Latimer Hinks Solicitors

08/06/22

Latimer Hinks Solicitors in Darlington has enlisted the help of Clive Owen Technology Services to revolutionise its IT system.

The firm has made a significant investment to move to a virtual desktop system, meaning the team will have access to their files and programs from both office-based and remote locations.

The coronavirus lockdowns have encouraged businesses to bring forward plans to deliver a seamless service to clients in the event that professionals have to work from home.

Experts from Clive Owen and Baskerville Drummond worked in collaboration with Latimer Hinks to ensure it provided a suitable virtual platform for both day-to-day and specialist legal software.

This is the first phase of Latimer Hinks’ new IT system, with plans for the future to shape it into a unique and bespoke operation for the firm.

Elizabeth Armstrong, managing director of Latimer Hinks Solicitors, said: “Covid has shown the need for firms to be more flexible in their operation, and IT infrastructure is central to this. The ability to work remotely and unimpeded, thereby ensuring the best levels of service are a given now. That starts with providing the right environment for our lawyers and support staff to be able to work in a more open and flexible way, which is better for our clients, and better for them in terms of work-life balance.

“There is also the need now to reduce our environmental footprint and move to more paperlight systems.

“These changes have always been in our business plan and, whilst the pandemic has certainly presented its problems, equally there have been opportunities. For us, this has meant being able to bring forward considerably our plans and investment in the business, starting with enlisting Clive Owen Technology Services and Baskerville Drummond. This is the first key step for us, with investment in our office space and client environments coming quickly next.”

Natalie Palmer, a director at Latimer Hinks, added: “As a business with Darlington at its heart, we were very keen to engage with a local supplier to help us with this project. As you can imagine, completely revamping our IT system is a massive undertaking and we knew we were in safe hands working with Clive Owen.

“We wanted an IT system that could grow with us as a business and be tweaked and shaped to exactly what we need for our clients.

“The world is moving more towards a hybrid model of working and we are delighted that, with this investment and the support from Clive Owen, we’re ready for it.”

Lee Huck, director of technology services at Clive Owen, said: “We were pleased to work closely with Latimer Hinks to tailor a system to the team’s specific needs including storage, office work, and specialist legal software, following advice from Baskerville Drummond.

“Eventually all businesses will probably move to a virtual desktop, because they require less physical space for servers, less maintenance, and are easier to update and develop as your business grows. This is ideal given Latimer Hinks’ plans for the system in the future. They also work on a pay-as-you-use model, meaning there’s less outlay.

“It’s fantastic to see a local firm adopting this technology early on and it will benefit both the staff and clients tremendously.”

ENDS

Media Release Issued on Behalf of Latimer Hinks Solicitors

Media Contact: Josh Mason on 01325 363 436

NOTES TO EDITORS

Latimer Hinks solicitors, based in Darlington, has a team of around 50 people serving private and corporate clients. Their range of expertise and services covers legal issues surrounding commercial, residential and agricultural property, farming partnerships, wills and lasting powers of attorney, trusts, probate, long-term care, tax planning, commercial law, alternative and renewable energy, employment, and land-owning.