In the fast-moving world of professional services, it’s essential to manage complex client relationships effectively while ensuring smooth business onboarding and compliance. For firms that often deal with joint clients, such as a married couple purchasing real estate, or that represent multiple clients in one matter, such as when representing a consortium that will be treated as multiple clients, creating distinct client records for each individual in joint cases and linking them to the same matter record has proven challenging.
Intapp offers several solutions to address this, depending on the specifics of a firm’s data flow structure. Key considerations in the design are how to capture crucial information for each client involved in the same matter without causing delays or disrupting the data flow downstream, and how to ensure that this information is easily accessible in future client or matter initiation processes.
Accurate recording of clients in Intapp Conflicts is critical. For joint client representations, it’s vital to connect all clients to the matter record to ensure thorough documentation, complete conflict checks, separate anti-money-laundering (AML) risk assessments and know-your-client (KYC) compliance tasks, and accurate practice management records.
Additionally, further due diligence checks may be necessary for each client based on predefined activities, both within and outside the Intapp system. For example, adding a U.K.-based timekeeper to a team working on a matter previously cleared under U.S. conflict rules would require further due diligence review.
Law firms engaging in joint client representation should also maintain separate client records, enabling risk and conflict teams to easily retrieve prior risk assessments and due diligence information for quicker processing.
Intapp Intake and Intapp Conflicts provide an effective solution for managing multiclient representations with greater accuracy, enhancing compliance and offering firms a competitive advantage.
Our software also overcomes a limitation in how financial management software (FMS) handles multiclient matters. FMS usually requires a separate matter for each individual client being invoiced, as most FMS platforms only allow a single client to be linked to a matter. While a tailored integration process can be designed to automatically create multiple matters in the FMS for each client, with Intapp software’s joint client functionality this process is no longer necessary. That is, Intapp now supports linking multiple clients to the same matter while maintaining a primary client relationship for the matter to support invoicing.
Why the old ways don’t work anymore
Previously, due to the limitation of linking one matter to just one client, firms representing multiple clients on a matter would employ various methods during their Intapp intake process. Some firms created a separate matter for each client, while others would create a client record for the primary client being invoiced and treat additional clients as parties, linking them to the matter through a co-client affiliation.
Alternatively, firms used the component group feature to track joint representation deals by creating distinct groups, adding the matter and joint clients as group members. Some firms even developed a customized integration process that combined client records by merging individual client names into one client record with a concatenated name. While these methods might work for situations in which one client takes the lead, such as in creditor groups with a primary payer, these methods fall short when clients share the costs or for matters originating in regions enforcing AML and KYC policies. These traditional methods often lead to inefficiencies in client data collection, missed opportunities for comprehensive risk analysis, and delays in the client matter opening process.
Introducing Intapp’s new feature for joint client representation (JCR)
We’re excited to introduce Intapp’s game-changing feature for joint client representation (JCR). With this feature, professional services firms can now list each individual client as a unique client record, instead of simply associating them as a party to the matter. This innovation enhances data management and compliance, while providing a smoother experience for clients and financial practice management reporting.
For business users and implementers, the JCR feature makes it much easier to set up forms to capture multiple clients, view linked clients, and manage client data. This feature also enables firms to quickly capture and maintain client information for a new matter, create a joint client group and link the matter to it, and identify the primary client for external system, offering better visibility into joint representations. These capabilities can improve data collection, streamline risk assessment and due diligence checks, reduce manual tasks, enhance visibility, and mitigate billing issues.
The power of the JCR feature
Here are the capabilities firms gain with Intapp’s JCR feature:
- Link multiple clients to a matter: No more grouping clients together using the related parties linkage feature or opening duplicate matters under each client. Each client involved in the case can have its own unique client record and be added to the joint client group, which can be associated with the matter, offering improved visibility and robust reporting.
- Enhance visibility of data management: Gain a clearer understanding of joint client records in data management views via a new group called “joint clients,” improving visibility into the firm’s joint client representations. New clients can be added into the joint client group. Joint client groups can also be updated; that is, a new client can be added, or an existing client can be removed from the group, with the appropriate matter updates.
- Capture multiple clients during intake: Quickly and efficiently capture client details, ensuring complete client records in both Intapp and downstream systems, which streamlines new business acceptance.
- Leverage individual client details for risk assessment: For firms that rely on the scoring profile to derive client risk, Intapp Intake can be configured to determine the riskiest client out of the group and to use that client’s score to derive matter risk level. The risk scores can then be stored with the client record for future use.
- Locate joint client requests efficiently: Locate joint client requests faster with the new joint clients column in the requests list and the joint clients tab in the firm data section, improving response times and client service.
- Retain client data for new requests: Leverage existing client information for future intake requests, ensuring consistency and efficiency, allowing you to leverage existing joint client groups in requests for new matters.
- Improved conflict analysis visibility: Streamline conflict analysis by accurately identifying and tracking joint client scenarios in the search results, reducing risk and enhancing compliance.
Why this matters
Managing multiple clients on a single matter doesn’t have to be a headache. Intapp’s new joint client representation feature makes this complex task simple and efficient. With enhanced data management, more accurate compliance checks, and a smoother intake process, your firm can focus on what truly matters — delivering exceptional service to your clients.
Ready to modernize your Intapp Intake solution?
At Intapp, we’re committed to helping professional services firms transform how they manage client relationships and assess risks. Our new joint client representation feature allows firms to streamline their new business intake onboarding processes, improve data accuracy, and stay compliant with ease.
Are you ready to take your firm’s Intapp Intake and Intapp Conflicts implementation to the next level? Intapp is here to support you every step of the way. Whether you need a demonstration of the joint client representation feature or have a design block, please reach out to Intapp.
Don’t let outdated processes hold you back. Contact Yelena Chervinsky (Director, Risk Consulting) today to learn how Intapp can help you embrace the future of joint client representations!