About Barnes Harrild & DyerSolicitors

Barnes Harrild & Dyer specialise in

immigration, asylum and human rights

matters. The firm represents both privately

and publicly funded clients. However, the

majority of their cases are publicly funded

and they hold the Legal Services

Commission (LSC) Quality Mark in

recognition of service provision excellence.

With the extensive experience of their 3

practising partners, all accredited to LSC

level 2 or 3, the law firm offers a speedy and

efficient service of the highest professional

standard.

The firm’s Managing Partner, Michael Dyer,

explains:

“We’re a small and friendly firm, established

since 1983. Over 25 years later, we still take

pride in the efficient, reliable service our

clients receive. In many cases, the protection

of their basic human rights depends upon

the success of their case against unjust

decisions made on their settlement status.

With our area specialism and previous

success rate, we’ve earned a strong

reputation in the field of immigration law.

Our software and IT set-up performs a vital

role in practice and finance management.

Firms can’t rely on legal expertise alone. IT

plays a prominent part in the day-to-day

running of our firm and we’ve been loyal

Quill customers since the 1990s.”

Quill Pinpoint

With a time-honoured subscription to Quill

Pinpoint, Barnes Harrild & Dyer has

continued to use the legal accounts and

matter management software throughout a

new partnership arrangement.

Michael adds:

“Prior to September 2009, we comprised two

partners, one of whom retired. Our new

structure is made up of 4 partners who need

management statistics readily available on

their PCs for analysis purposes, as well as

empowering staff with up-to-date information

on their own performance for review and

development.

Quill provides this level of functionality, which

is why we made the unanimous decision to

retain the Quill Pinpoint software post-

partnership arrangement.

Croydon-based immigration specialists, Barnes Harrild & Dyer Solicitors,are staunch supporters of the Quill Interactive hosted practicemanagement and legal accounts software.

In August 2011, some disastrous scenes were brought to Croydon withrioting, looting and arson attacks. On many local businesses the ensuingresults were devastating but, thankfully, with Quill Interactive, thepractice's essential working tools of time recording and accounting datawere safeguarded.

www.quill.co.uk

Case Study : Barnes Harrild & Dyer Solicitors

Solicitors reassured by business continuity during catastrophic circumstances

We experienced an unfortunate loss of data

some years ago which made obvious the

requirement for hosted-based software.

This precipitated the decision to upgrade to

Quill Interactive and we migrated to this

service in 2010.”

Solution Installed

Barnes Harrild & Dyer Solicitors has 15

user licences for the Quill Interactive hosted

matter management and accounting system

for fully outsourced IT support and flexible

e-working capabilities.

Michael continues:

“There’s much to commend the hosted

system. First we have equal distribution of

work. Our fee earners can record their own

time, partners can access bespoke key

performance indicator information and

supervisors can monitor staff progression.

We’ve offloaded the unmanageable volume

of work previously done by one designated

individual, so everyone works

independently and is accountable.

www.quill.co.uk

The software itself is easy to use in terms of

logical layout and work-through of screens.

Also, it’s well supported. Not only do we have

access to Quill Pinpoint’s expert technicians

and account management teams, there’s

support in the form of automatic updates. For

example, with the recent reduction of

government spending in legal aid, the new

rates were adjusted in the software by the

Quill specialists without our intervention.

On a more serious subject, in the August 2011

riots our office was looted, all IT equipment

stolen, and then the building was set alight.

We lost 600 physical files and we’re now in

the middle of a file reconstruction and repair

work project. Without the Quill Interactive

hosted system the survival of the business

would have been in doubt.”

Results & Benefits Experienced

Quill Interactive is delivered by hosted

services, which means IT management is fully

offloaded to Quill Pinpoint’s technical division

and software is hosted on a secure server

bank. This provides remote connectivity, data

back-up and 24/7 access, whatever external

factors are in place.

Michael concludes:

“On a normal daily basis, Quill Interactive

contains features for all areas of matter and

legal accounts management, with the added

benefit of scalability, ideal for an expanding

practice like ours.

The Croydon riots have highlighted the

importance of disaster recovery and Quill

Interactive comes with the reassurance of

built-in business continuity. Although we’re

currently occupying temporary offices,

painstakingly replacing matter files and

renovating our office, the situation might

have been irrecoverable without Quill.

Our accounts, time recording and database

data has been restored because our

valuable client list and matter details were

safely stored on the Quill Pinpoint server,

many miles away in a secure environment.

We’ve identified which files were destroyed

by checking on Quill Interactive with the

helpful assistance of a number of Quill staff

who have put 100% into supporting us

through this disaster situation.

Now that we’re having to undertake a major

file recovery exercise, we’ve realised the

importance of a paperless office

environment. We’ve learnt that although the

basic information was safeguarded, it

doesn’t replace the full file, so we’re moving

to Quill Pinpoint’s add-on document

management to better manage risk in the

future. We’ve increased the number of user

licences so that all our staff can store and

access documents or emails to matters.

I readily recommend Quill Interactive to

other practices. The return on investment

we’ve gained this year is incalculable. It’s

been the difference between survival and

possible demise. The lessons are obvious

and the solution straightforward – Quill

Interactive.”

For more information, please

contact us on:

0161 236 2910

info@quill.co.uk

MANCHESTER (Head Office)

Barclay House

35 Whitworth Street West

Manchester M1 5NG

DX: 723820 Manchester 38

WILTON

Rooms B126 & B126A

Main Building, Wilton Centre

Wilton, Middlesbrough TS10 4RF

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool Innovations Park

Unit 4, First Floor, Baird House

Edge Lane, Liverpool L7 9NJ

DX: 716990 Wavertree 2

Quill Pinpoint

Michael Dyer, Managing Partner, Barnes Harrild & Dyer Solicitors

“Now that we’re having to undertake a major file recovery exercise,

we’ve realised the importance of a paperless office environment.

We’ve learnt that although the basic information was safeguarded, it

doesn’t replace the full file, so we’re moving to Quill Pinpoint’s add-on

document management to better manage risk in the future. We’ve

increased the number of user licences so that all our staff can store

and access documents or emails to matters.”