A top law firm switches to LoopUp for improved audio reliability on international client calls
Kramer Levin is a leading US law firm, providing clients with proactive, creative and pragmatic solutions that address today’s most challenging legal issues. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Silicon Valley and Paris. With more than 375 attorneys in 60-plus practice areas, its clients range from Fortune 100 companies to family offices.
Audio quality issues on international calls
Joseph Palmeri is the Chief Information Officer at Kramer Levin and oversees all global technology across the firm. Kramer Levin were using a traditional dial-in system for many of their external client calls, but ongoing call quality problems were causing frustration. “Our attorneys were experiencing problems with call clarity on international calls,” said Joseph. “Static and background noise were frequent problems. Local dial-in numbers were unavailable for international callers and there was no toll-free facility.”
A pilot with LoopUp
Joseph decided to look for an alternative solution. “I am part of a CIO group here in New York City which comprises 25 large law firms,” explained Joseph. “I asked the group which conferencing tools they would recommend. The majority were using LoopUp and spoke highly of the tool.” Kramer Levin piloted LoopUp with a specific group of users who frequently have calls with international callers. “We wanted to see if the call quality significantly improved with LoopUp,” said Joseph. “And it did. All the static, feedback and echoing we experienced with our previous provider had gone away.” LoopUp routes all audio over regular phone lines, not over VoIP, for increased reliability.
A quick and easy roll-out
After the successful pilot, LoopUp was rolled out firmwide. “I was initially concerned that rolling out the solution would be difficult and time-consuming,” said Joseph. “I also thought the ongoing maintenance of the product would create additional work for the IT department. The roll-out was simple, and the product is so intuitive, we don’t need any extra training or support for our users. We rarely have any issues, it just works!”
The product deployment was quick and seamless. Kramer Levin’s IT team only needed to centrally deploy the LoopUp for Outlook app and configure single sign-on, and LoopUp took care of the rest, including setting up accounts, sending out user activation emails, creating additional meeting rooms for attorneys and hosting 15-minute introductory sessions for staff. LoopUp also offers round-the-clock customer support and a dedicated Account Manager. “Although LoopUp offers great customer support, I’ve never had to use it which is a testament to the quality of the product,” said Joseph.
No more dial-in numbers and access codes
Kramer Levin kept their existing dial-in provider alongside LoopUp. “Within a couple of months, 75-80% of our staff were choosing LoopUp for their meetings,” said Joseph. “Those who use it, love it. I haven’t used the old provider since we’ve had LoopUp.” One popular LoopUp feature at Kramer Levin is the ability to join a call by clicking a link. Users click the LoopUp meeting link, enter their name and phone number and LoopUp calls them. They no longer have to remember dial-in numbers or access codes. LoopUp also offers additional visibility and control during a meeting. Hosts are able to see who is on the call, who is speaking and can mute, add, or remove guests.
Keeping staff productive when working remotely
LoopUp was primarily used for external calls with clients. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and Kramer Levin employees were forced to work remotely, LoopUp became one of the main tools for internal collaboration across the firm. “Many of our internal meetings were done in-person in conference rooms,” explained Joseph. “We used LoopUp heavily for external meetings but since our move to remote working, we are having more internal meetings with LoopUp than external. I don’t know what we would have done without it.” Kramer Levin would also host meetings for their clients in their office. Due to travel restrictions, these meetings now take place using LoopUp as one of the platforms.
LoopUp’s screen sharing feature allows Kramer Levin users to share content in real-time. “We use screen share all the time for internal meetings to discuss documents, contracts and flow charts,” said Joseph. “It has definitely helped us be more productive as we can make a decision together during a call.”
A positive experience across the firm
As a firm that works with organizations globally, Kramer Levin needs to maintain effective communication with its clients no matter where they are. Poor audio quality was causing problems on many of the firm’s international conference calls. After seeking advice from other leading law firms, Kramer Levin decided to pilot LoopUp. The trial proved successful and LoopUp was deployed across the business. Although initially only used for external calls, LoopUp became invaluable to the firm when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and staff needed a tool for internal collaboration. Since implementing LoopUp, all audio reliability issues have been eliminated. “All of our call quality issues have been resolved with LoopUp and we’ve had only positive experiences with the product,” said Joseph.
