How to Manage a Law Firm Merger in Brightflag
When one of your law firms merges with another, it is important to follow the correct steps in Brightflag to ensure continued billing accuracy and preserve historical invoice data. This article explains how law firm mergers are handled in Brightflag, what clients need to do, and what to expect before and after the merger takes place.
Why Brightflag Creates a New Law Firm After a Merger
Brightflag does not update the legal name of an existing law firm profile following a merger. This is a legal and compliance requirement.
Each invoice must always reflect the legal entity that submitted it at the time of billing. Changing an existing firm profile would compromise historical accuracy.
Instead, a new law firm profile is created in Brightflag to represent the merged entity.
📌 Important
Historical law firm profiles remain visible and unchanged to preserve invoice integrity.
What Clients Should Expect During a Law Firm Merger
Once the law firm completes the merger process with Brightflag Support, clients will need to take action to ensure billing can continue smoothly.
1. The New Law Firm Will Appear as a Separate Entity
After setup is complete, the merged firm will appear as a new law firm option in Brightflag. It will not replace the existing pre merger firms.
Clients must add the new firm to their Brightflag account before it can be used on matters or invoices.
ℹ️ Note
Brightflag Support can add the merged firm to the global firm directory, but clients control which firms are enabled on their own account.
Client Actions Required After a Law Firm Merger
2. Add the New Law Firm to Your Account
A client administrator should enable the new law firm profile within Brightflag so it can be assigned to matters and receive invoices.
If you do not see the new firm listed, contact your Customer Success Manager for assistance.
3. Update Matters to Use the New Law Firm
To avoid invoice rejections, ensure that all active matters are updated to reference the new merged law firm.
This ensures that invoices submitted after the merger date align with the correct legal entity.
4. Confirm Timekeeper and Billing Setup
Work with your law firm contact to confirm that:
• Timekeepers are correctly associated with the new firm
• Rates are approved where required
• Billing guidelines are understood for future invoices
What Happens to Pre Merger Law Firm Profiles
All pre merger law firm profiles will remain visible in Brightflag.
This is expected and required.
| Pre Merger Firms | Post Merger Firm |
|---|---|
| Remain visible for historical reporting | Used for all future invoices |
| Retain original invoices | Linked to new matters |
| Should not receive new invoices | Requires client enablement |
📌 Tip
You can continue to report on historical invoices from pre merger firms without interruption.
Important Things to Know
⚠️ Please Note
• Brightflag does not merge law firm profiles into a single account
• Each firm profile is managed independently
• Clients must actively add and assign the new firm
• Invoices submitted to an incorrect firm may be rejected
Planning for these steps early will help avoid billing delays during a merger transition.