Reed Smith LLP Chief Knowledge Officer Tom Baldwin and Director of Knowledge Management Lisa Gianakos accepted the SharePoint Innovator of the Year Award at the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Conference 2009, held Aug. 27 near Washington, D.C. The SharePoint Innovator of the Year award recognizes a law firm or corporate law department for its innovative use of Microsoft’s SharePoint technology. Reed Smith’s intranet portal was selected at the conference by legal industry peers, who voted on award winners from a field that was narrowed to four finalists from more than 100 submissions.

Using an innovative blend of leading-edge Microsoft SharePoint integrated technologies, including XMLAW and Recommind, to realize their unique portal design, Baldwin and the entire project team (including Bob Beach and Amy Oster and the team from XMLAW ) produced ouRSpace, an intuitive application that has become an essential and invaluable daily interface across the 3,200 global-user community at Reed Smith.

Baldwin and Gianakos led the ouRSpace project team, which included personnel from the KM, IT and Marketing Departments, through a rapid deployment timetable spanning less than eight months from inception to roll-out.  The project was a highly collaborative effort, introducing new technology and creative integration of existing technology never seen in the legal market, including the use of a Silverlight video player and deep integration between SharePoint, Recommind and WestKM.  The end product was something very easy to use and powerful for Reed Smith's global workforce. 

"With more than 40 percent of our lawyers based outside the United States, we truly needed a global platform for communications that would foster a sense of community, while still addressing the tactical day-to-day needs of our lawyers and staff,” Baldwin said. “ouRSpace was the culmination of a lot of hard work by many people who bring together information and resources that make the firm more efficient in delivering services to clients."

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with nearly 1,600 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises.  Its lawyers provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high-stakes disputes; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions.  Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education.  For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

U.S.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Silicon Valley, Century City, Richmond

Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Greece

Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Asia: Hong Kong, Beijing