Barhead wins Microsoft ANZ Social Impact Award for legal management solution

Sydney-based Barhead Solutions has received the 2024 Microsoft Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Partner of the Year Social Impact Award for its legal practice management solution aimed at community legal centres (CLCs).

The consensus for purpose (CFP) solution is intended to assist CLCs in delivering legal services to disadvantaged communities.

Barhead collaborated with Marrickville Legal Centre, the Environmental Defenders Office, and Women's Legal Service Queensland to develop the solution, which uses Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Copilot.

Marrickville Legal Centre CEO Vasili Maroulis said CFP will help CLCs provide more services and assist more people, amidst a cost-of-living crisis that has seen demand for free and affordable legal representation increase.

"By automating basic administrative tasks and streamlining work processes, the consensus for purpose solution unlocks much needed people resources who can now direct their expertise towards addressing those that need legal support," said Maroulis.

"We estimate there will be an immediate benefit to the thousands of people we help every year and limit the number of people we have to turn away due to resource constraints — so it’s a real gamechanger."

Barhead stated that by leveraging Microsoft's technology, including AI and Copilot, CLCs can provide more services swiftly and with greater assurance using a solution designed for wide deployment.

The firm won the same award in 2020 and 2022 and was a finalist in 2021.

"We are proud at Barhead for winning the ANZ Microsoft Partner of the Year for Social Impact. If CFP is adopted by 80 percent of CLCs, the entire sector can save approximately $25 million over 5 years," said Barhead co-founder John Orrock. 

He added that CFP provides CLCs with a secure and scalable platform that bolsters their AI readiness.

"As part of our ongoing community involvement, Barhead is helping not-for-profits and CLCs with their AI readiness, and the CFP does exactly that, with a platform that leverages Copilot and can be easily implemented by community legal centres across Australia," Orrock said.

"Leveraging Microsoft’s technology platform, including AI and Copilot, CLCs can provide more services faster and with more confidence using a solution that’s designed to be built once and deployed to many."

Barhead said grassroots community initiatives, such as CFP, are featured and recognised by the Microsoft ANZ Social Impact Award and the POTY Social Impact category, along with the partners that have used Microsoft technology to drive change and innovation and make an impact across the globe.

"Our close relationship with Microsoft has been key to developing innovative solutions built on Dynamics 365, Power Platform and now Copilot for the not-for-profit sector," said Barhead CEO and co-founder Ken Struthers.

"The Microsoft ANZ Partner of the Year Award for Social Impact is an acknowledgement of all the wonderful work Barhead and our partner community legal centres have done, and we will continue to work with both Microsoft and not-for-profits to help address the most pressing issues in our communities."

Nicole Dezen, chief partner officer and corporate VP at Microsoft, said: "congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards." 

"The momentum generated by numerous AI & Copilot announcements this year fueled innovation from our partners, enabling groundbreaking services and solutions to customers. I am inspired by the capability and creativity in our partner ecosystem and this year's winners beautifully demonstrate the best of what’s possible with AI and the Microsoft Cloud."