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About Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors 

Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors has been providing legal services of the highest quality since 1975. Based in Listowel, Co. Kerry, the firm offers legal assistance nationwide. Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors has always upheld the highest standards of business conduct and is one of the few law firms to have received ISO 27001 certification, demonstrating adherence to information-security best practices.

The Business Requirement 

One of the reasons behind Pierse Fitzgibbon’s longevity has been its ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment. To maintain its high standards, Pierse Fitzgibbon aimed to be a future-thinking, tech-savvy operation. Partnering with a modern MSP was essential for their digital development.

To augment their IT infrastructure, several areas needed upgrading. As a law firm operating nationwide, mobility was crucial. Partners needed to work securely from anywhere. IT security was also a major concern, as is generally the case with law firms handling highly confidential documents.

The Viatel Technology Group Solution 

 IT Mobility 

With a robust mobility strategy, employees can securely access critical information across any network on any mobile device. All laptops and smartphones were encrypted end-to-end to ensure data security. SSL VPNs were installed to allow partners to open a secure connection from anywhere.

IT Maintenance and Proactive Monitoring 

At Pierse Fitzgibbon, IT Manager James Pierse is a one-man IT team. In a dynamic, forward-thinking legal practice, a sudden increase in workload could seriously hamper productivity. However, with Viatel Technology Group’s assistance, the one-man IT team can thrive. Viatel Technology Group provides ongoing IT maintenance, repairs, and proactive monitoring. Ongoing reporting ensures everything runs smoothly.

Since 2015, Viatel Technology Group’s Helpdesk has also been in place. This service offers James greater flexibility and freedom.

The great thing with Helpdesk is that it puts a team behind me. This gives me greater flexibility and cover whenever I am out of office. With the growth we are experiencing, I need to be able to focus on the bigger picture and prioritise some of my other responsibilities. Helpdesk allows me to do this.

 James Pierse, IT Manager, Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors

IT Security 

As a firm processing a large volume of financial transactions, Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors is bound by PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations. PCI compliance means mandatory auditing at least once a year, making a robust data and information security system critical.

PCI adds to the already heavy IT security burden on legal firms. From the outset, Viatel Technology Group’s senior IT team carried out a full IT security assessment, providing a detailed picture of Pierse Fitzgibbon’s operating environment. Viatel Technology Group identified potential risks and areas of vulnerability, implementing a multi-layered security system including FWaaS (Firewall as a Service), patching, VPN redundancy, spam filtering, end-to-end encryption, and ongoing security monitoring.

Network Segmentation 

Different business processes need to be kept separate within the organisation. Completely siloing processes such as email is not an option for Pierse Fitzgibbon. Viatel Technology Group faced the challenge of keeping the many strands of Pierse Fitzgibbon’s network both secure and practical. This complex separation between the e-flow system and day-to-day legal practice was facilitated using a secure, high-availability cloud environment.

The Result 

Throughout this partnership, there has been a firm emphasis on compliance and following strict codes of practice. PCI compliance holds great significance, and up-to-date reporting is stringently implemented. Auditing can be meticulous and demanding for a one-man IT department. Having Viatel Technology Group on board means that James and the Pierse Fitzgibbon team can focus their energy elsewhere.

In 2018, Pierse Fitzgibbon is a more robust, dynamic, secure, and future-focused law firm. A proper mobility strategy has strengthened Pierse Fitzgibbon’s operations nationwide. Continued monitoring, maintenance, and security mean that, from an IT perspective, this progressive law firm has never been in better standing.