By Legal Futures Associate Osprey Approach
London-based Burlingtons Legal has been using Osprey Approach since the law firm was formed in 2011. Andrew Pike, the managing partner, explains, “We started using Osprey from the outset. It was key to the business from the beginning.”
The firm initially adopted Osprey for its time recording, invoicing, and payment tracking capabilities. Over the years, the system has become an integral part of the firm’s operations: “Osprey has worked very well for us…. We’re so embedded with it now.”
Scale and grow
As Burlingtons Legal grew, the limitations of its existing document management system became apparent, as Andrew notes: “We have our own internal system for storing ongoing correspondence and documents. It’s clunky, and we’ve reached a point where we need a more sophisticated system.” The firm recognised that Osprey could fill this gap and provide a more integrated and efficient solution.
Continuous improvement to better utilise technology
Burlingtons Legal is working closely with Osprey to continue to enhance its use of the system to help with three goals. Andrew, who is also the firm’s compliance officer, believes mitigating risk is one of the biggest challenges facing SME law firms: “The increasing level of compliance requirements is the biggest challenge: it seems to be getting stricter by the month. And Osprey is very important to me in my compliance role.”
The second goal is to improve visibility across the firm as it grows and lastly, to make the lives of fee earners easier.
Working with their client success manager at Osprey, the project is set to enhance the utilisation of Osprey’s features. Andrew elaborates, “We probably didn’t investigate the full range of things that Osprey could do early enough. Now, we want to push forward and make more use of its facilities.”
The firm aimed to transition from its fragmented document management approach to a more cohesive system within Osprey. Katie Archer, office manager, adds, “Our goal is to have everything on one platform. Osprey’s ease of use and reliability make it the ideal choice for us.”
Osprey’s support desk, dedicated success manager, and unlimited training has been instrumental in this transition. Katie highlights the responsiveness of the Osprey team, “The helpdesk is very quick. I can even email on a Sunday evening, and by Monday morning, they’ve resolved the issue.” This level of support has given Burlingtons Legal the confidence to undertake the project, knowing they have reliable assistance.
Both Andrew and Katie emphasise the importance of an easy to use system and reliable support to help employees utilise new features. Andrew explains: “People will only adopt something if they feel they’ve understood it, so Osprey’s support will be critical.” Katie believes that “It’s one of the easiest platforms we have and it takes no more than a day’s training to fully understand it.”
Ensuring compliance and mitigating risk
Compliance is a critical aspect of the firm’s operations. Andrew emphasises that, “Osprey is critical to our compliance processes. It helps us maintain a comprehensive online record of transactions, which is essential for our annual client account audits.”
Osprey provides a centralised platform for storing, tracking, and monitoring compliance tasks and requirements. The practice and case management solution provides digital tools to streamline client onboarding – to balance quality client service and compliance requirements effectively – through to managing client monies, matter completion, and financial reporting.
Andrew explains that Osprey has helped the firm successfully pass the SRA annual client account audits over the last 11 years: “Osprey is the core reference facility and tool to support our client account transactions, so it’s absolutely critical.”
Long-term success
Burlingtons Legal’s journey to improve the utilisation of Osprey is testament to the firm’s commitment to efficiency and compliance. With robust support from Osprey and a clear vision for the future, the firm is well-positioned to continue its growth and provide exceptional service to its clients.
