At IMS, we believe our people are our greatest asset. In honor of our incredible team, we are thrilled to go “beyond the bio” and share the personal stories of employees across our organization.
This month’s employee spotlight features Christine Carnell and Catherine Sheppard, both of whom joined IMS through the acquisition of Z-Axis. Christine and Catherine have each successfully managed the delivery of demonstrative graphics in a wide variety of high-value complex commercial disputes and significant international arbitrations. They are based in our London office, where they have developed long-term client relationships with firms throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Read on to learn how Christine and Catherine got into this industry, which cases they enjoy most, and what trends they are seeing in international dispute resolution.
Note: Since this spotlight was published, Catherine Sheppard has left IMS to pursue other opportunities.
Christine Carnell, Legal Presentation Consultant
Q: How did you get into this industry?
A: I had a lot of experience in the legal industry before joining Z-Axis in 2019. It seemed to be a natural fit for my background. When I first became familiar with Z-Axis’ reputation in visual presentation support for arbitrations and litigation, I delved a little deeper and was amazed by their impressive work. I enjoy collaborating with lawyers, and the variety and quality of Z-Axis’ work very much appeals to me. We were fortunate to become a division of IMS Consulting & Expert Services last year, which builds on our strong respective legacies.
Q: What do you like most about your specific department and/or role?
A: I am excited that I have the opportunity to work with top lawyers around the world every day. Because each case we work on involves different subject matter and has its own unique challenges, I feel like I am always learning about a new industry, technical process, or patented idea. I very much enjoy being part of a team with my production colleagues to ensure that our clients are well supported with a clear and efficient visual strategy.
Q: What do you think sets IMS | Z-Axis Global apart from competitors or other companies?
A: Z-Axis has been the leader in the UK legal market with respect to visual presentation services for many years. Now with IMS’ additional service offerings—integrated strategy, expert witness engagement, jury research, and courtroom technology —we have a unique blend of elements vital to comprehensive dispute resolution support.
Q: How do the IMS core values align with your own?
A: I would say that the core values are tenets I believe in. Delivering a quality product and exceptional client service are both absolutely key for me. I think it is really important that we work together as a team to meet our clients’ needs. I agree that demonstrating ownership thinking at all times is an important factor in our success. For me, all the core values contribute to honouring the relationship, whether it is internally with colleagues or externally with clients.
Q: If you were a client, what would you find most valuable about the process at IMS | Z-Axis Global?
A: We have an incredibly talented staff to call upon, and as a result of the acquisition, our combined experience is unmatched in the industry. We have the ability to be responsive around the clock and around the globe. I know that our clients value our experience and our responsiveness.
Q: Do you have any predictions or comments on industry trends?
A: The COVID-19 pandemic sent a shockwave of change through every industry in every country. The court system that had been mostly in person became almost all virtual proceedings. One of the positives to come out of the recent COVID years is the increased international use of visual advocacy and the technology that supports it. IMS is and will continue to be a leader in these fields.
Q: What has been your favorite case to work on so far?
A: We worked on an international arbitration involving a consortium of four law firms. We produced a series of visuals to tell the construction story of a large, combined-cycle power station. We used interactive mapping techniques to give a detailed overview of the site. We created 3D animations to help the tribunal understand how individual turbines worked. A series of pie charts and detailed graphs were also produced to clarify the percentage of work completed across the various sectors of the plant corresponding to specific points in time. We told the story clearly and convincingly, and we prevailed.
Catherine Sheppard, Legal Presentation Consultant
Q: How did you get into this industry?
A: It was a happy accident; I didn’t know that this industry existed at the time. I had been working as Director of Business Development at a university and took maternity leave when my first son was born. I wanted to return to work part-time in a more flexible role, and Z-Axis caught my attention because of the impressive and fascinating work they were doing. I started as a part-time contractor in 2016 to cover another person’s parental leave. I loved it and was asked to stay on permanently, and here I am six-and-a-half years later!
Q: What do you like most about your specific department and/or role?
A: I really appreciate working with amazingly creative and intelligent people, both within our own teams and the clients we support. I learn something new from every case. I especially like it when I am working on a case that is in the press, as there is always more to the story than is publicly reported. Regardless of the size or profile of the case, it’s hugely rewarding when what we create makes a difference in how the case is presented or understood and actively helps achieve a win.
Q: What internal accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: When I started at Z-Axis, I was one of only three employees in the UK—and from this office we dealt with all global regions apart from the Americas. A few months into the job, there was one employee on parental leave, and then my remaining colleague had to take time off unexpectedly for medical reasons. So, whilst I was still very much in training and working part-time, I was single-handedly covering business development and account management for all our existing projects and new business across almost the entire globe. Luckily, I had great support from management in the US. Some very interesting jobs actually came in during that time.
Q: What do you think sets IMS | Z-Axis Global apart from competitors or other companies?
A: There really is not any other company in the UK doing what we do. We have 40 years of experience creating visual approaches to complex legal disputes, and we have worked on thousands of cases in that time. We really understand the strategies around the case as a whole and how to design presentations that will powerfully communicate the essential issues. I worked on a high-profile case a few years ago that involved lots of 3D modelling of construction defects. Our design team came up with a completely different way of viewing the structures, which was revealed with a single click and made it very difficult for the other side to argue that they were not at fault. This type of insight into what will have the most impact visually is what sets us apart.
Q: How do the IMS core values align with your own?
A: They are sensible values. To me, “honour the relationship” really rings true with what I do. It’s all about relationships—internal and external: working as a team, telling people what they can expect from you, and then living up to that. It is important to deal with people how you would like to be dealt with. The business will follow if you honour the relationship.
Q: If you were a client, what would you find most valuable about the process at IMS | Z-Axis Global?
A: The consultancy aspect: clients often come to us with a problem that they do not know how to deal with, and we will advise them on how to solve it. We guide them to tell their story effectively. We draw on what has worked well in similar matters, then come up with innovative solutions and visual strategies that pull everything together in the most effective way.
Q: Do you have any predictions or comments on industry trends?
A: Visual media is becoming far more commonly deployed in dispute resolution, especially within international arbitrations, but also in the courts and in investigatory work. When I first started at Z-Axis, I often had to explain the concept of legal graphics. There has been a big shift in six years; now most people have either used visual demonstratives themselves or seen others doing so. Visual chronologies in particular are far more widespread.
In-house graphics departments have increased their reach, and associates often have strong capabilities. Whilst we still pick up a lot of smaller pieces of relatively straightforward work, we specialise in consultancy and in clearly presenting the more complex issues, which many firms still don’t have the experience or capacity for.
In terms of sector trends, construction litigation is definitely going to increase over the next few years due to the disruption that has been seen globally, throughout the supply chain and onsite. ESG matters are rising, especially related to climate change. And here in the UK, we’re seeing a lot more competition law cases.
Q: What has been your favorite case to work on so far?
A: Sadly, I’m sworn to secrecy about my favourite case! So much of what we do, we are never able to talk about or show for confidentiality reasons. But in general, I love technical cases, like construction and engineering matters. I enjoy delving into what’s gone wrong that shouldn’t have and seeing it unfold on the screen in a really compelling visual narrative. I especially love it—and I know we’ve done a great job—when I hear that the other side hated what we did.
Learn More
We are so appreciative of the exceptional client service and creative excellence that Christine and Catherine offer to the international legal community. We hope you enjoyed learning more about their background and specialties!
Visit the links below to meet our team and read more about the IMS culture and career opportunities.
