The first hurdle for Talbot Sayer Lawyers

In early 2014, Oliver Talbot and Tim Sayer established the Brisbane-based boutique law firm Talbot Sayer Lawyers. As former corporate partners from a well-known law firm, they know how important IT systems are for the efficient delivery of legal advice.

Talbot and Sayer knew that if they were going to compete with larger competitors, they needed an IT system that would be operational immediately as soon as the firm was established. But they also knew it would have to be able to grow with the firm.

Talbot and Sayer wanted to establish an IT support network and work practices from day one that would last them for several years without disruption.

The problem?

Talbot Sayer Lawyers did not have the capital for a large initial investment, or the time to manage the implementation of the IT systems themselves.

Since their law firm was a start-up, they recognised early on that their time needed to be focused on the core operations of the business. They weren’t able to juggle the procurement, installation and customisation of a new IT system.

It became clear to Talbot Sayer that they needed to outsource the management of their IT.

Seeking a solution

Talbot Sayer identified key factors that would ensure the company’s growth was not limited by their IT system:

  • They didn’t want to manage procurement or implementation
  • They didn’t want to manage ongoing customisation and maintenance
  • The new IT system needed to be able to grow with the firm
  • The system needed to be operational immediately, without disruption to business
  • The system needed to be flexible and not require a large initial capital investment.

Talbot and Sayer sought advice on the different options available to them.

Finding the perfect fit

Following a referral from a trusted colleague, Talbot Sayer contacted Innessco — an outsourced IT department that specialises in law firms.

After continual open discussions about potential solutions, Talbot Sayer decided to purchase a Cloud-based Legal Desktop service.

This product employs remote desktop technologies to allow users to:

  • Connect to a server using any internet connection
  • Have access to 100% of the firm’s systems from any device or location
  • Access any application they need from this central server
  • Have everything stored in an Australian data centre, ensuring no data sovereignty issues with important client records.

“The equipment Innessco delivered has worked out of the box and has been cost-effective… our staff are happy with the IT systems, which doesn’t happen 100% of the time in law firms” – Oliver Talbot, Partner

Not only did Innessco provide the perfect solution in a Cloud-based Legal Desktop service, but they were also able to bring several important business applications to Talbot Sayer.

As soon as Talbot Sayer Lawyers signed on, practice management (SILQ), document management (M-Files) and document comparison (Workshare Compare) applications were all ready for the law firm from day 1.

Customisations such as Word templates and everyday programs such as Microsoft Office and email were also all delivered as part of the solution.

Innessco also procured and deployed the computer, printer, internet and Cisco phone set-up. It was a true all-in-one solution.

The results: efficient delivery of legal advice without disruption

The Cloud-based Legal Desktop solution has been able to support the efficient delivery of legal advice and the growth of the firm since its implementation.

Talbot Sayer Lawyers has had a rapid ongoing increase in staff members, and the solution has easily accommodated the growth of the firm that comes with each new employee.

The Legal Desktop solution provides the team at Talbot Sayer with:

  • Identical work environment whether at the office, at home or on-site with a client
  • An IT system that is flexible and can grow with the firm
  • An efficient and powerful system, at a fraction of the cost
  • Peace of mind to focus on what they do best: law. Meanwhile, Innessco manages all their IT needs.

The firm now enjoys the freedom of the Legal Desktop solution, as they’re able to save huge amounts of time and capital investment.

“We can work seamlessly from anywhere, rather than having [only] 50% functionality when you’re out of the office. It’s all the same no matter where you are.” – Oliver Talbot, Partner

Find your solution.

If your practice management system is facing similar IT system pains to Talbot Sayer Lawyers, you might benefit from a discussion about your options for a system upgrade or transition.

To find out your options, contact Innessco here, or give Innessco a call on 02 7200 4400 or email robert.cox@innessco.com.

Alternatively, you can get a comprehensive idea of how well your firm’s IT is performing by heading over to innessco.com/evaluation-tool/ and taking part in the quick survey.