But the bankruptcy’s end signaled renewed activity for Kmart’s defense team � and for its litigation extranet, the secure, Web-based system the company uses to manage and monitor public liability cases throughout the United States.

While Kmart’s reorganization plan has its critics, the company’s extranet roundly wins praise as a model case-management tool. At its busiest, it handled more than 3,500 open cases, in a manner, lawyers agree, that streamlined and simplified their work.