Newark-Based KL Software Technologies Helps Law Firms Implement Intranets That Meet Their Specific Needs
Recently, Newark-based KL Software Technologies (KLST), headed by Ragav Jagannathan, developed a bilingual intranet using Microsoft SharePoint Online for the international law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP (Toronto).
Fasken’s intranet, which currently supports content in English and French, now offers all the firm’s employees access to information that is professionally relevant to them, including company-wide news, financial dashboards, document-management access, a firm directory and more. A mobile version was also created for professionals on the go.
Noted Jagannathan, whose company specializes in digital services for law firms, mobile capability is the first thing his firm provides for its clients.
“Anything that we do on the services side is mobile first, meaning that we design for the smallest device and then scale it up, starting with a phone, then a tablet, then to the Mac and PC. Mobile-first is key to our philosophy,” he said.
KLST also offers additional software for the legal vertical, including the following:
KLoBot — A do-it-yourself legal chatbot and virtual-assistant builder platform powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), via Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service. www.klobot.ai
netDocShare — Software that enables you to access NetDocuments content in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive for business. www.netdocshare.com
imDocShare — Software that accesses iManage Work Servers and iManage Cloud content in SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive and web apps. www.imdocshare.com
Legal101 — A digital workplace intranet portal for law firms that uses Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online. www.klstinc.com/legal101
Jagannathan discussed the reasons why his company is located in New Jersey: “I am a hardcore New Jerseyan. I love living in New Jersey, and I have a lot of strong ties in New Jersey. My kids go to school in Jersey, and we hire a lot of people from New Jersey. In fact, when we opened our office in Newark, we were working very closely with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). They were really helpful in helping us get established.”
KLST, which also has an office in India, employs about 40 people who come in on a rotating basis to the Newark office. The firm hires people from New Jersey as well, recently taking four interns on board.
“I believe that the Newark we knew of 20 years ago and the Newark today [are] very different,” Jagannathan said. “Obviously, it is an evolving city, but my preference for Newark was three things. Number one, proximity to some of the best colleges in New Jersey — Rutgers, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Stevens Institute. And then the second is obviously contributing to the booming Newark economy. The third point, which is also important, is just adding the proximity to New York, which is a hub for law firms, and Philadelphia, which is also a hub for law firms. Those are the three key things we had in mind.”
In addition to creating new intranets, KLST provides domestic and international law firms with the following services:
Collaboration and content — Modernizing SharePoint intranet/extranet portals, SharePoint upgrade/migration and custom app development.
Systems integration — Integrating custom applications with NetDocuments, iManage, Elite, Aderant, LexisNexis, Intapp and more.
Cloud migrations — Migrating on-premises platforms and apps to Microsoft Azure 365 or to Amazon Web Services.
Enterprise hybrid mobile apps — Custom hybrid mobile-app development, using Microsoft Xamarin and .NET MAUI to build iOS and Android apps.
AI — Consulting services for integrating generative AI into existing apps and AI-powered analytics.
Jagannathan discussed the Fasken engagement. The international law firm, which also has a presence in Africa and the United Kingdom, needed a centralized digital platform to assist its employees in navigating through their day. Fasken selected KLST because of the company’s SharePoint expertise, as well as its experience with — and understanding of — the unique needs of law firms and the applications they use.
Jagannathan explained, “Fasken is the largest law firm in Canada. They have close to 1,000 attorneys. We worked with their knowledge attorney team in order to create an intranet that connects attorneys in new ways.”
As part of the engagement, KLST created a communications platform that accommodates anything published about Fasken itself (such as news releases, bulletins and announcements) that a senior managing partner might need to issue. KLST has also created a financial dashboard and centralized platform where working attorneys and partners can get snapshots that show how their businesses and teams are performing.
