Enhanced Conflict of Interest

The impact of an unidentified conflict of interest can be significant for a law firm in many ways. Direct consequences can be felt if the law firm is unable to pursue a particular matter when a conflict of interest is discovered. Depending upon when the conflict is discovered and its severity, consequences can include lost of repaid legal fees or even disbarment. Yet, this must be balanced with the need to efficiently complete the process of opening new Matters. In this latest release, Orion has been updated to provide a more efficient method of adding parties to a new Matter. Names can be copied from a document and pasted directly into the Matter Intake form or they can be imported from a text file, simplifying the process over manually typing names, aliases and relationships for the new Matter. Once added, performing a search can now be conducted directly from within the Matter Intake by selecting the “Conflicts Search” option.

In addition to providing a more resourceful method of adding names, Orion Version 5 also expands the scope of what can be included when performing a search, adding accuracy to the results presented. Prospective Clients, new Matters for existing Clients and the parties involved in those cases, while in the Intake process, are now included in all searches. Furthermore, any previous “formal” search, similar to those conducted for new Clients, Matters and searches conducted when during a lateral-hire, are also included. Conflict avoidance is made simpler yet more reliable than ever before with Orion Version 5.

Formal and Informal Searches

There are two search types: Formal and Informal.

Typically only the person at the firm responsible for conflicts would be allowed to do both Formal and Informal searches and be able to switch between the two. Formal would be the default. Typically users not responsible for performing the Conflict searches would be restricted to informal searches only (controlled in the Security Group in Orion Administration).

A Formal Search will create a Conflict record on the terms searched and give those Conflict records the Relationship “Previous Search.” For example, a Formal search on the terms “John Doe” will create a Conflict record “John Doe” with the Relationship “Previous Search.”

The Requested By field is saved in the Search History. Therefore, you can track who requested the Conflict Search in your Search History records. Note that this is saved on Formal searches only.

Additional Tables to Search

If checked, these options give you the following:

1. Pending Intake Items – searches items pending in intake
2. Previous Searches – will return any records with the Relationship “Previous Search” that are records created from previous Formal searches.
3. Client Address (Attention Line) – searches the Address Attention Line on the Client record

4.  Matter Addresses (Attention and Bill To) – searches the Address Attention Line and Bill To on the Matter record

Note that items 3 and 4 (searching the Client and Matter Addresses – both the Alternate Billing Address and Carbon Copy Addresses) are part of the “Enhanced Conflicts Search.” Please contact Orion Support for pricing on setup and training.

Intake Form

1. Import Conflict records. You can now import Conflict records.  Click the Import button.

        You will then get to this window:

        Click the Help button to get more information on the file types that are supported.

• Browse to the file (click on the look-up), select the file, and click Open.
• Check the box “File has a header row” if the file has a header row.
• Click OK. Then your parties import into the intake form.

2. Conflict Search directly from intake form. You can now do a Conflict Search directly from the intake form.

• Click the Conflicts Search button.

You can fill out the Requested By field. Check the additional tables you want to search. Click Batch Search, and the system will pull up your Conflict Search window.

• You can then Batch Search right from there.