Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young Counters Cybersecurity Risk with Innovative Information Technology and Security Strategy

ATLANTA, April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP (HPTY), a leading mass tort litigation firm, today announced the launch of a strategic initiative to transform its IT operations, upgrading legacy infrastructure to a more secure and cost-effective system and shifting firm-wide IT support to a managed service model under a multi-year, $40 million relationship with Elevate Services, Inc., a Chambers-ranked, global legal service provider.

"As more data security breach headlines appear in the news, a growing number of clients are asking their law firms what steps they are taking to guard sensitive information," said Shannon Copeland, chief operating officer at HPTY. "We recognized the need to take action by making a strategic investment in IT and information security."

Recent high-profile hacks have demonstrated that cybercriminals target many kinds of sensitive information, not just financial data. In a March 2015 article, Bloomberg reported that at least 80 of the top 100 firms in the U.S. have experienced a security breach since 2011, and the FBI has warned law firms that they are prime targets for data theft.

HPTY's partnership with Elevate is designed to make the firm more adaptable to emerging IT capabilities and security threats. The firm's new initiative transfers the management of technology operations and its entire IT team to Elevate, tapping the provider's knowledge of global law firm best practices. The move also creates richer career paths for IT team members. Elevate will implement a multi-year technology strategy to provide HPTY with enterprise-class data security, business continuity, mobility and performance. Through investments in hardware, software and IT engineering talent, Elevate will migrate HPTY's technology infrastructure to a secure, colocation environment providing virtual desktops and application hosting, through its IT as a Service (ITaaS) partner, Proxios.

About Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP
Over the last half century, Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP has grown to include more than 150 lawyers in nine offices located in Atlanta, Austin, Charleston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Napa, New York, St. Louis and San Francisco. HPTY represents clients from mid-sized private companies to international and Fortune 100 corporations in complex disputes and financial transactions.

About Elevate Services
Elevate is a next generation legal service provider helping law firms and corporate legal departments improve efficiency, quality and outcomes through consulting, managed services, technology and talent. With offices in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Philippines and Australia, Elevate supports clients across the world. For more information, visit elevateservices.com.

SOURCE Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP

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