Case Study: Empowering 80 Lawyers to Work Securely from Anywhere with M365 and Intune.
An Lawyers Berwick a 80‑lawyer firm needed to support fully remote and hybrid work without compromising client confidentiality. By standardising on Microsoft 365 and Intune, they enabled secure access to matters from any location and device, while keeping data controlled under firm policies.
Client overview
The client is a national law firm with 80 lawyers and professional staff working across multiple practice areas and offices. Many lawyers split their time between home, court, client sites, and the office, and expect seamless access to documents, email, and collaboration tools wherever they are. The firm handles highly sensitive material, including commercial contracts, litigation bundles, and regulatory correspondence, and must meet strict professional and data‑protection obligations. Before the project, technology varied by team, and remote access relied heavily on VPN and locally managed devices.
Challenges
The existing remote‑access model depended on traditional VPN connections and a mix of unmanaged laptops and personal devices, making it hard to ensure consistent security controls. Lawyers experienced slow access to files over VPN, unstable connections during hearings or client calls, and frequent login issues that reduced productivity. IT had limited visibility into device health and compliance, and applying updates, policies, and security patches across the fleet was manual and time‑consuming. Firm leadership was concerned about potential data leakage if devices were lost, stolen, or used on unsecured networks, and needed stronger controls before expanding flexible work.
Our solution
We designed a modern, cloud‑first workplace based on Microsoft 365, using Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive as the primary collaboration and document platforms. All firm‑owned laptops and tablets were enrolled into Intune, enabling centralised configuration, policy management, and automated deployment of security baselines, applications, and updates. Conditional Access and compliance policies were introduced so only compliant, encrypted devices with up‑to‑date security posture could access firm email and matter workspaces. We also defined standard device build profiles for lawyers and support staff, streamlined sign‑in with single sign‑on, and implemented self‑service password reset to reduce reliance on the help desk.
Client experience
Lawyers can now open their laptops at home, in court, or on the move and immediately access Teams, documents, email, and matter channels without needing to connect to a VPN. Performance is noticeably smoother, with files opening directly from cloud workspaces and Teams channels, and collaboration on briefs and documents happening in real time. Staff appreciate that security is “built in” rather than getting in the way: policies apply automatically in the background, while familiar tools like Outlook, Word, and Teams continue to work as expected. The IT team spends less time on manual builds and troubleshooting connectivity, and more time on strategic improvements and supporting new practice‑area initiatives.
Account Manager | Lawyers Berwick
Outcomes
The firm successfully enabled secure work from anywhere for 80 lawyers, while strengthening control over devices, access, and data. Device compliance and patch levels improved significantly, and IT can now quickly remediate issues or remotely wipe lost or stolen devices without disrupting broader operations. Adoption of Teams and cloud‑based document workspaces has reduced dependence on legacy file servers and VPN, and improved collaboration across offices and practice groups. Overall, the firm gained a more resilient, secure, and flexible technology platform that supports modern legal work and future growth.