Modern Law Magazine Issue 65

INSIGHT
INSIGHT
Collaboration on a global scale - how PEXA
harnesses technology to work better together
PEXA started its journey over
10 years ago with the goal
of transforming property
experiences for everyone. What
began as a small Australian start
up is now critical infrastructure
for Australia’s largest asset class
– residential property.
Following its success in Australia, PEXA
set its sights on the UK – with the
target of introducing a world first
digital solution for property that
would save consumers time, money
and ease the stress of buying or
selling their home.
The UK was a rational new market
to explore, given the likeness in land
title systems. PEXA recognised a gap
in the UK remortgaging market and
saw an opportunity to better leverage
digital technology to enhance the
efficiency, transparency, and speed
of property transactions, ultimately
driving a better experience for
consumers transacting property.
Expanding into a new market required
a local team to be recruited and set up
for success. This was the first time PEXA
expanded operations outside Australia,
and we needed to ensure our teams on
both sides of the globe were working
together effectively, supported by the
right technology.
As result of the pandemic, hybrid and
remote work have become the norm.
Businesses of all sizes are increasingly
working with employees across different
time zones, and this can amplify the
challenges facing organisations. While
global teams offer a range of benefits,
effective collaboration in a global context
requires time and effort. At PEXA, we
recognise that while our approach is
constantly evolving, we have found some
key learnings that work for our teams.
Clearly communicate goals and
expectations
Communication is essential at all levels,
especially when setting objectives,
expectations, and timelines. Working
with teams globally can lead to
miscommunication at times, particularly
regarding priorities and workloads –
after all, we can’t get in a room with a
whiteboard to resolve things how we once
were able. Fortunately, there are many
technology solutions available to facilitate
communication across every stage of the
project. Tools such as Slack and MS Teams
for instant messaging, fully-fledged
project management platforms like Trello
and Jira make it possible for teams to
collaborate effectively.
Embrace asynchronous work and
asynchronous decision making
When a business has distributed teams
there will always be people working at
different hours, and in different time
zones. Asynchronous collaboration
allows projects and deliverables to move
forward without the requirement for
team members to work very early in the
morning, or late at night. There are many
tools that support asynchronous work
including audio and video recordings
(our teams often record a quick update
message to their overseas colleagues
before logging off each evening) as well
as digital whiteboarding tools like Miro.
Additionally, we remind ourselves that
not all decisions require a meeting, some
business-critical decisions can be made
with an email or using instant messaging.
Establish a schedule that works for
the whole team
While asynchronous work is best for global
teams, there are times when meeting
in real time can add value or be more
efficient. Businesses need to think about
how employees can manage their days in
these circumstances so they’re not working
around the clock. This can be done by
implementing staggered start and finish
times or allowing employees to take extra
breaks during the day. We’ve agreed on
a framework of ‘golden hours’, where we
agree to collaborate during a time window
that works for everybody. Teams should
also avoid scheduling meetings without an
agenda and without a clear objective, it is
inefficient to have employees attending
an after-hours meeting with no concrete
actions or outcomes.
Strong cyber security culture
and awareness
Cyber security has always been critical
for businesses, however hybrid and
global teams have increased the number
of security risks. Some basic cyber
security awareness and hygiene can
go a long way to protect you and your
business. This includes ensuring your
operating system and antivirus software
is up to date and using long and complex
passwords to access business systems.
Where possible, use a password manager
and multi-factor authentication and
always be careful when an email has an
attachment, or a link embedded. Even
if the sender seems familiar, always
double-check before clicking on the
attachment or link. And remember that
security should never hinder people’s
productivity and global collaboration.
Make resources available to
all members
To ensure effective and efficient global
collaboration, it is important that all
team members have access to the
same resources to collaborate. It would
be futile to capture important project
details on a software application that
is only accessible by a handful of
people. Platforms like Confluence and
SharePoint are a great way to make sure
all team members are on the same page.
Build trust and create connections
Successful collaboration is reliant on
building a foundation of trust with our
teams. Recognising that before being
colleagues, we are all people with
different personal circumstances and
experiences. Ensuring that you take
time to get to know your team, their
interests, goals and challenges helps
to build a sense of connection while
being cognisant of different cultures.
Supporting diversity is key for effective
collaboration, especially when working
with global teams.
Whether you have one employee abroad,
a whole team, or another business entirely
– it can seem like a lot to think about and
manage. Establishing ways of working
globally was something we carefully
considered before taking the leap. While
the experience of consumers buying
and selling in the UK has some room for
improvement, the prospect of working
with the industry to help was something
we couldn’t pass up. The opportunity
to succeed in the UK market made
the challenges of standing up a global
operation seem small.
Claudio Palmeri,
Head of Application
Services, PEXA
Revolutionising
the Legal Tech Landscape
I started my own law firm from observing a significant gender disparity in female equity
partners when I was studying law. I decided to start my own law firm and become an
equity partner as I didn’t see many women like me when I started by career. Running
my own law firm can be very challenging and I encountered various challenges relating
to software solutions available in the market. The existing options were often expensive,
lacked customisation and failed to cater for our diverse needs of legal professionals. This
limitation hindered productivity and innovation within the legal industry.
Frustrated by the limitations of
existing software, I recognised an
opportunity to make a difference. I
decided to take matters into my own
hands and embark on a journey to
develop YAO, a legal tech platform
tailored specifically for lawyers.
YAO represents my commitment to
revolutionise the legal tech landscape
by addressing the shortcomings of
the existing solutions and providing a
platform that truly meets the needs of
legal professionals. The tech industry
is often dominated by Men however
I found that combining law with the
potential of technology I aimed not
only to establish a successful law firm
but also address the specific needs
of legal professionals through the
development of a legal tech platform.
A Platform for Lawyers, by Lawyers: YAO
stands out from the crowd because it
is built by lawyers who understand the
intricate requirements and workflows
of the legal profession. This firsthand
experience allows us to develop a
platform that is intuitive, user-friendly,
and aligned with the unique needs
of legal professionals. From case
management to document automation,
YAO provides a comprehensive suite of
tools that streamline legal processes,
enhance collaboration, and increase
productivity. Recognising that each
law firm operates differently, YAO
offers a high degree of customization
and flexibility. Our platform allows
legal professionals to tailor it to their
specific practice areas, workflows, and
preferences. By empowering lawyers
to personalize their experience, YAO
eliminates the need for generic and rigid
solutions that fail to cater to the diversity
of the legal industry.
YAO understands the financial
constraints that many law firms face.
We believe that technology should
not be a barrier to entry or hinder
the growth of legal professionals.
Therefore, we have designed YAO with
affordability and accessibility in mind.
Our flexible pricing structure ensures
that firms of all sizes can access and
leverage the power of YAO, empowering
them to compete in an increasingly
digitalised legal landscape.
Embracing Technology for Growth: By
embarking on the tech sector, YAO
represents a commitment to embrace
technology for the betterment of
the legal profession. We believe
that technology has the power to
revolutionise legal processes, improve
efficiency, and enable lawyers to
provide better services to their clients.
YAO empowers legal professionals
to stay ahead of the curve, adapt to
changing industry demands, and thrive
in an ever-evolving digital age.
By developing YAO, I aim to bridge the
gap between lawyers and technology,
providing an intuitive, customisable,
and affordable solution that empowers
legal professionals to streamline their
processes and excel in their practice.
YAO represents my commitment to
advancing the legal industry through
technology and serves as a catalyst for
positive change within the profession.
Together, we can embrace the digital
transformation and shape a brighter
future for legal professionals worldwide.
Natasha Lewis,
Managing Partner
& Founder,
Lewis Denley
& Yao.
22