Damian Blackburn Email & Phone Number

Welcome to SLFtech. We are an established IT consultancy and we work with law firms and other fee-earner based businesses. SLFtech was formed in 2010 by Damian Blackburn following his high level technology roles in both private practice, and in house. We are a group of consultants with vast combined experience of working with law firms and legal professionals. We bring a mix of strategic, technical and people skills together to enable us to provide a range of services that makes a difference to our clients.We understand: •Law firms and what they do•The nature of the legal marketplace, the competitive forces at work and the uncertainty and challenge of change•How to employ technology to give you a competitive advantageWe can help you: •Get the best from your technology•Leverage your IT investment to maximise your efficiency•Use technology as a competitive toolWe provide:• Assistance with IT strategy and strategic alignment• Project management services• Microsoft Office development• Advice on best practice, from purchasing decisions to software integration• Team building and people progression advice and strategy We have 20 years’ experience implementing IT solutions into professional firms, including systems for Practice Management, Document Management, CRM, as well as traditional tools such as email management and document production. We understand the nature of the work relating to these applications, we understand the applications, and we understand their inter-relationships.We work with any size of firm, and pretty much on any size of project. A proportion of our work is with new law firms and legal consultancies and we are well versed in both traditional and cloud based computing models.

London, England, United Kingdom

London, United Kingdom

IT consultant specialising in assisting professional service firms with their strategic and operational IT requirements.

Responsible for all aspects of IT change management, including systems, infrastructure, applications and support, delivering business-critical IT services and support to 210+ staff within a London-based law firmResponsible for strategic IT departmental management, reporting directly to the boardAppointed as Director of IT to spearhead technology roll-outs and upgrades, supporting long-term expansionDefinition & execution of an IT strategy for the business, aligning technology with core business requirementsLeadership, management and motivation of a multi-functional team of 9+ IT staff, including staff developmentDirect management of in-house software development activities, utilising Java, VBA, SQL and XML technologyHandles system documentation, development of procedures, departmental policies & enterprise-wide IT rulesCo-ordinates technical support, helpdesk operations, document archiving, system upgrades & IT maintenanceManagement of communications and telephony, including landlines, ISP's and mobile telecomsImplementation of Blackberry technology & devices, providing secure remote access for 120+ fee earnersIntroduced enhanced security measures and protocols for the practice.Implementation of a new Practice Management System (PMS), improving controls and client billingDelivered a major overhaul of network infrastructure for the business, introducing enhanced system resilienceManaged introduction of enhanced service desk facilities, including IT help desk software & structured supportDeveloped business cases and business benefit analysis for the adoption and introduction of new technologiesProject-led several office relocations and business moves, including the migration of technical systems & PCsIntroduced IT technology to support the expansion of the law firm from 90 staff to a network of 210+ employeesDeveloped a professional IT department for the firm, transforming the IT function into a reliable business partner

Responsible for all aspects of IT management, operations and administration, including infrastructure, systems, applications & support, delivering a resilient operating environment within a London-based law firmAppointed as IT and Administration Manager to control administrative planning, business systems and IT supportLeadership, management and motivation of a multi-functional team of IT, technical, administrative & support staffConducted regular in-depth analysis & reviews of emerging technologies, maintaining business competitive edge3rd party, supplier and vendor management, driving efficiency savings and agreeing documented SLA metricsProject management: Project planning, analysis, development, resource planning and implementation activitiesHandled system documentation, development of operating procedures, business policies and practice controlsChampioned standardisation of document production routines, improving departmental efficiency and qualityLed the design and implementation of various workflow products and processes, supporting long-term growth

Responsible for all aspects of legal practice management for LBWF, including management of operational, administrative, technical, IT and support functions, delivering mission-critical services and business supportAppointed as Practice Manager to control a multi-functional team of 16+ staff, including admin and technical staffFocused on financial management activities, in addition to the provision of financial & non-financial informationManaged the ongoing financial and statutory reporting aspects of two Direct Service Organisations (DSOs)Ensured ongoing departmental compliance with strict quality, regulatory, best practice and regulatory standardsDelivered substantial work on a GIS-based Land Search system, including recommending changes & upgradesSuccessfully led the development of a management information system (MIS), supporting long-term expansionLed introduction of case management, time recording and debt recovery systems, automating core processesManaged the development and introduction of a client billing system, revamping legacy financial monitoring tools

Responsible for all aspects of accountancy and financial management, including production of monthly management accounts, preparation of accounting reports & financial analysis within a leading UK UniversityAppointed to handle the production of monthly management accounts for University halls of residence operationsFocused on supporting the design & development of a large scale automated accounts process, improving controlHandled the production of yearly estimates, revised estimates, cost schedules and departmental budgetary plansProduced quarterly HMRC / VAT returns, financial reports and ad-hoc analysis of financial data for managementLed ongoing introduction of enhanced IT-based technology, including spreadsheets and database applications

Msc Degree, Information Systems

MBCS Member of the British Computer Society PRINCE2 Practitioner Qualified

B.A. Economics