Legal / Professional Services
Managed IT Services & Office Migration
Case study | Humphries Kerstetter
A business-critical IT migration, delivered in step with an office move
Careful planning and a weekend of implementation gave Humphries Kerstetter a resilient new IT system with no disruption to the firm’s litigation work.
A specialist litigation practice built on speed and trust
Humphries Kerstetter is a specialist litigation practice renowned for its pedigree in the commercial disputes market. Based in the heart of London, the firm was founded in 2009 with a vision of creating a lean, highly-skilled practice, largely free of conflicts, that could go head-to-head with the top-tier firms in high-stakes litigation. Over the past decade, Humphries Kerstetter has grown year-by-year into a dynamic firm, free of outdated hierarchies, in which the work and the clients come first. Recognised in The Lawyer HOT 100 2018, the firm has earned a reputation for excellence, receiving instructions from both claimants and defendants and with a client list of several FTSE 100 companies and international investment banks. The team includes four Partners, based in a central office, with significant time spent remote working due to the logistical demands of the legal profession.
The challenge
The digital revolution has transformed the legal sector over the past decade and Humphries Kerstetter required a managed IT solution that would keep the firm at the forefront of the market.
Following a review, the team concluded that the firm’s existing IT equipment was no longer fit-for-purpose and new systems were required. A key driving force was the changing nature of legal work, requiring fast and reliable file sharing of electronic documentation as employees work remotely.
A strategic IT transformation project was only one of the rivers to cross. Given the growth of the firm, the team needed to move to new offices in Fleet Street. The decision was taken to implement as much change as possible in a compressed period, meaning migration to a new IT system and a new office would happen at the same time. It was a business-critical process that required careful planning, intelligent solutions and ultra-reliable implementation.
The Aura solution
The first step of Aura’s approach, as with all clients, was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the business, how it functions now and where it wants to be in order to grow and thrive.
Full strategic review of existing IT systems, followed by an onboarding project
A cloud-based billing system evaluated and implemented alongside a third-party provider
Migration completed over a single weekend to avoid business disruption
A new unified telephony system converging voice, video and data
A dedicated Virtual IT Director and Account Manager, with monthly reviews
Round-the-clock service desk and engineering support
Following weeks of planning and preparation, the Aura team pulled out all the stops in the final week of the IT migration and office move to ensure a smooth transition. Engineers worked through a weekend to ensure the new IT system was ready to go and would work without a hitch when business resumed at 9am on the Monday.
The result
Aura’s strategic approach ensured that the IT migration and office move was implemented with the absolute minimum of disruption to the firm.
The team at Humphries Kerstetter are now working with an IT system that is fit-for-purpose and resilient to the needs of legal work in the 21st century. Aura Technology has built a system that is adaptive and can be improved even further as time goes on, with specialists working closely with the team to explore other avenues to improve, such as video conferencing.
James Russell, Partner at Humphries Kerstetter, said: “People came into work on the Monday and logged on to our new IT system without any problems whatsoever. The Aura team were very calm and professional, and we felt in very safe hands throughout the entire move.”
Aura are now looking after all our IT requirements. It’s a night and day difference to what we used to have. The team are extremely responsive, and nothing seems to be a problem. They have already got very good data and analytics on what’s working and what is not working. I actually feel that they are truly working with us – not just providing a utility. They understand how we work and might work better. I feel it’s a collaboration – not just IT support. I trusted Tim Walker and his team, and they delivered over and above our expectations. Working with Aura has saved us so much time management – allowing the IT experts to do what they do best has allowed us to concentrate on our own work.
James Russell, Partner, Humphries Kerstetter
IT migrations that just work
Careful planning and skilled engineering can turn a business-critical migration into a non-event for the people who matter most: your staff and clients.