For more than 20 years, specialist employment law firm P4B Law [1] has supported employers with expert legal advice and representation. Operating as a fully remote firm long before hybrid working became commonplace, the business has built its reputation on reliability, responsiveness and practical expertise.
After many years using the same case management system, [2] P4B founder Roger Davies recognised the firm needed a more modern solution. Its existing software had reached end-of-life and no longer reflected the level of support or usability the business required.
When P4B Law began reviewing alternative providers, the firm was not simply looking for replacement software. It wanted a legal technology partner that could offer modern functionality, responsive support and a more personal relationship.
“We were dealing with a big faceless corporation before,” explains Roger. “We never spoke to the same person twice. I liked the fact that Osprey are UK-based and much more approachable.”
Prioritising usability and day-to-day efficiency
For P4B Law, ease of use quickly became one of the defining factors in the decision-making process. Early demonstrations of Osprey Approach [3] highlighted how much simpler everyday tasks could become compared to the firm’s previous system.
“Ease of use compared to our old system was a big factor,” says Roger. “Time recording is a lot easier on this system and as the business owner, that’s key because it pays the bills.”
The simplicity of the platform was particularly important for a fully remote team, where technology needs to support efficient working without creating additional friction.
“Overall, it’s much easier to use compared to our old system,” he says. “The litmus test is: are people using it properly? Yes, they are.”
Alongside functionality, the firm valued the sense that Osprey’s team understood the realities of legal practice and the pressures on fee earners’ time.
A supportive and personal onboarding experience
Once the decision had been made, P4B Law began onboarding with Osprey’s customer success and implementation teams. For Roger, the process immediately felt different to previous supplier relationships. “If you can get on with people and they’re your sort of people, that goes a long way,” he says.
The firm particularly appreciated the balance between structured communication and respecting the team’s time commitments. Weekly progress updates ensured visibility throughout the implementation without creating unnecessary meetings.
“We never had a meeting for the sake of having a meeting,” Roger explains. “They took us through the process and got to understand what we wanted. In our industry, time matters, and everyone respected that people are busy.”
Delivering a seamless migration
Like many firms considering a software switch, P4B Law had concerns about the practical realities of migrating years of client and matter data from a legacy system.
However, the migration process proved far smoother than anticipated.
“I was told ‘this would happen, that would happen’ and subconsciously I probably thought if they do 70%, I’ll be happy,” says Roger. “But fair play, Osprey stuck to it. The data migration just went seamlessly well.”
For firms delaying technology changes because of concerns around disruption, the experience demonstrated that a well-managed implementation can significantly reduce the stress often associated with switching systems.
Tailored training and ongoing support
A key part of the onboarding experience for P4B Law was the level of practical support available to the wider team throughout implementation and beyond.
Roger says the firm’s dedicated onboarding specialist created confidence from the outset by encouraging staff to ask questions rather than struggle independently.
“He gave us the impression – in a positive way – that he was sitting waiting for our call in case there was a problem,” he says.
“My team were told, ‘Don’t waste hours looking for something, just pick up the phone.’ They were as good as their word.”
Importantly, the training programme was tailored around how P4B Law operates, rather than following a generic onboarding script.
“The trainer didn’t say he was going to teach 30 things,” Roger explains. “He asked which ones were relevant to how we work. It was tailored rather than off-the-shelf.”
The wider team also benefitted from having direct access to support and training contacts.
“My staff were happy they could ring and ask questions direct,” he adds. “I was even happier the questions didn’t have to come to me.”
Advice for firms considering a switch
Looking back, Roger believes the fear of changing systems delayed the move longer than necessary.
“If I had known how easy it was to make that change, I would have done it a long time ago,” he says.
For firms hesitant about moving away from legacy technology, his advice is straightforward.
“There were things I was unhappy about with our old provider, but I didn’t change because I didn’t want the aggravation. In the end, it was far easier than I imagined.”
Looking ahead
Although still early in its journey with Osprey Approach, P4B Law expects to continue exploring additional functionality as the team becomes more familiar with the platform.
“Osprey is doing everything we want at the moment,” says Roger. “I’m sure there’ll be things we haven’t yet looked at properly that could benefit us.”
With continued access to client success support, unlimited training and ongoing platform development, P4B Law now has the foundations for a long-term technology partnership designed to support the firm as it continues to grow.
Read the full case study here. [2]
Osprey Approach provides cloud-based, case management software to high-street, corporate and multi-branch law firms. With over 30 years’ experience in the legal software sector, our system, implementation, and support services are designed to help make running a law firm easier. Find out more at www.ospreyapproach.com [4]