LEAP Legal Software is a privately held technology company that develops practice management software for the legal profession which includes legal accounting, document assembly, management and legal publishing assets.[1][2] LEAP Legal Software provides a cloud-based legal practice management software to clients in Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand.[3] LEAP is used by more than 61,000 users worldwide[4] and it is developed by LEAP Dev.[5]

LEAP Legal Software
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded1992; 32 years ago (1992) in Sydney, Australia
FounderChristian Beck
Headquarters,
Australia
Area served
Key people
  • Christian Beck (Founder)
  • David Hill (Non-Executive Director)
  • Marcus Fletcher (Non-Executive Director)
  • Mark Burgess (CEO of LEAP Developments, Director)
  • Richard Hugo-Hamman (Executive Chairman)
Products
Revenue
  • US$50 million (2019)
Number of employees
600+

The company is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

History

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LEAP Legal Software was founded in 1992 by Christian Beck.[6] In 2008, LEAP acquired LegalPax, a provider of automated forms and precedents to law firms in Queensland.[7] At the beginning of 2010, LEAP launched a cloud software called LEAP Expedite.[8] It also purchased BING! Software, a family law precedents business.[9] LEAP Office 10 was launched at the NSW State Legal Conference in August 2010.[10] In 2012, LEAP Expedite was replaced with a rewritten cloud product.[8] LEAP began rolling out the cloud version of its software to law firms in Australia in January 2013.[11]

LEAP expanded to the UK and US markets in 2014[12] and 2015.[13]

LEAP 365 was the first software-as-a-service legal application for the Australian market.[14] LEAP 365 was released for the UK and US markets at an event at Yankee Stadium on September 12, 2016.[9]

In 2019, LEAP entered into a joint venture with LexisNexis Legal Professional to operate PCLaw | Time Matters.[11]

LEAP expanded to Canada in 2020 and to New Zealand in 2022.[15]

Software

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LEAP Legal Software's flagship product is LEAP, a legal practice productivity solution. The key features of LEAP include legal practice management, document assembly and management, automated matter types and forms, a client and contact database, file sharing, time recording, billing and trust accounting tools, and legal publishing assets.[16] All LEAP data is stored in AWS (Amazon Web Services) in dedicated facilities around the world.[11]

LEAP Legal Software introduced mobile app integration in mid-2013.[17] In November 2021, LEAP created the LEAP App for iPad.[18]

Integration with Microsoft

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LEAP was integrated with Microsoft Office in 2002. In January 2016, LEAP completed an integration with the new Microsoft Office 365 software allowing complex document assembly to occur in the cloud rather than the desktop.[19]

Awards

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  • Winner, “Best Software as a Service – USA (SMB),” 2021–2022 International Cloud Computing Awards Program, The Cloud Awards[citation needed]
  • Winner, “Overall Case Management Platform of the Year,” LegalTech Breakthrough Awards 2021[20]
  • Winner, Established Business of the Year Award and No. 1 in Law Category, Australian Digital Technology Awards 2021[21]
  • Australian Financial Review Top Ten Most Innovative Technology Companies, 2020[22]
  • Australian Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 in 2004,[23] 2008[24] and 2009[25]

Leadership

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  • Christian Beck, Founder[26]
  • Richard Hugo-Hamman, Executive Chairman[27]
  • Mark Burgess, Chief Technology Officer of LEAP Legal Tech[28]

Corporate development

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Acquisitions

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LEAP Legal Software has acquired several companies and brands:

  • Law Perfect in 2007[29]
  • BING! in 2008[30]
  • LegalPax in 2008[31]
  • LawWare in 2012[32]
  • Peapod Legal Software in 2013[33]
  • Edgebyte in 2014[34]
  • Perfect Software (Perfect Books) in 2015[35]
  • Turbolaw in 2020
  • DivorceMate in 2021[36]

Internal start-up: InfoTrack

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Initially a division of LEAP known as LEAP Searching, InfoTrack was launched as a separate company in 2012 and has since been brought under the umbrella company of Australian Technology Investors.[37][38] It had a reported annual revenue of A$144 million in 2015.[39]

References

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  1. ^ Software, LEAP Legal. "A Powerful New Partnership Emerges in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Legal Practice Management Software | LEAP Legal Software". LEAP AU. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  3. ^ Software, LEAP Legal. "A Powerful New Partnership Emerges in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  4. ^ "LEAP - The #1 Legal Cloud Software Provider for Law Firms". www.leaplegalsoftware.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Help us build software for the future | LEAP Dev". LEAP DEV - We're digital natives with a pioneering approach to enterprise development. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  6. ^ Blackbird Ventures "LEAP Co-Founder Christian Beck" 4 June 2015
  7. ^ LEAP Legal Software "LEAP Acquires Legal Pax" 1 December 2008
  8. ^ a b "LEAP Office Cloud - A First Look Review" Legal Practice Intelligence, 6 November 2012
  9. ^ a b Squillante, Neil. "LEAP 365 Offers Practice Management and Document Assembly Everywhere You Go" TechnoLawyer 22 September 2016
  10. ^ "300 People Attend Launch of LEAP Office 10" Legal Practice Intelligence, 30 August 2010
  11. ^ a b c "LEAP Legal Software Announces Major New Expansion Initiative Into The United States". Today's Conveyancer. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  12. ^ "LEAP Legal Software is now in the UK" Legal Practice Intelligence, 13 November 2014
  13. ^ Needham, Lisa. "LEAP Moves Document Assembly to the Cloud with Office 365's Web Apps" Lawyerist.com, 13 September 2016
  14. ^ Butler, Stephen. "Cloud computing explained for a law firm" Australasian Legal Practice Management Association, 25 June 2013
  15. ^ "Commitment to Innovation | LEAP Legal Software NZ". leaplegalsoftware.co.nz. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Legal Practice Management Software | LEAP Legal Software". LEAP AU. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  17. ^ Legal Practice Intelligence "How Lawyers Are Using Mobile Devices - The LEAP Experience" Legal Practice Intelligence, 23 June 2016
  18. ^ "Commitment to Innovation | LEAP Legal Software". LEAP AU. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  19. ^ Needham, Lisa. "LEAP Moves Document Assembly To the Cloud With Office 365's Web Apps" Lawyerist.com, 13 September 2016
  20. ^ "LEAP Legal Practice Productivity Solution Named "Overall Case Management Platform of the Year" By LegalTech Breakthrough". www.law.com. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  21. ^ "2021 Rankings". www.momentummedia.com.au. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  22. ^ "The 10 most innovative technology companies". Australian Financial Review. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 2004" (PDF).
  24. ^ "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 2008" (PDF).
  25. ^ "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 2009" (PDF).
  26. ^ "LEAP Leadership - Christian Beck". www.leaplegalsoftware.com. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  27. ^ "LEAP Leadership - Richard Hugo-Hamman". www.leaplegalsoftware.com. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  28. ^ "LEAP Leadership - Mark Burgess". www.leaplegalsoftware.com. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  29. ^ "LEAP Leadership - David Hill".
  30. ^ "LEAP Legal Software Pty Ltd Acquires the BING Family Law Software Business" Legal Practice Intelligence, March 14, 2010
  31. ^ "LEAP Legal - Legal Software for Law Firms and Conveyancers". 12 December 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008.
  32. ^ LEAP Legal Software Acquires LawWare "LEAP Legal Software Acquires LawWare" Legal Practice Intelligence, 29 April 2012
  33. ^ Venables, Delia. "Cloud-based software for lawyers" InfoLaw, September 2016
  34. ^ Insight Legal "Lawbyte from Edgebyte"
  35. ^ "Interview with Richard Hugo-Hamman, Executive Chairman of LEAP". 3 November 2015.
  36. ^ Software, LEAP Legal. "A Powerful New Partnership Emerges in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  37. ^ "Rich lister raises $350m in super money to disrupt the legal sector". Financial Review. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  38. ^ "The Launch of InfoTrack Online Searching Service and Information Broker" Legal Practice Intelligence, 20 March 2012
  39. ^ Thompson, Sarah. et al."InfoTrack Moves Towards IPO Starter's Gun" The Australian Financial Review, 21 March 2016