ST HELIER, Jersey, September 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

New services will increase efficiencies enabling firm to add higher value to clients

CPA Global's First To File^® (FTF), a leading provider of hosted intellectual property (IP) document management technology, announced today that Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld LLP, a Silicon Valley IP law firm, has purchased both its Electronic File Room™ for Patents (EFR-Patents) electronic IP information management system, and its Workflow Management module.  

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The web-based EFR-Patents and Workflow modules will help the firm streamline operations, providing real-time access to IP documents both for those working in the office and remotely.  FTF's EFR-Patents web-based system organises cases into electronic files, providing quick, easy and familiar access to all patent-related information. Workflow Management automates the complex steps needed to prosecute a patent, including creation and review of IP-related forms and documents.

Resulting efficiencies will decrease costs at the firm by reducing time taken to perform basic administrative tasks, and will allow attorneys and staff to focus on higher value prosecution and advisory services.

Patent attorney Ernie Beffel, managing partner at the firm, noted: "First To File is user-friendly and it will allow us to track workflow at the firm in real time so the entire team is always aware of the status of a project.  We expect it will pay for itself each year by increasing billable time for our lawyers, agents and paralegals.  Also, First To File is a web-based hosted solution which means we don't need an on-site IT professional or our own server farm.  First To File maintains and backs up its own servers so we expect to never have outages once they host our data."

Nicole Nowak, Office Administrator at Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld, led the selection process.  Nowak explained:  "We considered several products, but First To File was clearly the best choice.  First To File offers one central system for organising and accessing all IP case data, in turn eliminating the silo effect of disparate databases.  We expect our administrative burden to be reduced by eliminating the inefficiencies associated with multiple data entry, cumbersome document and email management, and manual workflow tracking.  First To File also offers a familiar Tri-Fold^® user interface, an intuitive, central IDS Reference Library, and daily integration with the USPTO to automatically download and notify team members of new actions. Since the software is web-based, attorneys and agents can access IP portfolio data and documents at any time from any location, eliminating the requirement for burdensome document downloads and more importantly, allowing for real time strategic client meetings."    

Kurt Wedel, Vice President, Operations at CPA Global's First To File, remarked: "We are very pleased that Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld has selected First To File EFR-Patents and Workflow modules for their firm.  They join the ranks of many organisations around the globe that have chosen First To File to create efficiency, transform paper to electronic files, and provide anywhere, anytime access to IP case files via the web. Our support team looks forward to finalising the installation rapidly so the firm can realise the benefits and return-on-investment for which First To File is well known."

For more information about CPA Global's First To File, visit http://www.firsttofile.com.

About First To File

First To File's products automate the storage, management and analysis of legal documents worldwide, enabling law firms and corporate legal professionals to reduce risk and work more effectively. FTF's Electronic File Room (EFR) for Patents and Trademarks is a web-based document management and automation solution for corporate IP/legal teams and law firms of all sizes.  The Workflow Management module provides automation and management of the business processes associated with creating and prosecuting IP assets.  Used by Fortune 500 companies as well as top IP law firms, EFR for Patents and Trademarks reduces reliance on paper and transforms the prosecution process by increasing overall visibility, efficiency and quality while significantly reducing costs. For more information, visit http://www.firsttofile.com.

About CPA Global

Founded in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1969, CPA Global is the world's leading intellectual property (IP) management and IP software specialist, and an international provider of outsourced legal services. With offices across Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific, CPA Global supports many of the world's best known corporations and law firms with a range of IP and broader legal services, helping them to manage risk, cost and capacity.

CPA Global helps clients in managing valuable IP Rights, such as patents, designs and trademarks, ensuring that IP portfolios are protected, maintained and regularly reviewed in order to maximise value. CPA Global offers four market-leading IP management software solutions (FoundationIP, Inprotech, Ipendo, and Memotech) tailored towards different types of clients and their specific needs; First To File, the market-leading electronic document management system for IP; as well as Discover, one of the world's most advanced patent search platforms. See: http://www.cpaglobal.com.

Media Contacts:

United Kingdom
Steve Clark +44(0)20-7549-5504, sclark@cpaglobal.com
Victoria Knowles +44(0)20-7549-4585, vknowles@cpaglobal.com

SOURCE CPA Global