All Insights
Should IT skills be tested when hiring?
I have been asked the question “Should IT skills be tested when hiring” many times when working both “inhouse” and as a consultant, and I still have the same answer as I did 5 – 6 years ago... read more
What Is It Like to Transition from An Internal IT Manager to An IT Consultant
Transitioning from an internal IT manager to an IT consultant can be a significant but exciting change in career path. While both roles involve managing technology, the responsibilities and challenges are quite different. read more
Webinar – Effective Financial Reporting in Law Firms: How to make a difference with your Management Information | 31 March 2023
Save the date - Baskerville Drummond & Katchr Webinar Effective Financial Reporting in Law Firms: How to make a difference with ... read more
Demystifying DMARC
With email being the primary method of communication for businesses, it is surprising how little the underlying architecture has changed, particularly with regard to security. read more
Supplier Management
In this article David Baskerville shares his thoughts on supplier management. It's 3 years since David wrote an article and subsequent handout on the subject, but it's still high in his mind. Here's why. read more
Client Snapshot: Buckles
Project type Practice management system selectionScope Buckles was looking at a PMS to replace its long-standing SOS solution. With an ... read more
Our firm is profitable but…
Many Managing Partners get exasperated by their firm’s inability to get away from being cash-strapped, despite seeming to make decent profits... read more
Quick Wins in Microsoft
It is very difficult to know every function in each of these products, Beccy Scobell shares her personal “quick wins” in some popular Microsoft products. read more
Mobilising your IT strategy through your people – Roundtable webinar | Mon 7 November
Register now for our latest roundtable webinar. Join us for Mobilising your IT strategy through your people on Monday 7 November 2022 between 12.30-2pm. read more
State of play in the Practice Management Software market
David Baskerville takes a look at the state of play in the Practice Management Software market, recently published in The Law ... read more
The single most important factor in making law firms profitable
In my time advising and helping manage law firms, I have twice been asked the question: “What is the single most important factor in ... read more
Practice Makes Perfect
Cathy Kirby offers tips on changing Practice Management Systems in a recent feature in PI Focus from the Association of Personal ... read more
In-house trainer to consultant
Today I find myself reflecting on my first 3-months as a consultant. I'm thinking about how much I have grown in my knowledge of systems, my self-confidence, and how important IT Training is! read more
Working through a real-life cyber breach – Roundtable webinar Wed 14 Sept
Register now - Roundtable webinar | Working through a real-life cyber breach – Wednesday 14th September 12.30 -2.00pm read more
Talking tech with David Baskerville
As part of British Wills and Probate Awards sponsor Exizent's new Judges Insight series, David Baskerville, Director & Lead ... read more
Mimecast & Cyber Security Roundtable Webinar – Tue 9 Aug
Join us on 9th August for the latest in our series of roundtable webinars. read more
Ways training can help lead to a successful rollout of an IT System
When a new software application is rolled out to a firm, training is needed. Everyone knows and agrees that some sort of training is ... read more
LawNet delivers big on community feel and conference value
As LawNet’s preferred IT consultancy, there was no way that we would miss taking up our place at this year’s LawNet Conference at the ... read more
Briefed – Issue 8
Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
Briefed – Issue 8
Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
The risks and dangers of the private equity treadmill
The legal IT press seems to be full of news of Supplier A purchasing Supplier B or Supplier C receiving more funding via a funding cycle. I’m not normally one for commenting on such things publicly but the other week I saw a post on LinkedIn from an employee of a company receiving another significant slug of private equity funding (PE), describing the investment as an “incredible success story”. read more
Baskerville Drummond retains top banding in 2022 Chambers guide
Baskerville Drummond is delighted to announced that it has retained its Band 1 rating in the 2022 edition of Chambers and Partners’ LawTech Consulting guide. read more
Baskerville Drummond gets in training
Baskerville Drummond has announced the addition of Beccy Scobell to its consulting team. read more
Guest blog: Increasing Productivity in law firms…
Future Focussed In the series of articles entitled, ‘Making law firms more profitable’ Richard Wyatt looks at three ways in which law ... read more
Law firm tech and the adoption dilemma
Adoption of technology is so much more than training, projects comms and problem management. It needs to get to the heart of what it means for the people in an organisation that will be using the new technology, day in and day out. In this article, I’ll explain what I think technology adoption means and the ways we can address it. read more
Making law firms more profitable – Part 4: Real life profit improvements
This is the last of this mini-series on law firm profitability and how to effect serious improvements in Net Profit. The previous ... read more
Making law firms more profitable – Part 3: The Fool’s Errand
So far in this mini-series, we have looked at two ways of increasing law firm profits. Firstly, by only increasing fee earner ... read more
Client Snapshot: Endeavour Partnership
Endeavour was just over halfway through a 3-year contact with its managed service provider (MSP) but the firm did not feel it was receiving an ideal level of service and support, particularly in respect of on-site assistance, even before the pandemic broke. read more
Making law firms more profitable – Part 2: Increasing Fee Earner Profitability
This is the second in a little series of short articles, where we are looking at what is the best way to make law firms more ... read more
Making law firms more profitable – Part 1: What are our options?
It’s a given that law firms would like to be more profitable. But how do we become more profitable? In the following series of ... read more
Focus 365 – Staying focused on Microsoft 365
We wrap up our Focus 365 series with some considerations to take away around Microsoft 365 governance and adoption. For example, how ... read more
Focus 365 – Staying focused on Microsoft 365
We wrap up our Focus 365 series with some considerations to take away around Microsoft 365 governance and adoption. For example, how ... read more
Briefed – Issue 7
Briefed – Issue 7 Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from ... read more
Briefed – Issue 7
Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
Focus 365 – Automation
Here’s the third in our new series presented by Nigel Stott that takes a more in-depth look at key aspects of M365 to help law firms learn and adopt with more confidence. read more
The shape of things to come?
David Baskerville gets his crystal ball out and offers up his thoughts on the year ahead for the practice management market – and the likely impact on firm strategy in 2022. read more
Focus 365 – Automation
Here’s the third in our new series presented by Nigel Stott that takes a more in-depth look at key aspects of M365 to help law firms ... read more
New Year TechWatch
We’re back with TechWatch, in which Nigel Stott casts his eye over the tech that’s coming our way in 2022. read more
What the total idiot did next
The Baskerville Drummond 10th anniversary has had me thinking back to the early days – well, one day in particular when I somehow ... read more
Seasons Greetings from Baskerville Drummond
We’d just like to thank everyone for all their support, to congratulate you for getting through what has been an unprecedented time for the world and most of all, to wish you a fantastic, well overdue festive season of health, happiness, good cheer and celebration. read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – 10th Anniversary Special
In this Baskerville Drummond 10th anniversary special, we talk to David Baskerville about how the consulting gig all started, what the last ten years have been like and what the next ten might hold – plus we finally discover what happened to the mysterious Drummond! read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – 10th Anniversary Special
In this Baskerville Drummond 10th anniversary special, we talk to David Baskerville about how the consulting gig all started, what ... read more
The current state of the practice management systems industry
The words ‘PMS‘ and ‘Innovation’ are chalk and cheese. Let’s be honest, the lack of proactive innovation in the marketplace has been a challenge for several years. read more
The advent of a new era for Baskerville Drummond
Baskerville Drummond will be marking the first of December not with the traditional Advent calendar opening but with a celebration of both a significant milestone and company development. read more
Focus 365 – Microsoft 365 Compliance
Here’s the second video in our new series presented by Nigel Stott that takes a more in-depth look at key aspects of M365 to help law ... read more
Focus 365 – Microsoft 365 Compliance
Here’s the second video in our new series presented by Nigel Stott that takes a more in-depth look at key aspects of M365 to help law ... read more
Banking Services – The law firm FD’s and their advisors’ opportunities
Should we look at making our routine banking operations cheaper and slicker? Here are some opportunities. I was a full-time law firm ... read more
Cyber Security Breakdown
We’re delighted to bring you the first in our BreakDown series. BreakDowns are quick, easy reads that break down a subject so the ... read more
Cyber Security Breakdown
We’re delighted to bring you the first in our BreakDown series. BreakDowns are quick, easy reads that break down a subject so the ... read more
Focus 365 – Microsoft 365 Security
Introducing a new series of videos presented by Nigel Stott that take a more in-depth look at key aspects of M365 to help law firms ... read more
Focus 365 – Microsoft 365 Video Explainers
Introducing a new series of videos presented by Nigel Stott that take a more in-depth look at key aspects of M365 to help law firms ... read more
Briefed – Issue 6
Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
TechWatch #4
It may be fair to say that reports of the office’s demise over the past year have been exaggerated. Rather than abandoning them ... read more
A look through Windows 11
Remember a few short years ago in 2015 when Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be the last ever version of Windows and from ... read more
Baskerville Drummond & MBL in winter training push
Baskerville Drummond will be delivering a number of training sessions this winter in association with MBL, one of the country's leading providers of CPD training. read more
Client Snapshot: Laura Devine Immigration
Project type PMS selectionScope Boutique firm Laura Devine Immigration (LDI) engaged Baskerville Drummond initially to run its PMS ... read more
Riding the Platform Dragon
Regular readers of our blogs will be aware we have been vocal supporters of the Microsoft Cloud strategy and indeed introduced ... read more
Clouds v Cows – Cloud Computing Explained
Have you ever heard the expression “Why buy a cow when milk is so cheap?”. The basic idea is that if you are able to obtain some commodity (milk) cheaply and easily then you will be less inclined to pay for the commodity’s source (the cow). read more
Baskerville Drummond in elite Band 1 of Chambers new guide
Baskerville Drummond is delighted to announced that it has been given a Band 1 rating in Chambers and Partners’ new LawTech Consulting ... read more
The lot of a consultant – A message to the supplier community
We have all heard the saying that a consultant merely tells you the time using your own watch whilst charging a tidy sum for doing ... read more
The Bonsai Diaries episode 2 – IT Resilience
I am thinking about renaming this series to the ‘The Bonsai Mysteries’. How frustrating it is to think that you are beginning to know ... read more
Information Security Accreditation
We are very pleased and proud to have achieved Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus in the last couple of months, not only because it is a demonstration of how seriously we take our clients’ data security but also because it shows that we can ‘walk the walk’ when it comes to the advice that we give our clients. read more
Client Snapshot: Streathers Solicitors
Project type PMS selectionScope Streathers had looked at a number of practice management systems but lacked the internal knowledge and ... read more
Hi, Finance – May
“Our income is not the same as our fees. Is that wrong?” The problem Most law firms and managers within those firms, such as ... read more
The Bonsai Diaries episode 1 – Keeping the Bonsai alive!
The literal translation of Bonsai, from my rather limited research, means “planted in a container”. It didn’t occur to me when I ... read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 7
In conversation with new recruit Cathy Kirby on her career switch to consulting, thoughts on post-Covid IT strategies and the latest bonsai news read more
Briefed – Issue 5
Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
TechWatch #3
In the latest TechWatch bulletin, we’ll continue our round-up of eye-catching technologies that have the potential to positively impact the legal sector. read more
The fresh face of IT
For the love of tech For any of you that are in an IT team, this is a tough one isn’t it? Enough said – you know what I mean! read more
Client Snapshot: Latimer Hinks
Discover how helped Latimer Hinks to provide governance around the selection criteria and process, and also to undertake the final project scoping and negotiations throughout their practice management system selection read more
Time recording – Addressing the Real Issue
Before trying to solve the problem, we need to consider why time gets under-recorded. read more
Managed Service Providers Practice Primer
Following our well-received overview of the Practice Management System marketplace, we've now undertaken a similar appraisal of the Managed Service Providers (MSPs) market - the current state of play, vendor propositions, and potential pitfalls and how to avoid. read more
Managed Service Providers Practice Primer
Following our well-received overview of the Practice Management System marketplace, we've now undertaken a similar appraisal of the ... read more
Hi, Finance – April
“I can see from the Management Accounts that I need my fee earners to record more time. Nearly all of them are under target for the ... read more
Law Firm Management Information – what does good look like in 2021
Katchr’s Graham Moore has been working with law firms for over 30 years and has worked with hundreds of small and medium sized firms, ... read more
Talking Points… Consultants
You have probably heard the joke. You want to know the current time. A consultant will ask to borrow your watch to tell you the ... read more
Zoom or Vroom?!
I heard the expression ‘Zoomed out’ the other day to describe the feeling of exhaustion that back-to-back video calls can bring. The ... read more
Changing the attitude to change
Cathy Kirby: Out of Practice After three decades in practice, Cathy Kirby has joined Baskerville Drummond as a consultant, to share a ... read more
Cathy out of practice with Baskerville Drummond
Baskerville Drummond has announced another addition to its senior consulting team with the arrival of Cathy Kirby. read more
The Hugo Metaphor
During ‘Lockdown v1’ my wife Joyce and I decided it was time to have another dog. As supporters of the Dog Trust and RSPCA we wanted ... read more
Talking Points…Shadow IT
The term ‘Shadow IT’ conjures up images of illicit activity and unsavoury characters lurking in the alleyways of cyber city. I was ... read more
Hi, Finance – March 2021
“I don’t understand why my firm is profitable and yet we always seem to be up against it with the Bank. We don’t want to be putting ... read more
Talking Points…Managed Service Providers
Introduction Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are organisations that provide a range of technical and hosting services to their ... read more
Capital Law
Project type Consultancy, PMS selectionScope As part of an on-going IT renewal program and its Envision PMS going ‘end of life’, ... read more
Why might law firms consider a merger
Survival, sustainability, thriving The fundamental objective of any organisation is to survive, and beyond that, to be sustainable and ... read more
TechWatch #2
In this edition of TechWatch, we’ll be talking about the new Microsoft employee experience platform, Viva. We’ll also be taking a look at a new hosting platform for law firms based on Amazon Web Services rather than the usual public cloud approach of using Microsoft Azure. Finally, we’ll be looking at a product for eDiscovery. read more
Webinar Catchup – The Art of Successful Project Implementations
If you missed the live webinar fromPracticeEvolve and InfoTrack, featuring our own David Baskerville, then you can catch it again on ... read more
Baskerville Drummond confirms another new hire
Following Anthony Crammer’s appointment in January, Baskerville Drummond (BDC) has now also confirmed the appointment of experienced ... read more
Hi, Finance – February 2021
“Our issue is, very simply, that we should be making more money than we are, given what I see going on within the business. How do I ... read more
WhatsApp privacy – Cause for concern?
The messaging app WhatsApp has recently hit the headlines due to privacy concerns, that have come about due to a recent change in its terms of service. Should this present a concern for law firms, however? read more
Briefed – Issue 4
Briefed – Issue 4 Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from ... read more
M&A in the legal sector. Are you Ambitious or Impacted?
David Sparkes is back with new venture Millbourn Ross and turning his attention to the M&A market within legal. In ... read more
Webinar: Implementing new working practices in Microsoft 365
Thursday 11 February 2021 at 10:30 | Book your place today read more
Baskerville Drummond crams more talent into team with IT service specialist
Baskerville Drummond (BDC) has announced the appointment of Anthony Crammer as its new Virtual IT Service Manager. With the rapid ... read more
TechWatch #1
It’s quite an exciting place for new technology in the legal sector. In this regular series, we’ll take a look at a variety of new ... read more
Finding the right strategic partner
For any IT leader, the question of “How does my team respond to and manage constant business change” should be an ongoing theme. In the past few months, the intensity of that change has been more prevalent than ever. read more
Bott Van Kesteren Partners (BVK)
Bott Van Kesteren Partners were very clear on one thing: their IT platform had to have the same (or better) level of availability, security, reliability and functionality as that of Linklaters or any other Magic Circle law firm. read more
Webinar: The Art of Successful Project Implementations for Law Firms
PracticeEvolve and InfoTrack have announced a new webinar running on the 21 January and 18 February featuring David Baskerville of Baskerville Drummond designed to help law firms embarking on IT projects throughout 2021. read more
The “R” Rate for law firm growth
Since March 2020, we have become familiar with the “R” rate, which tells us whether the rate of infection for Covid-19 is increasing ... read more
Microsoft 365 Practice Primer
During this Practice Primer, we will focus on the three pillars of Microsoft 365 Security Collaboration Automation We will take a ... read more
Microsoft 365 Practice Primer
During this Practice Primer, we will focus on the three pillars of Microsoft 365 Security Collaboration Automation We will take a ... read more
Getting the best out of Microsoft 365
In order to identify how M365 can be best used in a firm, we need to look at the way the firm works. This will be focused more on day to day operations rather than any aspects of legal workflow, though there are opportunities to enhance both. The firm may already be using M365 or considering doing so. read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 6
In this special Microsoft 365 episode, we talk to our go-to man for all things Microsoft, Nigel Stott. Discussion points ... read more
Lines on Online
For most of our existence mankind has traditionally held only face-to-face meetings (yes, even cavemen had committee meetings and ... read more
New Way of Working
Our recent Lines on Online blog series looked at the practicalities around the new world of work. Now, in this guest blog from ... read more
PMS Practice Primer
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and law firms needing a new practice management system at some point. This Practice ... read more
PMS Practice Primer – Part 3
Part 3 - Planning for project success How best to prepare your firm, stakeholders and project teams for PMS change read more
PMS Practice Primer – Part 2
Part 2 - The PMS selection process Comparing traditional and alternative approaches to managing the lifecycle of a PMS procurement read more
PMS Practice Primer – Part 1
Part 1 - The PMS marketplace. Focusing on the recent market consolidation and how that is impacting technology choice and the selection process read more
The Hybrid Work Environment
Other articles in this series have concentrated on some of the meeting solutions that are available and on the best way to run online meetings. This article will consider the differences between in-person and online meetings. read more
Briefed – Issue 3
Briefed – Issue 3 Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from ... read more
The Challenges Around Home Workers
Since the arrival of Covid-19 and lockdown there has been a lot of discussion and articles about home working. Much of this has focused on home working from the viewpoint of the individual – should I use Teams or Zoom, isn’t it nice not having to commute and travel, how do I avoid embarrassing distractions such as the dog barking, etc. This article will focus on home working from the viewpoint of the manager and the organisation. read more
Watch again – PMS specials
Any firm thinking about making a change to their PMS supplier or just interested in keeping tabs on the market might want to watch our two recent Baskerville Drummond @ Home video chats. read more
Hosting Online Meetings
When the UK first went into lockdown during March 2020, a huge emphasis was placed on the importance of online meetings. The business community as a whole had to quickly become comfortable with appearing in front of a camera. read more
On-line meeting software
The sudden requirement to use online meeting software was originally met with panic buying. Firms rushed just to get up and running, but now, six months into the pandemic, firms are reconsidering those initial decisions. So, is that software service good for the future? read more
Howes Percival
Following a sustained period of growth and a doubling of the partnership, Howes Percival committed to a significant program of IT expansion and transformation. read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 5
In a two-part episode, David Baskerville, Kevin Goosman and Nigel Stott are back to continue their examination of all things PMS. This ... read more
Virtual Part-time FD – the best of everything
In many firms a Finance Director is what you need and they are the people who help you through that stuff - but they can be expensive if you have a full-time one and what do you do with a FD when they aren’t doing high-grade FD stuff? read more
Playing with a straight bat
I had a call from a contact at a managed service provider (MSP) the other week. They had just lost a long-standing client to a ... read more
Microsoft 365 Automation
In this final instalment on Microsoft 365, we’ll be taking a look in detail at the automation tools available. read more
Mosaic Legal Virtual Coffee Break
David Baskerville was recently the guest of Mosaic Legal for one of its Virtual Coffee Breaks. Here’s part 1 of the chat on all things IT for legal read more
Why your practice needs a CRM System now more than ever
Firms are still hesitating to embrace digital and have used many excuses to avoid implementing a new CRM. Here are our 4 top reasons why you need to implement CRM now: read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 4
In episode 4, we have a new face for you – Mr Finance, Richard Wyatt. Richard runs us through the range of business and finance-oriented consulting offerings now available through Baskerville Drummond – including the ‘hot pick’ Virtual Finance Director service. read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 3
In episode 3, we have brought David Baskerville, Kevin Goosman and Nigel Stott together for a PMS special. We talk to them about the recent consolidation in the legal PMS space, how the vendor landscape is changing and what it all means for law firms. read more
Microsoft 365 Security
In the next instalment of our Microsoft 365 articles, we talk about the security features available as part of your subscription I ... read more
Stick or twist?
Are our current systems future-proof? Well as nobody can fully predict the future there is no definition of a future-proof system, despite what some vendors might claim. read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 2
David Baskerville is back answering questions from Sarah Levick, this time on all things Baskerville Drummond – why they came together, who they work for, how they help, with a quick dive into the increasingly popular Virtual IT Director service. read more
Briefed – Issue 2
Welcome to the latest edition of Briefed, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
Collaborating Effectively in Microsoft 365
In the second part of the series on Microsoft 365, we take a closer look at the collaboration tools available on the platform. In the current situation, with workforces spread geographically whilst working from their homes, the ability to effectively collaborate remotely has never been so important. read more
The curious case of the disappearing phone system
Over the last five to ten years, it has become normal to follow a cloud-first IT Strategy. This is particularly the case when considering telephone systems. The promise of a more robust platform on a ‘pay per user per month’ basis makes compelling business sense for such commodity services. read more
Baskerville Drummond at Home – Episode 1
In a new video series, we’ll be talking to Baskerville Drummond consultants on a whole range of topics over the weeks and months to ... read more
Cost-cutting – you might be getting it wrong
When business slows down or stops and the cash correspondingly also slows down, it is natural – and right – to reduce expenditure. The manager’s job is to manage, not be overtaken by events by failing to respond. read more
Making a success of succession planning
Law firms have a problem. There are too many owners that want to retire and too few people that are interested in taking over their business or share of their business and paying them out, so that they can do so. read more
Why a virtual or part-time finance director makes sense
Over the last 20 years or so, a steady revolution has been taking place in the employment market, which has led to fewer firms employing full-time specialists to lead their business support roles. read more
An acceleration of the inevitable?
I sit here and gaze out into my back garden through the study window, watching the bright blue-sky fade on what has been a glorious ... read more
Microsoft 365 In Depth – What is Microsoft 365?
In the first blog of a four-part series, we will take a detailed look at Microsoft 365 and what it has to offer for law firms. In ... read more
Gotelee Solicitors
Strategy development; project management; supplier selection for new hosted environment and practice management system; lockdown go-live read more
GDPR – Are You Late to the Third-Party?
As we see an ever-increasing stream of high-profile data breaches and regulatory fines Sean O’Brien, Director DVV Solutions, takes a look at one of the most common weak links in law firms’ data security and GDPR compliance programs – the risks posed by third parties and suppliers. read more
CRM in law firms – nothing more than a tick-box exercise
Mention CRM and you’ll get an eye-roll from me. Why? Because most firms have had a play at this holy grail and only succeeded in ... read more
The Benefits of an Independent IT Review
Kevin Goosman, Associate at Baskerville Drummond, offers a perspective on the benefits of undertaking an independent IT review. It’s ... read more
Legal IT Outlook
The following article is based on an interview I did for Extech Cloud back in August 2019. In this COVID-19 world it strikes me even ... read more
The lean, mean – but not so green – IT machine
In 2017 Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet brought the challenge of our use of plastics to mainstream conscientiousness. Whilst most ... read more
Baskerville Drummond strengthens Microsoft Cloud offering with key hire
Baskerville Drummond has announced details of another key hire to strengthen its IT service offering. Former Clarion Solicitors IT ... read more
Finance: It’s the Same Now as Always
Take a step back. Take a deep breath. Look at your Balance Sheet and – most importantly – think. There is never a bad time to ... read more
Is this the New Normal?
They have been popular topics for years – working from home, remote working, taking phone calls anywhere, video conferencing, online ... read more
The new drug dealers
Over the last few weeks, we have seen unprecedented offers from IT companies/service providers to assist firms in transitioning from ... read more
Am I Missing Something? What Support Is the Government Giving to Law Firms?
There are several strands in the Government’s support to business. They are looking to reduce business overheads and staff costs and ... read more
Life is a rollercoaster
We were meant to go to Rome the other week with some close friends to watch Italy play England in the Six Nations. It was a trip ... read more
It’s a snow day…
We certainly don’t want to be flippant about the current crisis and the efforts that IT professionals have put in to enable firms to ... read more
Briefed – Issue 1
Welcome to the first edition of BRIEFED, a handy digest of all the recently published articles, news and blogs from Baskerville Drummond. read more
Six things to have on your radar in 2020
Sure, we all want to be ahead of the pack and it is easy to chase the latest fads and glitzy products. But you really need to have the basics in place first. read more
Calico Legal Solutions Group
Last year we joined the Calico Legal Solutions Group and we just wanted to update you on the progress of the group and to ensure you ... read more
Radcliffe Chambers
With the chambers having doubled in size in five years and keen to keep operations tight and professional, we were invited in initially to review and advise on security and encryption measures. read more
Stranger on a train
You’ve read the articles, you’ve sat in the seminars, so you know how it goes. We’re talking cyber security and you know what’s coming... read more
Vendor Management Insights Guide
Vendor management sounds as though it could be a bit of a dry subject but judging by recent outings, it is proving a bit of a hot topic. Download our latest insights guide. read more
The Strategy Challenge – Part 1
Download the first of a two-part article where we explore the challenges around making technology central to the strategic management of law firms. read more
The Strategy Challenge – Part 2
It is all very well to accept the imperative of change in the abstract – but to what extent is it embraced in practice? Find out by ... read more
The Strategy Challenge – Part 1
In the first of a two-part article David Baskerville explores the challenges around making technology central to the strategic management of law firms. read more
Feeling Like a User
IT professionals often lament that users of solutions do not take training seriously nor invest adequate time into learning how to get ... read more
The Strategy Challenge – Part 2
It is all very well to accept the imperative of change in the abstract – but to what extent is it embraced in practice? Doing instead of talking? read more
Vendor Management
Most firms recognise the cost of services purchased for the business but not the impact if those services were not available or the enhancement value they add to the service lawyers provide to their clients. read more
A Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year
Well, 2019 has certainly been a year that’s just kept giving – a great mix of client projects, the addition of new services, the formation of the Baskerville Drummond Group, and our appointment by LawNet as its preferred IT Consultants. read more
Cyber Awareness
It has to be accepted that human behaviour is the biggest risk to a firm’s security but it should also be recognised that staff members are now under a constant attack from organised cyber criminals and therefore need education and protection from social engineering hacking. read more
Attwaters Jameson Hill PMS Selection
Assisting Attwaters management to understand their requirements and to make an informed selection read more
Business Information Reporting Capability Review for Lanyon Bowdler
Lanyon Bowdler requested a review of their Business Information (BI) reporting capability and any need for a new solution. read more
Key hire at Baskerville Drummond to strengthen service offerings
Baskerville Drummond has made a key hire to its team with the appointment of Richard Wyatt, a 35-years’ experienced law firm finance director and long-time Law Society lecturer. read more
Three legal specialists join forces to form Baskerville Drummond Group to support ‘people in law firms’
Today sees the launch of an innovative legal sector-specific group of like-minded professionals, dedicated and passionate about delivering holistic and value-adding consultancy services to law firms, called the Baskerville Drummond Group. read more
IT Strategic Review for Attwaters Jameson Hill
Attwaters requested a full strategic review of their IT as a precursor to future IT projects read more
Baskerville Drummond working in partnership with LawNet
Book your free meeting today and find out how our straight-forward approach to consultancy can assist in meeting your firms requirements. read more
Second Edition of Calico’s Compass Magazine
The Calico group publish several articles a week and the website is already a rich source of knowledge-led content from Calico ... read more
The Alternative Legal IT Conference
I'm delighted to have been asked to host a "Ask the Experts" session at this years Alternative Legal IT Conference which is taking ... read more
Paris Smith PMS Selection
A Practice Management System lasts for 10-15 years. It’s the one system that can change a law firm. PMS selection has no room for error. The selection process is as important as the system selected. read more
The Virtual IT Director versus a Permanent Employee
A ‘virtual’ IT Director is someone who is there for you as and when required without the need to hire someone into this position as a full-time employee with all of the associated costs. They can work for you as needed whether a few days a month, more regularly or simply on an ad-hoc basis. They could work fully on-site or sometimes remotely, whichever suits your organisation. read more
Thursday, 13th June 2019 (9:30am – 16:30) at the Shard, London
Following on from the well-received first Business and IT Leaders Forum in October 2018, we are delighted to be able to announce our ... read more
Calico Legal Solutions Group
Baskerville Drummond is proud to be one of the Founding Suppliers of Calico Legal Solutions Group. Calico is a unique collaboration ... read more
Keeping the lights on but enhancing the offering – Getting the balance right
Our colleague Kevin Goosman’s article on Law Firm IT spend was most timely, with a new budgeting cycle approaching. Getting the most ... read more
How to Find Good Legal Sector Suppliers
It’s a typical situation whether at home or at work. You find you need a particular skill or service, but you don’t know where ... read more
Law Firm IT Spend – Getting it Right
Having a strong IT capability is critical to all organisations, now more than ever. But like any budget category, you don’t want to ... read more
QualitySolicitors Parkinson Wright PMS Selection
Assisting the firm’s management to understand their requirements and the PMS market and to make an informed selection. read more
One Size Fits all vs Niche Offerings
Introduction Most full-service law firms face the major challenge of having to reconcile the differing IT system requirements of ... read more
Presenting a Business Case for Increased IT Spend
My previous article “Law Firm IT Spend – Getting it Right”, gave an overview of achieving the right level of IT spend by considering ... read more
Not just another legal tech event..
On 23rd October at the Shard in London we hosted our first – our very first – networking forum. But why do we want to add yet another ... read more
Beware of what’s in the Barrel
I was recently invited to speak at The Law Society’s Law Management Section conference. My topic was “Getting value from IT ... read more
Law Firm IT Spend – Getting it Right
Having a strong IT capability is critical to all organisations, now more than ever. But like any budget category, you don’t want to ... read more
BUSTING THE BUZZWORDS – Part 3 – Software as a Service
O! it is pleasant with a heart at ease, Just after sunset, or by moonlight skies, To make the shifting clouds be what you please ... read more
The Value of Unstructured Data
What is Unstructured Data? Unstructured is defined as “not formally organised in a set or conventional pattern”. At home, most of ... read more
Phone System Obsolescence
If you are still using an in-house telephone system based on older technologies, then you need to be aware that BT will be making it ... read more
BUSTING THE BUZZWORDS – Ascending into the Cloud
As we trot, canter and then hopefully gallop through all the “Cloud” buzzwords, we will try to provide some context for their logical ... read more
BUSTING THE BUZZWORDS – a somewhat irreverent take on tech geek-speak
Every couple of years and applying Moore’s Law, with increasing frequency one of the giants of the tech industry (or their marketing ... read more
The Daunting Task of Changing Your Practice Management System
Law firms rarely change their PMS, doing so on average about every 15 to 20 years, and rightly so as the cost and effort involved is ... read more
Mergers and IT – Happily Ever After?
Mergers are increasingly common amongst law firms internationally and the UK is no exception. One source indicates that there were ... read more
Silly Business Processes
I recently had an email from Microsoft Bing Places requesting that I ensure our company registration record was up-to-date. The ... read more
LPM Legal IT Landscapes
We attended – and facilitated – at a most informative Legal Practice Management (LPM) event yesterday, where Rupert Collins-White ... read more
PMS Selection for Hunt & Coombs
Hunt & Coombs were using Envision, a product which had been made “end of life” by Thomson Reuters. Baskerville Drummond were engaged to support a critical PMS selection process by providing strategic advice on PMS solutions and vendors, identifying functional needs and undertaking a rigorous selection process. read more
DMS Selection & Implementation for Winckworth Sherwood
Winckworth Sherwood identified that existing SharePoint Document Management System (DMS) was no longer meeting the needs and expectations of a growing business. Baskerville Drummond were engaged to support a critical DMS selection process, provide strategic advice on Cloud SaaS delivery, and provide implementation services read more
Virtual IT Director – Debenhams Ottaway Case Study
We have acted as Debenhams Ottaway's Virtual IT Director since 2015. This case study details our work in aligning IT with the business and improving reliability and performance whilst bringing expenditure in line with industry benchmarks read more
Due Diligence When Selecting an IT Solution or Service Provider
In the context of this article Due Diligence is the careful examination of a company / solution and the evaluation of all associated ... read more
IT Service Review for Stephens Scown
Following a recent change of IT suppliers Stephens Scown had suffered from several system outages. We were engaged to undertake a detailed review of Stephens Scown’s IT Service Hosting provision. read more
The Shifting Sands of IT Solution Provision and the impact on Strategic Decisions
I was not surprised to see Microsoft’s admission that developing new features for the Mobile version of Windows 10 was “no longer a ... read more
IT Review & Strategy Development for Taylor & Emmett
IT Review & Strategy Development for Taylor & Emmet A full IT review leading to the development of an IT strategy Executive ... read more
Merger Support for Veale Wasbrough Vizards
Merger Support for Veale Wasbrough Vizards Enabling the integration of another firm’s IT into VWV (more…) read more
PMS selection project mentoring and support for Anthony Collins
We were engaged by leading Birmingham firm Anthony Collins to provide mentoring and support to their PMS replacement project group. ... read more
PMS Selection for Ellisons Solicitors
We were engaged by leading East Anglian firm Ellison's Solicitors to advise on their PMS replacement project. (more…) read more
Document Management System Selection for Winckworth Sherwood
We were engaged by Winckworth Sherwood to assist with the firm’s selection of a new Document Management Solution. (more…) read more
PMS Selection & IT Consultancy for Standley & Co
PMS Selection and IT Consultancy for Standley & Co A range of IT consultancy leading to a PMS selection project Executive ... read more
IT Health Check & Office Move Support for Wilkin Chapman
Office Move Project for Wilkin Chapman LLP Advice and support for a major office move (more…) read more
Held to Ransom
Ransomware is a type of malware (malicious software) designed to block access to a computer or its data unless a ‘ransom’ is paid. It ... read more
Telephone System Selection for Taylor & Emmet
Telephone System Selection for Taylor & Emmet Requirements analysis and supplier engagement to select a new telephone ... read more
Matthew, Arnold & Baldwin (MAB) Merger Project
It is always interesting to see how a project you are working on is reported in the press. In recent legal press it was reported that ... read more
Recruitment Support for a Top 50 Law Firm
We were engaged by a Top 50 Law Firm to assist with the interview process for their new Head of IT Operations position. (more…) read more
Efficiencies Model for Kutana
We were engaged by Kutana to develop and deploy a model to assess the business benefits that are achieved by deploying Kutana's ... read more
Virtual IT Director for Geoffrey Leaver
Virtual IT Director for Geoffrey Leaver Independent Director-level consultancy Executive Summary Client challenge: Geoffrey ... read more
Demystifying PMS Projects – Part 1 of 3
I was recently asked to speak on “Demystifying PMS Implementation’s” at a seminar run by Robert Half. As I said to attendees I’m not a ... read more
Demystifying PMS Projects – Part 2 of 3
This is the second in a series of three articles which are based on our recent Demystifying PMS Implementation’s seminar. In this ... read more
Demystifying PMS Projects – Part 3 of 3
This is the last part of our series articles which are based on our recent Demystifying PMS Implementation’s seminar. In the first ... read more
End of Life for Elite Enterprise
This week saw the confirmation from Thompson Reuters (TR) that the next update (version 3.11 scheduled for release in Q2 2016) will be ... read more
3-Way Merger for Matthew Arnold & Baldwin
We were engaged by Matthew Arnold & Baldwin to lead the IT aspects on their mergers with Dentons, VWV and Hill Dickinson (more…) read more
PMS Implementation, Virtual IT Director & Merger
Initially engaged by a leading London / Birmingham based law firm to provide Consultancy and Project Management services in relation ... read more
Virtual IT Director for RightChoice Conveyancing
We have been retained as RightChoice-Conveyancing's Virtual IT Director since July 2015. (more…) read more
IT Review for Piper Smith Watton
We were engaged by Piper Smith Watton to undertake an IT review, to address some operational issues and define the IT strategy: ... read more
Is the Surface Pro an iPad killer?
In 2010 the world of computing changed forever with the launch of a new consumer-orientated product which lawyers were pestering their ... read more
Service Costing for a Top 40 UK Law Firm
David was engaged to create a model to cost IT services for a top 40 UK law firm (more…) read more
PMS Implementation for a leading PI firm
David was engaged by a leading London based Personal Injury and Human Rights law firm to provide Consultancy and Project Management ... read more
Interim Head of IT for a leading East Anglian Firm
David was engaged by a leading East Anglian Law firm to provide interim Head of IT services initially to resolve mission-critical ... read more
IT Review for the British Pipeline Agency
Baskerville Drummond were engaged by British Pipeline Agency (BPA) to undertake a independent review of their IT function. (more…) read more
Interim Head of IT for Kirwans & SGI Legal
Initially engaged by Kirwans Solicitors a leading Liverpool Law firm to provide interim Head of IT services. (more…) read more