Accelerating legacy migration with AI for a PE-backed legal tech provider

  • Category: Private Equity
  • Industry: Professional and Business Services
  • Service: AI-led legacy modernization
  • Client: Mainsail Partners portfolio company

A Mainsail Partners–backed legal software company engaged Symphony to modernize over 2,400 stored procedures as part of a larger modernization initiative aligned with future exit planning. Using AI, we achieved a 47% automation rate, ~50% faster API performance, and ~$350K in cost savings compared to traditional approaches.

Problem

The client, a provider of customizable cloud-based legal practice management software, faced a critical challenge: over 2,400 stored procedures had become a barrier to scalability, maintainability, and technical due diligence. The system lacked clear separation of business logic, did not follow development best practices such as SOLID or Clean Architecture, and had no formal branching strategy. Addressing this technical debt was essential to support growth and position the company for future transactions.

Solution

Symphony conducted an initial database analysis to assess complexity and identify modernization pathways. We used AI to accelerate the migration process by:

  • Automating C# code generation for straightforward stored procedures
  • Providing structured guidance and validation for more complex ones
  • Scoring each stored procedure by automation potential and technical complexity
  • Establishing an execution framework for end-to-end migration and integration

Technology: Our team defined a migration strategy that integrates seamlessly with existing backend services and improves overall maintainability.

Under the hood

To ensure long-term scalability and maintainability, we introduced:

  • Automated GenAI workflows for eligible procedure migrations (~47% automation rate)
  • Migration from SQL stored procedures to modern C# code across all layers
  • Integration with Entity and Repository logic for consistency
  • A tailored execution plan based on code complexity, eligibility, and dependencies
  • Standardization aligned with clean code principles

Impact

  • 47% automation potential identified across all stored procedure layers
  • ~50% faster API performance projected post-migration
  • $350K lower investment compared to traditional modernization approaches
  • Clear migration roadmap delivered in 4 weeks, with full team structure and execution plan defined
  • 47% - Automation potential identified
  • ~50% - Faster API performance projected
  • $350K - Lower investment vs traditional approaches
  • 4 weeks - Clear migration roadmap delivered

https://symphony.is/our-impact/case-studies/legal-software-company