Newbould & Co Solicitors, trading as Newboulds Solicitors, is a boutique firm which specialises in commercial technology litigation, namely third-party server security class actions on behalf of industries. Founder and managing director Sophie Newbould has a wealth of experience in advising a range of corporate clients and public sector institutions, including police forces and central government. In addition to running her legal practice, Sophie has also set up the Valiance Law Firm with global brand leader Daphne Diluce, which helps clients “gain competitive advantage by building protected branded businesses using commercial law and governance”.
To help keep on top of legal research, Sophie subscribes to a range of Lexis+ Practical Guidance modules, including Commercial, Information Law, and Risk & Compliance. We spoke to her to find out how her access to the LexisNexis database assists with her everyday work.
Trust and reliability: engendering a feeling of safety
Sophie has been using LexisNexis products for about 20 years, since she was studying law. Although she has tried other online resources, she finds that Lexis+ is most suited to her requirements: “it’s just much more on point as to what I actually need.” Having confidence in the quality of the content and knowing that it's all kept up to date, provides her with an important sense of reassurance: “I feel safe with you.”
The clear summaries of new legislation and case law, coupled with an “easy-to-use” interface, means that Sophie can find what she is looking for quickly and efficiently. She is also particularly impressed with the quality of the licenced content available through her subscription, such as Lexology Panoramic (formally known as Getting the Deal Through), a series of reference guides comparing the treatment of individual core commercial topics in various jurisdictions worldwide, written by local practitioners - “it’s just brilliant!”
Value for money
Since Newboulds Solicitors is a small niche practice, it’s important for Sophie to ensure that any overheads are kept to a minimum. Fortunately, the reasonable cost of her subscription to Lexis+ allows her to stay well within operating margins, whilst at the same time having invaluable access to a research tool she knows and trusts.
“With Lexis+ I know I've got what I need for my small business to operate — so the price tag is well worth keeping the subscription going, to make sure I've got access to the latest research tools.”
As Sophie explains, “With Lexis+ I know I’ve got what I need for my small business to operate — so the price tag is well worth keeping the subscription going, to make sure I've got access to the latest research tools. In fact, having access to the resources helps to fulfil section 3.3 of the SRA code of conduct relating to maintaining professional knowledge. And from an affordability perspective, you've been really good to me as a small business. You've really helped me get through the first few years. You just became the main online resource of choice.”
Saving time
The pithy phrase “time is money” is particularly pertinent for legal professionals, and any efficiency gains in terms of time spent on legal research equates to improved profitability for a firm. In this regard, Sophie finds the Information Law module especially useful.
“LexisNexis is invaluable in terms of saving time when getting on top of a new subject area.”
“In terms of getting on top of a new subject, Lexis+ is really good. For example, I have done a lot of work around data transfers and knew that Google would not be fit for research purposes — but I could rely on LexisNexis to deliver what I needed in terms of practical content. So I would say that LexisNexis is invaluable in terms of saving time when getting on top of a new subject area.”
Find out more about how Lexis+ can enhance your legal research experience, or discover the benefits for yourself by taking a trial.
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