International law firm bolsters resilience to protect client confidentiality

Cybersecurity and resilience are top priorities for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, a leading international law firm with a team of legal experts in cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy law issues. When the existing on-premises backup solution for Microsoft Exchange data became unreliable, Pillsbury switched to Cohesity Data Cloud. Now the firm has advanced security protections to protect client privacy and can rapidly find and restore Exchange data after a server failure or cyberattack.

The Challenge

Law firms can be required to retain emails for up to seven years. To comply, Pillsbury backs up more than 40 TB of Microsoft Exchange data from 2,500 mailboxes in multiple U.S. data centers. “Strong data security for our backups is critical–to protect client confidentiality, comply with legal industry data protection regulations, and avoid fines for antitrust violations,” says Nick Suttle, Chief Information Security Officer. Pillsbury also needs confidence that it can quickly restore Exchange virtual machines (VMs) and emails lost to system failures or attacks. “Cybersecurity protections are ultimately about business resiliency,” Suttle adds. “The question isn’t whether attacks will happen, it’s when, to what degree, and how quickly we can recover.”

The existing backup solution had become increasingly costly to maintain and manage. “When it came time to refresh, we looked for a new data management solution that would strengthen resilience with stronger security protections and simpler management,” says Peter Flack, Senior Director of Technology.

The Solution

After evaluating data management solutions from four leading vendors, Pillsbury selected Cohesity Data Cloud. “Our lawyers and global clients expect email and other Exchange data to be available around the clock, and for personally identifiable information (PII) to be protected,” Flack says. “Cohesity stands apart for strengthening resilience with fast, simple Exchange data restores and for data security features like immutable backups and role-based access control. Cohesity plays especially well with Exchange. After switching to Cohesity we were able to reclaim six Exchange servers previously reserved for snapshots for an immediate return on investment.”

The Results

Confidential client data contained in emails and attachments is now protected by Cohesity security features, such as role-based access control and multifactor authentication. Backups are also immutable, meaning that an attacker can’t alter them.

Switching to Cohesity’s solution bolstered the firm’s resilience after system failures or attacks. If a lawyer or administrator loses an individual email, folder, or entire mailbox, the firm’s IT team can recover it without having to perform a full restore. “Clients expect prompt responses to emails, and being able to respond even 30 minutes sooner makes a difference in client satisfaction, especially in time-sensitive legal matters,” says Suttle. Cohesity Data Cloud also automatically backs up new mailboxes, avoiding the risk that a newly hired lawyer’s Exchange data will be unprotected.

All that, and Pillsbury’s management costs have dropped. “Since switching to Cohesity, our team spends up to 50% less time on data management support cases, hardware maintenance, and system oversight,” Flack says. “Cohesity upgrades are so simple that we do them ourselves, when it won’t interrupt business. And the ease of generating reports with Cohesity helps us quickly resolve issues.”

Flack appreciates Cohesity’s people as well as its technology. “Cohesity support professionals are responsive and knowledgeable,” he says. “They are always willing to take the time to answer our questions and help us stay resilient.”

Key Benefits:

• Up to 50% fewer servers needed for Exchange backups 
• Up to 50% savings in management time 
• Data security to protect client confidentiality 
• Business resilience

About Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 

Advising Clients at the Intersection of Technology, Capital, Energy and Government

Pillsbury is one of the world’s foremost law firms, advising Technology companies and their investors, as well as clients in the Energy & Infrastructure, Financial, Life Sciences & Digital Health, Real Estate & Construction, and other dynamic industries. From microchips to blue chips, Pillsbury advises clients ranging from entrepreneurs working out of a garage to the largest public and private companies. Pillsbury lawyers are known for their collaboration across disciplines, providing integrated offerings and authoritative commercial awareness. Operating across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the firm’s market-leading practices are consistently recognized for excellence by Chambers & Partners, Financial Times, and other publications.