How Town Legal transformed its IT strategy with Access Managed Services
For many legal firms, the challenge isn’t just delivering top-tier legal services; it’s also ensuring that their IT infrastructure is robust, resilient, and ready to support their unique needs. Town Legal, a leading name in planning law, was at a crossroads in its IT-managed strategy. They sought out a partner who could offer not only stability but also enhance their operational efficiency. This led them to Access Manages Services (AMS). We recently sat down with Gavin Curtis to discuss how the firm has grown.
Background
Town Legal is a boutique law firm that has grown from a small team of partners in Wandsworth to a robust firm of 60 professionals just behind the Bank of England, London. Known for its bespoke legal services for government, public, and private clients, Town Legal has consistently been voted #1 in its sector over recent years.
When Gavin Curtis joined Town Legal five years ago, the firm operated within a Citrix environment. Due to an unforeseen vendor acquisition, they decided to transition to their existing IT provider by December 2021, which paved the way for Access Managed Services to step in by September 2024.
The Challenge
The Primary challenge for Town Legal was resilience. They required a reliable IT framework to efficiently support their internal team and IT projects.
Additionally, internally managing first, second and third-line support had become a time-intensive endeavour.
‘Resilience was basically the main business driver’
said Gavin Curtis.
The Solution
Access Managed Services provided Town Legal with a comprehensive IT solution that included:
- First-line support outsourcing: AMS’s service desk took over first-line support, allowing Town Legal’s IT team to focus on more strategic projects. Cutis noted, “It’ freed up so much of our time to do more valuable, more interesting technical challenges.”
- Microsoft 365 Flight Paths: This ensured a clear understanding of the service levels and introduced governance lacking with the previous providers. Curtis appreciated the “new governance around applications in Intune.”
- Seamless onboarding process: Despite the complexities of transitioning during a pandemic, AMS facilitated a smooth move from Citrix to a cloud-based environment. Curtis emphasised, “The technical lead was perfect, and there was great collaboration.”
The results
The partnership with AMS delivered significant benefits for Town Legal, including:
- Enhanced strategic focus: Curtis highlighted the time freed to strategic planning, aligning IT Objectives with firm goals. He said, “It’s freed up my time on the strategy fronts, thinking easier, quicker, and better for long-term plans.”
- Improved IT Governance & Efficiency: AMS's new governance policies ensure a cleaner, more efficient IT environment. Curtis compared the process to an MOT, stating it was essential to “Introduce the new Access policies, group policies, and applications.”
- Positive Feedback and Simplified Processes: The feedback on the AMS support process has been overwhelmingly positive. Curtis remarked, “The response has been positive. It's simple; just email AMS, and it works.”
Conclusion
For legal firms like Town Legal, partnering with a reliable IT managed services provider can deliver substantial operational improvements and strategic advantages. Access Managed Services met and exceeded Town Legal's expectations by providing resilient, strategic IT support.
Recommendation
Gavin Curtis strongly endorses AMS, emphasizing the collaboration and trust formed throughout the transition. He affirms:
"I would recommend AMS to peers based on their reliability and strategic support capabilities."
Access Managed Services offers a proven solution for legal firms seeking an IT partner who can enhance their operational efficiency while freeing up internal resources for more strategic initiatives.
