Western Partitions Incorporated transformed its contract review process by adopting Superlegal as a first-line solution, replacing a costly and inconsistent reliance on outside counsel.
Previously managing 300-400 contracts annually with high legal fees and slow turnaround times, the company struggled with scattered feedback and missed negotiation opportunities. By implementing Superlegal, the team quickly standardized reviews, reduced costs to a fraction of previous spending, and accelerated turnaround times – most contracts now reviewed within 24 hours.
The platform’s playbooks and risk-flagging capabilities improved consistency, enabled earlier and more effective negotiations, and provided clearer insights into complex contract terms. Ultimately, what was once a major operational bottleneck transformed into a streamlined, strategic advantage that enhances efficiency, consistency, and overall business outcomes.
For Western Partitions Incorporated, contract review used to be a necessary – but frustrating – part of doing business. As one of the largest drywall contractors in the United States, the company operates across 11 states and processes between 300 and 400 subcontract agreements every year.
At the center of this process is David Fitzhugh, Director of Contract Strategy and Dispute Solutions, whose role is to ensure every contract is reviewed, negotiated, and aligned with the company’s best interests. But before adopting Superlegal, the workflow was anything but efficient.
Every contract had to be sent to outside legal counsel, regardless of size or complexity. Each review came with a cost – typically between $800 and $2,000 – and the expenses quickly added up. Worse, the feedback wasn’t consistent.
“We found that outside legal had varying concerns and experience levels,” David explains. “It led to inconsistent edits and suggestions, so we were pretty scattered.”
This lack of standardization made it difficult to focus on what truly mattered. Instead of following a clear strategy, the team was reacting to different opinions on every contract. At the same time, slow turnaround times meant missed opportunities to negotiate early – often when leverage was at its highest.
To regain control over the process, Western Partitions introduced Superlegal as the first step in their contract review workflow.
Rather than relying entirely on external counsel, the team began using Superlegal to analyze contracts, flag risks, and apply pre-defined redlines based on their internal preferences. The platform became a “first gate” – a way to standardize and accelerate the initial review before any further legal involvement.
“I’ve used Superlegal as our first gate in the contract review process,” says David. “It captures the components that really affect us and lets us pre-plan responses. It just expedites the process tremendously.”
This shift allowed the team to approach every contract with a consistent framework, focusing on the clauses that mattered most to their business.
One of the most surprising aspects of the transition was how quickly the team got up to speed.
Within just a few days, Western Partitions uploaded previously reviewed contracts to train the system and began building their playbooks – structured rules that define how specific clauses should be handled. Within a week, Superlegal was fully embedded into their workflow.
“Onboarding was very smooth,” David recalls. “In three or four days we were up and running, and within a week I was using it like I’d been doing it for months.”
Even without a highly technical background, David found the platform intuitive and easy to use.
“I’m not the most fluent software individual out there,” he admits, “and I’m able to use it fairly easily. It meets my needs tremendously.”
The impact of Superlegal was both immediate and measurable.
By reducing reliance on outside counsel, Western Partitions cut their contract review costs dramatically.
“We are probably spending a tenth of the cost that we did with outside legal,” David says.
At the same time, review speed improved significantly. Instead of waiting days for legal feedback, most contracts are now reviewed within 24 hours.
“I’d say 85 to 90 percent of the contracts are turned around in 24 hours,” he explains. “I’ve never waited more than two days for a contract review – and I cannot say the same thing about outside legal counsel.”
This combination of speed and cost efficiency transformed what was once a major bottleneck into a streamlined, predictable process.
In construction, timing can make or break a deal. The longer it takes to respond to a contract, the closer teams get to project start dates – and the less flexibility there is to negotiate.
Superlegal helped Western Partitions stay ahead of that curve.
“There’s a window to negotiate these agreements,” David explains. “The longer you wait, the less patience the customer has.”
By turning contracts around quickly, the team can initiate discussions earlier – when there’s still room to influence outcomes.
“Superlegal helps us maintain that window,” he adds. “We get the document reviewed, get it back in front of the customer, and start those conversations before the time crunch.”
A Tradition of Excellence
Beyond speed, Superlegal brings clarity to complex and highly variable contract language.
Subcontracts often differ widely depending on the region, the general contractor, and the project. Superlegal helps normalize that variability by identifying clauses that fall outside legal norms and suggesting balanced alternatives.
“It quickly points out clauses that are outside the norm,” David says. “Here’s the suggested edit – and that gives us a good platform to start the conversation.”
While not every redline is accepted, they consistently lead to more productive negotiations.
“I’d say about 60 percent of the time, the edits are appreciated,” he notes. “Not always agreed to, but they’re sound – and it’s a good platform to talk through the final language.”
For a team reviewing multiple contracts a day, consistency is just as important as speed.
With Superlegal’s playbooks, Western Partitions can apply the same standards and language across every agreement. This reduces decision fatigue and ensures a more coherent approach to negotiation.
“Having the same language and edits makes the day much smoother,” David says. “A lot less choppy, much more coherent and consistent.”
Instead of reinventing the wheel for every contract, the team now operates with a clear, repeatable system.
For Western Partitions, the transformation is clear. What was once a costly, inconsistent, and slow process is now a streamlined operation that supports faster deals and better outcomes.
Superlegal didn’t just improve efficiency – it gave the team control, consistency, and confidence in how they approach every contract. And for David, managing a high volume of subcontracting agreements, that kind of transformation isn’t just helpful – it’s a competitive edge.
Discover how teams like yours use Superlegal to transform their workflows, cut costs, and gain a competitive edge. Explore more customer stories to see how other companies are using smarter contract review to move faster and negotiate with confidence.
