Quill integration = best-of-breed software!

We’ve partnered with Redbrick sothat, with our integrated solution,that's exactly what you get.

Use our award-winning Interactive softwarefor SRA and CLC-compliant legal accounting,Redbrick Practice Management for easy-to-use conveyancing case management, andsynchronise with the MS Office suite for evencloser integration.

By doing so, you can:

Save time: utilise a single-interfacepackage to progress matters frominception to completion with a full audittrail throughout

Improve accuracy: enter data only once to cut duplication and reduce thepotential for data input error

Extract proper intelligence: drawreports on shared data forcomprehensive insights into pastperformance and forecast into the future

Mitigate risk: subscribe to add-onmodules for AML checks and propertysearches to run a safer business

Get extra support: select our Pinpointcashiering service, thereafter log dailye-chits and let our expert accounts teamdo the rest

Save money: replace onerous softwareand hardware costs with pay-as-you-go(Quill) and cost-per-matter (Redbrick)pricing models

Become more competitive: introduceefficiencies front and back office toperform at optimum capacity andcompete with the rest

Enjoy a raft of other benefits: not least workflow assistance toautomate your repetitive tasks

To perform at your best, you need systems in place to manage every aspect of your law firm, from businessintelligence and case management to legal accounts and risk management.

With Quill and Redbrick, connect and unify your preferred systems to operatetogether seamlessly without switching screens, windows or folders.

Download our flyer to find out more: www.quill.co.uk/datasheets.

3

Street LegalOur clients are a happy bunch and always have plenty to say about Quill. Hereare some of our most recent client testimonials…The accountant

We work with quite a few Quill clients.Some of them use the legal accountssoftware, Interactive, and others use

Quill’s full outsourced cashiering service, Pinpoint,too. Because the software is cloud based, we’reable to perform the bulk of our accounting tasksfrom our own offices by logging in remotelythrough accountant-only access. So when thetime comes to visit our clients, our time on site isshorter and less intrusive.

For practices running hosted systems, we’re ableto do our important work in the background, notgetting in the way of their day-to-day business ofmanaging finances. We do still have face-to-faceon-site contact, though, as Rule 37 of the SRAAccounts Rules dictates client premises as theplace for examination of accounting recordsand files.

But the initial electronic analysis of data throughhosted software helps to reduce the length of ourvisit. Continued online access to everythingaccounts related when on site allows practiceemployees to work as normal, without interruption,while we view live data in the system.

[With Pinpoint,] there’s comfort that theaccounting records are being maintained in linewith the SRA Accounts Rules. The automaticallycashier-generated reports give a compre-hensive view of accounts’ status and evidence of compliance.

Quill’s cashiers work as a team and have thebenefit of sharing specialist knowledge andexperience between them. Pinpoint clientsalways have an allocated cashier with theassurance of knowing that in leaves of absencethere’s always someone there to ensurecontinuity. A sole in-house cashier works alonewhere sickness or holiday cover can potentiallybecome a problem.

I actively promote Quill’s software andoutsourcing services to law firms not alreadyusing its products. Remote system access andprecise accounts management streamlinesannual processes which in turn makes KrestonReeves’ work more efficient!

The cashier

When we were told our previousprovider was withdrawing supportand forcing us down the upgrade

path, we seized the opportunity to reallyreview our software choices. Interactivelooked user friendly with lots of accountingfeatures we’ve never used before. It’s nowour new legal accounts application [andRedbrick’s our new case managementsystem].

Interactive and Redbrick talk to each other.To all intents and purposes, we’re using onefully integrated system because it’s such aclose API. Data sharing is automatic. Whatwe enter into Redbrick for our matters is fedstraight through to Interactive for billing and

accounting. It’s a winning combination.

[The migration] was absolutely the rightmove, but it was also a big move because itmeant temporarily stepping out of ourcomfort zone. Our transition plan was to runInteractive and our old software concurrentlyfor 6 months.

Following some basic training, that’s exactlywhat we did, and mostly learnt thefunctionality as we went along. Because ofthis careful approach, we got to knowInteractive inside out and have justcompleted our first full year on Interactivealone.

From point of sale to training to ongoinghelpdesk assistance, the whole supportstructure is amazing. Whatever the nature ofour calls to Quill, they’re dealt withthoroughly and quickly. If we have staff onlong-term leave, licences are adjustedinstantly upon request.

If we need to speak to a technician, forexample when we lost our internetconnection recently mid-post, the Quillteam’s straight on it and, in this instance,recovered everything. Before, we’d have towait all day for a response or resolution. Thecontrast is immeasurable.

In the pre-Quill period, it’d take me a day’stime to complete year end. In Interactive, I

press a button, press another button and I’mdone. All tasks are easier, especially gettingreports at month and year end. It’s just suchan easy-to-use package.

In terms of set up, the cloud format suits medown-to-the-ground because I work fromhome occasionally. I can log in and get onwith my work exactly the same at home as inthe office.

Also, because I don’t live locally to our office,I’ve got peace of mind that, should I not beable to make the journey in for any reason, Ican simply operate from home instead.

Jayne Curle

Peter Farley

4

The partner

Our cashier was with us for over 10years and we took her somewhat forgranted. We didn’t fully appreciate

just how good she was until she left. Shedid everything – accounts and payroll – forwhat had grown to be a £1.5 millionturnover business.

We did actually appoint another cashier butshe didn’t last long. We needed a high skillset and no candidates fitted the bill exactlybecause most had only performed part ofthe work, such as purchase ledger or clientledger, not the full range of duties.

We didn’t want the same process to repeatitself by recruiting another ill-suited cashierin the post so instead we spoke to ouraccount manager, Clare Tuck, whoincidentally was the same person to first setus up on Quill 20 years previously. Quill’sstaff loyalty speaks volumes.

Clare explained the workings and costs ofPinpoint, and we went live early 2016.

[At the time,] Quill was actively encouraging itssoftware clients to upgrade to the latestrelease. So we were effectively able to kill twobirds with one stone by changing seamlesslyacross to Interactive with Pinpoint and Payrollas bolt-on extras. Implementation workedbrilliantly. Lots of features were familiar but westill had training on what’s new in the system.Data transfer was automatic. We completelytrust Quill. We’ve worked well together for twodecades and we’re so pleased to continue ourpartnership.

We’ve got 100% assurance of regulatorycompliance and we’ve developed a closefriendship with the Pinpoint cashier to sort outany queries.

We have 30 employees on our payroll. In theold days, our cashier sorted everyone’ssalaries. Outsourcing was our salvationbecause our staff still got paid even when wehad no in-house cashier for a short period.Using the service means we don’t need to beclued up in employment legislation andsubmission deadlines.

Street legal (continued)

We’d used our earlier system for close to 20 years. When postingswere going amiss fairly frequently

due to software flaws, it became a searchand rescue mission to put everything straight again.

This was time wasting and frustrating. Wedidn’t want to tolerate it anymore.

After the takeover [of our supplier by a largersoftware provider], fees were wacked up forwhat was, essentially, a very basic system.

Over the years we actually had tomanipulate the system to meet our needs asit couldn’t do everything we wanted it to. Italready wasn’t worth its fees. The price risewas the breaking point. With CASA as ourcase management system, we lookedaround for legal accounts software thatcould work closely with it and choseInteractive from Quill.

As soon as we viewed the cashier screens,and could appreciate how much moresophisticated the user interface is, wewanted Interactive. You see, we’re nottypists, so the easier it is to input data, the better.

Interactive is based on e-chits. You simplycreate an e-chit for each account’s posting.

It’s so straightforward, our postings arenever late anymore, which means ourledgers are always up to date and we canclear balances quicker. E-chits haverevolutionised our accounts function!

Additionally, I’m not a cashier. The fact thatI can navigate and understand Interactiveis testament to its ease of use.

With Quill, you pay a software licence feeon a per-user basis. It works the same with CASA.

Some case management suppliers chargeper transaction. As a pure conveyancingbusiness with a high volume of activity, thiscould run into tens of thousands of poundseach year.

So, with CASA and Quill, not only do weknow where we stand financially, we’realso saving money.

Our PII was due for renewal recently.There are some fairly onerous reportingrequirements. With Interactive in situ,running off the necessary reports waseffortless therefore renewal was a routineprocess.

The integrated software user

Tracy Burrell

Nick Massey-Chase

Another aspect of Interactive that wemake much use of is online storage.Having cloud format means our electronicfiles don’t consume any space on our in-house server.

These documents are subsequentlyalways available and the system neverslows down. It’s hugely efficient.

The fact Quill offers outsourcedcashiering gives us great peace of mindthat immediate help would be availableshould we ever find ourselves in aposition of needing it.

5

To begin with, my search [for a legalsoftware supplier] was cashieringservice driven. As a new law firm with

an initial lower caseload, there just wasn’tenough work to justify having a full timecashier. But, as we intend to recruit moresolicitors and conveyancers over thecoming months and years, we were lookingfor a solution that’ll grow with us. That’swhy the scalability factor was so important.

Also, to help manage cashflow, costs ofemploying a legal cashier including salaryand other ‘hidden’ costs such as servicedoffice fees were compared to a pay-as-you-go outsourced approach. We made adecision to outsource to Quill due to theirexpertise in all-things legal accounting.

There are a multitude of regulatory hoopsto jump through when first setting up. Thisis completely understandable when youthink about the nature of our business –high value property sales / purchases alongwith associated risks. For this reason, thelegal cashier’s role assumes even greaterimportance. By outsourcing our cashiering

The licensed conveyancer

The sole practitioner

When I branched out alone, my priorexperience with Quill from my oldpractice was hugely beneficial.

With a small client base and finite funds, Icouldn’t afford an in-house cashier. Ineeded a system which was fully compliantwith my regulator, the Council for LicensedConveyancers. So Quill it was!

I literally do everything. From being chiefcoffee maker to reporting officer, theresponsibility rests upon me. Time is all Ihave. I can’t delegate. By freeing up mytime for fee earning activity, I can workmore profitably. That’s exactly what Quillallows me to do.

The only onus on me is to input e-chitscorrectly at my end and my accounts arethen managed precisely at Quill’s end. I’msaving around six to eight hours everyweek by outsourcing my cashieringfunction and using Quill’s software.

To read these case studies (and more) in their entirety, please visit www.quill.co.uk/case-studies.

As any sole practitioner can appreciate, thesetime savings are greatly welcomed.Thereliability of cashiers is an age-old concern forlegal service providers.

[With Pinpoint,] I have a named cashier but, ifthey’re absent from work, as everyone is fromtime to time for holidays if nothing else, there’sa deputy and supervisor who’ll cover instead.

I don’t have to worry about my cashier notturning up in the morning as other law firmsdo.The software, combined with my Pinpointcashier, is an excellent product.

As a matter of fact, I don’t know how I couldtrade profitably without it.

to Quill, complying with CLC requirementswas so much easier because we have bestpractice measures in place to meet ourobligations, within the regulatory framework.

An initial investment of time was required tojoin the various elements of the systemtogether. We’ve been fully operational sincemid-October with everything workingsmoothly, helping our new staff members tohit the ground running with all legalcashiering outsourced.

We’ve really got to know our cashier wellsince October. After we’ve entered our dailye-chits into Interactive, we’re in regularcontact by email and phone. It’s like havingan extra colleague but without the usualcomplications and costs of in-houseemployment.

We’d encourage other practices in oursituation – establishing a new venture butwith an eye on the future and aspirationstowards expansion – to do the same as us.Choose fully scalable yet easily affordablesolutions, outsourced cashiering by Quillbeing one of them!” Dawn Pickett

Francis Parffrey

6

With forty years of heritage, we continue to stand proudly independent and remainfully accountable to our clients and employees in recognition that, as the largestsupplier of outsourced cashiering services, we’re very much an extension of manylaw firms’ back office staff.

We’re now led by a senior leadership team comprising existing directors, Julian Bryan(Managing Director) and Richard Salt (IT Director), and recently appointed TomWormald (Client Services Director) (see below).

MBO and rebrand

Movers & shakers

Following a management buyout in June this year, we’ve unveiled our new name and visual identity.

We’re delighted to announce this latest series of appointments, promotion and retirement…

Julian comments: “I’m delighted that the MBO has been achieved. Remaining independently owned was of utmost importance in order todeliver ongoing support to our brilliant 90-strong knowledgeable staff, and provide assurance to our valued clients that we’re stable andsecure. The MBO gives employees and customers alike the confidence to invest in Quill as an employer or partner to grow both careersand businesses.

The MBO is an opportune time to launch our subtle name change and new-look logo incorporating a tagline that accurately representswhere we are today and our vision for the future. Our transformation is the result of an exhaustive rebranding project whereby we exploredand defined our core values and organisational strategy. It shows the industry exactly what we stand for.

Our board of directors looks forward to working with all stakeholders – internal and external – for many, many years to come.”

Appointment: Tom Wormald, Client Services DirectorFollowing on from our MBO announcement (above), we’d like tointroduce you properly to Tom Wormald. We’ve recruited Tom to ourcore senior leadership team in the position of Client Services Director.

With almost 20 years’ experience in the legal sector working withvarious national full service law firms, 10 years of which were spent inhigh-level roles, and with extensive involvement in outsourcingpartnerships, Tom possesses the perfect combination of knowledge,expertise and skills for his new job as a pivotal member of ourmanagement board.

Tom explains:

“I’m delighted to join the Quill family where I’m already beingwelcomed into the fold and being put through my paces! I seemy appointment as a crucial step in securing the sustained clientbase and future expansion of what’s already a very stronglypositioned business.

My work’s all about our clients. Where possible, we aim to serveclients even better, whether they’re outsourcing service orsoftware users, which is no small task considering how Quillexcels on this currently.

I look forward to helping Quill achieve its ambitious servicedelivery, software development and client retention goals whichwill gain us a more dominant footing in the market.”

Company & staff news

7

Retirement: David Phillips, Sales ManagerLast, but by no means least, our long-servingSales Manager and former solicitor, David Phillips,who's worked at Quill since 1989, has taken uphis hard-earned retirement.

As a now-retired individual, David can enjoyspending a greater amount of spare time with hiswife, children, grandchildren, dog, ManchesterCity and a backgammon board... but notnecessarily in that order!

I’m sure you’ll join us in wishing David ahappy and healthy retirement!

“I’m excited about joining Quill, a well-known and well-liked supplierto the legal profession. As an innovative company, its productportfolio is constantly enhanced and expanded in order to meetmarket demands.

As sales consultant, it’s my role to help practices keep up to datewith software and service developments, and choose thecombination best suited to them.”

Appointment: Jo Poole, Regional Sales ConsultantWe've appointed seasoned business development and sales executive,Jo Poole, to our accounts management team. As regional salesconsultant for the South, Jo has assumed responsibility for both existingclients and prospective clients based in this area, involving additional andnew product sales respectively.

Jo brings with her 21 years’ sales experience, 16 of which have beenspent in the legal industry for various software suppliers, and a host ofachievement recognition awards.

Jo says:

Promotion: Clare Tuck, Client Relationship ManagerWe’ve promoted Clare Tuck to the just-formed position of clientrelationship manager. Clare’s new duties involve buildingrelationships between all stakeholders to the business for theultimate purpose of creating a stronger client-centric, people-focused culture.

Prior to this, Clare has been Regional Sales Consultant for theSouth since 2006. Having first joined Quill in 1994, Clare’s heldvarious administrative, marketing and implementation co-ordinationpositions beforehand too.

Clare states:

“Because I’ve worked at Quill for 23 years, I already know many ofour clients. This is a great starting point in my new post as I’ll noweffectively become the primary contact between Quill and ourcustomers. My primary task is to further tighten these bonds andkeep developing our solutions as clients dictate.”

8

News from our partners

There’s a lot of noise around about the introduction of the EU-wideGeneral Data Protection Regulations

(GDPR) which replaces the current UK DataProtection Act on 25th May 2018.

Why is it creating such a stir? How will yoube affected by it? What do you need to do to comply?

PenaltiesOne of the reasons GDPR has caught theattention of business owners is the potential foreye-wateringly large fines for non-compliance –up to €20 million or 4% of global annualturnover, whichever is greater.

GDPR also makes it considerably easier forindividuals to bring claims for ‘material and non-material damage’ – ie they’ll be able to claim fordistress, hurt feelings or reputational damage,even when they can’t prove financial loss.That’s a sea change from the present law.

Data Protection OfficersOrganisations with more than 250 employees,or which process data on a large scale, mustappoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). Otherswill need a DPO-equivalent (for law firms, mostlikely the COLP) to ensure GDPR complianceand to be the liaison for clients and others withprivacy concerns.

ConsentConsent to hold and process personal data isthe cornerstone of GDPR. Data is defined as‘any information... that can be used to directlyor indirectly identify the person’, eg electronicand paper records of names, email addresses,bank account details, photographs, medicalrecords, IP addresses or social media posts.

You must request consent in clear, simplelanguage, separately from other T&Cs and bespecific about how information gathered will beused. Data subjects (this includes clients andemployees) must positively opt in with an easyway to withdraw consent at any time. Usingpersonal data for a different purpose needs anew consent.

Holding data lawfullyOrganisations must document all the personaldata they hold, its source, who can access it,where it’s held and why it’s held. Most law firmscan call up their database and list their data byclient.

But how many would be as confident abouttheir paper records, including archives, and filesinherited from other firms during mergers? Andwhat’s stored on individual desktops, laptops orin email records?

Communicating privacyinformationOnce you have a complete list of data, youneed to document the lawful basis on whichyou’re holding it. Refresh privacy notices,ensuring they’re concise, clear and simple,stating how you intend to use theinformation and the lawful reason forprocessing it. The privacy notice shouldalso tell people of their right to complain tothe Information Commissioner’s Office(ICO) if they think there’s a problem with theway you’re handling their data.

AccountabilityYou must be able to prove compliance withthe new legislation and detail the stepstaken. This requires proper policies andaudit trails documenting how processingdecisions were made and how they achieveeffective data protection.

New rightsGDPR provides people with additionalrights, most notably:

The right to be forgotten – individualswill have the right to demand deletion ofpersonal data where there’s nocompelling reason for its continuedprocessing. Law firms must have theprocesses and technology to be able toidentify and delete data on request.What do you hold and where?

Subject access requests – people canask for all data held on them andorganisations must provide this ‘withoutdelay’, at the latest within one month,and without charge. Can you do this?

Privacy by designUnder GDPR, privacy risks must beassessed at the start of any new project,and reassessed continuously. You mustcarry out a privacy impact assessmentwhenever the risk of breach is high due tothe nature or scope of the processingoperation, eg where a firm is planning tobuy new software and data will be migrated,or in a merger where datasets will becombined.

It also applies to processing dataconcerning vulnerable subjects. GDPRdefines ‘vulnerable’ as where there is a

power imbalance between the datacontroller and the data subject, and theindividual may not be able to consent to oroppose the processing of their data. Thiscould apply to children and vulnerableadults but also to HR activities.

Reporting breachesThis doesn’t just mean the loss of data, butalso destruction, alteration, unauthoriseddisclosure of, or access to, personal data.Currently, there’s no obligation to report abreach, but GDPR requires the report ofdata breaches to the ICO within 72 hours.There are potentially serious consequencesof failing to do so – a fine of up to €10m or2% of global turnover. Practically, thismeans that everyone in your company mustbe able to recognise a breach with clearreporting lines to ensure a rapid response.

Counsel, experts andoutsourcing Law firms commonly transfer personal datato other individuals and organisations, egcounsel or medical experts, or tooutsourced providers. Under GDPR thefirm, as data controller, retains responsibility(and liability) for the proper and securehandling of their data by third parties andmust only engage with those who canprovide ‘sufficient guarantees’. So, youmust conduct thorough due diligence andreview existing agreements to ensure thatthey’re protected.

ConclusionWith the introduction of GDPR on 25th May2018, privacy becomes central toeverything you do, and you should startpreparing now. You need to review all thedata you hold and assess whether youhave consent to process it. This is no meanfeat and will require board/partner levelcommitment. Privacy just became real.

Due to the imminent arrival of GDPR,Quill, like many businesses, is currentlyundergoing an information audit,software and service review.

You'll be reassured to learn we're well ontrack to being software and servicecompliant by May 2018. This means, asour clients, you'll be compliant ahead ofGDPR go-live too.

What’s the fuss about GDPR? by Anne Austin, Enderley Consulting Limited

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If you’d like help reviewing and revising yourpolicies and procedures to achieve GDPRcompliance, please contact Anne by calling01743 294 866 or 07533 571871 or emailinganne@enderleyconsulting.co.uk.

Finally, we held two big fundraisingevents. First, in May, we walked 30 milesalong Hadrian’s Wall within 10 hours. Itwas flatter terrain than the previousyear’s Yorkshire Three Peaks trek but,due to damage caused by flooding,sections of the walk were cordoned offand we had to detour extensively.

We overcame these setbacks, completedthe walk and raised £6,145 with somematched funding and cupcake selling

thrown in! Our beneficiary was theAlzheimer’s Society who were delightedto receive such a staggering amount ofmoney towards their research,campaigning and local advisory servicesinitiatives.

Second, our November Children inNeed day involved our ever-popularMancunian buffet, guess the weight ofthe cake, quiz, raffle and various gamessuch as radio bingo.

As a result of our efforts, we raised justshy of £1,150 for vulnerable,disadvantaged and disabled childrenhere in the UK.

We’re giving something back!

As ardent charity stalwarts, 2016 is a pretty hard year to beat from a fundraising perspective. We raisedand donated money to 27 different charities to the tune of £8,814. We did all manner of activities toachieve this jaw-dropping figure.

Richard Salt is one of our most dedicatedrunners and fundraisers (shown here

completing the Brighton Half Marathon)

Anyone who’s ever read one of our manycharity stories will know about our monthlydress down Fridays.

We wear casual clothes to the office everyFriday and once a month contribute aminimum of £1 per staff member for the charity pot. Our regional offices take turnschoosing each month’s charity.

Throughout the year we accrued over £650from dressing down.

We also showed support to others hosting their own fundraisers, be it staff, friends, familyor clients.This ranged from a 10,000 steps aday month-long challenge to running amarathon and equated to more than £850 overthe year’s duration.

We’ve done things we’ve never done before, notleast a boxing match, firewalk and halfmarathon. We’ve collected Easter eggs forpoorly children in hospital. We’ve hosted ourown coffee morning where we cooked up somebaking delights to raise money for Macmillan.We’ve run a special collection for the We LoveManchester Emergency Fund for the British RedCross to help those injured or bereaved by thedevastating bomb attack at Manchester Arena.

We’ve also held a raffle, cake and book sale forthis year’s main charity, Help for Heroes. And,not forgetting our monthly dress down Fridaysand regular blood donations which havecontinued throughout the year, and supported allmanner of national and local charities includingSt Ann’s Hospice, The Christie, CancerResearch UK, Woodlands Hospice, MarfanAssociation, Stick ‘n’ Step, Bliss, DarlingtonWomen’s Refuge, R Charity and KingsburyPrimary School.

However, we’re determined to smash this total in 2017 and we’re already well on the way to achieving ourambitious goal. Want to know our fundraising monies to date? Drum roll please… £5,250!

We got tough and muddy (again)for charity in Tough Mudder

Doing your own fundraising and looking for donations? Seeking volunteers for yourcharitable projects? Got any suggestions for new events to hold or charities to support?

Our biggest challenge by far was Tough Mudder on 9th September. We were alreadyvery familiar with the hardcore assault course that is Tough Mudder, having taken partin 2015. This time, there were even more of us participating and we’re still busycollecting donations for Help for Heroes.

If you think tackling 20+ world-class obstacles over a 12-mile course containing500,000 litres of grade-A mud and 40 tonnes of ice deserves a few pounds’ donation,please go to our secure JustGiving page to show your support:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/quilltoughmudder.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Do get in touch with our charity committee:projectqp@quill.co.uk

There’s lots more fundraising yet to come.Watch this space for our next charity update andkeep an eye on our Facebook page for regularposts over the coming months:www.facebook.com/QuillPinpoint

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www.twitter.com/QuillPinpoint

www.quill.co.uk/headlineswww.linkedin.com/company/QuillPinpoint

www.facebook.com/QuillPinpoint

Interactive SuiteInteractive is a cloud-based suite of software applications for lawfirms. Modules comprise Interactive accounts, Interactive cloud,Interactive documents and Interactive API.

Police Station AppOur Police Station App allows criminal legal aid lawyers to capturenotes and time recordings at the station then sync with Interactive tocomplete validation and matter set-up at the office.

Like us on Facebook:

Connect with us on LinkedIn: Check out our news page:

Follow us on Twitter:

info@quill.co.uk0161 236 2910

www.quill.co.uk

PinpointOutsourced legal accounting service catering for every aspect ofcashiering in accordance with the SRA Accounts Rules for guaranteedcompliance and hassle-free bookkeeping.

PayrollOutsourced payroll service with optional pension management,handling everything from salary payments and payslip production topaperwork and reports generation.

Software & service catalogue

Barclay House 35 Whitworth Street WestManchester M1 5NG

As well as our extensive range ofuser guides, we have a selectionof video podcast resources. You can view these at your leisure byclicking on the ‘Video Podcasts’ hyperlink atthe top of the main Interactive screen.

Our podcasts are categorised so that you can find exactly whatyou’re looking for with ease, for example ‘Getting Started’, ‘Matters / Cases’ and ‘E-Chits’.

Many of our ‘Anthony Lewin’s hints and tips’ instructions are available as user guides either forspecific functionality or as an overview ofInteractive’s key features. These comprehensive manuals contain detailed step-by-stepinstructions supported by screen shot images throughout for easy-to-understand visual representation, thereby helping you master aspecific tool or activity in Interactive.

As a software client, these user guides are readily available,completely free of charge.

Request our user guides Watch our podcasts

So, whether you’re a new or more seasoned Interactive user, accessour podcasts to train yourself up to experienced status and reallystart to reap the benefits of your investment in our software.

For more information, and to request your copies, pleasecontact our support team by emailing support@quill.co.uk orcalling 0161 236 2910.

Find out more at www.quill.co.uk and go to ‘Solutions’.

Personalised trainingWith your new software and service(s) in situ, book some bespoke training with web-based delivery.