Quick Takes

PowerBrief Set to Launch

Houston-based PowerBrief Inc. says its namesake product is an Internet-based, legal practices and document management system. It allow legal professionals to log on to a secure, personalized desktop interface to management legal matters, documents and workflow, says the company.

PowerBrief is a Windows-based system that provides a "neutral platform" that helps corporate law departments work with multiple outside law firms; or law firm to work with multiple clients. Administrators control access for each legal matter, it says.

The system, scheduled to launch this month, offers document organization, sharing, publishing and storage; as well as online communication and collaboration, it says. It can also be used for case and matter management; discovery, transaction and claims management; video deposition editing and clipping; and can be used to connect with hyperlinked resources.

The company has named Robb Ohnesorge as president and general counsel, and Wade Bennett as chairman. Ernest Rapp serves as CEO. PowerBrief has announced alliances with Intel Corp., Verisign, and Arthur Andersen.

Information: Reader Response no. 294.

Nokia Venture Partners

Nokia Venture Partners has launched a $500 million fund to invest in start up "mobile Internet" companies, it says. The fund includes third-party investors, including Goldman Sachs; MBC Software, CDBWebTech and others. The fund will target wireless technology companies, with a focus on Israel and the Asia Pacific region.

Information: Reader Response no. 295.

Internet Handbook

Ladera Press has released The Internet Law and Business Handbook, by J. Dianne Brinson and Mark Radcliffe. A practical guide to the legal and business issues that arise in cyberspace, it addresses setting up business Web sites and home pages; creating material for the Web; using material found on the Internet; and other e-commerce issues. Brinson teaches Internet Law at the University of Calif. Berkeley's Internet Education Institute. Radcliffe practices Internet law with Calif.'s Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich.

Transforming the Law

Richard Susskind's new book, Transforming the Law: Essays on Justice and the Legal Marketplace, has been published by Oxford University Press. Susskind, who will be keynote speaker at this month's Legal Tech New York, addresses legal services in the new economy; the future of law; expert systems in law; and I.T. in the justice system. (An excerpt appears at page 22).

Information: Reader Response no. 296.

Omega Legal Systems

Omega Legal Systems Inc., of Phoenix, says it has added contact management and marketing automation to its namesake product. Users can store contact information inn a central database, and can create personalized contact lists using the "My Contacts" feature. An integrated report writer extends functions of the tact database, allowing users to send mailings and announcements to selected contacts.

Information: Reader Response no. 297.

BusinessAtWeb Upgrade

BusinessAtWeb.com, of Princeton, N.J., reports that it has upgraded its site to include additional content. The site helps users select and order products and services.

Information: Reader Response no. 265.

Wiley, Rein & Fielding, of Washington, D.C., has upgraded its Web site and enhanced its database integration, the firm reports.

WR&F, which has more than 200 attorneys, chose Hubbard One of Chicago to handle the upgrade.

Information: Reader Response no. 264.

American Lawyer Media Inc. has upgraded its online catalog site.

Legal professionals can order books, newsletters, regional newspapers, magazines, CLE seminars and more at the site, which is fully searchable. Online discounts are available at the site, which allows orders to be accepted with or without a credit card. (ALM is the publisher of Law Technology News.)

Information: Reader Response no. 276.

LawCorps, of Washington, D.C., has debuted its secure, Web-enabled database system. The free site allows corporate and law firm clients, and Law Corps' temporary staffing employees, access the database 7/24, real time. Counsel can now monitor their organization's use of temps, and the service offers reporting services to detail performance and costs, it says.

Information: Reader Response no. 277.

Infotrieve, of Los Angeles, and CatchWord Ltd., of Abingdon, U.K., have signed an agreement to offer two-way linking of content.CatchWord hosts scholarly and academic publishers. Infotrieve offers document delivery services.

Information: Reader Response no. 266.

The European Internet Network has launched an English language Pan European Internet portal. It operates 13 country portals covering central and eastern Europe.

Information: Reader Response no. 267.