The firm successfully achieved certification for an IMS (integrated management system) that incorporates the requirements of best-practice standards ISO 22301 (business continuity management), ISO 27001 (information security management) and ISO 9001 (quality management) in order to integrate the standards to which it operates in these key areas.
With law firms under more scrutiny than ever before, and with the introduction of increasingly stringent data security laws such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), this announcement confirms how Burges Salmon continues to invest in demonstrating due regard for the establishment of robust governance and management practices.
This investment ensures client and organisational data are safeguarded, while at the same time allowing Burges Salmon to optimise and prioritise business processes, service continuity and service quality.
Carol Aldridge, head of knowledge management at Burges Salmon, says: “We work closely with our clients to understand and meet their requirements. We recognise the particular importance of a clear, reliable, cohesive approach to management of quality, information security, business continuity and environmental management in support of our legal service delivery.
“We also work closely with ITG as expert advisers on our Integrated Management System, which is designed to cover three of our four UKAS-accredited certifications for ISO standards (ISO 9001, 27001 and 22301) with our fourth standard (ISO 14001) being managed closely alongside.”
IT Governance is a specialist in helping organisations implement management systems and has been for nearly twenty years. It has helped more than 600 organisations achieve compliance with or certification to ISO 27001 alone.
IMSs combine policies, procedures, processes and systems to manage anything from product and service quality to information security risks (such as cyber-attacks, hacks, data leaks or theft). An IMS helps organisations achieve their objectives by monitoring and managing of risks, reducing inefficiencies and maximising resources though an integrated approach.
Tony Drewitt, managing director at IT Governance UK, says: “We are proud to have helped Burges Salmon accomplish this integration and to apply our expertise to enable it to do what very few other law firms in the UK, and indeed globally, have been able to achieve.
“As new regulations come into force and clients become increasingly demanding, organisations need to change the way they tackle information security, service continuity and service delivery in general. We are pleased that Burges Salmon has recognised the need for an integrated management system, and have relished the opportunity to help it increase performance, improve employee and customer satisfaction, and support the firm on its continuous improvement journey.”