With a proud heritage and deep roots in the legal community, Wright Hassall LLP has long been a trusted firm in Leamington Spa. As with many established practices, legacy systems can begin to slow even the most forward-thinking organisations. Their 15-year-old document management system (DMS) had started to become unreliable, impacting efficiency and presenting growing risks.
The firm recognised the need to modernise, but the path forward wasn’t straightforward.
Understanding the Challenge
Moving away from a long-standing DMS posed significant challenges - not just technically, but operationally. The system was deeply embedded in day-to-day processes, with over 240 users and a significant volume of active and historical client files.
There was understandable anxiety about change, particularly when trust in the incumbent provider had been eroded.
As with most law firms, departments and users worked in different ways, posing another hurdle to overcome when identifying a solution that would suit everyone’s requirements.
Wright Hassall turned to Baskerville Drummond, a specialist IT consultancy firm for the legal sector.
The Approach
Wright Hassall started with a full IT review, during which David Baskerville and his team spoke with staff, reviewed the existing systems, dissected contracts and put together an action plan to take them from their current position to where they wanted to be.
David also acted as their interim CIO to guide the firm through this transformation, working seamlessly with the internal project team led by Martin Batt.
The strategic review identified that the law firm had signed up for some ‘platinum’ level solutions that they were not using effectively. Cancelling these contracts allowed IT spend to be redistributed into a more modern and business-focused technology, which saw the firm move from Citrix to modern laptop working and leverage the Microsoft Azure platform.
When considering DMS, the simplest option was to upgrade the incumbent system to the cloud-based version; however, this came at a high cost, and many of the team were dissatisfied with the system, keen to start afresh with something new.
Following a detailed review of the market and internal requirements, NetDocuments was selected as the new DMS. The end users were enthused by the system during the demo phase, due to the clean look and feel, and the ability for a fresh start, but the cloud version of the incumbent solution didn’t have the same level of enthusiasm. NetDocuments' AI strategy was much further ahead than alternatives, and the introduction of a new solution was also more cost-effective for the firm than moving to the cloud version of the incumbent. Due diligence was carried out, and it was time to transition.
David and his team brought in Xperate, a global software development company that specialises in the legal sector, to deliver the technical expertise required to execute and enhance the migration, along with ensuring that their existing tools could integrate seamlessly.
David Baskerville commented:
“This was a complex project with high stakes, but by bringing together the right team, we were confident that we could deliver a smooth, secure transition. Xperate’s technical depth and their calm, collaborative approach played a critical role in making it happen”.
With legal and technical expertise in equal measure, Xperate brought a practical understanding of Wright Hassall’s existing practice management system (PMS) and how lawyers interact with their tools daily. This allowed the team to design a solution that preserved valuable features from the old system while unlocking new functionality.
As part of the data migration, the data was cleaned to avoid unnecessary documents being transitioned. Over 19 million documents were moved across to the new system, with around 10 million being left securely behind. A bespoke tool was built to ensure that if any of these documents were required later down the line, they could be accessed and brought into the new system, without having to keep old software licences open.
Bespoke Solutions – Removing Roadblocks
As the project unfolded, one requirement emerged that could have posed a significant roadblock: the firm needed the new system to integrate with their PCMS, Linetime Liberate, a key platform in their existing workflow. No out-of-the-box integration existed, but this was precisely the kind of challenge Xperate is built for.
Staying true to their principle of "if it doesn’t exist, we’ll build it," Xperate designed and delivered a custom integration, seamlessly connecting Linetime to NetDocuments.
Further into the project, an additional tool was needed to bridge functionality gaps: An email billing notification widget, tailored to internal workflows.
Where other providers might have met delays or cost overruns, Xperate’s in-house development capability ensured these new requirements were met efficiently and without disruption.
Collaboration at the Core
This project was a strong example of cross-vendor collaboration. The Wright Hassall project team, Baskerville Drummond, NetDocuments and Xperate worked as a joined-up team, sharing knowledge, timelines and goals. The result was a well-coordinated, resilient delivery process.
To minimise disruption, the firm selected the early May Bank Holiday weekend for ‘go-live’. Thanks to round-the-clock collaboration across Xperate’s international teams - from the UK to India, North America, and Australia - the final transition was completed within the set timeframe, on budget, and without glitches.
Results
Wright Hassall took the opportunity not to just upgrade their system, but to take a deep review of their entire IT process and completely re-think it. They have now reached a major milestone in their digital transformation journey and have unlocked a modern, intelligent system that will improve the way their teams operate in each and every department.
Phil Wilding, Managing Partner, Wright Hassall LLP, quoted:
“Modernising our document management system was about more than just technology - it was about empowering our people with tools that support how they work today and tomorrow. This transformation is a key part of our broader vision: to make Wright Hassall a great place to work, where our teams are equipped to thrive. Thanks to the collaborative effort across our teams and partners, we’ve not only improved efficiency but also laid a strong foundation for future innovation.”
Conclusion
This project shows that migrating a DMS is more than a technical task - it’s about understanding the needs of the legal professionals who rely on it, anticipating challenges, and building solutions that make the system work for them.
Where other providers may stop at implementation, Xperate goes further, building the missing pieces, working collaboratively, and ensuring no requirement is too niche to address. Their legal insight, technical fluency, and global reach combined to deliver a seamless transition for Wright Hassall LLP.
Commenting on the project, Mark Garnish, COO at Xperate, said:
“This project was successful due to the partnership mindset across all parties. We were all focused on the same outcome – giving Wright Hassall a system that works for their people, not just in theory, but in daily practice. Working in collaboration with Baskerville Drummond, NetDocuments, and Wright Hassall ensured a smooth project with the best possible outcome”.
Director of Professional Services at Xperate, Stuart Hatt, added:
“Challenges and complications in projects like this aren’t unusual, but by working closely with Wright Hassall and Baskerville Drummond, we were able to solve problems before they became blockers. That’s the benefit of collaboration and experience in the sector.”
Considering a System Upgrade?
If your firm is facing the pressure of outdated systems or planning a transition to a new platform, we’re here to help. Whether you need expert support for a large-scale migration, custom integrations to fill in the gaps, or simply advice on where to start, Xperate brings the clarity, experience and capability needed to make change feel manageable.
Get in touch to talk confidentially about your firm's needs.