Before he was the trusted trial attorney of “the cool kids, the nerds and the suits,” Pryor Cashman partner Thomas Vidal was a software developer.  “Computer hardware and software were my first passions,“ he told LitigationWorld in a profile featured in their June 30, 2016 issue.  And it wasn’t long into his litigation career that, unsatisfied with the inefficiency of an “analog” approach, he began harnessing his tech background to optimize his practice.

Using Technology to Engender Confidence

Vidal’s “half-joking” depiction of his clients reflects the significant portion of his business dedicated to matters involving the entertainment and technology sectors and their respective C-suite executives, among whom engendering trust is paramount.  He explained to LitigationWorld that aside from the obvious benefits of saving time and money, technology provides “great[er] quality control” and, ultimately “gives the client greater confidence in what we are doing for them.” 

Automation and Digitizing Your Caseload

Over time, Vidal devised innovative digital solutions to eliminate extraneous and outdated processes, allowing him to focus on the aspects of litigation that directly impact the outcome of a case: analysis and theory development.  For instance, when a previous firm lacked an in-house docket management system, he designed a program to handle all of the California court deadlines. 

Similarly, he implemented automation to improve document editing, significantly reducing (and in some cases eradicating) what were once “arduous tasks” for him and his support staff.  “My biggest advice to lawyers and law firms is to find ways to use computers to automate tasks,” he instructs, adding, “any task that you do more than once is a candidate for automation.”

Vidal has also found success digitizing trial notebooks using Microsoft OneNote.  “I have my entire caseload on my iPad and iPhone at all times, [which] enables me to prepare my cases more thoroughly and effectively.”  This practice has drawn positive attention from clients, judges, juries and, somewhat surprisingly, opposing counsel.  “It builds a lot of confidence when you are rigorously organized and can get to information as quickly as you can snap your fingers,” he told LitigationWorld. 

Essential Programs

Other essential technology Vidal recommends includes Vim, a powerful text editing program that helps users manipulate text “in ways you never could in Microsoft Word;” TranscriptPad for transcript review; DocReviewPad for document review and deposition prep; TrialPad for trial presentations and ScanSnap for digitizing records.  “It may sound like small potatoes, but these little efficiencies [have] a remarkable impact on the comprehensiveness of any litigation practice.” 

More About Vidal

Tom Vidal is a partner in Pryor Cashman’s Litigation, Media + Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Technology Groups.  He is listed as a "Super Lawyer" in the area of intellectual property litigation, and is an Editorial Board Member of Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine.  To learn more about his practice, please visit here.