For law firms, choosing a CRM is not just a productivity question – it is a compliance decision. Client data is subject to attorney confidentiality under the German Federal Lawyers' Act (BRAO) and to the strict protection of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Checklist: a privacy-compliant CRM for law firms

EU server location. Data processing should take place on European servers – ideally on the same infrastructure as your existing Microsoft Office 365 environment.
No AI training on your data. Client data must not be used to train AI models.
Granular access rights. Every user must be able to decide which contacts and information are visible.
Data processing agreement (DPA). A GDPR-compliant agreement with the provider is mandatory.
Built with IT-law expertise. Software developed in collaboration with IT lawyers accounts for professional-law specifics from the start.

Why "privacy by design" is decisive

Data protection cannot be bolted on afterwards. Systems built on the principle of privacy by design make privacy-friendly default settings and minimize the data processed – a key advantage for professional-law assurance.

Conclusion

A CRM for law firms must treat GDPR and BRAO not as hurdles but as baseline requirements. Doraly was developed in close collaboration with renowned IT lawyers and operated on European Microsoft Azure servers.