TESTIMONIALS

“As an independent consultant, Derek brings a valuable and very deep knowledge of and experience in the legal tech landscape, coupled with a great understanding of the business of Law and how Law firms work. His understanding of the current state of play of the legal tech market, and his keen interest in the emerging trends, means he is uniquely placed to provide great insights and sound and independent advice, especially when strategic decisions are on the table.   Derek and the Hyperscale team are highly professional, personable, and easy to work with, and Derek himself bring an infectious energy and enthusiasm to projects.   I particularly like the manner by which he holds the tech vendors to account.“

Eileen Burns, Chief Digital Officer, Arthur Cox

“We thoroughly appreciated the technical and industry knowledge that Derek and the Hyperscale team brought to our engagement. It was clear prior consideration and thinking had been done and this was clearly articulated and communicated.  The awareness of broader factors really added value and the inclusion guidance on how to approach those was invaluable.   The combination of strategic and practical advice put us in a great position to move forward pragmatically. It is refreshing to work with a consultant who has deep knowledge and can ably convey in a comfortable way.”

Steve Dalgleish, Head of Technology, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP

Trust - “You must have faith in the people that you work with and trust them to deliver. You have to feel 100% confident that they understand your strategic direction, requirements, and have the technical knowledge to advice – this is what I have with Derek and the Hyperscale team .”

Working with ‘real’ people –“We wanted to engage and communicate with a company that could offer us corporate, strategic advice, not just legal tech advice. We wanted the expertise of a consultant who understood how law firms work at a detailed level. We wanted the ongoing support from a consultant, not just the odd after sales call. This is what Hyperscale offered us and this is what we still have with them. I am immensely proud of the strategic work we delivered to the WBD, and without Derek and the Hyperscale team, I know we would not have achieved this as easily as we did.”

David Lee, IT Director, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

“Hyperscale bring an amazing mix of legal and technology skills and know how, if there’s anything going on in Legal Tech they know about it and whom to speak to. They were invaluable to us in both looking at our New IT Strategy and also helping with vendor selection in a number of high profile projects for DAC Beachcroft.”

David Aird, IT Director and EXEC LGBT+ Champion, DAC Beachcroft LLP

“Starting a boutique and challenger brand law firm with a blank piece of paper is both liberating and daunting in equal measure!   There are so many decisions to make, so many possible choices, that you need people around you who really know their stuff and who you trust to have your best interests at heart.  Derek and the Hyperscale team have those qualities in spades.  They helped us to create our complete tech stack, and so much more. 

Occasionally though, you meet an advisor with that extra bit of magic.   This is Hyperscale.  They have a well-honed ability to survey the whole tech solutions market (legal and generic), evaluate, and distil those down to a manageable selection – taking into account future trends and foundational knowledge about where tech is heading for law firms. 

Thanks to Derek, we've avoided many distraction products, masquerading as “the next big thing”.   Our tech stack liberates our lawyers as a result of Hyperscale’s insight into how lawyers will want to work in the future, how we will partner with others to create multidisciplinary advisory teams, and how clients will want legal services delivered to them.  And it does all this at a cost per user which is simply unparalleled.

The Hyperscale team always gives extra.  It's a very enjoyable experience to work with them.  We’ve hugely benefitted from Derek’s sage leadership advice, in relation to tech and the wider challenges of building a law firm.  He's become a very trusted advisor and a friend to me and to the firm.”

Ed Cooke, Managing Partner and CEO, Conexus Law

We commissioned Hyperscale to help us assess the right technology for our contract management needs after a recommendation from a business contact.  After a frustrating time trying to identify potential tools myself, it was a relief to work with Hyperscale and benefit from their knowledge and expertise as they guided us through this rapidly changing market and helped us identify options that best met our needs.  Derek and Karen were a pleasure to work with and I would recommend them to others looking into this market. 

Christel Banks, Group General Counsel, Key Group

“The legal tech market, with its seemingly limitless products and options, is a challenging and time-consuming environment to navigate for busy lawyers. Derek brings a wealth of experience and insight to any legal technology procurement process. He took the time to understand our requirements, budget, infrastructure and current IT strategy to ensure that the eventual tech solution would be appropriate for our in-house legal team. Derek is also highly intuitive and is able to represent his client's business to potential service providers fluently and with real clarity. In short, a very safe pair of hands with a good sense of humour too.”    

Tom Jeans, Group General Counsel, Clarion Events

I would like to express my sincere appreciation and recommendation for Derek and the Hyperscale Group, who helped us with our digital transformation project.

We are a small company with a limited budget, and we needed to implement a modern contract management system. We reached out to the Hyperscale Group, and they did a great job of understanding our situation and needs, and helping us to select a smart and affordable solution that matched our goals and expectations. They also gave us constant support and advice throughout the whole process of the project.

Hyperscale Group and Derek are not only professional and competent, but also friendly and supportive. They communicated clearly and regularly, and delivered on their promises. They went above and beyond to ensure our success and satisfaction.

I highly recommend Hyperscale Group and Derek Southall to anyone who is looking for a reliable and effective partner in digital transformation. I look forward to working with them again in the future.

Sylvie Ryckebusch, Chief Business Officer, BioInvent International AB

 “We worked with Hyperscale Group in relation to the design and selection of a sole supplier for legal services. We instructed them to support the innovation aspects of the project and we found them to be hugely supportive and proactive. Both technology and law firm capability were important to the transformational structure we were putting in place – Hyperscale Group demonstrated that that they had a very deep understanding of both. Their practical understanding and track record of having “done the job” became very evident and really helped us to understand the true capabilities of those bidding for work. We would not hesitate to use them again.”

Victoria Mee, General Counsel, Aston University

“Understanding what is possible in terms of Legal Tech can be a challenge for busy lawyers. Hyperscale and Derek in particular, bring  a wealth of knowledge and experience of working in this sector. They know the products and the suppliers and give practical advice. Derek is a pleasure to deal with and I find his regular updates/ news links very useful.”

Sally Mewies, Partner, Walker Morris LLP

“Derek’s expertise in and experience of the Legal IT market is second to none. He’s provided us with great insight into the sheer scale of change that is taking place within the profession and in a way which is relatable to the c-suite.”

Nathan Hayes, IT Director - Osborne Clarke

“We have engaged Derek on a number of occasions to assist in our digital transformation journey over the last few years. He has engaged with all levels of our business from the Board down. Derek’s knowledge of the legal IT market is unparalleled and he has a real passion and enthusiasm for helping law firms and inhouse teams navigate what is a, complex and continually developing, area. Our experience of working with Derek is that he always goes the extra mile and delivers far more than he is asked for.”

Stuart Whittle, Partner - Weightmans

"Our firm has made great strides operationally in recent years, however we felt we needed assistance to kick-start our innovation efforts, and to make the right technology decisions to improve client service and internal efficiency.  We engaged with Hyperscale early 2021 and in a relatively short time they had helped us develop an innovation strategy, they acted as a catalyst to spark conversations between the IT and our legal teams, and they served to energise the IT Team and Innovation Committee.

Together with Hyperscale we are now working through a comprehensive roadmap of items for the betterment of all areas of the business.  Derek has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the legal market, is commercially savvy, and has a proven track record of steering companies onto a more dynamic and client centric path.  Hyperscale act as an extension of our team, and the partnership is accelerating our business transformation - they are a pleasure to deal with."

David Hymers, Head of IT - Wedlake Bell

“Starting an innovation team in an organisation that has never had one before was a scary but exciting challenge. I knew that I needed some assistance to help me kick-start things but wasn’t sure who could help. At the same time, one of Derek’s articles landed in my inbox in which the topics were so relevant that I thought I would have an initial coffee with him. I am pleased to say that I am glad that I did.

Whilst I am still on the journey of growing my team, Derek (and the rest of Hyperscale) have been a tremendous help. As well as putting me in front of new and necessary technologies, Derek has assisted me in developing necessary foundations for success and assisting me in getting some initial, important, ‘wins’ for the team. His experience of the legal-tech marketplace, and of the legal world, is vast, and his ideas and creativity have been second to none. Derek has not only provided a huge injection of energy, but he has also provided a lot of support and encouragement as well.

 Hyperscale are a great extension to our team and they are always willing to deliver 110% at any time.”

Paul Harker, Head of Transformation, Technology and Improvement - Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP

“Keystone Law are technology driven and we pride ourselves on being ahead of the digital curve, wherever possible. Derek, with his broad knowledge and network, is a vital asset in ensuring that we keep abreast of all the latest technology trends so that we can be early adopters of the right tools for the right application.”

Maurice Tunney, Director of Technology and Innovation - Keystone Law

“Most consultants come to a law firm offering a fairly narrow spread of knowledge and skills and are often either focused on the technical capabilities of a solution or on the incredible benefits the firm will enjoy once their recommendations have been implemented, rarely do you come across impartial and informed consultants with a broad experience and knowledge of the business of law, a firm's structure, how it operates, how to work efficiently and lever investment in technology and people.  Hyperscale are that group of people, if it is covering the nuts and bolts requirements of Microsoft 365 or setting up the environment for the firm to innovate and grow, they are the people to work with, trustworthy, dependable and high energy!”

Steve Sumner, Director of IT - Taylor Vinters

“After completing our Digital Transformation we knew innovation was key to building solutions that would give us a completive edge both for our staff and our clients.  Derek’s knowledge of the legal landscape has been invaluable in helping us identify and deliver those solutions.  As a result, the efficiencies we are now seeing have been warmly welcomed by the partnership.

Hyperscale, as a firm, are great to work with and are firmly established as one of our strategic partners for the foreseeable future.”

Ian Burrell, Director of IT - Ellisons Solicitors

“Hyperscale have been an invaluable resource as we have taken our firm from idea to reality, and then beyond.  Be it strategic or practical, IT or operational, Derek and his team have helped us think carefully and thoughtfully about how we build the firm out.  We look forward to working with them further as we look to achieve our next stage of growth.”

Andrew Nugent Smith, Managing Director - Keller Lenkner

“I have known Derek for a number of years through the in-house network.  There are very few more earnest, trustworthy, decent and capable people.  When Derek set up Hyperscale it was enormously helpful and a fluke of good timing.  I had just taken over as GC of a department with no tech., beyond Microsoft 365 and a calculator.  Hyperscale helped me navigate a bewildering array of technologies that would make our department better.  Derek knew what was good and what was the snake oil and this made supplier shortlisting and selection a painless joy.  Hyperscale then helped us seamlessly project manage through from selection to implementation, as we were particularly resource constrained. 5 Stars!”

Adrian Thurston, Co-Founder, Principal - Lustrum Partners and former VP Legal - Starbucks and GC - SThree

“We knew we needed to get on the technology curve but the number of potential solutions seemed endless and we didn’t have time to navigate them ourselves. Hyperscale worked with us to distil our needs and identify suppliers with the right technology and approach. We are now embracing this new world with confidence and are trialling a powerful deep search tool which should make a major difference to the way we operate”

 Ian Rogers, Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Law - Arup

“Working with the Hyperscale team has been extremely valuable in relation to the development of our IT strategy. Derek has brought solutions to the table that has provoked alternative thinking of how we architect our IT service that will make the delivery of a 5 star service, so much easier and enduring. Derek has an energetic, collaborative style of working that is both infectious and stimulates your own curiosity of what is possible, driving you to think outside of the box and challenge the normal way of working. To stand out you need to think differently and Hyperscale is certainly helping us to do just that.

John Bailey, Operations Director - Wright Hassall

“When you work with Derek Southall and Hyperscale, you’re transported into one of the most stimulating and creative workgroups that you’re ever likely to encounter. Derek has a skill for bringing people and ideas together that not only generate innovative outcomes, but also create useful networks that continue to deliver opportunities and learning beyond the initial concept. Hyperscale doesn’t recognise standard service delivery. They weave ‘value add’ through every stage of the client experience. It’s distinctive.”       

Amanda Grace, Associate Director - Smith & Williamson

“To know Derek is to know anyone and everyone worth knowing in legal IT. Derek is absolutely on it with an eye to meeting current and future client needs and keeping his clients and contacts one step ahead. He’s the ultimate innovator, problem-solver and strategic thinker. And he doesn’t hold back in sharing his enthusiasm and views.”

Liz Whitaker, Founding Director - Propella

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