University of Birmingham Case Study
Vario Flexible Services relieves the pressure on clients’ legal teams by providing high-quality, interim, in-house legal support. We provide this resource from our Vario Hub, which is a diverse and carefully selected community of consultants, paralegals and other legal professionals available to work on a freelance or contractor basis.
Sam Hickman from the University of Birmingham (UoB) contacted Vario looking for assistance with managing a seasonal peak in workload for his team. Below is the case study on how we helped Sam and his team.
Sam Hickman
Head of Research Support (Medicine & Health)
We actually got the capacity gains that we were hoping for much quicker than anticipated.
What did UoB need help with?
The team at UoB support on thousands of research agreements each year, and they required some additional capacity whilst going through a restructure within the division. There was a seasonal peak in workload because their financial year ends at the end of July, so there was a push to try and convert as many of their research projects as possible.
They had previously engaged interim resource providers, but found that they had to spend a great deal of time training and supervising the individuals placed within their team.
What resource did we provide to UoB?
Vario placed 3 Flexible Paralegals within the UoB team, 2 of which were Future Trainees at Pinsent Masons. Each individual was chosen chosen based on their communication skills, administrative ability and appetite and interest to further expand their skillset.
Our support lasted from April to July for 2 of the 3 individuals with the other of them being extended from July to September. The individuals each assisted with incorporating comments into contracts, reviewing contracts and then managing the process of the contracts being sent out. Each Flexible Paralegal finalised over 25 contracts during their assignment.
Alicia Dyson
Vario Flexible Paralegal
We were trusted to liaise with key stakeholders and trained to work independently on specialist matters, but there was always a support system in place if we needed it.
What are the plans for the future?
Sam and his team were so pleased with the service provided by the Vario team, that an agreement has been put in place for a similar arrangement to take place again this year. This is not only a testament to the quality of the service provided, but also a good example of how a flexible legal resource can become a key part of an in-house team's long-term strategy.
Grace Gough
Account Manager
Based on our conversations with Sam and the team, we knew that a mixture of Future Trainee and Career Paralegal talent from our bench would be best suited to the demands of the assignment. We then narrowed down our shortlist based on our understanding of the working practices and style of the team, to ensure a good fit for both parties.
If you're interested in how your team can benefit from our services, contact us to speak to a member of our Account Management Team.