How Harbottle & Lewis Found Trust and Confidence with Vohkus and SCC

When Reliability Becomes Non-Negotiable

Behind every great law firm is a great IT partner. And for Harbottle & Lewis, a leading UK law firm known for advising some of the world’s biggest names in media, technology and entertainment, trust is everything.

So, when their previous managed service provider went into administration — and a major outage struck during a critical legal case — the firm knew it was time for change. Internal stakeholders lost trust. Vendors were harder to reach. The result was sleepless nights and growing frustration. Harbottle needed to regain control and rebuild trust. For law firms, reliability is non-negotiable.  Their IT should be no different.

A Partner Who Cares as Much as They Do

Harbottle’s IT team were looking for more than just another supplier — they wanted a partner who cared about service as deeply as they cared about their clients. Someone who understood their business, valued personal relationships, and could deliver enterprise-grade services without treating them like a number.

Kerry Angel, Director of IT for Harbottle, had a long-standing relationship with the team at Vohkus and knew she could rely on their honesty and care — shared qualities that Harbottle extends to its own clients.

What strengthened the position was that Vohkus was now part of SCC, one of the UK’s largest independent IT services businesses. For Kerry and the IT team, it was the best of both worlds: the same team they trusted, now backed by the scale and expertise of SCC.

What began as a long-standing relationship evolved into something bigger: a familiar partner with fresh possibilities.

The Challenge: Restoring Confidence

With the goal to find a partner who would listen, act quickly, and make their business a priority, Kerry involved her IT team directly in the search for a partner. She enabled them to meet providers, ask technical questions, and form their own conclusions. It was important not just to get buy-in but also give the team ownership of the decision.

Vohkus stood out not just because of the past relationship, but because they understood the value of keeping things personal. Even with the added firepower of SCC behind them, the service remained high-touch and responsive. The team felt heard, supported, and excited about what came next.

A Familiar Partner with Fresh Possibilities

Working with Vohkus felt like coming home. The same people, the same care, the same proactive support – now powered by SCC’s wider expertise.

The combination of personal service and enterprise strength became the foundation for everything that followed.

The relationship began with two major projects that transformed how Harbottle worked: a full device refresh and a new managed cloud service.

Project Spotlight: Device Refresh with Vohkus

270 new laptops – Fully imaged, delivered on time.

The device refresh replaced 270 laptops across the firm. Every device was leased rather than purchased — a flexible approach made possible through Rigby Capital, avoiding large upfront costs, giving the finance team room to adapt in future and freeing the team from procurement headaches. Vohkus handled the logistics end-to-end: imaging, delivery, and setup. Devices arrived pre-configured and ready to use, saving hours of setup time.

“The rollout was seamless — staff were amazed how easy it was.” – Kerry Angel, Director of IT at Harbottle

The result? Happier users, no disruption, and a refresh that felt effortless.

Project Spotlight: Cloud Managed Services with SCC

At the same time, SCC took the lead on cloud managed services, giving Harbottle a new level of visibility and control over their Azure environment. Azure licensing became transparent, with clear reporting and measurable savings already taking shape each month.

The impact was clear: the IT team felt empowered, operations became more predictable, and confidence was restored.

By aligning both the MSP and VAR services under one trusted partner, Harbottle gained efficiency, consistency and reassurance. Harbottle now had a partner with the scale and expertise to keep them secure, compliant, and future-ready without losing the personal touch that mattered most.

The Best of Both Worlds in Action

When SCC acquired Vohkus in 2023, Harbottle’s initial concern was simple — would the personal service they valued so highly still remain? The answer, reassuringly, was yes.

They kept the same people they trusted, the same level of responsiveness, but now had access to SCC’s full range of services, from managed cloud to lifecycle management and leasing solutions.

It was, quite literally, the best of both worlds.

“It’s the same team we’ve always trusted — just with even more behind them.” – Kerry Angel, Director of IT at Harbottle

The acquisition maintained the hands-on relationship that had earned Harbottle’s trust in the first place. SCC gave them scale. Vohkus kept it personal.

A Partner For What’s Next

Harbottle began this journey under pressure, without the support they needed. Today, they have a partner who not only delivers but truly listens. A partner who understands that in legal services, speed and service are everything, and who works as an extension of their own team.

“Trust is everything in our world. That’s what we give to our clients. And that’s what we expect from our partners.” – Kerry Angel, Director of IT at Harbottle

As the firm continues to grow and innovate, SCC and Vohkus will be there to help them realise their digital ambitions with the same reliability, transparency, and care that built the relationship in the first place.

Harbottle’s experience proves what happens when you combine personal service with enterprise strength. Because in a world where trust is everything, Harbottle & Lewis found a partner who cares as much as they do.

Big enough to deliver. Small enough to care. That’s the SCC and Vohkus Advantage — for Harbottle & Lewis, it’s made all the difference.