Am Law 200 Firm Michael Best & Friedrich Accelerates Work-to-Cash with BillBlast, iTimekeep, and Compliance Solutions
Founded in 1848, Michael Best & Friedrich has long been recognized as a trusted partner for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging startups. With more than 350 lawyers and technical professionals across multiple U.S. offices, the firm is consistently ranked on The American Lawyer’s Am Law 200, National Law Journal’s NLJ 500, and The Best Lawyers in America lists.
But with a national footprint and hundreds of attorneys billing clients across diverse practices, the firm needed a faster, more transparent, and more reliable way to move work into cash.
The Challenge: Closing Gaps in the Billing Process
Michael Best & Friedrich recognized that inefficiencies in timekeeping, billing, and compliance with outside counsel guidelines (OCGs) slowed the firm’s work-to-cash cycle. Attorneys were recording time – bills were being generated, but manual handoffs, compliance issues, and lack of centralized visibility meant it took the firm an average of 55 days to collect.
The leadership team knew they needed a fully connected, automated system to eliminate these bottlenecks.
The Solution: BillBlast as the Anchor of Work-to-Cash
The firm turned to Aderant’s integrated work-to-cash suite, where each solution played a role:
- iTimekeep simplified and streamlined time entry for lawyers.
- OCG Live ensured bills met OCG requirements upfront, preventing costly rejections.
- BillBlast became the anchor—transforming billing into a centralized, automated, and transparent process.
With BillBlast, billing teams eliminated redundant manual tasks, closed communication gaps, and gained real-time visibility into the firm’s entire billing workflow. BillBlast Analytics further delivered insight into billing volumes, email receipts, collections, and reporting, enabling smarter financial management.
The Results: Faster Collections, Stronger Client Service
By implementing BillBlast, Michael Best & Friedrich shortened its collection cycle from 55 days to 47 days. Bills now go out nearly a week faster, are OCG-compliant by default, and clients are paying sooner.
BillBlast has also elevated client service:
- BillBlast Notes help teams explain billing decisions and invoice distribution status.
- Centralized email visibility ensures client communications are never missed.
- Compliance checks within the billing process mean attorneys correct issues upfront, keeping bills clean and clients satisfied.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Partnership with Aderant
Michael Best & Friedrich continues to expand its partnership with Aderant, building on the success of BillBlast and the work-to-cash suite to further enhance financial operations and client service.
With BillBlast at the core, supported by iTimekeep and OCG Live, the firm has achieved a modern, efficient, and client-friendly work-to-cash process—setting the stage for long-term financial agility.
