Fund managers are under increasing pressure to explain legal spend in the context of deal and fund performance, and how they’re managing that overhead.
Join Onit for a demo of our Fund Spend Intelligence and see how firms can standardize legal spend within a deal-centric framework that helps legal, finance, and investment teams report, compare, and act on spend consistently.
In this session, you’ll see how teams can:
Gain deal-level visibility into legal spend
Track spend across diligence, closing, integration, and exit
Compare legal costs across deals and portfolio companies
Improve vendor oversight and outside counsel management
Counsel Exchange is the next evolution of Onit’s ebilling services. Counsel Exchange brings CounselGO and BillingPoint together with a responsive UI refresh and modern UX, improving speed, accessibility, and intuitive navigation, reducing vendor training time, and increasing adoption.
How Does Counsel Exchange Differ from CounselGO and BillingPoint?
Counsel Exchange builds on the trusted workflows customers and vendors already rely on today through CounselGO and BillingPoint.
Core workflows such as invoice submission, timekeeper and rate management, budget collaboration, file sharing, and status visibility continue within Counsel Exchange.
What changes is the experience surrounding those workflows.
Counsel Exchange introduces:
A cleaner, more modern vendor experience
More intuitive navigation and workflow guidance
Better visibility into invoice status and validation feedback
Enhanced collaboration between legal teams and vendors
A scalable platform foundation for future innovation and AI-enabled capabilities
Counsel Exchange is designed to preserve critical workflows while improving usability, consistency, and long-term scalability.
What is “Activation?”
Activation for Counsel Exchange marks the transition to a modernized vendor collaboration and e-billing experience. It brings together the core capabilities of BillingPoint and CounselGO into a single platform with a more intuitive interface, improved performance, and streamlined workflows.
This is not a migration, but a guided transition that allows vendors to begin using Counsel Exchange while existing systems remain available during rollout. With structured communications, training, and a phased timeline, activation is designed to minimize disruption and support adoption.
What is the activation process?
May 18: OnitX, SimpleLegal, and Unity customers begin receiving activation communications, timelines, and supporting materials
June 1: BillingPoint and CounselGO vendors begin receiving activation communications, timelines, and training materials
Note: Onit will contact vendors on behalf of customers
June 15: In-app banners appear in BillingPoint and CounselGO to notify vendors of the upcoming activation and timeline
July 13: Counsel Exchange is activated
Vendors can begin using the new system
Legacy systems (BillingPoint and CounselGO) remain accessible during this transition period
August 17: BillingPoint and CounselGO access is terminated
Counsel Exchange becomes the single access point for invoice submission, reporting, and all vendor activities
What is required of OnitX, SimpleLegal, and Unity users?
Review Activation Materials: Carefully review all Activation communications and resources provided, along with the materials in this Success Kit. These will outline key timelines, expectations, and what to anticipate during the transition to Counsel Exchange.
Communicate with Your Team: Notify your internal teams about the upcoming transition to ensure alignment and readiness. Onit will handle all vendor communications on your behalf; however, if you choose to proactively connect with your vendors, you are welcome to do so.
Support Vendor Readiness: Onit will communicate directly with vendors on your behalf, but your awareness and reinforcement can help ensure engagement. Encourage vendors to review materials and complete training ahead of activation.
Training Review (Optional): No training is required for your internal users, as there are no changes to your ELM system. However, training materials are included in this Success Kit if your team would like to review or familiarize themselves with Counsel Exchange.
Reach Out with Questions: If you have any questions or need support at any point during Activation, please contact Support, your Customer Success Manager, or your Account Manager.
No Technical Setup Required: No technical action is required from your team. Activation will be managed by Onit, and vendors will be guided through access and onboarding. You can continue business as usual until Activation begins.
What is required of vendors?
Review Activation Communications and Timeline: Carefully review all communications from Onit regarding Counsel Exchange. These will outline key dates, expectations, and when changes will occur so you can plan accordingly.
Complete Training and Review Materials: We strongly recommend reviewing the provided training materials and guides ahead of activation. Counsel Exchange is designed to be intuitive, but familiarizing yourself in advance will help ensure a smooth transition.
Prepare for the Transition: Be aware of the upcoming activation and cutoff dates for BillingPoint and CounselGO. Plan to begin using Counsel Exchange starting July 13 and fully transition all activities before legacy systems are retired.
Login Credential Update: Vendors will continue using the same username credentials; however, you will be required to reset your password the first time you log into Counsel Exchange.
Watch for In-App Notifications: Pay attention to in-app banners and reminders within BillingPoint and CounselGO, as these will reinforce key dates and provide helpful prompts leading up to activation.
Reach Out with Questions: If you have any questions or need support, contact Onit Support using the resources provided in your communications.
When Counsel Exchange users log in, they’ll be guided through the new experience with an in-app walkthrough designed to help them get comfortable with the updated system. The walkthrough highlights the new layout, where to find key features and settings, and how to navigate common workflows so users can quickly find the tools and information they need.
Product Guides
We’re continuing to expand this library with more walkthroughs and best practices.
From any page within Counsel Exchange, click the blue “Get Help” button in the lower right hand corner of your screen, OR
Click the light blue circle in the upper right hand corner – this circle will contain your initials or profile picture. Then, click “Contact Support.” This will open the “Get Help” chat window.
If the chatbot is unable to answer any of your how-to questions, you can easily use the chatbot to submit a case to the support team in the same window as the chat.
Onit Support Assistant: Counsel Exchange also includes the Onit Support Assistant, an AI-powered chat tool that answers basic “how-to” questions about the platform in multiple languages. The assistant is intended for product guidance only and does not access client data or support custom data queries. Read more about Onit’s Support Assistant here.
Updated Terms for Vendors
Counsel Exchange will operate under updated Terms & Conditions, which will govern your use of the new platform
Continued use of Counsel Exchange after activation indicates acceptance of these updated terms
You will be prompted to review and accept the updated Terms & Conditions the first time you access Counsel Exchange
Updates to the Terms & Conditions reflect the transition to Counsel Exchange. Key differences include:
Addition of a new Section 2.1 which clarifies which Onit entity will be invoicing if you migrated over from CounselGO.
Addition of a new Section 9 which allows Onit to use to perform and embed AI in the Services and the terms related to such use of AI.
Update to Section 8.6 — a new link to our updated Privacy Policy.
Update to Section 10.5 — governing law is now the State of Georgia
Please note: these updated Terms & Conditions apply only to vendors and users accessing Counsel Exchange. There are no changes to the Terms & Conditions governing client use of OnitX, SimpleLegal, and/or Unity.
Common Questions and Answers
Will I still be able to access BillingPoint or CounselGO after activation? Yes. There will be a 5-week dual access period where you can use both your current system (BillingPoint or CounselGO) and Counsel Exchange. After August 17, Counsel Exchange will become the single portal for all vendor activity.
Do I need to create a new login or will my existing credentials work? No new login is required. You will use your existing username to access Counsel Exchange; however, you will be required to reset your password the first time you log in via the new Counsel Exchange URL
Is there any downtime expected during the activation period? No. There is no planned downtime during activation, and you can continue your work without interruption.
What happens if I don’t start using Counsel Exchange by the activation date? After the transition period ends, access to BillingPoint and CounselGO will be turned off. All activity will need to take place in Counsel Exchange.
Do I need to migrate any of my existing data or invoices? No. All of your data—including invoices, matters, and files—will automatically be available in Counsel Exchange. No action is required on your part.
Will my historical invoices and reports still be available in Counsel Exchange? Yes. All historical data, including invoices, matters, and reports, will be accessible in Counsel Exchange.
Is training required before I start using Counsel Exchange? Training is not required, but it is recommended. While the experience is similar to BillingPoint and CounselGO, reviewing the provided materials will help your team get comfortable with the updated interface.
Who should I contact if I run into issues during activation? You can reach out to Onit Support for any questions, troubleshooting, or assistance during the activation process using the steps outlined in the Contacting Support section above.
Are there any changes to how invoices are submitted? The overall process remains the same. While the interface has been updated, invoice submission follows a similar workflow to what you use today.
Will there be any changes to billing guidelines or approval workflows? No. Your existing billing guidelines and approval workflows will remain unchanged.
Can vendors continue submitting invoices in the legacy systems during the transition period? Yes. During the 5-week dual access period, you can submit invoices in either BillingPoint/CounselGO or Counsel Exchange. After August 17, all submissions must be made through Counsel Exchange.
How will Onit communicate updates or important reminders during the rollout? You can expect regular communications from Onit, including weekly updates with important dates, reminders, and next steps throughout the activation period.
When legal teams lack visibility into vendor performance, billing behavior, and matter history, it’s hard to make informed decisions or enforce accountability.
You end up reacting to billing surprises, chasing updates across email, and guessing which firms are actually delivering value.
Let’s change that.
Join us for a 20-minute live demo of Unity ELM and see how legal teams can:
Centralize vendor profiles, matter history, and spend details in one system
Track performance, billing compliance, and engagement history
Enforce staffing rules, rates, and billing guidelines with AI-assisted review
Collaborate with outside counsel directly within the matter record
Use real-time insights to make smarter vendor and panel firm decisions
This is how legal teams build a more connected, accountable vendor strategy without the manual mess.
When legal teams rely on manual processes to assign work, track deadlines, and manage approvals, time is spent on repetitive tasks instead of higher-value work.
Requests require manual triage. Deadlines depend on follow-up. And simple workflows like approvals and assignments create unnecessary delays.
OnitX helps legal teams automate these low-value tasks so work moves faster, more consistently, and with less manual effort.
Want to see how it works in practice?
Join us for a 20-minute live demo and see how legal teams can:
Automatically assign work based on matter type, team structure, or workload
Trigger tasks and deadlines dynamically, including trial-related activities tied to key dates
Streamline budget and invoice approvals with configurable, automated workflows
Reduce manual follow-up while improving consistency and governance across legal operations
This is how modern legal teams eliminate repetitive work and scale operations without adding complexity.
The business expects clear answers on legal spend, performance, and risk. Most teams cannot deliver them quickly.
Reporting is often fragmented across systems, delayed, or requires manual effort to pull together. As a result, legal struggles to answer even basic questions with confidence.
Want to see how to change that?
Watch this on-demand demo of OnitX Reporting & Visibility and see how legal teams can:
Access real-time dashboards to track matters, spend, and performance across the enterprise
Generate and schedule reports automatically without manual data pulls
Drill down from high-level metrics into detailed matter and financial data
Leverage flexible reporting formats, including dashboards, grid reports, and Tableau integration
Create a single source of truth for legal operations, financials, and performance
Access the demo anytime and see how legal teams move from reactive reporting to strategic visibility, backed by data they can trust.
Your AI initiative isn’t failing because your team resists change. It’s failing because the workflow it sits on was never designed to scale.
Jeffrey Solomon from Onit and Matthew Burdman from Colgate-Palmolive share a candid discussion on what legal ops transformation actually requires. Drawing on Onit’s legal ops maturity model and Matthew’s experience leading legal ops at a global organization, this session offers a practical perspective on how teams are approaching workflow, technology, and AI in the real world.
Your takeaways:
Where process failure is masquerading as an adoption problem
Why your people are the first investment, not the last consideration
How teams are prioritizing workflows, tools, and AI based on business goals
How to measure and communicate impact
You’re not behind because you lack ambition. Many teams are working through the same challenges. This session shares how one legal ops leader has approached them and what others can take from that experience.
Speakers:
Matthew Burdman, Director, Global Legal Operations, Colgate-Palmolive Company
Jeff Solomon, VP, GTM Strategy & Alliances at Onit
A practical guide to eliminating bottlenecks, improving cross-team collaboration, and accelerating contract turnaround
Contract drafting and collaboration are where deals often slow down. Disconnected tools, endless email threads, and unclear ownership create delays, increase risk, and frustrate stakeholders across the business.
This ebook breaks down how legal teams are simplifying the process with better workflows, standardized content, and modern technology.
In this ebook, you’ll learn how to:
Reduce drafting delays and eliminate version confusion
Standardize templates and clauses for greater consistency
Collaborate more effectively with business stakeholders
Streamline reviews and approvals without bottlenecks
Use automation and AI to speed up contract creation
Improve visibility into contract status and ownership
Get a clear, practical look at how to move contracts forward faster while maintaining control and consistency. Download the ebook today
A quick reference guide to UTBMS and ADA codes so your team can code accurately, reduce invoice rejections, and keep billing moving.
Legal billing shouldn’t slow your team down. But when UTBMS and ADA codes aren’t applied consistently, invoices get rejected, time gets written down, and payments get delayed.
This quick reference guide gives your team a fast, reliable way to apply the right codes without digging through documentation or guessing.
Whether you’re reviewing invoices or entering time, this is the resource you keep open while you work.
What you’ll get
Common UTBMS litigation task codes with clear descriptions
Frequently used ABA activity codes and when to use them
Real-world billing examples that show how codes and narratives align
Practical tips to avoid common mistakes like block billing and mismatched descriptions
Consistent coding does more than clean up invoices. It speeds up approvals, improves visibility into legal spend, and reduces friction with outside counsel.
This guide helps your team get it right the first time.
Change management is the process of preparing your legal and surrounding teams for the addition of Unity into your company’s process. It is a critical step in ensuring the proper onboarding of the software and building long-term acceptance of the new system.
Why is Change Management Important?
Successful adoption of a new tool or process sets the stage for how your organization will co-exist with Unity. Change management prepares your team for the “why” and “what” of implementation: why are you bringing on Unity and what problems are you solving by the addition of Unity? If your team understands these two items, the implementation becomes a goal for the entire organization to work towards.
What is Unity?
This may be the first time your team members are hearing about Unity. Below is a product overview that provides insights into the tool and its uses to get your team up to speed.
How to Prepare Your Team
The following items will prepare your teams for onboarding Unity. Keep in mind, each team is unique and these items may need to be adjusted or customized for your needs and style. Your implementation manager will discuss each item below in detail prior to going live.
Communications
Communication is Key! Provide expected delivery dates, system expectations, and training opportunities early and often. If necessary, Unity has communication templates available to assist with starting these conversations. View the Unity Implementation Communications Library and view the “Internal – Team Communications” templates. During implementation, your team will also have discussions about notifying your vendors of the transition and templates will be provided.
Provide Assurance: Do you have team members who need extra assistance or are hesitant of a SaaS solution? Provide a list of resources for asking questions during implementation and opportunities to showcase the tool in action. Early exposure lessens the uncertainty of your team members.
Plan for Change: Your Unity system will change. As your team grows and evolves, your SimpleLegal system will as well. Providing assurances to your team that Unity does not need to function as it does at go-live, nor should it, they can provide insight, feedback, and suggestions as they use the tool. More importantly, allow Unity to mature alongside your needs.
System Training
To unlock the full potential of Unity, join our regular training sessions and explore our library of training videos and feature success kits. These resources are designed to help you quickly grasp the platform’s capabilities, giving you a competitive advantage in managing your legal operations. Dive into our Learning Library to browse through our various training options today! Browse through our learning library.
Create/upload vendor contacts in Unity and give them CounselGO Admin role (Recommended two weeks before go live so that vendors can submit timekeepers, review their open matters, and add additional CounselGO users)
Turn on system invoicing and agreed upon day/time (to be determined with client during a weekly call)
Stabilization period – Review the first few invoices together, discuss invoice/line-item flags, and confirm AP receipt of approved invoices.
Common Questions and Answers
Can you provide insights into the vendor portal, CounselGO? CounselGO is a portal for submitting invoices to clients who are using Unity to manage their e-billing and legal matters. CounselGO also helps track matters referred by clients and the timekeepers who work billable hours on those matters. Using CounselGO allows vendor law firms to deliver invoices to clients in a manner that makes tracking, review, and processing efficient. It’s very likely that your vendors are already using CounselGO with other Unity clients so this should be a somewhat seamless process for them. If they have not used CounselGO in the past, the vendor communications will provide insights, training, and next steps to get them prepared.
What to expect with user adoption and training? Communications and training options will be provided during implementation as part of the change management of Unity. Keep in mind, each team onboards differently so your team may mix and match onboarding options.
How to keep projects on track? It is highly recommended to hold weekly Internal meetings with Legal, AP, Finance, IT etc. so that we can make the most productive use of our Unity weekly meetings.
Implementation Tips and Tricks
Tell your team why you’ve decided to add Unity to your legal team! What problems are you trying to solve and what are you excited or eager to implement with this new system? Your excitement will help your team get on board.
Provide updates and your progress. Your team will be more responsive to onboarding a new system if they understand the work that is happening to assist them in the future. Updates and progress reports, even milestones you have accomplished, will build excitement for the coming launch.
Give your team ample time to learn about the tool and opportunities to ask questions (e.g. training, documentation) and provide feedback to your implementation team with scheduled Q&A sessions or an inbox to send suggestions.
Take some time to review your existing data (e.g. matters, vendors, etc) to see what data is working and, more importantly, what is no longer working for your team. Does all data need to be brought over? Should anything be cleaned up or organized in a more meaningful way?
Post Go-Live Resources
Once your system is live, the following resources are available to your team:
