Delivering a Risk-Controlled Azure Migration for a Major UK Law Firm
A major UK law firm needed to exit its data centre within a fixed deadline - without disrupting business-critical systems or introducing risk to client services.
Working with Shaping Cloud, the firm delivered a structured, risk-managed migration to Azure, enabling a controlled transition while maintaining operational stability.
Structured, risk-managed delivery
Zero disruption to critical systems
On-time DC exit
The Challenge
When the firm faced a non-negotiable deadline to exit its rented datacentre, it needed to move quickly and without compromising security, governance, or operational stability. There
There were significant risk and cost sensitivities, placing a premum on getting the design and delivery right. The workloads in scope - including Disaster Recovery (DR), User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Test environments - were non-production but were still business-critical, requiring the same level of assurance as live systems.
At the same time, the migration involved replacing the Citrix environment, which was essnetial for remote working, increasing both the complexity and the stakes of the transition.
The firm needed a partner that could deliver:
• A secure, well-governed Azure migration
• Predictable execution against a fixed deadline
• Minimal disruption to business-critical users
• The opportunity to modernise and optimise workloads as part of the transition
The Solution
Shaping Cloud delivered a structured, risk-managed migration of the firm’s on-premise workloads to Azure, enabling consolidation onto a single virtualisation platform.
Using a five-stage approach ensured control at every stage of the migration, with a strong focus on security, governance, and consistency. Non-production workloads were treated with the same rigour as production environments, ensuring full alignment with Azure best practice.
The programme included a full Citrix replacement, modernising the firm’s remote working capabilities and improving user experience. In parallel, the firm’s IaaS SQL architecture was optimised to support high-performance, business-critical workloads.
The migration was completed within 40 weeks, enabling the firm to exit its datacentre on time, without operational disruption or financial penalty.
Key elements of the programme included:
• Migration of on-premises workloads to Azure, consolidating onto a single virtualisation platform.
• Replacement of the existing Citrix environment to modernise remote working.
• Application of Azure best practice security and governance controls across all environments.
• Optimisation of SQL Server architecture for high-performance, business-critical workloads.
Deadline met, no compromise
The Outcome
The firm successfully exited its data centre on time, with no operational disruption or financial penalty.
The decommissioning of legacy infrastructure reduced power, licensing, and hardware costs, while optimising the firm’s SQL architecture improved performance across key systems, including its Elite 3E PMS platform.
The transition also delivered measurable sustainability benefits, with a reduction in carbon emissions supporting the firm’s ESG objectives while accelerating its broader cloud adoption strategy.
Key outcomes included:
• Seamless data centre exit with no operational disruption
• Reduced infrastructure costs through removal of on-premises compute and storage estates
• Improved performance of SQL-based workloads, including the firm’s Elite 3E platform
• Additional licensing savings, including £12.5k through optimised NetApp licensing
• Lower carbon emissions through retirement of power-intensive infrastructure
If your migration needs to be delivered without risk, we should talk.
