How Aderant Is Accelerating Chartwell Law’s Work-To-Cash Cycle with Expert Sierra
When Chartwell Law, a NLJ 500 law firm, was founded in 2002 by four attorneys in Pennsylvania, no one could have predicted that within two decades it would grow into a nearly 300-attorney firm spanning coast-to-coast. From its roots in workers’ compensation to becoming a leader in insurance defense and coverage, Chartwell’s trajectory has been defined by rapid growth — and a commitment to staying true to its family-like culture.
But, with growth comes complexity. As Chartwell opened new offices and onboarded hundreds of attorneys, their on-premise technology infrastructure could no longer keep pace. Expanding meant adding servers, upgrading hardware, and hiring IT personnel — an unsustainable model for a modern, innovative law firm.
That’s when Chartwell made a bold decision:
To go all-in on the cloud.
The impact has been transformative. Expert Sierra gives Chartwell the flexibility to scale effortlessly as the firm grows. By consolidating critical functions — billing, timekeeping, process management—within one cloud-based ecosystem, Chartwell has reduced inefficiencies and positioned itself for long-term agility. With Aderant handling the infrastructure, the firm can devote its energy to client service and innovation.
Security and Trust in the Cloud
For a firm handling sensitive client information across hundreds of matters, security was non-negotiable. Expert Sierra provides multi-layered security, including continuous monitoring, advanced encryption, and built-in disaster recovery. The platform’s cloud architecture means that as cyber threats evolve, security measures are updated and deployed automatically.
Centralized Visibility
Beyond security and scalability, Expert Sierra is delivering centralized visibility across the law firm. Attorneys across the firm now have real-time access to the information they need—whether it’s timekeeping, billing, or matter management – without relying on disparate systems. This improves productivity and allows attorneys to focus more time on client service.
For the leadership team, Expert Sierra provides a single source of truth for firm-wide operations. Financial performance, utilization, and matter status can be viewed holistically, enabling faster, more informed decision-making that helps maximize profitability. This level of transparency has become a strategic advantage for guiding the firm’s growth. Expert Sierra is not just a technology platform — it’s an investment that pays dividends across every level of the firm.
Law Firm of Tomorrow, Starts Today
Chartwell’s journey underscores a broader shift across the legal industry where law firms are embracing the cloud not just for efficiency, but as a foundation for growth.
Investing in AI and Custom Development
Chartwell is also laying the groundwork for what comes next: responsible AI adoption and purpose-built solutions that fit the firm’s workflows. Chartwell is evaluating AI-enabled platforms, like document-centric assistants and workflow/app-building capabilities, so teams can move from ad hoc experimentation to repeatable, secure processes. The result is a practical path toward custom development and automation that can reduce administrative friction, improve consistency, and ultimately free more time for client work. With nearly all of Chartwell’s systems in the cloud, they are poised to take advantage of automation, analytics, and future innovations. For Chartwell, the journey isn’t just about adopting technology — it’s about building the law firm of the future.
