Case study · Harneys
Harneys is a leading offshore law firm advising the world's most active investment managers, sponsors, and financial institutions. In one of the most active corners of offshore finance, clients routinely weigh up three firms at once — and the firm that moves fastest wins the mandate.
Partnering with Neota, Harneys replaced a fragmented, email-led fund launch process with SP Accelerate: a guided digital experience that gives clients clearer visibility, faster turnaround, and frees lawyers from repetitive administration.
New segregated portfolios require collecting the same large volume of data to define the commercial and legal terms of the portfolio. The tools traditionally relied on operate in silos, creating a fragmented process.
The friction was predictable: Excel questionnaires sent by email with days lost chasing incomplete answers, lawyers manually re-keying responses into precedent documents, revisions cycling back and forth over email, and CIMA registration requiring the same data entered all over again.
Clients had no visibility. Lawyers spent hours re-keying rather than advising. The firms losing weren't losing on capability — they were losing on speed and experience.
Harneys wanted a cohesive system that enabled collaboration, accuracy and exceptional client delivery. They partnered with Neota Logic to build SP Accelerate: a guided, branded digital application that collects every data point the firm needs, then carries that data through review, document drafting, client approval, and CIMA registration without reentry.
For the client, an Excel document in the inbox became a clean digital application that adapts to their structure as they go — completed in a single guided session, with real-time visibility on progress and far fewer email exchanges.
For the Harneys team, once the application is submitted the data flows directly into document generation. The full precedent suite is produced automatically, lawyers review and advise rather than retype, and CIMA-ready output is built in from day one.
With drafting time compressed and workflow standardised, Harneys introduced a fixed-fee model for SP launches. Removing the ambiguity of billable-hour invoicing gives clients cost certainty while eliminating the risk of revenue leakage where matters exceed agreed estimates.
The fixed-fee model has proven a compelling differentiator, increasing the firm's win rate on competitive pitches. SP Accelerate is now cited by clients and service providers as a reason for selecting Harneys, emerging managers who once found the process daunting now self-serve through early stages, and clean data makes it straightforward to scope adjacent work.
Harneys evaluated multiple platforms before selecting Neota Logic. Two things made the difference. First, no-code authority in the hands of the practice — the team can update question logic, refine precedent clauses, and adjust workflow rules without engineering tickets, so the platform evolves with the practice, not behind it.
Second, end-to-end automation in one environment: process, document, and decision automation natively integrated, with CIMA-ready output built in.
“SP Accelerate has changed the way we deliver fund launches. By partnering with Neota Logic, we have replaced a fragmented, email-led process with a guided digital experience that gives clients clearer visibility and faster turnaround. For clients, that means a smoother launch, fewer back-and-forth exchanges, and the confidence that their matter is progressing quickly and accurately.”
Partner, Funds & Asset Management, Cayman Islands
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