Imagine your law firm takes on a new corporate client, only to discover later that your team previously advised their competitor in a related case. Here’s the good news: These disasters are 100% preventable. While traditional manual checks consume valuable hours and still miss critical connections, modern conflict-checking software takes out the risk of guesswork.
For in-house legal teams and corporate law departments, conflict checking isn’t just an ethics formality.
You’re on the right page if…
- Your team has missed a conflict that comes up mid-deal, causing an awkward situation.
- Manual checks eat up hours you could spend on strategic work.
- You worry about compliance gaps in your current process.
What is conflict checking in Legal Practice?
Conflict checking is screening clients and matters to avoid ethical violations. It’s required by ABA Model Rule 1.7 and helps legal teams spot risks like representing opposing parties or misusing confidential data. This is why leading legal counsel now conducts conflict checks through integrated platforms that track:
- All outside counsel relationships
- Subsidiary connections
- Lateral hire histories
Importance of Conflict Checks:
In law firms, conflict checks are critical to upholding professional responsibility and ethical integrity. Lawyers can make sure they provide objective representation and maintain client confidentiality by spotting potential conflicts of interest before accepting a new client or case. If this crucial step is skipped, there may be moral transgressions, legal repercussions, and reputational harm.
But why should a firm conduct a thorough conflict check?
Uphold Ethical Standards and Professional Integrity
Conflict checks ensure strict compliance with legal ethics rules, preventing attorneys from engaging in representation that compromises loyalty or creates divided interests.
Preserving Client Confidentiality at All Costs
Conflict checks act as a safeguard, preventing accidental misuse of privileged information across cases, protecting both client trust and the firm from breaches of attorney-client privilege.
Mitigate Malpractice Risks and Legal Disqualifications
Overlooking conflicts invites catastrophic consequences: malpractice lawsuits, court sanctions, or forced withdrawal from cases.
Defend the Firm’s Reputation and Client Trust
A single conflict oversight can irreparably damage a firm’s credibility. Consistent checks demonstrate an unwavering commitment to client loyalty and professional discretion.
Streamline and Secure Client Onboarding
Automated conflict systems transform intake into a seamless, error-proof process, eliminating manual vetting while ensuring 100% accuracy before engagement.
Streamlined Conflict Checking with MatterSuite
A thorough conflict check isn’t just about running names through a database, it’s a strategic process that demands precision at every stage. Here’s MatterSuite‘s proven 6-step framework that would help conduct seamless, integrated conflict checks and ensure airtight compliance every time.
- Start by entering the names or keywords of the parties involved to search for potential conflicts.
- The system scans all existing records, including clients, matters, notes, and other relevant data.
- Mattersuite then reviews the results to identify any matches that could indicate a conflict of interest.
- It then assesses the matches carefully to determine if a conflict exists.
- Document or save the findings for your records and compliance purposes.
- Email it to the responsible attorneys for approval.
Conflict Software vs Manual Processes: Why Automation Wins
The power of automation isn’t theoretical, it’s transforming firms today. When Davis Polk implemented AI conflict checking tools, they achieved what manual processes never could, reducing check time from 3 hours to just 9 minutes per matter. The decrease in time doesn’t just save time but also boosts efficiency, making the workload much more efficient.
Small Firm vs Big Law: Smart Conflict Checking Strategies for Every Budget
Let’s face it, when it comes to conflict, a 10-attorney family law practice has different needs than a 2000-lawyer global firm. But here’s the good news: whether you’re on a budget or have free-flowing cash, there are smart ways to bulletproof your process.
Conflict checking for Small Law Firms:
As a small firm, you don’t have a very big compliance team or fancy software. But missing conflicts can cost you clients ( and even your license). Here’s how you can stay protected:
Cost-Effective Tools for Automated Screening:
- Low-budget solutions: A low-budget solution software only checks for conflicts and is cheaper.
- A hybrid approach would be to use software for first-pass checks, then manually review high-risk matters (eg, opposing parties, lateral hires).
Big Law Strategies: Scaling Compliance Globally
For enterprise firms, the challenge isn’t budget. It’s making 15+ systems work together.
- Big Law Firms should use Mattersuite because it transforms conflict checks from a compliance chore to a strategic advantage.
- Despite being a big law firm, MatterSuites’ machine learning engine analyzes all data points and returns high-stakes conflicts, reducing alert fatigue.
The Bottom Line: In 2025, Conflict Checks are About Survival
The legal landscape has changed. The benchmarks are clear. In an era where firms have reduced conflict checks from hours to just minutes while improving accuracy, manual processes no longer meet the demands of modern legal practice.
This isn’t just about compliance anymore, it’s about:
- Protecting your firm’s reputation from preventable ethical breaches
- Recovering billable hours lost to manual reviews
- Future-proofing your practice as matters grow more complex
The tools exist. The results are proven. The question is whether your firm will lead this shift or struggle to catch up.
Ready to transform your conflict check from a liability to a powerful asset?
Use MatterSuite to simplify conflict resolution, improve accuracy, and ensure compliance to stand out from the competition. Discover how our intelligent conflict checking system saves time, reduces risk, and boosts efficiency.
