Issue108 - Leeds Law Society

Transcription

February 2012 | Issue 108
The Official Journal of Leeds Law Society
GETTING TO GRIPS
Does new regulation
demand radical change?
www.leedslawsociety.org.uk
CONtenTS
Leeds Law Society
1 Albion Place
Leeds
LS1 6JL
DX 12079 Leeds
Tel: 0113 245 4997
EDITORIAL:
Views
Focus on
[email protected]
5
21 Legal update
Editor: Steven Bancroft
01423 851150
Founding Editor:
Ian McCombie
Editorial Assistant:
Sophie Dilley
PRODUCTION:
Head of Design: Lucy Taylor
Junior Designer: Jessica Horton
ADVERTISING:
Project Manager: Martin
Smith 01423 851150
[email protected]
Published by:
Barker Brooks Media Ltd
4 Greengate, Cardale Park
Harrogate HG3 1GY
Tel: 01423 851150
Fax: 01423 851151
www.barkerbrooks.co.uk
[email protected]
PRINT:
Subscriptions are available to
Leeds & Yorkshire Lawyer at
£70 for one calendar year
(10 issues).
Unless requested otherwise,
your subscription will start with
the issue following receipt of
your payment.
To subscribe contact Jonathan
Crawley at publishers Barker
Brooks Media on
01423 851150, or email
[email protected]
Against a backdrop of City bonuses,
Philip Jordan explains why legal fat cats are
rarely seen
News
6
9
Society
Key training dates and further information on
the annual dinner
Achievements
National recognition for both a leading personal
injury lawyer and a conveyancing firm
One of the region's oldest firms closes its
doors for the final time
12 Chambers
A leading Leeds set joins forces with
Newcastle's New Court Chambers
SRA begins accepting ABS applications in
what is described as a bold new era
Reigning Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year
Jonathan Jones explains all
25 Chambers profile
Park Court Chambers has every reason to
look to the future with confidence
27 Regional spotlight
Sheffield is the first port of call on our tour
of the region's legal centres
29 Software solutions
The start of a new year is the perfect time to
ask how effective your current system is
33 Residential conveyancing
13 Regulation
How have local firms coped with the
transition to outcomes-focused regulation?
23 My career & me
10 Business development
Acorn Web Offset Ltd
© 2012 Leeds
Law Society &
Barker Brooks
Media Ltd. All
rights in and
relating to this
publication
are expressly
PEFC/16-33-533
reserved.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any
means without written permission from
the publishers. The views expressed
in Leeds & Yorkshire Lawyer are not
necessarily those of the Leeds Law
Society or the publisher. While the
publishers have taken every care in
compiling this publication to ensure
accuracy at the time of going to
press, they do not accept liability or
responsibility for errors or omissions
therein however caused.
From the President
Why outsourcing to a specialist, non-threat
organisation makes sense
Out & about
15 Appointments
35 Corporate hospitality
16 Charity
37 Places to go
17 Social
38 The last word
Find out who's gone where in our
comprehensive monthly round-up
Donating Christmas presents and walking
over hot coals all raise vital funds
Ford & Warren and Pinsent Masons lead the
way in the debating stakes
Barker Brooks Media offers a full
range of creative, marketing and
communications services.
To discuss how we could help your
business, please call Ben Rushton on
07792 411762 or email
[email protected]
Take your clients or colleagues to see some
top-class sporting action this year
James Martin's Leeds Kitchen at Clarence
Dock proves a hit
Blacks Solicitors' Managing Partner Chris
Allen opens up
Yorkshire Cancer Research is the largest
independent regional medical research
charity in the UK. The charity is delighted
to be involved in this year's Yorkshire
Lawyer Awards.
Charity number: 516898
Leeds & Yorkshire Lawyer | Issue 108
3
For more information on this
exciting new enhancement
from Westlaw UK
Call 0800 028 2200
Email [email protected]
Visit westlaw.co.uk/myfolders
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Have you seen a fat cat?
Philip Jordan
is the President of Leeds
Law Society and a Partner at
Ward Hadaway Solicitors
D avid Cameron’s recent remarks
to the Sunday Telegraph when
considering executive pay levels
included the following: “I’ve been struck
that you now get the criticism of pay
at the top, and of bank bonuses, from
a business audience… There is a very
strong case that small businessmen and
women working hard, grafting away,
building a business and not paying
themselves huge amounts are furious
with these rewards at the top for people
who aren’t taking the sort of risks
they’re having to take.”
Now I am not a gambling man but
even I would wager a crisp fiver that
many readers of this publication will
have considerable empathy with that
remark. While not furious, certainly
annoyed. Hard-working solicitors
enduring difficult times, grafting away,
building a business and not paying
themselves huge amounts. A quick
straw poll of colleagues and other
members of the Leeds legal fraternity
leads me to believe that most lawyers
in our area – perhaps as high as 80 per
cent – have seen no increase in their
pay or drawings in the last two or three
years. The business of the law is as
difficult as ever it seems and the future,
if not black, is a definite shade of grey.
So if we cannot readily recognise a
legal fat cat, who are the fat cats that Mr
Cameron, Mr Cable, and others in the
Coalition are seeking to “sort out”, in the
Prime Minister’s words? And why?
The description used is ‘executive’ and
Business Secretary Cable is advocating
the publication of the difference
between executive pay and that of the
average worker and, also, information
regarding the proportion of company
profits paid to directors.
The reason for this not inconsiderable
attention seems to emanate from
reaction to the recent report of the
High Pay Commission stating that,
from 2000 to 2010, shares in the FTSE
350 companies were flat at best but
the average director pay rose by a
staggering 108 per cent and director
salaries in general (not those limited to
the FTSE 350) during the same decade
rose by 64 per cent.
In the past financial year alone, the
directors of the top FTSE 100 companies
have enjoyed a 49 per cent increase in
total earnings. “What relevance has this
to the average Yorkshire and Humber
lawyer?”I hear you ask. Well, read my
earlier comments above. We have not
seen a 49 per cent increase in pay and in
fact some of us may well have seen a 49
per cent decrease. Time to be furious?
Now, if a business is doing well then
pay should increase, but a 49 per cent
increase in total pay while the FTSE 100
companies have flat growth suggests an
excessive growth in pay totally unrelated
to success; remuneration not relevant to
performance.
This is wrong, but what to do? The
suggestion is that Mr Cable will soon
propose that shareholder votes on
companies’ remuneration policies should
become binding votes, as opposed to
being merely advisory (which is the
current position), and that companies
with large UK operations should appoint
employee representatives to those
remuneration committees that decide on
executive pay.
Practical difficulties
Another suggested reform is to make
it compulsory for businesses to publish
some kind of ratio information showing
the relationship between senior
executive rewards and the earnings of a
typical employee.
Cameron has apparently promised to
give shareholders a binding vote on the
pay increases of directors as a way of
curbing excessive pay awards. Lawyers
will question whether this will work and,
if so, how?
As lawyers, we recognise the huge
practical difficulties facing proposed
changes in the law in this area because
any decision taken by the shareholders
might well clash with employment
law, contract law and corporate law.
How could any decision taken by the
shareholders be enforced?
Would the decision override the
current provisions of an existing contract
of employment or a commercial
contract? We have every right to be
sceptical. As most corporate lawyers will
tell you, it is difficult enough to get more
than 50 per cent of shareholders to vote
against anything, let alone a proposed
pay rise for executives, and, indeed, it is
quite unusual to have more than half of
the shareholders attend the AGM of a
quoted company, as the vast majority of
investors only hold shares for a limited
period of time.
One can applaud the political will
to create a more equitable system
of capitalism that would reward
performance and contribution, but one
cannot fail to think that this targeting
of a very small section of the business
community is but a scratch on the
surface. A vote catcher if you will.
Those of us in the business of
providing legal services have to continue
on the basis that if the money is not
earned you do not take a reward, 49
per cent or otherwise. Legal fat cats are
rarely seen. 
5
NEWS: Society
The Retail Distribution Review – insights from an ‘insider’
The FSA’s Retail Distribution Review (RDR) will change the way
financial advice is delivered in the UK and should go a long way
to allaying lack of trust and confidence in the provision of financial
advice. However, law firms dealing with independent financial
advisors (IFAs) should be aware that there’s more to effective due
diligence on an IFA firm than may at first appear obvious. The major
changes that will come into effect on 31 December 2012 are:
• an increase in minimum qualifications for all advisors;
• commission on most products to be replaced by
transparent fees;
• advisory firms to choose between remaining ‘independent’ or
adopting ‘restricted’ status; and
• an increase in regulatory capital requirements for advisory firms.
As the Legal Services Act brings both opportunity and threat to
law firms, this is an ideal time to review how you can work with
IFA firms. Good news is that the IFA sector will be forced to
move to a more customer-centric business model that relies upon
ongoing service and fees.
So, how can you be certain that the IFA firm you have chosen
will be fit for purpose in the post-RDR world?
The Legal Services Act and the RDR will bring major changes
to both sectors. These should be catalysts for the two groups
to work more effectively together, typically through alternative
business structures or straightforward introducer relationships.
However, to ensure you maximise the opportunities while
managing the risks, you must conduct deeper due diligence on
your existing or proposed IFA partners than has been the case
historically or would be obvious from the main RDR changes.
These issues will be explored and explained in detail at the
forthcoming Leeds Law Society breakfast seminar ‘LSA and
IFA’ on 15 February 2012.
Bids and tenders as a route to market workshop
Formal procurement processes are a fact of life for law firms
wishing to supply contracting authorities in the public sector.
And private sector companies are increasingly using similar
buying techniques to drive best value in their purchasing.
Contracts worth billions of pounds are secured this way
every year; make no mistake – this can be a very lucrative
route to market.
If you’re not familiar with participating in bids and tenders,
the prospect of entering these competitions can seem very
daunting. As a result, some firms simply avoid them altogether.
Help is at hand – Leeds Law Society has teamed up with local
bid consultancy Onto the Page to encourage members to think
differently about participating in these competitions. Via an SRAaccredited course that offers 6 CPD points, delegates can learn
where to find relevant contract opportunities, how to navigate
through procurement processes and, of course, how to prepare
winning bids.
A one-day ‘Bid management’ workshop will be held on 14
March 2012.
Book now
Leeds Law Society Annual Dinner 2012
8 March 2012 ~ 7pm ~ Queens Hotel, Leeds
Price: £55 + VAT
Four course dinner including welcome cocktail, wine and port
Leeds
Law Society
6
To book please go to the events section on the Society website
www.leedslawsociety.org.uk, call 0113 245 4997 or
email [email protected]
Sponsored by
NEWS: Society
Upcoming training dates
Focus on… PCM Ltd
We run a number of free seminars available to members
and offer a 15% discount to members on all CPD seminars
that are chargeable. For full details visit us online at
www.leedslawsociety.org.uk.
Providing business
technology services
to enhance business
processes, PCM Ltd
can aid marketing
through the use of
online techniques
and tools; enhance
productivity through
effective management
of IT strategy and the
introduction of helpful
software; and provide
means to ensure
business continuity.
Business continuity and the reduction of unnecessary
expenditure are particularly pertinent in today’s financial
climate. Within the legal sector there are also certain
regulations regarding compliance with enforced guidelines
for data security and backup. PCM Ltd are pleased to offer
Leeds Law Society members a discount on their unique and
fully secure data backup service: Remote Data Backup. For
further details see the membership benefits section of the
Leeds Law Society website www.leedslawsociety.org.uk.
Another increasingly discussed topic relating to business
technology is the online portrayal of a company. PCM are
offering a free consultation to Leeds Law Society members
looking to create a new website. Details of this offer can
also be found on the membership benefits page of the
Society website.
Locally based, PCM have worked with a number of
different organisations within the legal sector and are
experienced at meeting the specific requirements that the
industry demands. For more information or the full range of
services, visit www.pcmltd.eu. To receive a copy of an online
presence quiz, email [email protected].
New 22 February 2012
HR networking lunches
Leeds Law Society invites HR managers and those with
responsibility for HR matters from member firms to meet
informally over a light lunch at the Society’s premises.
9 February 2012
Drafting contracts (2 CPD points)
Eliminating unnecessary words, how to avoid ambiguity and
redundant expressions and legalese.
10 February 2012
Building blocks for a prosperous future (3 CPD points)
Increasing the effectiveness of your firm, cutting costs and
how to be motivated and stay motivated in times of change.
14 February 2012
Insolvency law update (2 CPD points)
15 February 2012
LSA and IFA (1 CPD point)
The implementation of the FSA’s Retail Distribution Review
(RDR) in January 2013 will present significant opportunities
and risks for all law firms that introduce clients to
Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs)
28 February 2012
Presentation skills (2 CPD points)
7 March 2012
Mediation (2 CPD points)
Learn how to use mediation, how to prepare and deal with
offers to mediate, their timing and nature, and the selection
of a mediator.
14 March 2012
Bid management (6 CPD points)
Find, bid, win! A one-day workshop for anyone involved in
creating bid documents within a law firm with a view to
winning new business.
20 March 2012
Management Stage 1 (7 CPD points)
Using a model firm assess the impact of management
decisions and focus on developing your own approach.
27 March 2012
Tactics on disclosure and part 36 offers (2 CPD points)
Addresses the principal provisions of the Civil Procedure
Rules 1998, how to avoid common pitfalls and how to use
disclosure and Part 36 offers to tactical advantage.
Unique office space to let
A prestigious city-centre office suite
comprising ground-floor reception
and second-floor offices totalling over
1600 sq ft (~150 m2) is available to let.
Situated within the prime
commercial core of Leeds city centre,
within walking distance of the railway
station and local shops, bars and
restaurants, the fully refurbished,
Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse
at 1 Albion Place offers an open-plan
flexible layout.
For further information contact Richard Dunn
t: 0113 221 6137
e: [email protected]
7
Visionary Title Insurance...
…our natural strength
Performance under challenging conditions is an everyday
expectation – so you’ll need a partner capable of delivering.
At CLS our legally qualified underwriting experts have created an
innovative range of insurance solutions for your title related needs.
Online we provide a market leading suite of title policies for
both residential and commercial products, such as Restrictive
Covenants and Contaminated Land.
Offline we tailor bespoke solutions to solve more complex
transactional issues, including Rights of Light, Village Greens
and Judicial Review.
To find out more call one of our team leaders, Jean-Claude
Domaingue, Senior Underwriter and Solicitor today on
01732 897 530 or email [email protected].
Call
01732 897 530
Visit www.clsl.co.uk
Email [email protected]
Trust Innovation Expertise – Think CLS
Conveyancing Liability Solutions Ltd is authorised
and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
NEWS: Achievements
McQuater is Personal Injury
Lawyer of the Year
John McQuater, partner
and head of litigation at
Doncaster’s Atherton
Godfrey, was crowned
Claimant Personal Injury
Lawyer of the Year at the
2011 Eclipse Proclaim
Personal Injury Awards
held in London
in November.
Individuals and
organisations from
across the UK gathered at the awards ceremony to
recognise and celebrate the achievements of the leading
legal professionals, rehabilitation providers and claims
management specialists in the sector.
McQuater leads a department of over 30 fee-earners and
numerous support staff, and provides guidance, support and
encouragement to help drive their personal achievements. He
is frequently involved in substantial and complex multi-track
cases, calling on his knowledge of procedure, the law and his
skills as a solicitor-advocate.
A distinguished panel of judges chose McQuater as
the winner of this prestigious award in recognition of the
outstanding customer care he delivers combined with his
expertise in the field of PI procedure.
Credit for leading clinical
negligence team
Two members of Langleys’
clinical negligence team have
been accredited to the Law
Society’s esteemed Specialist
Clinical Negligence Panel.
Senior associate Andrew
Cragg (pictured) joins Sally-Ann
Robinson, partner and head of
the personal injury and clinical
negligence unit, on the panel.
Robinson is delighted that a member of her team had joined
her on the panel: “It really is a badge of honour that speaks
volumes about the quality of work Andrew does. Accreditation
reflects the high standards and expertise we strive for.”
Cragg undertakes all types of clinical negligence
work, including claims relating to GP negligence, cancer
misdiagnosis, amputation and surgical injuries. He
recently secured a seven-figure settlement for a client for
mismanagement of orthopaedic injuries.
Robinson specialises in brain injury and claims involving
children. As well as being reaccredited onto the Law
Society’s panel, she is also a member of AvMA specialist
Clinical Negligence Panel.
National award for APL
Advantage Property
Lawyers ended 2011
on a high after being
successful at the
Estate Agency of the
Year Awards.
The Leeds-based
licensed conveyancers
took the silver award in the Best Small UK Conveyancer
category at the ceremony, which was held at London's
Lancaster Hotel in December.
“We are delighted and very proud to win this award and
be acknowledged by important referrers to the conveyancing
sector like estate agents,” explained the firm's Head of Sales
& Marketing Stephen Coupland, who is pictured (centre)
receiving the award from television personality Ben Fogle (left).
“We have already built strong working relationships with a
number of local law firms who have decided in this climate
to outsource their conveyancing work to a specialist firm. This accolade will enable us to expand our business as we
are no threat to law firms, mirror the high level or service
they deliver to their clients and ensure they retain control.”
For more information on the benefits of outsourcing
your residential conveyancing turn to page 33.
Double start-up success
for local businesswoman
A Leeds solicitor
who launched her
own venture to help
businesses improve
cashflow and avoid
bad debts has been
awarded the prize
for Best Start-Up in
the 2011 Women in
Business awards.
Rashmi Dubé divides her time between consulting for
boutique practice Metis Law and running her new credit
control company, Liquid Recovery. She was awarded the
prize in recognition of her success in combining both roles.
A qualified solicitor and mediator, Dubé specialises in
construction law and all forms of conflict management.
She drew upon expertise gained in dispute resolution
when making the move to launch a debt recovery business
with a difference.
“Liquid Recovery was born out of my ambition to make it
as simple and as easy as possible for businesses to recover
their debts,” she said. “[With] excellent credit control
systems in place, business people can spend their valuable
time working on their business to generate more income.”
9
NEWS: Business development
Recession brings Brooke
North to its knees
Petherbridge Bassra: highest
fees for criminal law
One of Yorkshire’s oldest law firms, Brooke North, has closed
after being hit by the recession.
According to property expert Rodney Dalton, a senior figure
at the Leeds-based practice that is believed to have been
established around 150 years ago, the effects of the economic
downturn and the firm’s business model had impacted on
recent performance.
Dalton said that Brooke North’s approach of offering a
bespoke service for its clients across different areas of law,
rather than taking a ‘one-stop shop’ approach, had actually had
a negative effect. He continued: “Another problem was there
was little opportunity of a solution across the board. We didn’t
have the bulk stuff such as second mortgage items to fall
back on. We prided ourselves on giving a bespoke service to
individual clients. The recession just slaughtered us.”
All 15 lawyers at the firm, and the majority of the remaining
staff, have found work elsewhere.
A firm of Bradford solicitors
has produced the highest
fees for criminal law work
in Yorkshire for the period
2010/2011 according to figures
produced by the Legal Services
Commission. Petherbridge
Bassra has over 70 members
of staff, of which 20 are feeearners dedicated to the provision of criminal defence services,
and incorporates the specialist fraud practice Opus Law which
handles very high cost cases resulting from the most serious
types of fraud and highly complex crime.
“People may feel that generating fees from criminal work is
not particularly attractive”, acknowledges senior partner Alan
Petherbridge (pictured, right). “However I would prefer to think
that the fees generated demonstrate our strong commitment
to championing the rights of an individual whatever difficult
circumstances they face. Furthermore, the fees generated
allow the firm to carry out a fair proportion of pro bono work
within the local community and to assist local charities”.
New recruits herald further
expansion at Silk
Pictured: (l–r) Wendy Beacom, Amanda Baker,
Ian Kennerley, Kim Fellowes and Margaret Simpson.
The incorporation of the former family department from
Jacksons Solicitors’ Teesside office strengthens a team of
specialist family lawyers at Silk Family Law. Former partner
Amanda Baker, legal executive Wendy Beacom and secretary
Pauline Hodgson join the 16-strong Silk team and will be based
at the firm’s North Yorkshire office.
Amanda Baker has more than 20 years of family law
experience and brings her expertise of dealing with complex
finance cases – in particular those relating to the agricultural
and farming sectors – to the firm. Legal executive Wendy
Beacom specialises in finance and children work.
According to Silk partner Margaret Simpson: “Our client base is
expanding and our team works closely to provide the right advice
and representation for clients. Adding Amanda and Wendy’s
expertise to what is already a very strong team will enable us to
maintain and continue that growth without compromising the
client service on which we’ve built the business.”
10 Leeds & Yorkshire Lawyer | Issue 108
Stowe Family Law expands
into London
The UK’s largest family law practice has opened a new office
in the heart of London’s legal district, marking the latest
development for a firm that started life in a converted cobbler’s
shop in Leeds in 1982.
Stowe Family Law’s team of 43 lawyers, led by founder and
senior partner Marilyn Stowe, specialises in issues including
grandparents’ rights, international child abduction and highvalue financial settlements. The firm is also known for its work
tracking down hidden assets and in 2011 launched a sister
practice specialising in collaborative law and mediation.
Marilyn Stowe said of the expansion: “We are delighted to
be opening our beautiful new building in the heart of London.
It is a clear statement of our intent to make a lasting mark on
the capital and testament to the breadth of talent and depth of
knowledge we hold.
“[This] provides the perfect platform to bring our unique
brand of specialist family law expertise to the south. We look
forward to bringing good old-fashioned Yorkshire grit – not to
mention prices! – to London.”
Sponsored by:
NEWS: Business development
DWF reports record
position and Crutes merger
DWF has announced a record year-end position for its
corporate team in Leeds after completing deals worth £2.5
billion across the UK and £1.1 billion across Yorkshire.
The Leeds team has advised on a number of deals including
Countrywide’s 60 per cent acquisition of United Surveyors
Limited, its acquisition of Blundells Property Services and the
disposal of its franchising business to Hunters.
The team also advised on W Hotel's acquisition of Ramada
Crewe and the MBO of the largest chain of butchers on
Smithfield Market in London, involving banking partner
Jonathan Edwards.
Meanwhile, DWF and Crutes have merged in a move
that they claim will “shake up the legal services market
across the North East”.The merger saw Crutes formally
incorporated into DWF on 1 January, and follows the firm's
announcement earlier this year that it would be further
investing in its Newcastle presence with the appointment of
leading corporate partner John Flynn as executive partner and
intellectual property lawyer Ed Meikle.
Clarion ahead of target
Clarion has reported strong growth with an increase in
turnover of more than 25 per cent year on year in the halfyear results for the period May to November 2011, 10 per
cent ahead of target.
Since its launch five years ago, Clarion has established
itself as a leading player on the Leeds legal scene and has
continued to grow despite challenging market conditions.
The firm aims to exceed £8m turnover for its full accounting
year (June 2011 to May 2012) compared with £6.7m for the
period to 31 May 2011.
“We are confident that the momentum built will continue
during 2012,” comments Mark Burns, managing partner
(pictured, left, with Roger Hutton and Richard Moran).
Award Winning Conveyancers�
Outsource your conveyancing whilst successfully�retaining�your clients�
Why APL?�
Why outsource?�
- continues to cause�
- we are an award winning firm in the�
major problems for non-specialist firms�
UK Top 50 (based upon Land Registry Stats)�
- may become a requirement�
- you keep control of your clients’�
for lenders’ panel membership�
as we only do residential conveyancing�
- carrying out conveyancing will�
load your premiums�
panels�
- we are on the Top 5 lenders’�
- outsourcing can drastically reduce�
- over 96% of APL�
your exposure�
clients confirm they will recommend us to others�
- SRA approved arrangements,�
allowing you to focus on more profitable work�
- right now we are acting for clients�
of various law firms�
• Award winning team • Outstanding customer care�
Contact: Stephen Coupland . 07712 880551 . [email protected] . www.aplawyers.co.uk�
11
NEWS: Chambers
Merger for leading Leeds set
Park Court Chambers has joined forces with New Court
Chambers to create a new regional set specialising
in criminal, family, employment, personal injury and
commercial work. The combined practice will operate from
Leeds and Newcastle as New Park Court Chambers.
Situated at the heart of two of the UK’s principal legal
centres outside London, the merger creates a dynamic
platform from which the chambers can build on their
existing reputations as specialist legal advisers and
advocates in Yorkshire and Tyneside.
Robert Smith QC is to head the joint set, with Alistair
MacDonald and Julian Smith taking on senior roles as heads
of Leeds and Newcastle, respectively.
Robert Smith explained that for some time Park Court
Chambers has been exploring the possibility of expanding,
while remaining true to the firm’s core business of advising
and representing individuals and businesses in the North
East. “New Court has a deep passion for providing legal
advice and advocacy to clients on Tyneside and its members
share our absolute commitment and a determination to
succeed. Its members’ expertise and experience makes
New Court such a perfect fit for us.”
Major recognition for
Exchange Chambers
Judges at the Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards 2011
have named Exchange Chambers as Barristers Chambers
of the Year.
Praising the personal injury department for offering
the “highest standards of service” and for “effectively
promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution”, the
judges also praised the chambers for its involvement in
the ground-breaking negotiation between former prisoners
of Guantanamo Bay and the British Government, in which
Gerard Martin QC acted as lead negotiator.
Commenting on the award, Director of Chambers Tom
Handley said: “We are thrilled to be recognised as the
country’s leading personal injury Chambers. With strength
in depth we are committed to the very highest standards.”
International award for health
and safety specialist
Jeremy Barnett has been named UK
Health and Safety Barrister of the Year by
Acquisition International magazine in its
2011 Legal Awards, levelling the playing
field between provincial practices and
London’s magic circle firms.
A founder member of St Pauls
Chambers, Barnett is head of regulatory
law at the chambers and has built a
national client base around the field of
health and safety. He is also a member of
the Accountants and Actuarial Discipline
Board (AADB), the ‘super regulator’ that is currently investigating
a number of high-profile cases.
Barnett was delighted to receive the award: “It is recognition
that provincial chambers can compete on a national basis with the
magic circle firms in London and that, through direct access, they
can offer high quality advice that also represents great value.
“Some solicitors are concerned that giving direct access to
barristers will prove detrimental to their business. With us, that
hasn’t been the case. We work closely with a number of law
firms and have found that our move into direct access has in fact
generated work for members of our chambers as well as for the
solicitors who traditionally instructed us.”
A stylish end to Zenith's
anniversary year
Barristers and staff
at Zenith Chambers
have participated
in a variety of
fundraising
activities to
mark their 10th
anniversary year
and have raised
over £10,000 for
local and national
charities.
The year ended with a ‘Decade Masquerade’ themed
party that raised several thousand pounds for the Surviving
Winter Appeal, run by Leeds Community Foundation, which
helps the most vulnerable in society.
2011 was an eventful year for Zenith Chambers, who were
named Chambers of the Year at the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards
and became one of only a handful of chambers in the North
to attain the BarMark quality accreditation.
Chief executive Andrew Argyle said: “We are delighted to
have smashed our target and want to thank everyone who
has helped us raise such a terrific amount. Being able to
help so many local and national charities has made our 10th
anniversary year extra special.”
NEWS: Regulation
ABS marks new era for
entire profession
Law Society President John
Wotton has urged the entire
legal profession to consider
the importance of alternative
business structures (ABS),
not just those seeking to
adopt them.
Speaking on the day the
Solicitors Regulation Authority
(SRA) opened for applications
for ABS licences, which permit
external investment in legal
service providers, Wotton said
it was important for all solicitors to chose whether or not
to adopt the new business model: “ABS can provide new
opportunities and growth for law firms, but equally those
not seeking to adopt ABS have an imperative to be more
competitive, accessible and innovative.
“While today represents a significant milestone in a
changing legal services landscape, our profession has been
evolving, developing and becoming more competitive for
some time. I expect the profession as a whole will continue
that trend as the market becomes more competitive.
“The solicitors’ profession established itself as the world’s
leader in legal services long before ABS became a reality
and is no stranger to competition and change. ABS will prove
beneficial for some law firms, but others will continue to
thrive, without seeking external investment, for the benefit
of their clients and the public. Whatever business model they
choose, solicitors will continue to have the full support of the
Law Society.”
The Cube: new home for SRA
The Cube development in Birmingham city centre is to become
the new headquarters of the Solicitors Regulation Authority
(SRA) and the base for Midlands Law Society staff who provide
support services.
Approximately 700 SRA and Law Society staff currently working
in Redditch and Leamington Spa will begin to occupy the landmark
building in the Westside district of the city in the summer.
Desmond Hudson, CEO of the Law Society, said:
“Consolidating our four current Midlands buildings and all our
Midlands-based staff together in one building will reduce our
costs, make us more effective and more efficient and support
the provision of high-quality services for our members. The
Cube offers us a better, greener and more centrally located
working environment, topped with first-class transport links.”
Antony Townsend, Chief Executive of the SRA, added that the
new headquarters would help the SRA to attract high-quality
staff from a diverse population.
The Law Society’s main headquarters will remain in Chancery
Lane, London.
Bob Heslett is the Law Society Council Member
for Leeds and is a Past President of the National
Law Society. His monthly column explains the
latest goings-on at Chancery Lane.
When one becomes three
Sometimes I forget
when rattling on about
the Solicitors Regulation
Authority (SRA), Legal
Ombudsman, Legal
Services Board (LSB)
and its Consumer Panel
that, until recently, none
of these bodies existed
and now that they do it may not be clear why and for what
purpose. This was recently pointed out to me by a reader and,
as we start a new year, it seems right that I should have a
crack at explaining all.
The Law Society is the approved regulator of solicitors,
but the regulatory function is carried out by the SRA which,
although part of the Law Society, is independent in operation
but not autonomous. In terms of major function, the SRA
makes the rules, can punish for breach, and prosecute to
the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). It decides policy
on education and training, oversees professional indemnity
insurance and the compensation fund.
The SRA can license alternative business structures
(ABS). The Law Society is its primary consultee on all
these and other matters. The SRA is governed by its own
board with a lay majority and has its own chairman, he and
members being appointed by an independent process. The
SRA is paid for by solicitors.
Complaints, but not rule breaches, are dealt with by the
Legal Ombudsman which is a free service to those who
complain, but not to solicitors who are complained about. It
has no connection to the Law Society and is administered by
the Office of Legal Complaints.
The LSB oversees all the approved regulators in the
discharge of their regulatory functions. It has a board and
a chairman, all appointed by the Lord Chancellor, and the
chairman and a majority of members must not be lawyers.
The board appoints its own consumer panel and all of
this is paid for by the general legal profession and thus in
proportion to size.
All of this represents no more than a thumbnail guide to
politically driven change to the environment in which solicitors
must practise. In my opinion some is good and frankly some
plain worrying.
So where there was one body there are now three. One,
the LSB, determined to introduce competition across the
legal sector as if it did not exist already.
In conclusion (and in response to the reader who rightly
asked me to explain) I can only remark that this is life, but
perhaps not in the way we have known it.
Happy New Year!
13
Because you need to be
in IT, to win it.
If you’re a PI lawyer, you’ll be looking for every advantage to win your
claim. So it makes sense to join forces with After The Event Insurance
provider, Box Legal. Not only can you look forward to the very best
deals in personal injury ATE insurance, but your practice will also
Personal Injury
ATE Insurance
qualify for a FREE Case Management System.
That’s two great ways to streamline your operations
and become even more competitive.
SYSTEM AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY
ANY SIZE OF PI DEPARTMENT
OFFER INCLUDES ALL HARDWARE, SOFTWARE & TRAINING
Don’t miss out on this time limited offer.
For more details, contact Kirsten Arnold today
on 0870 766 9958 or [email protected]
Terms and conditions apply
www.boxlegal.co.uk
Supplied by solicitors...for solicitors
In association
with
Quality Briefs
0113 245 9763
www.no6.co.uk
No6_banner.indd 1
NEWS: Appointments
21/07/2010 12:05
Dickinson Dees
Winston Solicitors
3volution
Dickinson Dees has made
three key promotions:
Paul Jackson has been
made associate in the
pensions team, Rob
Twohy in the property
team, and Azher Quyoom in the
corporate recovery team. Solicitor Mark
Ashton (pictured) has qualified into the
firm’s award-winning charities practice
having specialised in charity law for half of
his training contract.
Notary public
Katie Beckett
brings a new
service to the
team at Winston
Solicitors. She
specialises in authenticating documents for
use abroad and advises on specific aspects
of international legal transactions. Jenny
Drurey has joined as an assistant feeearner working for both the conveyancing
and family departments.
3volution in
Leeds has
recruited three
newly qualified
solicitors:
Jonathan Cole
joins the commercial litigation team from
hlw Commercial Lawyers; Mab MoeiriFarsi joins the IP/IT team after training at
Herbert Smith; and Jonathan Paines joins
the corporate team after completing his
training contract at Beachcroft.
Clarion
Schofield Sweeney
QualitySolicitors Mewies
Clarion welcomes
associate Helen
Young to its
corporate team.
Helen qualified
in the corporate
finance team of
Hammonds in 2008 and has acted on a
variety of corporate transactional work
including M&A and private equity (PE)
transactions, acting for buyers, sellers,
management teams and PE houses.
Schofield
Sweeney
strengthens its
private client
team with the
appointment
of solicitor
and chartered tax advisor John Feaster.
Feaster qualified as a tax lawyer with
Eversheds before moving to EDF Tax
and has recently published a textbook on
Stamp Duty and Land Tax.
Family law
specialist
Sarah Buxton
joins Skipton’s
QualitySolicitors
Mewies from
McAras in
Leeds where she has specialised in family
law since qualification. She deals with
everything from divorce and financial
issues to matrimonial property disputes
and child contact arrangements.
McCormicks
Kirbys
Shulmans
McCormicks of Harrogate
has appointed Ben Wilson
as a trainee solicitor. After
qualifying from Lancaster
University, Wilson spent a
couple of years travelling
before gaining a distinction
in the Legal Practice Course at the College
of Law in York. At McCormicks he will
specialise in all aspects of corporate and
commercial work and will assist in the
firm’s sports law practice.
Expert corporate and
commercial lawyer Gareth
Read has joined Kirbys
Solicitors in Harrogate as a
consultant solicitor. Having
worked for most of his
career as senior partner of
a substantial West Yorkshire practice, Read
brings experience of dealing with all types
of commercial law, including transactions
up to £30 million, to enhance Kirbys
services for businesses in the region.
Shulmans
boosts its
commercial
debt recovery
department
with two new
experts. Andrew Wilson (r) brings a wealth
of experience gained at Eversheds,
Addleshaw Goddard and, most recently,
as debt recovery manager at Milners. Lee
Scott (l) comes from Drydens where he
was a debt recovery executive.
Lupton Fawcett
Simpson Sissons & Brooke
Raworths
Senior Associate
Sarah Brittain joins
Lupton Fawcett’s
business recovery
and insolvency
department.
Brittain will use
her expertise in
both corporate
and personal insolvencies to help the firm
strengthen its position in Sheffield and
the surrounding region.
Personal
injury
specialists
Jess Harrison
and Steven
Sutherland
join an expanding team at Simpson
Sissons & Brooke. Harrison will focus on
claimant personal injury, while Sutherland,
an award-winning legal trainer, will develop
and deliver training programmes, within
the company and the wider legal market.
William Kinread
joins the Probate,
Wills and Trusts
Unit at Raworths
as partner.
President of
Harrogate and District Law Society, Kinread
was at Hutchinson and Buchanan for 18
years then in private practice. He specialises
in agriculture and land management.
Elizabeth Pollock joins the Employment Unit
headed by Deborah Boylan.
15
NEWS: Charity
Winston Solicitors show
their softer side
Taylor&Emmet branches
out to help Bluebell Wood
Winston Solicitors
joined in with the
Radio Aire and
Magic 828’s Cash
for Kids Christmas
appeal when staff
donated gifts
and encouraged
neighbouring
businesses to drop
off presents at
their office.
Family solicitor
Joanna Wrigley,
playing Santa,
delivered a car-load
of presents to
Radio Aire. “They
were incredibly
appreciative and could not believe how many toys were
delivered to them,” she said.
Rich Williams (pictured left) from the Radio Aire Breakfast
Show kindly posed for a photo with Wrigley, although she
had to prise the lovely soft teddy out of his hands before he
returned to the studio.
Sheffield’s
Taylor&Emmet has
nominated children’s
hospice Bluebell Wood
as its annual charity
for 2012 and began its
year of fundraising by
donating £250
to the hospice in
place of sending
Christmas cards.
The planned calendar of charity events will combine
tried and tested fundraisers with a number of new ideas,
including weekly Zumba sessions.
Taylor&Emmet raised over £10,000 for St Luke’s Hospice
in 2011, making them the charity’s top corporate fundraiser.
The firm ran a packed programme of events throughout
the year but by far the largest contributor to the fundraising
success was the probate team who raised almost £7,000 by
waiving their will-writing fees in favour of a donation from
clients during the St Luke’s Wills Month in March.
Marketing coordinator Claire Petty was delighted to
announce the partnership with Bluebell Wood. “Raising
such a phenomenal amount for St Luke’s has set the
charity bar extremely high this year, but I am confident my
colleagues will rise to the challenge,” she said.
Bluebell Wood’s corporate fundraiser Julie Hampson
added: “We receive no statutory Government funding
and without the generosity of local businesses we simply
couldn’t help as many children as we do.
Local artists are on display
Chadwick Lawrence
has shown its support
for Yorkshire charity
Hollybank Trust with
the purchase of seven
pieces of art by the
Hollybank Artists.
The Hollybank Artists
are a group of adults
living within the Trust, all
of whom have profound
physical disabilities and
complex medical needs.
The pieces of art will be used to decorate Chadwick
Lawrence’s Huddersfield premises, with some taking pride of
place in the boardroom.
Carol Simpson of Chadwick Lawrence said it was a pleasure
to support such a good cause. “We’re delighted with the
artwork. It’s both colourful and vibrant and will complement our
Huddersfield offices beautifully.”
Stewart Geddes of The Hollybank Trust added: “It’s been
a great project for the artists to work on the Chadwick
Lawrence commission. Seven pieces is a substantial order
and we’re thrilled that they will take pride of place in Chadwick
Lawrence’s premises.”
Firewalk raises funds for duo
Daredevil lawyers from
Irwin Mitchell have hotfooted it over burning
coals at Headingley
Carnegie Stadium to
raise money for charity.
The brave, bare-footed
team walked across the
red-hot surface to raise
over £2,800 for Leeds
Mencap and the Leeds Rugby Foundation. The total raised over
the whole event was around £8,000.
Organiser Sarah Coles, a solicitor in the medical law team,
said: “We wanted to do something a little bit unusual for these
two great causes and help them raise funds.”
The team which took part in the fire walk comprised the
Leeds office regional managing partner Nick Bates, Jane Horton,
Raminder Bhabra, Andy Russell, Sarah Coles, Scott Beckett, Tarlo
Suprim, Rebecca Streets, Simon Cuerdon and Jack Gibson.
NEWS: Social
DLA Piper drums up
support for Manuel Bravo
DLA Piper welcomed New York Times bestselling author Chris
Cleave to a book-signing event at its Leeds office to encourage
support for an important pro bono initiative.
The event was organised in conjunction with the Manuel Bravo
Project, a Leeds-based charity that helps asylum seekers find
access to legal representation.
Manuel Bravo was an Angolan asylum-seeker who was sent to
Leeds. Unable to get legal support, he failed in his bid to stay in
the country and was detained for deportation in 2008. Tragically,
Manuel committed suicide to allow his 13-year-old son to remain
in the country. With access to proper legal representation, there
is a strong possibility that his asylum claim would have been
successful and the tragedy would have been averted.
Cleave’s bestselling book, Little Bee/The Other Hand, inspired
by Manuel’s story, is scheduled to be made into a major motion
picture starring Nicole Kidman this year.
Leeds Junior Lawyers Division (LJLD)
arranges educational, social, charitable and
networking events for junior lawyers in
the Leeds area. Each month the committee
brings you the latest news in this column
Exciting events planned
Regional debating royalty
is crowned
A group of talented
debaters went
head-to-head in
the final of the
third Michelsberg
Debating
Competition at the
Malmaison Hotel in
Leeds. Participating
in the event were
trainees from some
of the biggest
players on the
Yorkshire legal
scene, including
Pinsent Masons, Eversheds, DLA Piper, DWF and Squire
Sanders. The motion for the evening: “This house would
rather be East than West”.
Proving she could think on her feet when under fire from
some of the sharpest legal minds, Jo Bancroft, trainee solicitor
at Ford & Warren, was awarded the prize for Best Speaker:
a bespoke suit that her future husband will wear when they
marry in September 2012. Sairish Tahir and Tom Woodhead
of Pinsent Masons were voted Best Team. Other finalists
included Alex Cook and Dorothea Shreiver of Eversheds, and
Nicola Collins and Anna Moran of Clarion Solicitors.
Judging the event were Andrew Stubbs QC of St Pauls
Chambers, David Parkin of TheBusinessDesk.com,
Adam Roney, who was crowned Best Speaker in 2010
and is the founder of Calls9, and James Michelsberg of
Michelsberg Tailoring.
The event will be opened up next year to trainee barristers
and other young professionals outside the legal sector.
LJLD is looking forward to delivering an exciting and
varied programme for 2012. To start the year's social
calendar, a group of junior lawyers gathered at the Funk &
Soul Night at the Brewery Taps on 29 January. Food and
drink was complemented with sample tasting of on-site
microbrewery ales.
In December, junior lawyers attended Florit Brooke’s
presentation on moving in-house which was held at The
Roast. There was a Q&A session with in-house counsel from
some of the region’s most high-profile organisations and
advice from in-house specialists, Florit Brooke. LJLD is keen
to further the involvement of in-house members so please
contact [email protected] if you would
like more information.
We recently hosted a networking event with Commerce
& Industry, an association for in-house lawyers, to
encourage younger members to join.
Before Christmas the division also held its first event
with Leeds Chartered Accountants Students’ Society.
The young professionals enjoyed a champagne tasting
evening at Epernay (pictured above) to welcome the
festive season. The event, sponsored by Wesleyan for
Lawyers, was a huge success and LJLD will continue to
arrange joint networking events with young professionals
in the region.
Following the success of a networking event for FELT
(Firms with Eight or Less Trainees) at the Hop in November,
LJLD hosted a further related event at the Oracle.
The committee is very pleased to be able to facilitate
comfortable networking for those trainees and junior
lawyers who don’t necessarily have a large pool of junior
lawyers to share experiences with at work.
For more information visit www.leedsjld.com.
17
Recourse Legal Solutions
A groundbreaking service from ARAG
Greater cover
than you’d expect
✓ Extremely competitive rates
✓ An on-line application facility
providing easy policy issue.
✓ All policies fully underwritten by an
A rated insurer, providing the best
security for your clients.
✓ Contingent premiums
✓ High limits of indemnity to provide
total peace of mind for the more
complex cases.
✓ Various types of cases underwritten,
not just personal injury.
✓ Extremely competitive
commission rates.
✓ A UK management team with
a wealth of experience in the
legal expenses market.
To find out more call us on 0117 917 1680 or visit www.arag.co.uk
All with the secure backing of an international group
The ARAG Group is one of the world leaders in legal solutions with over 3,300 employees worldwide, and an annual premium income of over €1.4 billion.
With over 70 years’ experience as an insurance services specialist in Germany, ARAG is now a world leader in international growth markets and is active in
thirteen European countries. Undisputed market leaders in Spain and Italy, the group is also a leading player in the US legal insurance market.
ARAG plc Registered in England number 02585818. Registered office: 9 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1NN.
ARAG plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, registration number 452369 and this can be
checked by visiting the FSA website at www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234.
COMMENT
Walking two Mondays in
another’s moccasins
Patrick Walker expounds on his recent experience of jury service
Patrick Walker is Head of
Squire Sanders’ advisory
and advocacy service
Property @ction, and is
an independent mediator:
www.imediate.co.uk
L ast month I had some fascinating
experiences but I can’t tell you
about them. If I do I will have
my tongue cut out, I will be tied to a
cartwheel and the birds will peck out
my eyes – that I think was the gist of the
warning as I left Leeds Crown Court after
a spell of jury service.
To a mediator, asking one party to see
another’s point of view is an obvious
step but the response is usually that they
have done so and their own position is
unchanged. Sometimes the response
is purely tactical but on many occasions
I think someone has really tried and
although they have seen a different view,
they feel the same.
In a similar way I expect that many of
the Judges and court staff, and perhaps
even a few of the advocates, believe
they can see how frustrating it must
be for jurors to be kept waiting – often
many hours and sometimes days while
the court completes its plea list, hears
arguments about admissibility, or adjourns
for extended lunch with a local dignitary.
But having spent time with over 60
good people and true, I am convinced
that any such concerns are readily
overridden by the convenient fact that
jurors have no choice. The court service
is understandably – and arguably rightly
– partly driven by budget statistics, but it
largely ignores, quite wrongly, the financial
and personal implications for jurors.
There is no magic solution. I meet many
who would like to serve but have never
been selected and a few of those serving
with me would have been content to
remain for many weeks. But if random
selection were to be abandoned, a wellestablished facet of the jury system would
be lost. Giving special treatment to the
self-employed could also compromise the
true cross-section of society.
Before serving I considered it madness
for advocates and judges to sit on juries
and I remain convinced they pose a real
risk to the delicate balance of the jury
room which worked well enough before
the rules were changed. But I also think
that lawyers should experience for
themselves the frustrations and even
occasional humiliation of jury service (like
being refused permission to go to the
toilet!). The most common description
was being “treated like cattle” and, as
one fellow juror remarked, “we would
probably have been treated better if we
had been convicted before carrying out
this ‘community service’!”
A friend sometimes asks me not to
judge until “you have walked two moons
in my moccasins”. She is no Native
American but she does have a point, and
when it comes to jury service, walking two
Mondays would be enough to convince
anyone that urgent reform is needed.
Small changes could make a big
difference: a little more acknowledgment
of the sacrifices made, a meal allowance
that buys more than a few coffees, free
coffee or at least free hot water (yes it’s
25p if you bring your own soup powder!),
more information in and out of court... the
list goes on but happily both the legal and
administrative establishment have agreed
to consider my concerns. So, by the time
you read this, the Lord Chancellor will
have made appropriate directions and
approved amending legislation…
Well, maybe change will not be
that quick, but if you happen to see
the Presiding Judge or Recorder of
Leeds wearing comfortable shoes
embroidered with a ‘j’, they are not free
slippers from a Japanese airline but a
pair of juror’s moccasins. 
19
BS 135 x 90 10 Jan 2011_Layout 1 12/01/2012 10:33 Page 1
Need to avoid
mea COLPa?
Advice in plain English
for prospective COLPs
and COFAs
FORMEDECON LTD
Forensic and Economic Services
Drinkand
Driving
Handwriting
Documents
Forensic Photography
Forensic Photography
Handwriting
and Documents
CCTV Enhancement
CCTV
Enhancement
DNA
Analysis
DNA
Analysis
Drink
Drive/Toxicology
Vehicle
Examination
Drink
Drive/Toxicology
Fingerprints
Vehicle Examination
Evaluation of Loss of Income
Fingerprints
Glass, Paint, Soil, Foot and Toolmarks
Evaluation
of LossReconstruction
of Income
Road
Traffic Accident
Glass, Paint,
Soil,
Foot
and
Toolmarks
Control and Restraint
Road
Traffic
Accident
Biological
Material
and Reconstruction
Trace Evidence
Blood
and
Fibres
Control and Restraint
Computers
and Associated
Biological Material
and TraceMatters
Evidence
Unit 41 Enterprise City
Spennymoor, DL16 6JF
DX 60185 Ferryhill
Call 0845 094 5290 or go directly to
www.boldersolutions.co.uk/getready
Tel: 01388 811003
Fax: 01388 811918
Training. Development. Success.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.Formedecon.com
Have you been offered
an Equity Partnership?
Should you accept and how will you be taxed?
Contact us to arrange a free initial meeting:
Call Andy Poole on Leeds 0113 2211 300
Email: [email protected]
www.armstrongwatson.co.uk/awlegal
Armstrong Watson is registered to carry on audit work by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England
and Wales. Registered office: 15 Victoria Place, Carlisle CA1 1EW
FOCUS ON: Legal update
Getting to grips
Rob Price explains why, three months after the dawn of a new
era of regulation, firms are only now starting to feel the impact
Rob Price is a non-practising
solicitor who runs Bolder
Solutions, a Leeds based
specialist legal training
consultancy
T hursday 6 October 2011 officially
heralded the introduction of
outcomes-focused regulation (OFR)
which radically overhauls the Solicitors
Regulation Authority (SRA)'s relationship
with law firms and the way in which it
delivers its regulatory objectives.
In my opinion, only now, as the
Compliance Officer for Legal Practice
(COLP) and Compliance Officer for
Finance and Administration (COFA)
nomination deadlines loom and as the
alternative business structures (ABS)
licensing process belatedly begins, are
we beginning to feel the true impact of
these changes.
So how smoothly has the transition to
OFR gone and what additional matters
should firms address in order to succeed in
the post-Legal Services Act world?
Risk-based approach
Under the more targeted and risk-based
approach of OFR, firms now need to
implement the Principles and mandatory
Outcomes in the new Handbook, rather
than complying with the detailed and
prescriptive rules in the old Code. The
new approach seeks to allow firms to
deliver services to clients in a way that
best suits the clients' needs.
The concept of OFR is not new, having
been used to regulate the financial
services sector for many years. However,
despite having increased flexibility on how
we deliver services to our clients, the
question I am regularly asked is how do
we really know if we are complying when
only webinars, decision trees and brief
FAQs have been provided by the SRA?
Did we really need a ten page Law
Society Practice Note on how to add
the words “authorised and ….” onto
our websites and e-mail footers, when
commercial property lawyers still have no
specific conflicts guidance and a further
Practice Note on Conflicts in Criminal
Cases has only recently been published?
Furthermore, how do we ensure that
we always “treat our clients fairly?” under
O(1.1)? The concept of “TCF” (“treating
customers fairly”) within the financial
services sector has resulted in increased
complaints compensation, culture
changes and mystery shopper exercises.
At least we knew where we stood under
the old code!
In getting to grips with OFR, one thing
is certain: doing nothing is not an option.
To remain compliant, all firms should
have reviewed their client care letters,
conflicts systems, referral arrangements
and diversity policies, put in place policies
covering financial benefits, interest
payments and whistleblowers, and
provided training on the new regime.
Radical change is usually not required
– continued compliance with existing
(but updated) office procedures and
effective supervision of staff should
suffice. However, Chapter 7 of the Code
does demand much more pro-active
identification, monitoring and mitigation
of risk within firms, rather than just having
such compliance systems in existence.
COLPs and COFAs
Now is also the time to consider who
should “volunteer” for the COLP
and COFA roles within firms. I have
witnessed both increased attendance
at partners’ meetings over the last few
months (presumably so that a missing
partner is not nominated unanimously
in their absence!) and also in some
cases retirement from the partnership
rather than taking on the unknown
responsibilities. The latter is a real
concern as now is the time when senior
partners’ experience is needed to steer
firms through the post-LSA world. I am
also aware of partners hoping that the
role will provide them with increased job
security in the future which clearly is not
a healthy situation.
COLPs and COFAs will have principal
responsibility for ensuring compliance
with the SRA’s regulatory and licensing
requirements and will need to notify the
regulator of “material” failures. But what
will constitute such a failure? Again, more
guidance is urgently needed so that a
consistent approach develops across
the whole profession. The current Law
Society Practice Note simply duplicates
the Guidance Notes for Rule 8.5 of the
SRA Authorisation Rules and the SRA
Quick Guide only provides a brief 16 line
COFA case study.
The appointments will ultimately depend
on the firm’s size and structure – is there a
partner who regularly handles compliance
issues or who updates office procedures?
Who is currently responsible for Accounts
Rules compliance and should they take on
COFA responsibilities? Once nominated,
role holders should use this time to
pressure test their updated compliance
systems before the COLP and COFA
responsibilities go live in October 2012.
Road ahead
I do predict radical change within the
legal sector itself within the next two to
three years. Now is the time for firms to
review their future strategy, USPs and
niches. Is a rushed merger or paying
significant sums to a relatively new legal
marketing network really the best longterm solution?
Given recent economic conditions
many firms have been primarily focused
on survival but are now facing the
challenges of belatedly getting to grips
with OFR. Meanwhile, ABS are targeting
their core practice areas. Seismic
changes await us. 
21
MORE THAN
JUST FOOTBALL...
• CONFERENCES
• CHRISTMAS PARTIES
• EXHIBITIONS
• TRADE SHOWS
• GALA DINNERS
• PRODUCT LAUNCHES
• TRAINING SEMINARS • CHARITY DINNERS
C O N F E R E N C E
A N D E V E N T S
For more information please call 0871 334 1919 (Opt 2)
or email [email protected]
www.leedsunitedvenue.com
Elland Road, Leeds, LS11 0ES.
“Our family has worked hard to ensure the
true Italian traditions remain at San Carlo.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Carlo Distefano
Chairman
Marcello Distefano
Managing Director
Alessandro Distefano
Manager
Marissa Distefano
Marketing Manager
WINNER OF EIGHTEEN PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
6 - 7 South Parade
Leeds LS1 5QX
Tel: 0113 246 1500
Originale Cucina Italiana
[email protected] | www.sancarlo.co.uk |
60 Street Lane,
Roundhay LS8 2DQ
Tel: 0113 266 6501
@sancarlo_group
San Carlo IS NOT A THEME RESTAURANT. With Italian directors, management and chefs, using the finest fresh produce;
the majority of ingredients are imported from the markets of Milan. Each restaurant displays its own unique style in food
due to the individuality of our creative chefs and management supervised by the directors.
San Carlo | Birmingham Bristol Leeds Leicester Liverpool Manchester Rome
Leeds and Yorkshire lawyer with flying pizza.indd 1
Signor Sassi | London Kuwait Beirut Bangkok
10/01/2012 17:17
FOCUS ON: My career & me
Modesty is a virtue
A landmark past 12 months in the career of Jonathan Jones
resulted in him winning a major award
“I happened to be in the right place at
the right time,” is how Jonathan Jones
modestly describes an interesting past
12 months. Referring to himself as more a
profiteer of circumstance than an architect
of his own success, humility is clearly a
quality of the reigning Yorkshire Lawyer of
the Year.
As Managing Partner of the Leeds
office of the newly rebranded Squire
Sanders, Jones acts for a blue-chip client
base and his lengthy CV is certainly not
short of personal accolades. Indeed, on a
regional basis, he advised on the largest
ever Yorkshire management buy-out – the
£783 million Keepmoat plc deal in 2007.
Throughout 13 years with the same
firm, the corporate finance expert
has worked at both the London and
Leeds offices and has witnessed many
changes. However, none has been as
significant as Hammonds’ combination
with Squire Sanders & Dempsey, which
took place on 1 January 2011 and created
a top 25 global legal practice boasting 17
offices in 36 countries.
The combination has given the Leeds
office an opportunity to leverage upon
a international network stretching from
Beijing to Washington DC and, with Jones
a member of its 13-strong international
board, he has every reason to be proud
of what has occurred during the last 12
months. But pride aside, the 44-year-old is
not one to blow his own trumpet.
“I am very fortunate in a couple of
respects,” he says, when discussing
his success at last October’s Yorkshire
Lawyer Awards. “The first is the merger,
which the market has genuinely seen
as a good thing and I am basking in that
reflective glory.
“Secondly, I am the beneficiary of
being part of a really good team. Doing
deals is a team sport and, although it's a
cliché, you really are only as good as the
people who work with you and in that
respect I am privileged.”
Dynamic marketplace
According to the judges on the night,
Jones beat off healthy competition
from a stellar shortlist after playing a
“major role in the resurgence of the
Leeds office” and for showing “the
enthusiasm and commitment to lead
the office through the next stage of its
development.”
So what does the man who has
recently agreed to remain Managing
Partner of the Leeds office for a second
three-year term expect to occur in the
regional legal services market in the
medium term?
“Leeds is a very competitive
marketplace which presents one main
issue,” he explains. “That is how you
differentiate yourself effectively in order
to win the work. Clearly we have chosen
to go down the internationalisation of
our business route but, whichever way
you go, differentiation is vital.
“I anticipate that there will be a
polarisation of the legal profession
over the next five years – smaller and
medium-sized firms, or those that
provide a bespoke service at a relatively
low price, will find that their margins just
aren’t there. The challenge will be to
either attract the bespoke work that
retains a premium price or provide legal
services in a more standardised way
in order to be competitive from a price
perspective and maintain margin.
“What will go on in Leeds won’t be
majorly different to the picture nationally
and you’ll certainly see legal services
being a dynamic marketplace over the
next five years with plenty of mergers and
perhaps even the disappearance of several
names that are around at the moment.”
Friends and colleagues
The future then could be a challenging one
in what is likely to become a fast-moving
sector but, despite the obvious pressures
on those in demanding positions like his,
Jones has never regretted choosing a
career in law and swapping his native
Stoke-on-Trent for Yorkshire.
“We have a good team here that is
stable and settled,” explains the married
father of four who lives close to the city
centre. “People get on, we have a good
laugh and we have been successful which
always helps generate confidence.
“Also Leeds is a sufficiently small
market that a number of people, both
clients and competitors, have become
friends over the years and long may
that continue.” 
23
New Park Court Chambers
New Park Court
Chambers has
specialist teams in
the following areas:









Chancery and Commercial
Civil
Crime
Employment
Family
Health & Safety
Housing
Personal Injury
Regulatory and Disciplinary
New Park Court has an excellent reputation within the region and
nationally, and are recommended highly in the Legal 500 and Chambers
and Partners directories. Our specialist teams can provide strength in
depth and the highest standards of advice, advocacy and professionalism.
We strive to provide high quality legal services to clients with high calibre
advocates and an efficient clerking team.
Please visit our websites for more information:
www.parkcourtchambers.co.uk
or www.newcourt-chambers.co.uk
Park Court Chambers
16 Park Place, Leeds, LS1 1SJ
T: 0113 243 3277
E: [email protected]
New Court Chambers
3 Broad Chare, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DQ
T: 0191 232 1980
E: [email protected]
FOCUS ON: Chambers profile
Perfect fit
Park Court Chambers is looking to the future with confidence
Fit for the future
R etaining its proud Yorkshire base
but now reaching further afield,
in the past six months Park Court
Chambers has carefully positioned itself
for a successful future.
On 1 January pre-eminent advocates
joined forces to create a new regional
set specialising in criminal, family,
employment, personal injury and
commercial work when Park Court
Chambers of Leeds and Newcastle’s
New Court Chambers decided to merge.
The new combined practice will continue
to operate from the same two bases
but collectively will boast an impressive
94 members, including 11 silks. The
merger will, according to Chief Executive
Michael Meeson, create a set that is
ideally placed to be successful despite
what continue to be challenging times
for the Bar.
“The merger not only combines the
experience of the North East’s preeminent criminal barristers but also
provides individual and corporate clients
with access to almost 100 barristers
able to offer expanded expertise in civil,
commercial, family and other matters,”
he explains.
Meeson admits that the merger is
a key strand of a modernisation drive;
however, he is at pains to stress that
growth will not be at the expense of
the quality, reliability and integrity that
both Park Court Chambers and New
Court Chambers have traditionally been
renowned for.
Robert Smith QC, currently head of
Chambers in Leeds, is the new Head of
the joint set, while Alistair MacDonald
QC and Julian Smith will take senior
roles as Head of Leeds and Newcastle
respectively.
In effect what the merger means is the
addition of commercial and employment
strings to the bow of the Newcastle
set. Meanwhile, both will now be able
to call on the combined strengths of the
region’s largest, nationally renowned
criminal team, which currently resides in
both Leeds and Newcastle.
“Offering a wider breadth of services
to our clients at the highest level of
excellence led us to this merger,”
comments Julian Smith. “Our clients
are fiercely loyal to us, not only as we
get great results, but also because
we maintain integrity while providing
excellent value. In this economy that’s
more important than ever.”
Under a new name, New Park Court
Chambers also hopes to lead by
example when it comes to cutting-edge
ways of working. In a modern, forwardlooking Chambers, members now hotdesk utilising an upgraded IT system,
have the ability to work remotely in a
seamless fashion and conduct meetings
nationally and internationally via video
conferencing facilities.
“By getting the right infrastructure
in place we are looking to the future
with optimism,” continues Meeson.
“People want choice [and] a one-stopshop approach but at the same time
they quite rightly want to see the same
quality of service and integrity that they
have come to associate with both sets
over the years.”
The next step is to expand into
the growing areas of mediation and
arbitration which should prove an
attractive proposition.
“It [the merger] demonstrates our
ambitious plans to create a practice of
choice for clients and contacts within
our specialist areas of practice,” explains
Robert Smith QC who, according to
Chambers & Partners 2011 is “the best
and most impressive silk on the circuit”.
He adds: “New Court has a deep
passion for providing legal advice and
advocacy to its clients on Tyneside and its
members share our absolute commitment
and determination to succeed. It’s a
perfect fit for us.”
At the heart of two of the United
Kingdom’s principal legal centres, the
new merged set now boasts an enhanced
and dynamic platform on which to
further its reputation as specialist legal
advisors and advocates for criminal,
employment, family, personal injury, civil
and commercial work.
Often accused of hiding their light under
a bushel, they are now rightfully looking to
the future with renewed optimism. 
25
“The software
system of choice
for the ABS era.”
Proclaim is the UK’s leading Case
Management Software solution, in
use by over 15,000 professionals.
Proclaim is uniquely placed as the solution
of choice for Alternative Business Structures.
Clients include Top 10 law firms and
organisations such as Co-operative Legal
Services.
“In my opinion, Proclaim is the
market-leading case management
solution.”
Jonathan Gulliford (Director)
Co-operative Legal Services
For a free demonstration:
Call 01274 704100
[email protected] | www.eclipselegal.co.uk
4 Manage all case details and
activities from a central
screen
4 Use intelligent workflow to
automate and streamline
processes
4 Produce documentation with
a single mouse-click
4 Integrate with partners to
facilitate volume work
4 Provide live online updates
for clients
4 Automatically create and
distribute reports and MI
FOCUS ON: Regional spotlight
Displaying real steel
LYL begins its series of regional spotlights with a trip to Sheffield
where we encounter a city well placed for the future
A ccording to one of the city’s
foremost lawyers, Sheffield can
be a model that the rest of the
country follows as it looks to pull its way
out of the economic malaise of recent
years. There is, it seems, real steel at
the heart of South Yorkshire’s business
community despite what remain
challenging times.
“If Sheffield gets it right over the
coming years then it really could be a
benchmark or model for the rest of UK
plc,” explains Paul Firth, Irwin Mitchell’s
Regional Managing Partner for Sheffield
and the Chairman of the city’s economic
development agency Creative Sheffield.
“It is generally accepted that we as a
country are too reliant on financial and
professional services and there is a need
to move towards a more mixed economy.
With the Advanced Manufacturing Park
and Nuclear Research Centre that have
emerged here in recent years, Sheffield is
very well placed for the future.
“Historically the legal sector in
Sheffield has specialised in dealing with
manufacturing-led business. Increasingly
this has switched to more hi-tech
businesses with specific needs and
requirements like intellectual property
and issues surrounding exports. In
the coming years the legal market will
adapt as it always does to fit in where
commerce and enterprise is heading.”
Green shoots of recovery
Sheffield’s legal sector has not been
immune to the problems of consolidation
and contraction experienced elsewhere
in the UK during a time of recession
and sluggish recovery. Many headlines
were made by the spectacular demise
of Halliwells in 2010 while market
conditions continue to be “challenging”
according to many in the know.
However, backing up Firth’s optimistic
vision for the future, some green shoots
of recovery have emerged lately with
the arrival onto the scene of some new
niche practices in growth areas such as
employment and matrimonial law.
“The sector has suffered significantly
over the last few years and while,
unfortunately, I don’t think that’s over
yet, there does seem to be more
optimism and creativity about the way
we deliver legal services,” says Jay
Bhayani, who took the bold decision
to launch her own employment law
practice Bhayani Bracewell midway
through 2011 after deciding to leave
her role as a Senior Partner at longestablished Sheffield firm Watson Esam.
“Over the last few years we have seen
many local established firms joining forces
with others as there is some security in
numbers when firms are under pressure
to pay extortionate public indemnity
insurance, and fees are being driven down.
There is more competition than ever and
those that have ways of differentiating
themselves are surviving better than those
that are carrying on as they were in the
heady days of our profession.
“We have seen some large firms
coming to Sheffield and trying to make
their mark as there is a perception that
Sheffield is not as saturated as Leeds,
but I think it’s getting that way.”
Bhayani points out that, despite
ambitious plans for the development
of the city being put on hold, Sheffield
is fortunate that “great efforts” were
made to promote it as a place to do
business before the recession hit. “It
feels as though we can pick up where
we left off and for some sectors, such
as manufacturing, digital industries and
further education, the future is really
bright,” she adds.
If and when that happens, the legal
sector will be ready and waiting to lend
its support and expertise. A glance
down the exhibitor list at the University
of Sheffield’s November 2011 Legal Fair
indicates the interest there is in the next
generation of Sheffield lawyers. Everyone,
from Addleshaw Goddard to Wragge &
Co., was queuing up to inform students
of their options and Irwin Mitchell’s
Firth, who is also Pro-Chancellor of the
university, believes the future is bright for
a combination of reasons.
“Uncertainties aside there are still
well-established and strong businesses
here offering a high quality of work,”
he explains. “Added to the very high
standard of living and quality of life, you
can see why Sheffield retains a higher
percentage of its graduates than any
other major city.
“People become very fond of the
place, they enjoy the atmosphere and
they want to live and work here.” 
27
Award Winning Expertise
Tax advice
+ Accountancy
x Excellence
- Jargon
TAX
TAX
TAX
TEAM
TEAM
TEAM
OFOF
THE
OF
THE
THE
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
2010
2010
2010
Accountancy Age
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
STEP
Taxation Magazine
We act for more than 40 law firms so we’re well
placed to understand the current, challenging
legal climate and the opportunities it presents.
What really matters to us is building long term
relationships with our clients and giving them
the very best advice. If you would like to find out
more, email John Beevers [email protected].
Call: 0113 297 6789 www.sagars.co.uk
Chancel repair protection.
Altogether, it’s cheaper.
If your firm handles a number of property transactions every week, then Isis can offer
a quick, cost-effective insurance solution that automatically protects all your clients
against chancel repair liability – it’s called a block policy.
An Isis block policy provides comprehensive cover for each transaction, whether or
not you decide to undertake a chancel search. It’s quicker and easier for you, and
because you’re buying in bulk, we can offer substantially reduced premiums –
so it’s cheaper for your clients too.
To find out more about our innovative block policy approach, call Isis on 01603 761515.
Isis Conveyancing Insurance Specialists Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Firm Reference Number 455994. All policies underwritten by Liberty Legal Indemnities at Lloyd’s.
BEST
BEST
BEST
GENERAL
GENERAL
GENERAL
three national awards sum it up.
=
Tel: 01603 761515 Fax: 01603 616222
The Royal 25 Bank Plain Norwich Norfolk NR2 4SF
DX 5200 Norwich Email: [email protected]
isisconveyancing.co.uk
ACCOUNTANCY
ACCOUNTANCY
ACCOUNTANCY
TEAM
TEAM
TEAM
OFOF
OF
TAX
TAX
TAX
THE
THE
THE
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
FOCUS ON: Software solutions
Harness your potential
Richard Smyth explains why this new year more than most
demands attention when it comes to your software systems
T he legal IT sector serves two
masters. If technology – the ‘knowhow’ element – provides the sector
with its drive, its forward momentum,
the legal market provides the steer; if
technology says “Hey, look what we can
do!”, the legal market says “Yes, but this
is what we need you to do.”
As 2012 settles into its groove, it
seems clear that each of these key
drivers is going to make a forceful
contribution over the next 12 months
and beyond. In the technology corner,
Software as a Service (SaaS) – a.k.a. ‘the
cloud’ – is looking to impose itself; the
legal market, meanwhile, is obsessing
over those three little words that have
come to mean so much to us all:
alternative business structures (ABS).
Realists in the traditional law sector
will no doubt see the former as an
opportunity and the latter as, to say
the least, a challenge (and, as an aside,
might enjoy the old joke that if Apollo
13 had been manned by business
consultants, the message to ground
control would have been “Houston, we
have an opportunity!”).
Jonathan Seaton at DPS Software
believes that many of the difficulties
presented by the Legal Services Act
could be overcome by making 2012 the
year of the cloud.
“In general, it is going to be a lot more
competitive, simply because of the Legal
Services Act,” he says. “There are going
to be a lot of new entrants to the market.
So there’s a new emphasis on efficiency
– if you’re looking to compete with these
big boys who are coming in with these
huge budgets and knowledge of how to
do process-driven work, even if you can’t
compete with them on the marketing
budget, you still need to be able to front
up to them on the operational side of
things and in the services you offer.”
DPS has been offering SaaS for
around 10 years; the key factor in
delivering the necessary impetus to
push take-up of the technology to
a tipping point, Seaton says, will be
low-priced, high-bandwidth, properly
distributed Internet access.
“The reliability of the lines has gone
up but, more so, the cost of them has
come down,” he says. Outsourcing your
IT infrastructure to a SaaS provider now
represents a genuinely cost-effective
option, and may give traditional law firms
a fighting chance against the incoming
ABS behemoths.
“Traditional legal firms, I think, are
going to be relying on the knowledge
they possess of practising law, which
they’ve been doing a hell of a lot longer
than these new entrants,” Seaton says.
“But you’ve got to have the mechanisms
in place to bring to bear that knowledge
and experience. If we can help them
at least operate on a level playing-field,
then I don’t think things are as bleak for
these law firms as some commentators
might make out.”
In a sense, the SaaS offered by DPS
isn’t a ‘cloud’ in the strictest sense, in that
the firm maintains its own data centre.
“We’re using a private cloud model
here, to maintain the necessary security
and integrity, because if you went with
what many people would consider ‘true’
cloud, you wouldn’t know where the
data is,” Seaton explains. “It could be on
a Google server anywhere in the world,
and that’s not really going to work for
client data at a law firm. You need to
know it’s at least within the European
Economic Zone.”
Compliance considerations of this
kind are an important aspect of the DPS
model. “You’re offloading responsibility
for maintaining your own IT infrastructure,
and with that comes responsibility for
back-ups and maintaining business
continuity and disaster recovery
procedures,” Seaton says. “That’s even
more important now because of the
increase in regulation and the fact that
firms have got to be compliant with that,
whether it’s for security, how you look
after your data, or even where it’s stored.
“Being UK-based – our data centre
is in our London head office – is very
important, because clients know where
their data is.”
Efficiency improvements are also
central to the appeal of the cloud to law
29
Promotional feature
FeeSynergyUK Limited
F 0845 689 0088
www.feesynergyuk.com
FeeSynergy_qp.indd 1
eeSynergyUK aims to be the fee note finance provider
for corporate clients of legal firms and has big plans
for building upon, and expanding, its current portfolio
of accredited practices throughout 2012.
Having fully independent funding, external from any
high street bank, FeeSynergyUK is able to offer the option
to corporate clients of accredited FeeSynergyUK legal
practices to spread the cost of their fee notes over either
a six-or-12-month period (even fee notes that are up to 12
months old).
At any given time any practice will have a mixture of work
in progress and an aged debtor ledger of several thousand
pounds. Why not release this cash back into the business
without paying charges for the privilege?
Before you even think of the benefit to the client of having
a cash-flow-friendly way of paying that outstanding fee
note AND having the benefit of a new external source of
unsecured funding, add up the debtor ledger values and ask,
would this make a difference to your practice? The motives
for FREE collection are numerous.
When is it ever a good time to bill a client? When is it ever
a good time for them to pay you? How much time does your
credit control spend trying to collect your money?
Call Frazer, Ian or Mike at FeeSynergyUK on 0845 689
0088 or visit the website, www.feesynergyuk.com for
full details of how to obtain accreditation or to request a
conversation with one of the directors. It’s your money!
17/01/2012 10:15
FOCUS ON: Software solutions
firms. “We do it all for you, and you get
that one key strategic partnership with
a supplier rather than having several
parties you need to coordinate in order
to achieve the outcome you are aiming
for,” Seaton says.
Warren Wander, the founder and
managing director of LawWare Ltd and
CEO of LawCloud Ltd agrees about the
growing importance of the cloud.
He adds: “The number of firms
transitioning is growing at a tremendous
rate and the opportunity is here today
for small to medium-sized high street
law firms to start using best of breed
software (traditionally reserved for the
bigger firms), delivered directly to their
PC, laptop, Mac or iPad at a low fixed
monthly subscription, with no upfront
capital expenditure.
“LawCloud is at the forefront of
transforming the way lawyers work.
Since the official launch in February
2011, we have grown from a standing
start to now hosting more than 60
law firms to date on what are secure
and robust servers and this number is
growing by the week. LawCloud really
is more about business transformation
than technology.”
Tailor-made solutions
Bradford-based Eclipse Legal are also
pushing the cloud as an efficiency
measure that can help law firms to
streamline their processes.
“Where this option wins is when
you have an organisation operating
across several different locations,
needing consistent access to centralised
data,” notes Eclipse’s Darren Gower.
“A cloud option can remove some of
the infrastructure complexities and
streamline the practical considerations of
multi-location software access.”
The firm’s Proclaim-hosted software
seeks to appeal not only to start-ups and
smaller firms but also to larger, multidisciplinary operations.
“The profile of the firms using our
products is always changing,” Gower
says. “We’re still developing the software
every day, in line with what the clients
request and what the industry demands.”
It is important, of course, not to regard
ABS as an invasive species as, like it
or not, the interlopers will have to be
accommodated within the structures of
the traditional law sector. In fact, many will
emerge from within this sector, as existing
firms explore the freedoms granted by the
Legal Services Act and develop new ways
of operating and collaborating.
For legal IT firms, the emergence of
ABS is an opportunity. “The introduction
of alternative business structures brings a
huge level of opportunity for both existing
law firms and new market entrants,”
says Eclipse’s chief business executive
Russell Thomson. “Our experience
with a wide range of organisations
in law, insurance and consumer
services (including many forthcoming
ABS entrants) has shown that these
organisations demand software solutions
specific to their needs.”
Eclipse’s Proclaim ABS software,
tailored specifically for post-Legal
Services Act operators of all kinds,
is thought to be the first product of
its kind to hit the market (a personal
injury-specific version is also available).
Co-operative Legal Services – one of
the front-runners in the race to become
the UK’s first official ABS – is already a
client.
“Gone are the days of legal service
providers simply wanting to manage their
financials and accounts,” explains Gower.
“A holistic and global view of all case
processes is vital. Without the tools to
manage a variety of cases in a transparent
and admin-light manner, traditional legal
service providers will struggle.”
It seems that the technology is all
in place – indeed, that it is straining at
the leash – and that legal IT providers
are only too keen to provide firms in all
sections of the industry with the tools
they need to adapt to the ABS age. All
that remains to be seen is whether the
firms themselves can take advantage. 
The Case Management System
of choice for the ABS era
Proclaim
®
E1011_40x185AdFinal_CM.indd 1
01274 704100 | www.eclipselegal.co.uk
07/10/2011 16:40
31
The unique one-stop-shop solution
for the modern law firm’s every IT need...
Time to move your
practice to The Cloud?
Evolve with DPSCloud and benefit from:
DPS Legal Software Packages
Microsoft Office 2010 Licences
Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity
Fixed Monthly Costs Scalability
Fully-Managed IT - More time to Focus on Legal Work
www.dpssoftware.co.uk l www.dpscloud.com
Tel: 020 8804 1022
FOCUS ON: Residential conveyancing
Moving issue
Stephen Coupland explains how outsourcing your residential
conveyancing requirements can actually help retain clients
Stephen Coupland
is the Head of Sales and
Marketing at awardwinning conveyancing firm
Advantage Property Lawyers
O ver the last three years the
conveyancing landscape has
changed significantly, with
many firms looking at the practical and
financial viability of continuing to provide
a conveyancing service for their clients.
The number of property transactions
in the UK has halved since 2008 and
there are now far fewer firms whose
main focus is conveyancing. The Land
Registry statistics show that of 4,618
firms who registered applications with
them in November last year, only 147
registered over 50 transactions.
What is clear is that many firms are
still offering a conveyancing service
simply to retain clients, i.e. not from a
profit-making perspective, but to ensure
that the client doesn’t instruct another
firm which could then pick up the rest of
their business.
The obvious solution is to outsource to
a specialist conveyancing-only firm that
has nothing else to sell to your client.
Why outsource?
There are three key reasons to join
those firms that are already outsourcing
residential conveyancing.
When it comes to analysing the cost
of delivery, numerous factors have
driven down fees at a time when bank
interest is also negligible. Increasing
professional indemnity premiums, a
lack of volume and the need for huge
investment in IT and specialist staff
means residential conveyancing is lossmaking for most mainstream law firms.
So, the question you need to ask
yourself is: why fund a department
when you could outsource? Niche
conveyancing firms deliver the process
and the expertise that matters to your
clients. You retain your client, avoid
the risks, focus on your profitable
departments and generate an
income through Solicitors Regulation
Authority (SRA)-regulated fee-sharing
agreements.
Secondly comes the issue of lenders
in general being risk averse and
consequently removing firms from their
panels. They want volume, specialist
expertise, robust processes and Law
Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme
accreditation. Therefore, if you are not
on a major lender’s panels, you can’t
serve your client properly.
Last but by no means least is the
issue of compliance. It stands to reason
that if you’re not investing properly in
your department, its processes and
procedures, and you can’t afford senior
conveyancing professionals, then it
may not be too long before an SRA
inspection visit uncovers breaches of
their code of conduct. You need to ask
yourself whether your firm is sitting on
a potential fine and if your partners are
at risk of having practising certificates
revoked. Why take that risk?
“Client retention in this marketplace
is imperative,” explains Rob Lewis,
Director of Advantage Property Lawyers.
“A firm like ours only does residential
conveyancing so your client relationship
is safe and we guarantee outstanding
customer service.
“We currently work with law firms of
all sizes who outsource conveyancing to
us. They trust us, and pass the risk and
responsibility on to us, and in return we
ensure we keep them fully informed.
They remain in complete control of their
client relationships and generate a feesharing income for them.” 
Ask the experts:
APL is an independent and awardwinning business regulated by the
Council for Licensed Conveyancers.
Based in Leeds, they work with law
firms throughout the region to help
understand and take full advantage
of the latest developments in the
world of residential conveyancing.
For more information on
outsourcing your residential
conveyancing work to a specialist
organisation, visit
www.aplawyers.co.uk or for a
confidential discussion about your
needs contact Stephen Coupland
on 07712 880551 or email
[email protected]
33
L
A
N TY S
O LI E !
G
W
TI
A TA A O
N I K N
P
C
ER S A E
T HO P BL
A
IN
IL
A
AV
There are a range of hospitality packages
and facilities, each with a fantastic view of the
pitch, available at both international cricket
matches at Headingley Carnegie in 2012.
England v South Africa Investec Test Match
THURSDAY 2ND AUGUST - MONDAY 6TH AUGUST 2012
Prices start from £179.00 + VAT per person
England v West Indies NatWest Series ODI
FRIDAY 22ND JUNE 2012
Prices start from £199.00 + VAT per person
SPECIAL OFFER:
Book ten places or more at either the One Day International or the Test
Match before Wednesday 29th February 2012 and receive 10% discount !
Quote ‘LYL01’ when booking to receive your discount.*
* Terms & Conditions apply: New bookings only and subject to availability. Discount only applies to bookings of ten places or more.
For full package details or to make a booking, call the Hospitality
Department on 0113 203 3667, email [email protected]
or visit www.yorkshireccc.com.
OUT & ABOUT: Corporate hospitality
Sporting chance
With an action-packed sporting calendar taking shape, corporate
hospitality is the perfect way to entertain your clients
T he start of a new year is
traditionally a time to set targets,
goals and ambitions for the next
12 months. However, there is nothing
to say that these need to be restricted
exclusively to professional matters
as, with a relatively blank canvas of
calendar sat on your desk, there is ample
opportunity to plan an action-packed year
out of the office too. Combine some
top-quality sports action with corporate
hospitality to ensure your clients or
guests remember what an excellent day
they enjoyed in your company.
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club is
the perfect place to entertain your clients,
offering a range of exclusive facilities
available for both high-profile match-day
hospitality and non-match-day meetings
and events. These include private boxes
and a range of shared restaurant facilities,
all with a fantastic view of the pitch.
In 2012, the club will host two thrilling
international matches. The 3rd England
v. West Indies NatWest Series One Day
International takes place on Friday 22
June; and between Thursday 2 August
and Monday 6 August the England Test
team, currently top of the world rankings,
will return to the ground to take on South
Africa in the 2nd Investec Test Match.
Full corporate hospitality is available
at these matches including champagne
reception, four-course lunch and celebrity
guest speakers within the Carnegie
Pavilion and East Stand Boxes, or more
informal options are available in other
areas of the ground.
Meanwhile, hospitality is available
at all of Yorkshire’s domestic fixtures
including the Yorkshire Carnegie v.
Lancashire Lightning match on Friday 29
June (5.30pm start). Packages for this
match are just £99.00 + VAT per person
making them fantastic value for money
at one of the most sought-after sporting
events in Leeds.
Many of the club’s facilities are
also available on non-match days for
meetings or seminars, including the
premium Hawke Club. This has been
furnished to the very highest standards
and, with a fantastic view of the pitch,
this exclusive facility which seats just
12 people boardroom style is bound to
inspire both you and your clients.
If horse-racing sounds like a fun day
out then why not head to a venue that
was recently named the best small
racecourse in the North. Commonly
known as the ‘garden racecourse’, Ripon
Racecourse is one of the most attractive
and intimate race venues in the country.
During race days the atmosphere is truly
exceptional – your guests or clients will
be able to witness the top jockeys in
action amid sumptuous surroundings
with gourmet food and drink.
With racing running from April through
until September there is plenty of
opportunity to visit. A total of 16 race
days cover the six-month period with a
range of midweek, evening and weekend
race days to suit all needs. Some of the
most popular include the Family Day
(Sunday 20 May), Ladies’ Day (Thursday
21 June), Day One of the Yorkshire
Festival (Saturday 21 July) and Children’s
Day (Monday 6 August).
If participation is more your idea of
effective corporate hospitality then the
outskirts of Leeds offers some of
the finest golf courses in the UK. Of
these Horsforth Golf Club, on the
border of Horsforth and Rawdon, is a
leading example.
The course is easy walking and
provides a challenge to golfers of all
abilities. Visitors and members alike are
met with a warm welcome.
The clubhouse has several rooms
that are available for private functions,
conferences, workshops and meetings
with free Wi-Fi available throughout
the clubhouse.
Alternatively if you’re looking to
head further afield then a Leedsbased corporate hospitality provider
that celebrates its third anniversary in
February might provide the answer.
Leodis Sports Management boasts
a calendar featuring golf’s Open
Championships, the Test match at
Headingley against South Africa and
the return of the autumn rugby after a
year’s break due to the World Cup.
“Companies now more than ever
need to value their key clients and
hospitality,” explains Managing Director
Ian Hawkridge. “Despite popular belief
this hasn’t really been affected by
the current climate as most, if not all,
major sporting events are sold out.
For example, you rarely see an empty
seat at Twickenham or anywhere in the
country for an England Test match.” 
Factfile
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
(Hospitality department)
T: 0113 203 3667
www.yorkshireccc.com
Ripon Races
T: 01765 530530
www.ripon-races.co.uk
Horsforth Golf Club
T:0113 258 6819
www.horsforthgolfclub.co.uk
Leodis Sports Management
T: 0113 3662026
www.leodissportsmanagement.com
35
Registered charity 516898
We are Yorkshire’s cancer charity.
Every penny we raise we spend in Yorkshire,
supporting world-class research into its diagnosis and
treatment.
Help us to keep doing this by donating in
memory of a loved one, as a business, by taking part
in our committee events or signing up to run, walk,
trek or even bounce for charity.
www.ycr.org.uk
01423 877210
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yorkshirecancerresearch
Twitter: @yorkshirecancer
OUT & ABOUT: Places to go
Restaurant of the month
The one thing that isn't a gamble is the dining experience
T he Clarence Dock area of Leeds
was especially quiet in the
middle of January but our dining
experience at The Leeds Kitchen
certainly brightened our day. Run by
James Martin of Saturday Kitchen fame,
the restaurant is part of the vibrant
Alea Casino entertainment venue. It is
modern, dark and sleek, and the staff
are friendly and knowledgeable.
The menu is concise, with just enough
to choose from. Cream of pumpkin soup
with Berkswell cheese profiteroles was a
pleasantly hearty starter for a cold January
night. Our alternative choice of warm
winter salad of braised pig cheeks, celeriac
crisps and apple was truly excellent.
When the main courses arrived we
were once again overcome with food
envy. Roast chicken breast with walnut
crust, creamed smoked garlic spinach
and salsify was deliciously rich but the
duo of local duck with winter spices,
Yorkshire pak choi and soused hedgerow
blackberries took centre stage: the
duck breast was perfectly pink and an
amazing large and crispy spring roll
completed the double act.
A caramelized orange tart that we
shared for dessert was every bit as
moreish as we had expected, especially
given Martin’s renown for his desserts.
The bill for dinner, complete with
sides and a couple of rounds of drinks,
was around the £80 mark, making The
Leeds Kitchen a perfect choice for fine
dining for two.
The Leeds Kitchen
Alea Casino, Clarence Dock, Leeds
T: 0113 341 3202
www.theleedskitchen.co.uk
Event of the month
International matches make welcome return to Headingley
June; and between Thursday 2 August
and Monday 6 August the England Test
team, currently top of the world rankings,
will return to the ground to take on South
Africa in the 2nd Investec Test Match.
Full corporate hospitality is available
at these matches, including champagne
reception, four-course lunch and celebrity
guest speakers within the Carnegie
Pavilion (pictured) and East Stand Boxes.
More informal options are available in
other areas of the ground.
Book your tickets now for what promise
to be two thrilling international matches at
Headingley this summer. The 3rd England
v. West Indies NatWest Series One Day
International takes place on Friday 22
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
(Hospitality department)
T: 0113 203 3667
www.yorkshireccc.com
Picture courtesy of: www.swpix.com
37
INTERVIEW: The last word
Just be yourself
LYL talks to Chris Allen, Managing Partner of Blacks
Solicitors and the 2011 Yorkshire Lawyer Awards' Managing
Partner of the Year
Professional
What inspired you to take up
this particular vocation?
I realised after a period of work
experience that the job actually
revolved around meeting and
helping a variety of people and
not just reading case law. That
variety means no two days are
ever the same.
What has been your career highlight so far?
I am proud that we have built the firm over the last 15 years
primarily on the principle of organic growth. The net result is a
loyal, dedicated and well-trained workforce that has bought into
our goal and objectives.
What are your ambitions for
the future?
To be regarded by clients and
competitors alike as the best
law firm in Leeds for quality of
service and client care.
Personal
How do you unwind after a hard day at the office?
Football in the garden with our children and their pals.
Who would be your dream dinner party guests?
Spike Milligan, Eric Morecambe, Stan Laurel and my grandfather.
What one luxury item would you take to a desert island?
A big hat.
What will be the biggest challenge going forward?
The next generation of clients is embracing social media.
Ignore it at your peril.
If you weren’t involved in law, what would be your dream
profession?
A Spitfire pilot.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Just be yourself.
What would be your ideal holiday?
Travelling the world (in some luxury) with our children and the
beautiful Mrs Allen.
What advice would you offer anyone starting out?
Put a smile on your face and a tie under that collar. Welcome
to Blacks.
2QOLQH5HWULHYDOV
9LHZLQJ
6FDQRQ'HPDQG
5HWULHYDO6HUYLFH
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Yes, my TVR Tuscan. 
'RFXPHQW6WRUDJH
ZZZVDIHUPFRXN
SafeRecordsManagement_Strap.indd1 1
11/2/09 11:16:16
Take STEPS
forward to simplify
your Legal Indemnity
Policy orders
Stewart Title’s legal indemnity policies protect your client’s ownership against losses arising from title defects.
Stewart Title’s Electronic Policy System (STEPS) provides a simple and speedy solution to obtain legal indemnity
policies online.
Our technology guides you logically and step-by-step through the ordering process. You can then view, email
and print our comprehensive range of policies prior to inception, making it easier to send copies to your clients
and advise them accordingly.
Speed up the pace of your business by taking STEPS forward with Stewart Title.
Contact us for a demonstration:
020 7010 7820
www.stepsonlineuk.com
Stewart Title Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
and is registered in England and Wales, Number 2770166.
05/11-England

Issue108 - Leeds Law Society

Transcription

Similar documents

Brochure

Only the 7th floor remaining 8470 sq.ft. of fantastic air

100bright youngthings

MORTEC III:Layout 1

What Our Clients Say About Primerus

Leeds Utd

Brochure

Our autumn 2013 newsletter

WHO ARE WE Jumbulance Trust Delaport Coach