Project Overview

Carmichael Consulting Solutions, LLC powers Bernstein Firm P.C. with unified communications; on-demand data access in a mixed environment

For Atlanta trial attorney B.J. Bernstein, juggling her busy client and trial load while running between two Atlanta offices isn’t easy. Those goals were made more complicated because she lacked the technical support to keep her firm operating at full speed. To resolve her IT woes, Bernstein replaced her former provider with Carmichael Consulting Solutions. Now, she says, “The difference is night and day.”

Moving to the Cloud

Carmichael migrated all of Bernstein’s files from her previous, unreliable and partial cloud solution to her new, more robust and accessible cloud storage platform. The team then reconfigured Bernstein’s network and hardware to bridge any remaining disconnect between her Windows home PC and her mobile and office Apple devices.

They also transitioned Bernstein to Clio and initiated (and now manage) a user access management system for the cloud-based storage. “When personnel join or leave me, there are a lot of things that need to be done to limit their access to my data,” Bernstein says. “From what they can see to how they can access it, Carmichael takes care of it,
immediately.”

Through the cloud solution, Carmichael established a backup protocol for Bernstein’s client and trial files that was both secure and accessible. “People call me years after I’ve served them asking for files, so being able to access my backup storage easily is important,” Bernstein says. “I’m not naturally tech savvy, and I can use it.”

Download the PDF here for more information: The-Bernstein-Firm-Case-Study.pdf

Bernstein initially sought a better IT solution when her continual frustration with her previous IT provider reached the breaking point. “I wasn’t getting immediate help when I needed it, and I was experiencing the most basic of breakdowns,” Bernstein says. “The provider couldn’t integrate my Windows and Mac environments, which meant I couldn’t access work files at home. They didn’t offer me any creative solutions.”

Results

Bernstein Firm P.C. and Carmichael have been partners for nearly two years, and Bernstein says she couldn’t be happier. “I’m a high maintenance and demanding client, and I want everything done immediately,” she says. “They can actually make someone like me happy.” Reflecting back over her time working with Carmichael, Bernstein says one of her favorite new technologies is the VoIP phone system, which incorporates “find me, follow me” services and voice-to-text message processing.

“The phone system is huge—I choose where calls are going—to me on my cell phone or to somebody else,” says Bernstein. “I can receive faxes and texts on my cell phone, and I receive messages via EM, but I can also listen to them on my phone almost immediately. I have clients who get into trouble at night and on weekends—that is when criminal offenses happen—so I can respond right away rather than belatedly, after I call in to check messages.”

“I’m a high maintenance and demanding client, and I want everything done immediately, they can actually make someone like me happy.” –B.J. Bernstein