Transformation of LexisNexis(®) Martindale-Hubbell(®) Reaches Major Milestone with Launch of Online Professional Network, Martindale-Hubbell(®) Connected

NEW YORK--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--LexisNexis, a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions, announced today the official launch of its online professional network, Martindale-Hubbell^® Connected. The announcement represents a major milestone in the ongoing transformation of Martindale-Hubbell from legal directory into the preeminent online destination for legal professionals.

“By linking its networking platform into its existing directory content, Martindale-Hubbell is providing a set of ready-made connections to virtually every practicing lawyer in North America and many more internationally.”

Martindale-Hubbell Connected combines the largest global resource of legal contacts – more than one million lawyers and law firms around the world – with social networking technology to create a dynamic, authenticated network enabling corporate counsel and private practice attorneys to uncover new relationships and trusted referrals, share information and insights, and to identify their connection to firms, corporate legal departments or other lawyers.

In beta development since June 2008, the network launches with 3,000 members and six alliance partners – the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Lex Mundi, the Council on Litigation Management, Pro Bono Net, the National Association of Women Lawyers, and TerraLex.

At launch, the network is open to any private practice attorneys and corporate counsel. Non-lawyers such as law school faculty and students, law firm marketing directors, paralegals and other qualified legal professionals will be invited to join the network later this year as the network continues to evolve. There is no fee to join, and all members have access to the site’s basic features and functions. Corporate counsel have complimentary access to premium functions, as do lawyers whose firms maintain a paid profile in the Martindale-Hubbell^® directory. To join Martindale-Hubbell Connected, lawyers can visit www.martindale.com/connected.

In an independent report on Martindale-Hubbell Connected published by the information and publishing industry analyst firm, Outsell, Inc. (www.outsellinc.com), David Curle, Director and Lead Analyst noted, “By linking its networking platform into its existing directory content, Martindale-Hubbell is providing a set of ready-made connections to virtually every practicing lawyer in North America and many more internationally.”

Developed by Legal Professionals, for Legal Professionals

A survey conducted by Leader Networks in 2008 demonstrated the need for a private, online network for lawyers. According to the survey, while 54 percent of attorneys belong to an online network, fewer than 10 percent of lawyers can rely on current networking tools to help them work more efficiently and cost effectively. Lawyers trust other lawyers; 40 percent responded that they want a trusted, private, authenticated network. To create a legal community of trusted members, all Martindale-Hubbell Connected users are authenticated during the registration process to ensure that they are who they say they are and that their legal credentials are accurate.

In developing Martindale-Hubbell Connected, the company consulted with hundreds of corporate counsel and private practice attorneys in order to specifically address their needs and concerns for connecting, communicating and collaborating online. Feedback from lawyers was instrumental in shaping the product development and will continue to be a key component of future enhancements to the network.

“This launch marks an important milestone in the overall, multi-year transformation of Martindale-Hubbell,” said Ralph Calistri, senior vice president of Global Client Development at LexisNexis and CEO of Martindale-Hubbell. “Using professional networking technology, we are transforming a traditional legal database into the preeminent online community for legal professionals – custom designed to enable them to connect and collaborate with each other to solve legal and business issues.”

Benefits of Membership

The Martindale-Hubbell Connected network delivers a number of key benefits to users, including:

Smart Connections. Network connections are identified in search results so members not only see with whom, but specifically how or why they are connected. Network technology proactively suggests contacts from among 45 million potential connections by matching one’s career and educational background with the full set of lawyers from the martindale.com^® service. Additionally, the network also mines court documents to identify useful connections between a member and other lawyers he or she has teamed with or faced in court.
Exclusive Combination of LexisNexis Content. The network offers members access to an exclusive combination of authoritative information from LexisNexis and other sources such as data, statistics, research, news, competitor profiles, marketing trends, ratings, polls and client reviews.
User-Generated Content and Interactive Capabilities. The network also delivers access to quality user-generated content such as blogs, podcasts, more than 27,000 pieces of counsel-created research, online events and other content contributed by peers. Additional features in subsequent updates to the network will include a legal wiki, forums, and expanded access to content from LexisNexis^® and other sources.
Integrated Access to 37 Million LinkedIn Users. Complementing the Martindale-Hubbell Connected legal network, an agreement with LinkedIn offers Martindale-Hubbell Connected users instant visibility between lawyers they are searching and integrated access to their personal LinkedIn profiles. This means Martindale-Hubbell Connected members can quickly and easily find non-lawyer connections or referrals in the broader LinkedIn business network.

Facilitating Networking for Alliance Partners

The Martindale-Hubbell Connected Alliance Partner Program offers legal associations and select non-profit legal organizations dedicated services and resources to help them host communities within the network and facilitate their members’ networking and collaboration efforts.

According to Adam Potter, executive director of the Council on Litigation Management, “Martindale-Hubbell Connected will serve as a hub where our leaders and our members can stay connected with each other within private groups, access educational materials and information about our organization’s programming and events, and collaborate and network with colleagues outside the organization.”

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis^® (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions designed specifically for professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting and academic markets. LexisNexis originally pioneered online information with its Lexis^® and Nexis^® services. A member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK] (www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis serves customers in more than 100 countries with 18,000 employees worldwide.