A faster, more predictable path to invoice across a 1,300-attorney firm

Paperless prebills and refreshed Aderant templates at Womble Bond Dickinson (US), through a large-scale merger

At a glance

Like many firms that have grown through complex mergers, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) entered its combination with Lewis Roca with differing billing workflows that needed to be unified quickly and at scale. The firm moved to a faster, more predictable billing cycle firmwide by implementing Datolite Rocket and refreshing its Aderant billing templates with Datolite. Today, attorneys review and edit prebills directly in the system; billers no longer spend the day after prebill generation gathering, distributing, and re-entering edits, and the firm’s legacy template set has been replaced with a standardized design built on Aderant’s native functionality. Both products were implemented during the firm’s 2025 merger with Lewis Roca and the conversion of both firms onto a single accounting platform.

Two firms, two billing environments, one Aderant platform

In January 2025, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) and Lewis Roca combined to form a large-scale firm with more than 1,300 attorneys. The two firms entered the merger with very different technology stacks. Lewis Roca was operating on Elite and had already adopted a paperless billing process. Womble Bond Dickinson (US) was using Aderant Classic with an out-of-system prebill workflow. To run the combined firm on a single accounting platform, Lewis Roca’s financial data needed to be converted from Elite into Aderant. That conversion would also bring the legacy Lewis Roca attorneys, who had been working in a fully paperless environment, onto a system that did not yet support paperless prebills.

For the legacy Womble billing team and attorneys, the prebill process was time-consuming and prone to delays. Attorney edits were captured out-of-system and re-entered by billers, which created longer billing cycles, limited visibility into the status of any given prebill, and added effort that the firm wanted to redirect to higher-value work.

The firm’s existing billing templates added their own issues. They lacked color and visual consistency across the firm, and were not optimized to take advantage of Aderant’s template functionality. Carrying that workflow into the post-merger firm was not an option. With the merger, the financial systems conversion, and new firm operations all happening in parallel, Womble needed a coordinated effort to modernize processes, introduce new tools, and keep legacy Lewis Roca attorneys in a paperless environment on day one.

Why Womble chose Datolite

From the start, firm leadership made clear that paperless prebills and a unified billing environment were the direction of the combined firm. With that mandate set, Womble needed a partner who could deliver on it. Two things made Datolite the right partner for this work.

1. A partner who knew the firm and could carry the workload. Datolite had built Womble’s earlier Elite templates and knew the firm’s billing structure, data elements, and business requirements in detail. That existing knowledge translated directly into the new Aderant template design and let Datolite take on complex workstreams independently, freeing the in-house team to focus on firm policy, procedures, and change management.
2. Rocket fit the requirement. Datolite Rocket matched what the firm wanted from a paperless prebill process, both functionally and strategically. Womble had followed Rocket’s development from its early stages and had a clear view of what the product could do for the combined firm.

“What truly sets Datolite apart is the partnership. When working with Datolite, you never feel like just another client. They take the time to understand your business, your challenges, and your goals. Their collaborative approach, responsiveness, and genuine investment in our success made them the right partner during a period of significant change and transformation.”

Womble Bond Dickinson (US)

Datolite Rocket and refreshed DocuDraft templates, delivered in parallel

Datolite delivered two pieces of work in parallel: Datolite Rocket for paperless prebill review across the combined firm, and a complete refresh of the firm’s billing templates using DocuDraft, designed and built by Datolite to take advantage of Aderant’s template functionality.

Rocket was delivered on a very short timeframe so that paperless prebills were available from day one of the post-conversion environment. For legacy Lewis Roca attorneys, who had already moved to paperless prebills, Datolite’s delivery on that timeline was critical to maintaining continuity through the conversion. For legacy Womble attorneys, Rocket was rolled out in managed batches, with focused attention from the billing and training teams at each stage.

On the templates side, Datolite drew on its existing knowledge of Womble’s requirements from the firm’s earlier Elite work. That history allowed the team to recreate the templates in the Aderant environment with minimal direction from Womble during a period when the firm’s internal team was managing many other merger-related priorities.

“Their familiarity with what we had and what we needed made the transition exceptionally easy on our side. While they asked clarifying questions when appropriate, for the most part, they were able to drive the conversion effort with minimal direction from us. This was especially valuable during a time when our team was managing significant changes and competing demands.”

Womble Bond Dickinson (US)

Across both workstreams, Datolite took on major pieces of work independently and supported the in-house team through a demanding period of change.

“Their expertise, reliability, and ability to own major workstreams reduced pressure on our team during a very demanding period. Knowing that those components were in capable hands made a meaningful difference and contributed directly to the overall success of the transition.”

Womble Bond Dickinson (US)

What changed across Womble’s billing cycle

“We recently launched Datolite Rocket, and attorneys are loving its intuitive user interface. Optimizing the prebill process to remove manual edits in Aderant has enhanced efficiency, enabling a quicker path to invoicing.”

Sara Cutcher, Director of Financial Systems, Womble Bond Dickinson (US)

A faster path to invoice

• Bills move from prebill review to being invoiced on a faster, more predictable cycle, supporting cash flow and the client experience.
• Attorneys review and edit prebills directly in Rocket, dramatically shortening the turnaround time between prebill and the final invoice.
• Templates require less manual intervention because Datolite designed them to use Aderant’s template automation, reducing the time spent populating information that the system can now generate.

Capacity returned to the billing team

• Billers have reclaimed the day they previously spent gathering and distributing prebills, redirecting it to higher-value work.
• Re-entry of attorney edits into Aderant has been removed; edits are now captured in Rocket by the attorney making them.
• Improved visibility into the full cycle of a prebill for billers, managers, and attorneys.

Enthusiastic adoption from attorneys

• Once attorneys in early batches started using Rocket, word spread quickly, and others outside the rollout asked to be added sooner based on positive feedback from colleagues.
• The rollout preserved continuity for legacy Lewis Roca staff, who experienced a minimal transition onto the new Aderant platform.
• Strong CFO sponsorship removed uncertainty and reinforced the direction across both legacy firms.

A consistent invoice across every office

• Standardized, visually improved invoices across every office and practice area.
• Templates designed for the combined firm’s brand and operating needs.
• A single template set that better supports billing processes and reflects the needs of the combined firm.

Advice for firms going through a similar change

The combination of Rocket and refreshed templates provides the starting point for the combined firm’s billing operations going forward. With a unified platform, standardized templates, and paperless prebills in place, the firm is positioned for continued modernization and further automation across the billing cycle. It also stands as a reference for any large firm working through a merger, a platform conversion, or a move away from a manual prebill process.

“I would strongly recommend working with Datolite, especially for firms navigating a merger or significant system change. Having Datolite focused on complex initiatives like templates and Rocket was incredibly helpful. It allowed our internal teams to stay focused on developing and aligning firm policies, procedures, and change management efforts.”

Womble Bond Dickinson (US)

Key takeaways

For CFOs and finance directors

• Bills move from prebill review to invoice on a faster, more predictable cycle, supporting cash flow.
• The billing team redirects time previously spent on manual work to higher-value work.
• Consistent, professional invoices across every office and practice area.
• A precedent for what can be delivered through a major change, whether a merger, a platform conversion, or both.

For directors of operations

• Manual prebill distribution and attorney-edit re-entry were removed entirely; billers have reclaimed the day they previously spent on those tasks for higher-value work.
• Refreshed templates designed to use Aderant’s native functionality, reducing manual maintenance going forward
• Enthusiastic demand from attorneys: once early adopters were on Rocket, others wanted in sooner.
• Strong leadership sponsorship paired with a phased, well-supported rollout.

For IT directors

• Rocket delivered on a very short timeframe to support day-one continuity through a major platform conversion.
• Templates were rebuilt by the same team that knew the firm’s billing structure from earlier work, reducing discovery effort.
• A partner who took on complex workstreams independently while the internal team focused on firm policy and change management