The Sarkisian family’s firm began as a general-practice operation in 1975. In the past 20 years, they’ve come to specialize in personal injury, servicing clients throughout the Northwest Indiana area commonly known as “the Region.”
Sarkisian Sarkisian expanded beyond its Portage office in 2010, adding a second location in Valparaiso; next, they’ll add a third in Lake County, IN. But because they’re one of the largest PI firms in the Region — and they feel a strong connection to their community — it’s important to remain in the area.
Moving beyond legal technology that “inches along”
Like many firms, Sarkisian Sarkisian has long been behind the technological 8-ball. When associate Arman Sarkisian joined his family’s practice in 2010, the firm’s online presence was limited to a free one-page website from the Yellow Pages. “They didn't even have a logo; [the site] just said what our name was and the address and the phone number,” Arman says, laughing.
At the time, Sarkisian Sarkisian used a server-based firm management system riddled with hiccups and inefficiencies — Arman couldn’t access critical files while in court or conducting mediation. In 2012, he embarked on a three-year search for a better tool.
Software that offers both on- and offline support
Smokeball forged a hands-on relationship with Sarkisian Sarkisian right from the start. After requesting more information on the legal practice management software, Arman and a paralegal were invited to the Chicago office for an in-person demo and Q&A session. “From that point forward, it was just a no-brainer,” he says.
Years of test-driving other products left Arman finely attuned to the features — and support — his firm needed to thrive. Here’s why Smokeball stood out:
- Smokeball's cloud-based setup, including the app. Arman and his team can access the information they need from anywhere using laptops, iPads and iPhones.
- Smokeball’s seamless integration with Microsoft Office. The Sarkisian team already used products like Word and Outlook, so using those products within the Smokeball platform was a straightforward transition.
- Smokeball’s legal case management tools. Because every document in Smokeball is tied to the related matter, the Sarkisian team could scan and upload all their hard files to a centralized location, accessible from anywhere.
Sarkisian Sarkisian underwent two full days of onsite training to unify the team around their new Smokeball investment, led by Senior Trainer Sara Sultan.
“Sara is awesome,” Arman says. “We still tap her on the shoulder now and then for some questions and some direction. She's so patient.”
Modern connectivity for a modern PI firm
Smokeball works the way your firm does — regardless of whether you use all its features. So, while the Sarkisian team relies on Smokeball’s email integration rather than the Communicate tool, Arman says the resulting interconnectivity makes the biggest difference.
“It has very much allowed us to all pay attention to the same information in one concise way and really just concentrate on the case moving forward,” he says, “as opposed to trying to figure out well, ‘where do I find this? Where do we go for this?”
Sarkisian Sarkisian keeps growing larger — and more efficient
With attorneys and staff working in two offices — in-person and remotely — Smokeball allows the Sarkisian team to remain connected and productive. “We just live in the software,” Arman says. “If we're not in it, we're in something that's connected to it, and we're always drawn back to it.”
