Your Secret Weapon in Complex Litigation: Getting the Most From Your Case Manager

In complex, multiparty litigation, treating your case manager as a scheduler is like using a trial technician only to click "next slide." You are leaving leverage on the table. Handled well, your litigation case manager becomes the operational quarterback, orchestrating the moving parts of proceedings so lawyers can stay focused on strategy.

With a dedicated case manager on board, attorneys spend less time managing deposition logistics, repeating instructions and tracking down information, and more time advocating for the client.

For many litigators, a case manager is introduced when a matter becomes complex enough to warrant extra oversight. Engaging early, providing specific case details and preferences up front, and taking time for a briefing can prevent the logistical misses that derail complex proceedings.

How Litigation Case Managers Work

Most lawyers don't realize the full suite of tools and decisions a case manager handles in the background. Beyond coordinating individual proceedings, a dedicated case manager can help establish and maintain the operational framework for a complex matter by:

• Helping set up a case standing order so every deposition is booked with the right defaults, such as expedites, rough drafts, real-time, video, exhibits and delivery preferences.
• Configuring secure exhibit handling so all parties know where, when and how exhibits will be presented and preserved.
• Enrolling the team in online repositories with transcripts, videos and exhibits consistently stored and easily accessible.
• Arranging real-time reporting and secure virtual rooms for hybrid or fully remote proceedings.
• Coordinating interpreters, videographers, concierge techs and other resources across multiple jurisdictions and time zones.