Case Management Facility

What is the Case Management Facility?

In its simplest definition, the Case Management Facility is an "online file cabinet" containing millions of documents pertaining to tens of thousands of cases every day. But the CMF is far more than that. The CMF organizes, tracks, searches and synthesizes these documents into information attorneys can use. The state-of-the-art technology is backed by a staff that includes experienced trial lawyers and paralegals who understand large-scale litigation and what litigators need to win cases.

The CMF grew out of a client's need to manage the overwhelming amount of materials associated with complex toxic tort litigation, everything from docketing to transcripts to exhibits. No litigation management resource of this type existed, so Womble Carlyle created a solution. Since then, the CMF has evolved into an outside counsel partner providing a perspective different from that of any other member of the counsel team. CMF attorneys understand the litigation as a whole, identify trends and anticipate future needs.

Experience counts. From 2007-2009, the CMF handled:

To date, CMF has worked with more than:

The CMF supports more than 2,000 lawyers and legal support professionals at multiple locations and multiple offices within law firms nationwide.

We currently serve as national case management counsel for a Fortune 500 company in connection with almost 30,000 active product liability suits pending in federal and state courts in all 50 states; in that role, CMF assists in the development and implementation of strategies tailored to the client’s need for consistency, given the enormous volume of litigation across jurisdictions, cases and plaintiff lawyer adversaries.

What can case management do for your business?

• The CMF attorneys and staff work with each client to customize processes to meet the client’s specific needs. Off-the-shelf litigation management systems simply lack the precision, the speed and the associated legal minds of the CMF.
• The CMF saves attorneys time, prevents duplication of efforts and provides legal teams with the best possible information in a timely manner.
• The CMF understands that even the best information is useless unless it can be delivered in a timely manner, so they work diligently to supply needed data on the client’s timetable.
• The CMF is an invaluable tool for attorneys new to a case, since they can quickly access all of the information they need to learn about the matter at hand. The CMF also frees up attorneys from case management duties, allowing them to focus their time and energy on their clients’ defense.

• The CMF frees trial counsel from case management duties, allowing them to focus their time and energy on their clients' defense.
• The CMF brings strategic value to the defense team. While the local counsel teams are focused on their particular cases, CMF attorneys have access to and can analyze every document pertaining to all related cases, giving them a "big-picture" perspective. Our experienced team of lawyers works with clients and their counsel teams in preparing defense strategy, understanding that the ultimate goal is helping clients win, however they define a win.

A winning legal defense requires skilled attorneys, an engaged client and a focus on preparation. The CMF is the final piece of the puzzle for successful litigation strategy. 

How does the CMF work?

The CMF has an expert staff of 8 attorneys who supervise more than 140 paralegals. Our team works directly with clients, in-house and outside counsel at all stages of litigation - from preparing reports to planning long-term legal strategy and facilitating communication and consistency among all members of the defense team. 

Information housed in the CMF is shared in a secure Web format. Clients and their counsel may sort through a huge volume of documents such as pleadings, depositions and correspondence in seconds, finding exactly—and only—what they need. The online nature of the CMF’s system allows attorneys working all over the world to coordinate efforts and share information effectively and efficiently.