1800 Employee Law Firm

Client Background

This Client is an international law firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with 21 offices across the United States and additional locations in London, U.K., and Singapore. The organization employs approximately 1,800 full-time employees, along with part-time staff, interns, and contractors.

After more than ten years with their existing Human Capital Management (HCM) system, the firm became dissatisfied with their vendor’s lack of support and limited ability to configure the system to meet their evolving needs. Recognizing the need for a more modern and flexible solution, the Client engaged HRchitect to guide them through a comprehensive system evaluation and selection process.

The Challenge

The Client required an HCM solution capable of supporting the unique and complex needs of a global law firm, including high levels of configurability and usability.

Their existing system had fallen short in several critical areas, particularly in vendor support and adaptability to business requirements. Given the significant investment required to replace an HCM system, the Client needed to ensure they selected the right solution for both current operations and future growth.

Additionally, navigating the crowded HCM vendor landscape presented its own challenge. The Client needed a structured, unbiased approach to evaluate vendors based on their specific business needs rather than marketing-driven feature sets.

Client Profile

• International Law Firm
• 21 offices across the U.S.
• Additional locations in London, U.K., and Singapore
• Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia
• 1,800+ employees

The Project

The Client partnered with HRchitect to lead a structured evaluation and selection engagement using HRchitect’s Secure Selection Methodology.

The project began with the development of a project charter, followed by a comprehensive discovery process to assess the Client’s current systems, workflows, and future-state requirements. This phase ensured alignment among stakeholders and clearly defined success criteria.

HRchitect then guided the Client through a structured vendor evaluation process. This included identifying a shortlist of HCM vendors that aligned with the Client’s industry-specific needs and coordinating a Request for Information (RFI) process, as well as vendor demonstrations.

To ensure meaningful comparisons, HRchitect also assisted in developing tailored demo scripts focused on the Client’s real-world use cases. This approach helped the Client evaluate system usability and functionality based on their actual business processes, rather than generic feature presentations.

Key Benefits

• Informed vendor selection through a structured, unbiased evaluation process tailored to the Client’s specific needs

• Alignment on business requirements and success criteria via comprehensive discovery and project charter development

• Industry-specific solution fit, ensuring the selected HCM system supports the unique needs of a global law firm

• Improved decision-making confidence through guided RFI processes and customized vendor demonstrations

• Enhanced focus on usability and real-world functionality with tailored demo scripts aligned to actual business processes

• Stronger foundation for successful implementation with stakeholder alignment and clear expectations established early

The Results

As a result of the engagement, the Client successfully selected an HCM platform that aligned with both their operational requirements and budget.

The structured evaluation process enabled the Client to make a confident, informed decision, supported by clearly defined criteria and stakeholder alignment. At the time of publication, the implementation of the selected system was underway, positioning the organization for improved HR functionality and long-term success.