We’ve worked with law firms across different continents and have seen firsthand how keeping up with data residency regulations can feel like an uphill climb. Every region has its own strict requirements, and the last thing any firm wants is to risk compliance issues—or worse, lose client trust. Fortunately, Microsoft 365’s Multi-Geo capabilities offer a smart way to tackle these challenges head-on.
Here’s our perspective on how it can help legal firms manage global data residency demands.
In this blog:
Our experience with Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo
We were introduced to Multi-Geo with our Atlas platform through an engagement with Korn Ferry—our first real-world opportunity to put this technology to the test on a global scale back in 2018. Although Korn Ferry’s needs weren’t specifically rooted in the legal sector, the success of that project highlights how Multi-Geo can empower any organization with a global footprint.
Korn Ferry, a worldwide organizational consulting firm, needed a digital workspace that supported employees across multiple regions—what we refer to as a “multigeo” setup. Our Atlas Intelligent Knowledge Platform, integrated tightly with Microsoft 365, served as the foundation for this new, all-in-one digital environment. This let Korn Ferry unify communications, ensure localized yet standardized content, and integrate a range of critical business applications—all while keeping data governance and security intact.
Key takeaways from our Microsoft Multi-Geo project
- Global reach with multi-geo functionality: We created a single, consistent digital environment that seamlessly supported diverse teams around the globe. Local laws, time zones, and language needs didn’t prevent them from collaborating under a common umbrella.
- Intelligent integration and collaboration: Our solution plugged into various Microsoft 365 services—like enterprise search, governance, and AI-powered features—giving users quick access to the information and tools they needed.
- Real business impact: The workspace improved collaboration and user satisfaction, and it garnered industry recognition for its innovative design. Crucially, it showcased the power of a Multi-Geo approach that also applies to the legal realm when addressing strict data residency and compliance requirements.
Why Microsoft Multi-Geo is a game-changer for law firms
- Compliance with data residency laws
In our line of work, we’ve seen how intensely governments enforce data residency. For instance, the EU’s GDPR requires personal data to be heavily protected and remain within the region. And it doesn’t stop there: countries like India, Brazil, and China each have their own data localization laws. Multi-Geo lets you store client and firm data exactly where it needs to reside to meet these rules, all under one cohesive tenant.
- Stronger data control
One of the things legal teams appreciate most is having tight control over where data is stored. With Multi-Geo, you can assign OneDrive and mailbox locations to specific geographies—simple and effective. This is especially useful if you have high-profile clients who demand their data stay within certain borders.
- Seamless cross-border collaboration
We love that Multi-Geo is practically invisible to end users. Your teams can work together on documents and projects, even if they’re scattered worldwide, without worrying about data compliance. From what we’ve seen, this not only keeps IT happy but also boosts team productivity and client satisfaction.
- Growth and scalability
We’ve watched some of our clients expand to multiple continents, and it’s always a relief to know they don’t have to scramble for new compliance solutions each time. Multi-Geo supports gradual deployment, so you can roll it out at your own pace. If your firm opens a new office in a different country tomorrow, you’re already prepared.
Practical scenarios where we’ve seen Multi-Geo shine
- Global client management
Imagine you’re based in the UK but also serve clients in the EU, US, and Asia. With Multi-Geo, you set up datacenters for each region’s data. It’s a neat way to keep local regulators happy without complicating everyday operations.
- Mergers and acquisitions
M&A situations can lead to major headaches around combining sensitive data from different regions. Multi-Geo simplifies this: you can segment and manage data based on where it originally resided and the regulations that apply, minimizing confusion and risk.
- Cross-border litigation
Legal cases that span continents are tough enough without worrying about data crossing the wrong border. Using Multi-Geo, you decide exactly where litigation data sits, aligning with local laws and ensuring your clients know you’re safeguarding their interests.
Getting Multi-Geo up and running
- Assessment and planning
Whenever we help a firm implement Multi-Geo, the first step is a deep dive into which regions need local data storage. We look at where your teams and clients are based, and what the specific rules say in each country.
- Licensing
Multi-Geo is an add-on that requires specific licensing. If you’re already on Microsoft 365, you’ll want to check your subscription plan to see if you need an upgrade or additional licenses.
- Configuration
Creating and provisioning SharePoint and Teams workloads in different geos is quite complex and would require using the SharePoint Administration to switch in between regions before creating a workload. Only SharePoint Global Administrator roles can do this or it would require a robust PowerShell script or a custom Power App to automate the process. There is nothing in Microsoft 365 out of the box that handles this seamlessly from a single unified configuration screen.
That is why we built this into Atlas -removing the need for complex manual settings, ensuring a streamlined deployment process. By automatically applying region-specific configurations end-to-end, Atlas offers the flexibility to add or remove supported locations over time—so your firm can expand without worrying about compliance gaps. Additionally, Atlas includes geo-targeted provisioning capabilities that automatically place new workspaces in the appropriate region by default, while still allowing users or IT admins to choose an alternate location when needed. This flexibility means each project or case can be aligned with the right regulatory requirements from the start.
- Monitoring and governance
Finally, we recommend regularly reviewing your setup. However, browsing sites across different geographies would require jumping between geos in the SharePoint central admin to check on each geo independently. There is no aggregated view in Microsoft 365. See next point below as to how Atlas overcome this limitation.
Compliance laws shift over time, so the more proactive you are in monitoring and adjusting configurations, the less chance of surprises.
Supporting a Multi-Geo environment in Atlas
Microsoft Multi-Geo support is now available in Atlas and is essential for firms that require global data residency compliance, enhanced collaboration across regions, and seamless knowledge management within Microsoft 365.
Atlas improves the Multi-Geo experience by addressing the following limitations of native Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo:
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Geo-independent workspace creation: Atlas allows both IT admins and authorized end-users (depending on their permissions) to create workspaces in any geolocation of their choice, overcoming the Microsoft 365 limitation where users can only create workspaces in the parent geolocation.
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Clear visibility of data residency: Every workspace in Atlas is explicitly linked to its parent geolocation, with clear identification available within Atlas ConneX and every Atlas workspace displays a geo label to keep end users aware of where they’re uploading or consuming information—an essential detail for teams handling sensitive or region-specific data.
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Unified cross-geo dashboard: Atlas enables users to browse all workspaces across multiple geos within a single dashboard (Atlas ConneX), a feature not available in SharePoint’s native Multi-Geo setup. This centralized view improves navigation and accessibility.
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Advanced Multi-Geo search capabilities: Atlas enhances search functionality by supporting Global Synonyms, enabling a more intelligent and consistent search experience across geographies—something that Microsoft's out-of-the-box Multi-Geo search does not support.
These enhancements make Atlas a powerful solution for organizations leveraging Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo, ensuring compliance, improving collaboration, and streamlining global knowledge management.
Final thoughts on Microsoft Multi-Geo
Global data residency laws can feel like a moving target—especially when your legal firm is dealing with clients scattered around the world. But we’ve found that Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo can be a real lifesaver. It gives you precise control over data storage, all while maintaining that smooth, collaborative Microsoft 365 experience we’re all used to.
Our firsthand experience building a Multi-Geo digital workspace—and seeing the benefits it delivered—reinforces why we champion this approach for law firms. Embracing Multi-Geo is about more than just regulatory checkboxes: it’s about building deeper trust with your clients, scaling your firm without fear of crossing the wrong legal lines, and staying agile in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Coupled with the Atlas Intelligent Knowledge Platform, these capabilities help streamline multi-geo adoption and address complex data requirements, ensuring your teams can focus on delivering top-tier services to clients. In our experience, it’s one of the best ways for law firms to confidently navigate the ever-evolving world of global data compliance.
References & further reading on Microsoft Multi-Geo
If you'd like to know more about Multi-Geo in Microsoft 365, you can check out different Microsoft sources below:
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