Hallett & Perrin Transforms Their Ediscovery Workflows with Everlaw
Hallett & Perrin is a Dallas-based law firm known for focused, effective representation across a wide range of legal matters. The firm handles class action litigation, business litigation, corporate securities work, and employment litigation. Its expertise also includes the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and benefits litigation, labor disputes, trusts and estates, and other business disputes. This breadth of practice areas allows the firm to meet varied client needs while maintaining a high standard of efficiency and precision.
The litigation department relies on a close-knit team, including two paralegals and a group of legal assistants who work together to deliver strong results. Alisha Vance, a seasoned paralegal with more than 30 years of experience, plays a key role in the firm’s litigation efforts.
“I’ve been working with ediscovery before the ‘e’ was added to discovery,” Vance said when recalling how discovery work has changed over time. “The initial cases I worked on were all paper-based, and we progressed to using separate programs—one for imaging and another for data—making the process cumbersome and inefficient.”
Through her work with these outdated tools, Vance has seen firsthand the impact capable technology can have on the discovery process.
Challenges with Traditional Ediscovery Tools
Before adopting Everlaw, Hallett & Perrin struggled with traditional ediscovery tools. They had multiple systems that were disconnected, which slowed down key workflows and delayed access to important information.
When it came time to change the discovery process, Vance’s expertise played a key role in the search for a new tool.
“I've always been one of the people who participated in and looked for ways to continue using and expanding the efficiencies that we could bring to projects by using any tool, whether it’s old or new,” Vance said.
Prior tools made it hard to quickly analyze data, find insights, and build effective legal strategies. Vance described the difference after the move to Everlaw as night and day, noting that the platform let the team identify critical information fast. That clarity helped them understand key events sooner and take a more strategic approach to litigation.
“Everlaw has allowed us to shed a tremendous amount of light, very quickly, on the data we gather from our clients to bolster our understanding of key events,” Vance said. “From there, we can move into more specific ways to be defensive or forward-thinking in claims.”
Efficient Ediscovery Implementation with Everlaw
Hallett & Perrin’s adoption of Everlaw marked a turning point in its approach to ediscovery. Vance helped with the transition, recognizing the need for a tool that could streamline work and deliver faster results.
“The firm and the associates, as well as the partners, were eager to find a better tool,” Vance said. “Once we met with and understood how Everlaw could change the practices and the workflows, we signed up a case as soon as possible and from there had good success.”
The firm quickly integrated Everlaw into its processes, using it on as many cases as budgets allowed. Everlaw’s features, including early case assessment projects, proved invaluable.
Search term reports added to that efficiency. The team could show exactly how searches were built, share results with clients, and provide necessary information to opposing counsel. These tools sped up document review and supported the firm’s ability to build compelling case narratives.
“With Everlaw, we’ve saved weeks to months in reaching early case assessments and efficiently identifying key documents based on date ranges and critical events. It helps us build a narrative that clients want to put forward in their claims by providing additional support from the data that we find and can quickly get to,” Vance added.
Empowering Teams with Data and Collaboration
Everlaw has changed how Hallett & Perrin’s teams collaborate and analyze data, allowing more people across the firm to engage in discovery. Bringing different viewpoints into the process strengthens the firm’s ability to support its clients.
“Everlaw broadens the participation in the initial phases of case data analysis, enabling diverse perspectives that enhance understanding and interpretation of the data,” Vance said.
The platform’s Storybuilder feature has been especially helpful. It provides a collaborative space for organizing and annotating case materials, even for smaller matters that primarily involve PDFs. This flexibility helped the firm move away from traditional shared drive folders to a system that is easier to use, more dynamic, and better for teamwork.
The training and support from Everlaw, which is provided to clients at no added cost, has also made a difference in Hallett & Perrin’s quick adoption of the platform.
“I’m really impressed with Everlaw’s training and support and how it works to broaden the base of people who can do things that have been exclusively given to smaller sets of workers,” Vance said.
With more team members gaining the skills to use Everlaw’s tools, the firm has built more inclusive and efficient workflows, saving time, improving collaboration, and delivering greater value to clients.
Creating an Integrated Ediscovery Process
By moving away from the cumbersome and inefficient paper-based workflows of the past, Hallett & Perrin has done more than just update its software; it has fundamentally empowered its people.
As Hallett & Perrin continues to integrate Everlaw across its practice, they aren’t just keeping pace with the industry—they are defining what a high-precision, tech-forward litigation firm looks like today.
“Everlaw has proven to me that I'm able, competent, responsible, and ethical in the choices that I make,” Vance said. “I believe I’m a more effective professional because I can arrive at answers faster and more efficiently, and those answers then become part of the lifecycle of a case.”
