Matthew Vaughan on cloud transformation: a masterclass in legacy migration

Feb 5, 2024

Delving into legal tech trends, CIO Matthew Vaughan shares Tompkins Wake's shift to cloud-based tools, overcoming COVID-19 challenges, selection of vendors, and the importance of understanding internal processes. The discussion covers balancing systems and intuition in problem-solving, navigating large-scale projects, and addressing technological advancements in law firms through AI integration.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

From Childhood Curiosity to Professional Journey in Technology

02:00 • 5min

Navigating Challenges in ISP Operations

07:04 • 3min

Exploring Customer Service with Colleagues and Valuable Work Experience

10:18 • 2min

Balancing Systems and Intuition in Problem-Solving for Medium-Sized Businesses

12:04 • 16min

Navigating a Large-Scale Project Journey

28:07 • 10min

Navigating Business Transformation Challenges

38:02 • 18min

Navigating Technological Advancements in Law Firms

55:56 • 10min

Importance of Implementation in Software Adoption

01:05:48 • 2min

Episode 13

Your host for this episode is Luke Campbell.

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⁠Matthew Vaughan⁠

In this episode, we delve into legal technology trends with Matthew Vaughan, the Chief Information Officer at Tompkins Wake law firm in New Zealand. Join us as Matthew sheds light on the firm's recent transition from legacy systems to cutting-edge cloud-based tools, offering valuable insights into the strategic decisions, challenges, and transformative journey that define this technological evolution.

Matthew takes us back to mid-2019 when he joined Tompkins Wake and shares his pivotal role in steering the firm through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitating a rapid and effective transition to remote work during New Zealand's lockdowns in 2020.

The heart of the episode revolves around Tompkins Wake's ambitious project over the last 18 months—a comprehensive transition from on-premises systems to a state-of-the-art cloud-based practice management platform. Matthew navigates through the drivers behind this transformation, the meticulous criteria for vendor selection, and the implementation challenges encountered along the way.

A crucial aspect of this technological shift is emphasized—the importance of understanding internal processes and requirements. Matthew highlights the significance of process mapping workflows, distinguishing must-have from optional criteria, and navigating the mindset shifts necessary when assessing new systems relative to legacy ones.

The conversation then delves into the intricacies of data migration and change management, unraveling key pain points in areas such as data cleanup and enhancement, along with the communication struggles inherent in managing change during the cloud migration implementation.

Looking towards the future, Matthew shares his insights on technology trends reshaping the legal landscape, particularly the role of AI and automation in redefining law firm differentiation and competitive positioning. Integration capabilities and execution emerge as pivotal factors in staying at the forefront of technological innovation.

This episode is brought to you by VXT the leading VoIP phone system for lawyers.