Ballard Spahr's Client Value and Innovation Team Wins 'Best Business Team' at The American Lawyer Awards

A Ballard Spahr team of business, legal, finance, data, and technology professionals that has developed some of the legal industry’s most innovative client and practice support business solutions was awarded the prestigious Best Business Team honor by The American Lawyer at its annual Industry Awards.

Ballard Spahr’s Client Value and Innovation (CVI) Team took top business team honors at a presentation November 10 in New York City, after a crowded field of nominees was narrowed to five finalists comprising some of the largest and most prominent U.S. law firms. The annual Best Business Team Award recognizes professionals within firms who have made an identifiable positive impact on their organization in the increasingly important area of law firm business operations.

“In today’s fast-moving legal and business climate, clients need legal counsel who work as their true strategic partners to harness data to their advantage so they can anticipate and quickly meet complex challenges,” said Melissa Prince, Ballard Spahr’s Chief Client Value and Innovation Officer. “We’re proud to be recognized for doing exactly that: providing value-added business solutions that differentiate Ballard Spahr in a crowded, complex market. The ultimate objective is to build stronger client relationships through enhanced transparency and collaboration.”

Ballard Spahr’s CVI team comprises talented business and technology professionals, led by Ms. Prince, who bring experience and skill in software development, data science, business operations, and finance. Several team members, including Ms. Prince, are former practicing attorneys. The Ballard360 suite of customized technology tools developed by the CVI team in consultation with clients and attorneys includes custom matter and team management applications, diversity tracking, business intelligence tools, and financial dashboards. The team built a series of public- and client-facing regulatory trackers that provide mission-critical information on: business licensing deadlines and requirements, consumer financial services regulations, state Attorney General enforcement actions, cannabis legislation, COVID-19 requirements, and federal stimulus enforcement litigation.

“During the pandemic, Ballard Spahr invested heavily in changing the way the firm conducts business—to leverage the latest technology tools to serve and engage clients in new ways that solve problems, meet challenges, and capitalize on opportunity,” firm Chair Mark Stewart said. “The CVI Team was central to making this effort successful. This award affirms what we already knew from attorneys and their clients: Our Client Value and Innovation Team is best in class.”

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