U.S. Senator Harry Reid raises millions from trial laywers in Canada
BirmiNgham Law SociETy’S hoT ShoT LaywErS · • oPen LeTTer of acceSSTo JuSTice – i was...
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O n e R e g i o n I O n e P R o f e s s i o n I O n e V o i c e
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BirmiNgham Law SociETy’S hoT ShoT LaywErS
JUNE - JULy 2015
LEarNiNg & DEVELopmENT 16
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fEaTUrE 12
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coNTENTS
president’s report - mushtaq Khan
04
maKE a wiLL aND DoDgE aN aVoiDaBLE TaX BiLL
LEgaL NEwS 14
VoLUNTEErS rEQUirED
mEmBErS’ NEwS 20
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 3
Editorial copy to:Birmingham Law Society, Suite 101, cheltenham house, Birmingham, B2 5BgTel: 0121 227 8700 DX 13100 Birmingham
regulation reportJayne willetts
25
DaTES for yoUr Diary
EVENTS 26
chriS owEN, chairmaN
mEET ThE BoarD 24
ThE growiNg riSK of cyBErcrimE
rEgULaTioN rEporT 19
ThE LaTEST from ThE pro BoNo commiTTEE
pro BoNo 15
hoT ShoT LawyErS
iN picTUrES 10
Contents
The Bulletin needs you!Birmingham Law Society is inviting volunteers to become
Bulletin’s Editor! Think you have what it takes to be one?
please contact [email protected].
mUShTaQ KhaN
prESiDENT’S rEporT 04
4 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
prESiDENT’S rEporT
although delayed, proposals for a British Bill of rights will undoubtedly face stiff opposition from across the political spectrum, including a possible backbench rebellion led by the former Lord chancellor Ken clarke and the former attorney general Dominic grieve, who has described the proposals as a “recipe for chaos”. The newly appointed Lord chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, michael gove, is a shrewd and articulate politician and i suspect the prime minster has chosen him for the big fight that lies ahead.
The EU referendum Bill will legislate for an ‘in-out’ vote on the UK’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017. it is the most talked about piece of legislation by the business community and the legal profession. it is important that the profession looks carefully at the implications for the legal services sector of any decision by the UK to remain in or withdraw from the EU and gets stuck into the debate early.
a new investigatory powers Bill, commonly referred to as the Snoopers’ charter, is set to expand the ability of intelligence agencies to collect information. Late last year government documents revealed British intelligence agencies have policies allowing staff to access confidential communications between lawyers and their clients. There are serious reservations that the Bill will include measures that allow surveillance of data communications and the possible weakening of legal professional privilege.
The UK political landscape has changed significantly and the coming months will require careful watching.
Work/EvEnts HigHligHtsi set out below a snap shot of what i am doing on behalf of the society.
• The Law SocieTy, PreSidenTS and SecreTarieS conference – 8th & 9th may 2015, chancery Lane, London. i co-presented with ian robinson of hampshire Law Society to approximately 50 local law society reps on the importance of membership, and sharing some of our experiences.
• oPen LeTTer of acceSS To JuSTice – i was approached by zoe gascoyne, a committee member of the criminal Law Solicitors association and the chair of the criminal practice committee for Liverpool Law Society, to be a co-signatory to an open letter to the government regarding the dire situation concerning Legal aid and access to Justice. The letter was carefully and thoughtfully drafted. James Turner (as chair, criminal Law committee, BLS), richard atkins Qc (as Leader of the midlands circuit) and i (as president of BLS) were co-signatories to the letter with other prominent lawyers and doctors. The letter was published in the guardian newspaper on friday 1st may 2015.
• SoLe PracTiTionerS GrouP, annuaL GaLa dinner – 9Th May 2015. i was invited to this event which was held at the Botanical gardens. as someone who has practiced law in larger commercial practices, i very much understand, i have a lot to learn about the experiences of the sole practitioner. from my conversations it became clear, that it is a mixed bag, some are struggling to survive as a result of the legal aid cuts, regulatory burden, new entrants and restrictive panels. others were upbeat and confident that they were better able to adapt to the changing market due to their size, better perceived service offering to clients and a better work/life balance, the latter view sounds tempting!
• MidLand LeGaL SuPPorT TruST’S BirMinGhaM LeGaL waLk – monday 11th may 2015. i joined mr Justice Knowles to ‘kick-off’ the Legal walk from No.5 chambers for a 5 mile walk on a sunny evening. it was good to see Birmingham and the regions law firms, chambers and the advice/voluntary organisations coming together for a great cause.
• Senior ParTnerS Lunch wiTh caTherine dixon, The chief execuTive of The Law SocieTy - Thursday 14th may 2015. BLS co-hosted and i chaired the meeting with senior partners of local law firms,
whereby catherine shared her 20/20 strategy for the national Law Society. it was a useful opportunity for Birmingham and the region’s law firms to express their views and help shape The Law Society’s strategy.
• BLS PreSidenT’S cLay ShooTinG cuP – friday 15Th May 2015 – my first event, six teams of four participated in the clay pigeon shoot, which was sponsored by fieldsports specialist retailer w horton & Sons and car dealership Stratstone. we raised £1,065.00 for the chosen charity of Tiny Babies, Big appeal. more information to follow in this publication.
This proved a great networking event for our members and their clients and raised much-needed funds for a fantastic cause. it is now set to become a regular on the BLS social calendar.
• LiTiGanTS in PerSonS reSearch - i had a meeting with professor Lee and professor Sommerlad, University of Birmingham – Tuesday 19th may 2015. i met them (and Linden Thomas – chair of BLS pro-bono committee and Board member) to discuss progress on this original piece of research. i am pleased to report that a number of next steps, timescales were agreed to accelerate progress on this vital piece of research. The findings will provide much needed reliable facts/evidence on the impact of the legal aid cuts on access to justice.
nexT MonThS’ evenTS• Magna carta – 800th anniversary celebratory event - Thursday, 18 June 2015 – The great hall, University of Birmingham. This year marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of the magna carta. There are a number of events taking place across the country and the high Sheriff of west midlands, Jonnie Turpie is hosting with the support of the Birmingham chamber of commerce and Birmingham Law Society a celebratory event to mark the occasion. The keynote speaker at the event will be Joshua rozenberg and The rt hon Lady Justice macur DBE, i shall also be addressing the guests. i hope that you will be able to attend this key legal event along with 400 other guests expected to attend.
• Summer Joint event – 25th June 2015 at the Jam house. This is a firm favourite event, which Birmingham Law Society co-hosts with BSg and BTSS.
• charity abseil in aid of The Birmingham women’s hospital Tiny Babies, Big appeal – Saturday 27 June 2015. Birmingham Law Society will be holding a charity abseil event in aid of the Tiny Babies, Big appeal. The abseil will take place at the hospital in Edgbaston from an approximate height of 80ft. all funds raised will support the charity in order to purchase a panda resuscitaire machine for the neonatal unit at a cost of £13,987.80. The hospital requires this life-saving mobile unit for babies who need breathing support. This promises to be a really enjoyable day. please do support by attending and circulating to your firm and networks.
chariTy uPdaTe - Tiny BaBieS, BiG aPPeaLit has been a great start, although we are not past the 30th day (whilst writing this), we have raised £5,070.00. our target is £13,987.80 to purchase the panda resusitaire ventilation machine. i take this opportunity to personally thank our past president martin allsopp and his practice allsopp and co Solicitors for their donation of £4,000.00, thank you.
finaLLyfollowing my request for support/votes for James Neale, a Senior Solicitor at Dwf in Birmingham, his dad and two brothers, they were successfully put through to the finals in the Britain’s got Talent tv show on Thursday 28th may (So we are responsible for playing our part in that!). on behalf of Birmingham Law Society, i wish The Neales the best of luck for the future.
That’s all for now – thank you for reading/supporting. n
President’s ReportmUShTaQ KhaN | prESiDENT | BirmiNgham Law SociETy
as i write this report the dust from the unexpected general election result is still settling. The Queen’s Speech on the 27th may set out the new government’s plans. for lawyers, of particular interest will be the EU referendum, replacement of the human rights act and the new investigatory powers Bill.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 5
To register visit www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk or email office on [email protected]
6 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
a new survey has revealed that 69% of commercial litigators
have incurred costs over and above the agreed level - but
just 11% have made an application to revise the agreed costs
budget upwards.
Just costs Solicitors surveyed 912 commercial litigation
partners at the UK’s top 200 law firms.
commenting on the findings, paul Shenton, managing Director
at Just costs Solicitors said: “This research suggests that the
majority of solicitors (89%) are either unaware that a mechanism
exists for budgets to be revised or believe that any such application
will automatically fail so there is no point in pursuing it.
“It is very difficult for solicitors to recover an over spend without
applying to revise the approved costs budget upwards.
“If clients are paying win or lose, this is a potential professional
negligence issue - and if law firms are limited to what they
recover then they are effectively working for free.”
other findings from the survey were as follows:
• Have you prepared a Precedent H costs budget which has
subsequently been either approved by the court or agreed
between the parties?
yes – 73%
No – 27%
Said paul Shenton: “Costs management is playing an increasingly
important role in litigation. The proportion of solicitors who have had
an involvement in costs management increases every time a survey
is released. It cannot be too long before 100% of commercial litigators
will report that they have been involved in a case where a costs
budget was approved by the Court or agreed between the parties.”
• Where a costs budget is approved or agreed do you then
monitor the costs you incur to ensure you remain within the
budget for each phase of litigation?
yes – 100%
No – 0%
Said paul Shenton: “Courts have sent a number of stark warnings
to lawyers that a failure to conduct litigation within the confines
of the budget is going to result in a proportion of the costs being
irrecoverable between the parties.
“The fact that every one of the respondents has confirmed that
they monitor their ongoing costs indicates that solicitors are
aware of the need to ensure that litigation is conducted within the
budgeted amount.
“However, if solicitors are monitoring their costs on an ongoing
basis, there are obviously flaws in the process due to the
overspend in so many cases.”
• If you have had to revise upwards an approved / agreed costs
budget, what was the reason for the over spend?
Significant developments in litigation – 60%
Simple overspend – 10%
Both – 30%
Said paul Shenton: “The Rules imply that a revision will only be
permitted where there have been significant developments in the
litigation. The fact that 90% of cases where an upwards revision
was agreed involved significant developments bears this out.” n
Just Costs Solicitors is the UK’s leading Solicitors’ Practice specialising
in Costs and is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
fEaTUrE
Commercial Litigation Costs survey69% of commercial litigators have incurred costs over and above the agreed ordered Budget level... but just 11% have made an application to revise the agreed costs budget upwards.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 7
8 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
fEaTUrE
The government Digital
Service (gDS) is leading the
digital transformation of UK
government, with a digital by
default remit. increasingly we
expect everything to be available
online.
already much of how we interact
with the taxman either is or can
be online. other government
departments and agencies are
catching up, with varying levels
of success.
The Good
gDS has just come to the end
of its initial period during which
a number of exemplars were
tasked with introducing a digital
service, the gDS reported that register to Vote has seen 4.3
million registrations. your tax account has 1.5 million users.
more than 70,000 drivers view their licence information online
each month and renew a patent online has seen a digital take-
up of 94%.
in fact, a record-breaking 469,000 people registered to vote
online in one day for the 2015 general election - as the deadline
closed on 20 april.
The online Lasting power of attorney service has gone from
no online presence to 15% of Lpas created using the online
service and a 90% satisfaction rating for this brand new service
in 18 months. a fantastic result considering the average age of a
person making an Lpa is 80 years old.
The Bad
contrast that good news with the experience of Legal aid lawyers
trying to get to grips with ccmS, which becomes mandatory
from october this year. The Legal aid agency say ccmS is an
online system for civil and family legal aid providers and others
assigned to work on their cases. The Legal action group say
although some £31m of public money has been spent on ccmS
over the past three years, it is not a bespoke product, designed
to meet the needs of providers or clients. Some reports put a
much higher figure on the cost.
at its recent conference Jo Edwards, chair of the family group
resolution said the system continues to be unstable... users
can’t keep a record of what they’ve actually submitted... it is so
slow, it can take 3 times as long as the paper process.
The similarly beleaguered
rural payments agency
(rpa), an executive agency
of DEfra, spent £154 million
on a mandatory digital basic
payments scheme, but due
to significant ‘performance
problems’ they will revert
to paper forms. apart from
registering, farmers will not be
asked to enter any further data
online now. a select committee
criticized the agency for not
paying enough attention to the
needs of the users. The system
features a painfully slow digital
mapping tool, with a high
proportion of users based in
areas with no broadband access.
The fuTure
it is telling that the projects showing broad success have been
built in an agile way. Small teams supported by gDS releasing
iterations of their solutions, with real users trying it out along
the way. compare this to the big spend, big bang projects like
ccmS and rpa basic payment scheme where little to nothing is
seen until significant cash has been spent.
returning to the speech made by Jo Edwards, she said my
message to the Legal aid agency today is simple – just because
something works for you, doesn’t mean that it works.
gDS recently looked back over the last two years’ transformation.
They emphasised User needs, not government needs. “we’ve
done it by putting the user needs first.”
The difference might be something already well understood
by those who sell digital services to customers – rather than
mandating its use, the key is user engagement. it isn’t possible
to build the right digital service without working closely with
those who will use the service. and that doesn’t mean providing
updates and presentations about what you are building, it
means working with users on every step of the journey.
for this to work it needs users to get involved. we are all busy,
but think of the often used argument for voting: if you don’t take
part, can you really complain that you don’t like the outcome? n
Sally Danby
product manager
advanced Legal
Getting engagedThe good, the bad and the future of The government Digital Service.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 9
10 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
iN picTUrES
Hot Shot Lawyers
Birmingham Law Society held its inaugural president’s Shooting
cup at hereford and worcester Shooting ground (hwSg),
raising £1,065 for charity.
Six teams of four participated in the clay pigeon shoot, which was
sponsored by fieldsports specialist retailer w horton & Sons and car
dealership Stratstone.
The brainchild of BLS’s new president, mushtaq Khan, the
competition began with breakfast and concluded at 4pm with a
trophy presentation. There was also an opportunity to test prestige
Jaguar and Land rover cars from Stratstone.
The winning team amassed a score of 106 and was captained by BLS
chairman chris owen, with Brendan Dawson of Qdos Underwriting,
Jeremy cornwall, of Bell cornwall recruitment and David moore,
mTa Taylor moore LLp, making up the quartet.
The runner’s up were Team freeths (97 points), Team Dwf (89
points), Team Jonas roy Bloom (86 points), Team No5 chambers
(78 points) and Team BLS (75 points). David moore of mTa Taylor
moore LLp won the individual quick-fire round and a prize of £100.
The proceeds of the auction of a tweed jacket donated by w horton &
sons, a Land rover experience from Stratstone, a clay pigeon shoot
by hwSg and an overnight stay with champagne and chocolates
from hotel du Vin, were donated to the Birmingham women’s hospital
Tiny Babies, Big appeal charity, which supports the care of sick and
premature babies and their families across the west midlands and is
BLS’s charity for the year. The charity is seeking to purchase a £14,000
live-saving mobile unit for babies requiring breathing support.
mr Khan said: “This proved a great networking event for our members
and their clients and raised much-needed funds for a fantastic cause.
It is now set to become a regular on the BLS social calendar.” n
Team no5 chambers: Mugni islam-choudhury, nick cobill and abdul hafeez, and– no5 chambers, omer Simjee – irwin Mitchell, Phil clarke – worcester and hereford Shooting Ground
Team BLS: kevin horton – horton & Sons, Liz dziergas – Birmingham Law Society, Mushtaq khan - President Birmingham Law Society, kim Greville – Stratstone Land rover, Phil clarke – whSG
Team Jonas roy Bloom: kevin hogan – whSG, will nicoll - nicoll investments, Ben henry - Jonas roy Bloom, dan clay - clay and associates, andrew nugent Smith - wragge Lawrence Graham
Team freeths: richard Beverly - freeths, kevin Byrne – whSG, Leanne fryer - freeths, Marcus hook – finance Birmingham, and andrew osborne - real estate investors PLc
Team dwf: ron Braithwaithe – whSG, roger coates, caroline coates - dwf LLP, dave Southwell - Zurich, dan Burman - cogent elliot
winning Team owen: kevin hogan – whSG, Brendan dawson – Qdos underwriting, kevin Byrne – whSG, chris owen (chair Birmingham Law Society), david Moore – MTa Moore, Jeremy cornwall – Bell cornwall
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 11
ThE EcJ has handed down judgement on the meaning of
“establishment” in the EU collective redundancies Directive.
it held, overruling USDAW v Ethel Austin Limited (“woolworths
case”) that the duty to consult over collective redundancies
is triggered where employers propose to make 20 or more
redundancies within 90 days, per establishment (or “local
employment unit”) not overall in the business.
in 2013 i sent out an e-shot and gave a seminar on the
significance of the decision in USDAW v Ethel Austin Ltd
[2013] UKEaT/0547/12/KN, offering my prediction that the EU’s
employment friendly EcJ would support its conclusion that
s. 188, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act
1992 failed implement the EU Collective Redundancies Directive
(No.98/59) properly.
The EaT had held that the words “at one establishment” in s.
188 did not originate from the Directive and were not debated
in parliament. applying Ghaidan v Godin Mendoza [2004] 2 ac
557, the EaT held that it was obliged to go as far as possible
to purposively construct s. 188 and comply with the Directive.
consequently, the EaT deleted the words “at one establishment”
from section 188 as a matter of construction. This, in one fell
swoop, extended the right of collective consultation, or in its
absence a protective award, to significantly more employees
than previously as the question became whether there were 20
employees or more in aggregate being made redundant across
all sites, not in one site.
The advocaTe GeneraL’S oPinion
on the court of appeal’s referral to the EcJ, there was some
glimmer of hope when the advocate general’s opinion on
5 february 2015 concluded that “establishment” must be
construed in the same way throughout the Directive and meant
“the local employment unit to which the redundant employees are
assigned to carry out their duties.” further, the “local employment
unit” was a matter of fact to be determined by national courts.
his view was that the UK had correctly implemented the Directive.
while it was open to national governments to make collective
redundancy obligation apply where the total redundancies in
aggregate are 20 or more, this was going beyond the Directive.
at this point i started selling off shares in my original prediction!
ecJ ruLinG
Upsetting the UKip narrative on Europe’s overregulation, the
EcJ held that where a business comprises several undertakings,
“establishment” refers to that entity where the redundant workers
are assigned to carry out their duties - that is, their local place
of work. This reverses removes the significant burden placed
on employers by the original ruling, which extended collective
consultation dramatically.
whether the stores in the woolworths case are one
“establishment” has been referred back to the court of appeal
to determine, it being a matter for the national courts to consider.
PracTice PoinT
while the court of appeal is yet to rule on the facts of the
woolworths case, large employers considering making
redundancies across a number of sites are likely to be safe
treating each site separately for the purposes of considering
their collective redundancy obligations without needing to
aggregate the total employees.
Those employers currently undertaking collective consultation
on the law as it previously stood should seek specific advice. n
12 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
fEaTUrE
the establishment strikes Backiqbal looks at the recent decision in the woolworths case affecting collective consultation on redundancies.
iQBaL mohammED | ST phiLipS chamBErS
14 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
for the first time pensions
and property have become
equally important assets in
divorce settlements, with pensions
likely to become increasingly
so as more people begin to
understand the often significant
sums of money they involve.
This upwards trend has been
noted by Equiniti, the UK’s
largest pension administrator,
who has seen a significant
increase in pension valuations
as a result of divorce over
the past couple of years.
Equiniti expects the number
of valuations to increase
even further due to:
• the greater awareness of the
value of pensions following
the new pension freedoms;
• the ability to sell an
annuity for cash; and
• the recent Supreme Court
ruling (wyatt vs Vince) which
could see thousands of ex-
wives and husbands pursuing
their former spouse for money
(and pensions) years after
they divorce, if no financial
order was established at the
time of divorce. (*in 2012,
it was estimated that over
50,000 divorces (45%) had
no financial order in place, a
figure that has been increasing
over the last decade).
paul Sturgess, director of strategy
and pensions administration,
Equiniti, said; “Although the
pension reforms back in the 1990s
were expected to increase the
importance of a pension as an
asset at divorce, this did not initially
materialise. However, in recent
years awareness of the significant
financial value of pensions has
risen, and as a result they are
increasingly being assessed as
an asset at divorce. This spike is
likely to be further fuelled by the
current focus on pensions, which
has highlighted the value of both
defined contribution and final
salary schemes. The Supreme
Court ruling is likely to also have a
further knock on effect, prompting
many divorcees to revisit the fact
that no Financial Order was put
in place at the time of divorce.
Nevertheless, not everyone fully
understands the asset value of
their pension and it could be a
rude surprise for a divorcee if an
ex-spouse was the source of this
financial education years later.” n
pENSioNS Now aS imporTaNT aS propErTy iN DiVorcE SETTLEmENTS aND LiKELy To iNcrEaSE fUrThEr
LEgaL NEwS
David cameron has put
immigration firmly on the
agenda as one of the priorities
of the new government with
plans announced to adopt
a ‘tough but fair’ approach
to illegal workers.
But measures which include
plans to seize the wages of
workers highlight the fact that
employers need to be clear
as to the law when employing
workers from outside the EU.
“Statistics show that
foreign workers contribute
billions of pounds to the
UK economy,” comments
Simon Bond, an expert in
Employment law at midlands’
law firm, higgs & Sons.
“Many British businesses rely
EmpLoyErS UrgED To SEEK LEgaL aDVicE oN migraNTS
on the skills of people from
around the world to fill roles
that are not currently being
met by British workers.
“But employers need to be
mindful that if they pay wages to
illegal migrants they are breaking
the law, and could face fines of
£20,000 per illegal worker.”
and he urges all employers
of non-EU nationals to seek
legal advice on the ever-
changing complexities of
employment legislation. n
couples are urged to make
sure they have a will
after millionaire comedian rik
mayall died without a valid
will, leaving his wife with only
a part share of his estate and
his children with a tax bill.
Under the law, dying intestate
- that is dying without a valid will -
means your estate may be subject
to a punishing tax bill, resulting
in your children having to pay
40% tax on everything passing
to them above the £325,000
inheritance tax threshold.
Dying intestate may also mean
your husband, wife or civil partner
may not receive everything
you strived to make while you
were alive - purely because
you did not make a will.
plus the taxman could take a slice
of anything passing to the children.
mayall, 56, star of The young
ones and Bottom, died in June
last year after a heart attack
outside his London home,
leaving behind his wife of 29
years and three children.
gary rycroft, solicitor and
member of the Law Society’s
wills committee, said couples
should ensure they have a
valid will to best structure the
passing on of their estate and
make the most of the available
inheritance tax allowances.
“This is another sad example of
what happens when you fail to
plan for the future,” said gary.
“Simply making a will can ensure
your loved ones do not have to pay
inheritance tax if one of you dies.
“Under UK law, if one person
dies, their estate automatically
transfers to their spouse or civil
partner and there is no chance of
the Government getting its hands
on money and assets you have
worked all your life to secure.
“If you are married or in a civil
partnership and do not leave
a valid will the first £250,000
in your estate passes to your
spouse or partner, the rest
is split half to your spouse or
partner and half to the children.
“Assets passing to a spouse
or civil partner are not liable to
inheritance tax, assets passing
to children are liable, subject
to any allowance available”
“The message is clear, speak
to a solicitor and make a will
sooner rather than later.” n
maKE a wiLL aND DoDgE aN aVoiDaBLE TaX BiLL
course List: June - July 2015
course highlights
please see our website for further seminars: www.birminghamlawsociety.co.ukTelephone: Liz Dziergas, Professional services executive on 0121 227 8701 Email: [email protected]
Solicitors’ Accounts Rules Refresher - Half day session (June 2015)
Date: wednesday 16 June 2015
Time: 9:00 registration & light breakfast, 9:30 - 12:30 seminar
Venue: Shoosmith, 2 colmore Square, 38
Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6BJ
CPD: 3 hours cPd
Fees: Member fee for fee earners: £99 + vaT,
Member fee Support Staff: £55 + vaT,
non-Member fee for fee earners: £120 + vaT, non-
Member fee Support Staff: £75 + vaT
Speaker: Linda Lambert
The winds of change are a blowing (to misquote?) in particular within
The Solicitors regulation authority (Sra) and more significantly with
in the Sra’s accounts rules. These were substantially updated in
2011 bringing in new roles and there have been further significant
changes ever since; in particular with residual balances and the
accountant’s report following consultations with in the profession and
other professional bodies with vested interests in our profession.
Due to the new roles of compliance officers, which started in 2012,
a thorough knowledge of the rules to ensure breaches, if any, are
identified has become even more significant. Such knowledge needs
to be applied to ensure identification and proper rectification of any
breaches that may occur, so that a firm may become fully compliant
with all of the legal obligations faced by the legal profession.
This half day course is for those looking for a renewal and brush up
of their knowledge of the main Sra accounts rules and in particular
those areas where breaches may occur. The main topics are:
• Client Account, Client Money and use of Client Account
• Interest Rules
• Bank Reconciliations
• Bills and Disbursements
• Accounting Systems and Central
• Accountant’s Report
Speaker: Linda Lambert lives and works in the west midlands
where she came to read accountancy at Birmingham University.
after obtaining her degree she then worked in the banking and
financial sector and as a trainee chartered accountant before joining
the legal profession some 28 years ago. Linda has in her career
worked as a sole Legal cashier for a small city practice, a finance
manager for a 14 partner provincial firm and as a practice manager
before working freelance. She has experience of accounts systems
from hand written to computerised and has been responsible
for introducing new systems in the practices she has worked in,
in particular dealing with management information and credit
control. Linda has trained as a lecturer for further education and is
currently the institute of Legal finance and management (iLfm)’s
lecturer in The Solicitors regulation authority’s accounts rules,
and financial management in a Legal firm as well as working as
a freelance Legal cashier, in Birmingham and countrywide. Linda
has also acted as a consultant for a two partner firm of solicitors
in worcestershire, and in a medium sized worcestershire practice
in the risk and compliance Department. in addition she presents
tailored in house training for fee earners and support staff for
several well-known national and international firms, which can also
include ad hoc advice with regard to specific Sra rules issues.
Pain for Lawyers. A Psychiatric Perspective.
Date: Thursday 2 July 2015
Time: 15:40 registration, 16:00 - 17.30 Seminar
Venue: clarke willmott, 138 edmund Street, Birmingham
CPD: 1.5 hours cPd accredited by the Sra
Fees: £35 + vat for members, £45 + vat for non-members
Speaker: dr Peter Jenkins
Date Time cpD hrs course Title area Speakers fees £ members Non members
16/06/2015 9:00 - 12:30 3 solicitors’ Accounts Rules Refresher -
Half day session (June 2015) Regulatory Linda Lambert £99 + VAt £120 + VAt
support staff: £55 + VAt support staff: £75 + VAt
02/07/2015 8:30 - 12:00 3 excellent Client Care for newly Qualified Management Candy Bowman £99 +VAt £115 + VAt
02/07/2015 15:30 - 17:30 2 Pain for Lawyers. A Psychiatric Perspective. expert witness Dr Peter Jenkins £35 + VAt £45 + VAt
08/07/2015 8:30 - 12:00 3 Developing your conveyancing business - Marketing Keith Harper £99 + VAt £115 + VAt
marketing for the future
09/07/2015 8:30 - 12:00 3 Building a profitable Private Client practice Marketing Keith Harper £99 + VAt £115 + VAt
16/07/2015 9:00 - 17:30 7 Management Course stage 1 Management Doug Robinson £170 + VAt £210 +VAt
Learning & DevelopmentProfessional Services
BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY
16 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 17
The seminar provides a psychiatric perspective upon
pain and delegates will learn the differences between
acute and chronic pain and their management.
The bio-psycho-social model of pain is described with a focus
upon “chronic” pain: both long standing pain (duration) and
chronic pain syndromes (such as conversion disorder, somatisation
disorders and abnormal illness behaviour) will be addressed from
a psychiatric perspective. The role of psychiatric conditions such
as depression in influencing pain perception and behaviour will be
discussed. Unusual pain syndromes such as complex regional
pain Syndrome crpS will be briefly described. management
approaches to chronic pain syndromes will be discussed.
Delegates are encouraged to pose questions when
registering for this event which will form the basis for an
interactive discussion of these complex issues.
Dr Jenkins has wide experience of pain and the interface
of physical and psychiatric conditions having published
articles in a variety of illness states and worked in a pain
management programme. his time is provided ‘pro-bono’.
Delegates are encouraged to submit questions in advance if
possible and a Q&a type conclusion will end the seminar.
Speaker: Dr peter Jenkins is approved under Section 12
of The mental health act 1983 as having special expertise
in diagnosis of mental illness since 1987. he was also an
elected member of the welsh Division of the royal college of
psychiatrists Executive committee and the college’s Deputy
Developing your conveyancing business - marketing for the future
Date: wednesday, 8 July 2015
Time: 8.30 registration, 9.00 – 12.00 Seminar
Venue: St Philips chambers, 55 Temple row, Birmingham, B2 5LS
CPD: 3 hours
Fees: Members £99 + vaT non-Members £115 + vaT
Speaker: keith harper
against the background of the worst recession since the war, and the
changing competitive environment developing in the wake of the Legal
Services act, this course provides an overview of how to develop
and implement a marketing strategy to maximise the potential of
residential conveyancing work in your firm. Now is the time to act!
Key areas covered are:
• The market post-recession, and positioning your practice within
the changing environment – the options ands strategies available.
• Your changing clients – structuring your department, and the
service provided to meet their needs. pricing and creating value
• Creating contact with potential clients, and maximising returns
from quotations
• Maximising the potential of the web, and making the most of
marketing communication
• Referral sources – building relevant and successful business relationships
• Creating a departmental marketing plan – making it happen
Speaker: Keith harper, B.Soc Sc. f.c.i.m. is managing Director
of harper professional and our primary programme Director,
delivering management and business skills training and advice
to our clients. he is an economics graduate of the University of
Birmingham, a fellow of the chartered institute of marketing,
and a member of the Law Society Law management Section.
after many years in senior management roles in commerce
and industry, Keith became a Director of a large legal training
provider, now part of the Bpp group. in this role, whilst
developing management development programmes for solicitors
and delivering public and in-house courses, he gained a real
insight into how to apply management ideas and techniques
to the legal profession. in order to focus more tightly on legal
management issues, Keith set up The harper partnership in 1999,
which evolved in to harper professional in January 2005.
Despite a busy professional life, Keith is an intermittent triathlete/
marathon runner, plays the clubs and pubs of Staffordshire in a rock
band, and spends a lot of time standing on the sidelines at various
football, netball, hockey, tennis, trampolining and dancing events
cheering his three daughters on (and offering constructive feedback!).
Building a profitable Private Client practice
Date: Thursday, 9 July 2015
Time: 8.30 registration, 9.00 – 12.00 Seminar
Venue: St Philips chambers, 55 Temple row, Birmingham, B2 5LS
CPD: 3 hours
Fees: Members £99 + vaT non-Members £115 + vaT
Speaker: keith harper
against the background of economic uncertainty, following the
recession, and the changing competitive environment in the
wake of the Legal Services act, it has never been more important
for a private client department to have a robust marketing
strategy. firms which do not plan effectively and implement well-
thought out marketing and business development activities will
be under threat. This course provides an overview of how to
develop and implement a marketing and management strategy
to maximise the potential of private client work in your firm.
Key areas covered are:
• The market and opportunity for Private Client work.
• Positioning your practice: Who are your target clients? What will
they expect? Structuring your department to meet their needs.
• Price vs. service and reputation: understanding the balance.
• Existing Clients – the power of Wills.
• Referral sources: Targeting and managing key external sources and
internal referrers (cross selling). Building business relationships.
• Promotion and communication: web-sites, advertising,
literature, pr, articles, seminars, marketing initiatives.
• Creating a plan and making it happen
Speaker: Keith harper, B.Soc Sc. f.c.i.m. is managing Director
of harper professional and our primary programme Director,
delivering management and business skills training and advice
to our clients. he is an economics graduate of the University of
Birmingham, a fellow of the chartered institute of marketing,
and a member of the Law Society Law management Section.
after many years in senior management roles in commerce
and industry, Keith became a Director of a large legal training
provider, now part of the Bpp group. in this role, whilst
developing management development programmes for solicitors
and delivering public and in-house courses, he gained a real
insight into how to apply management ideas and techniques
to the legal profession. in order to focus more tightly on legal
management issues, Keith set up The harper partnership in 1999,
which evolved in to harper professional in January 2005.
full details of all our seminars are advertised on our website and regular emailers are sent out to our members. we are currently in the process of confirming further seminars,
debates and conferences; if you have any specific training requirements or would like to suggest future topics, please do email me at [email protected]
please see our website for further seminars: www.birminghamlawsociety.co.ukTelephone: Liz Dziergas, Professional services executive on 0121 227 8701 Email: [email protected]
18 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Despite a busy professional life, Keith is an intermittent triathlete/
marathon runner, plays the clubs and pubs of Staffordshire in a rock
band, and spends a lot of time standing on the sidelines at various
football, netball, hockey, tennis, trampolining and dancing events
cheering his three daughters on (and offering constructive feedback!).
Management Course Stage One (MC1) July 2015
Date: Thursday, 16 July 2015
Time: registration: 9.00am, Seminar: 9.30 - 17:00
Venue: Shoosmiths, 2 colmore Square, 38 Queensway,
Birmingham, west Midlands B4 6BJ
CPD: 7 hours
Fee: Members £170 + vaT non-Members £210 + vaT
Speaker: doug robinson
Note From SRA: What happens about persons
who must be qualified to supervise?
persons who must be ‘qualified to supervise’, for example, sole
practitioners, managers of authorised bodies, supervisors of those
who undertake reserved work are still required to undertake at least
12 hours of management skills training under rule 12 of our Sra
practice framework rules 2011. This means that people who hold
roles demanding these specific management responsibilities will still
be under a regulatory obligation to undertake management training.
This may be satisfied by completing mcS1 and 2, but other courses
providing management skills training will also satisfy this requirement.
Why this MC1?
you will get a clear understanding of:
• the challenges facing law firms in the current economic climate;
• law firm finances, in a way that will help you understand how
your actions affect profit and cash flow;
• how you can change your behaviour to contribute more
effectively to your firm’s performance and financial results;
• how you can help your firm to develop a competitive advantage; and
• an update on any key changes affecting law firm regulation
and the code of conduct.
The course features a realistic law firm simulation allowing participants
to see exactly how changing fee earner behaviour impacts on profit
and cashflow and how to apply that learning back in the workplace.
Course Content: The day is split into three sections
covering core elements of the Sra’s syllabus:
Managing Finance
• Business planning – getting the big decisions right
• Key Performance indicators
• Funding and solvency – debt or equity?
• Understanding profit and improving the bottom line
• Controlling costs
• Working capital control and cashflow – how to reduce your lock up
Managing Clients
• Understanding what motivates clients
• Delivering what clients want in the way they want it
• The retainer, and solicitors’ professional obligations
• Organising client relationships effectively
Managing People
• Delegation and managing other people’s work
• Effective teamwork and decision-making processes
• How to get the most from a meeting
• Motivation and performance appraisal
Using a model firm, participants will assess the impact of management
decisions, develop their own approach to good management, and
share ideas on current best practice. The course will also cover
a refresher of key relevant obligations in the code of conduct.
Key Outcomes
as a result of attending the course, participants will be able to:
• appreciate the importance of planning;
• understand financial data and key performance indicators;
• act confidently on information contained in financial reports;
• recognise what impresses clients and eradicate what upsets them;
• organise their relationships with clients to deliver great service;
• delegate more effectively; and
• manage meetings and make decisions which lead to improved
performance.
Speaker: Doug robinson is a Director of Kinch robinson Limited,
the accredited course provider. he is a chartered accountant who
has worked exclusively in the field of professional development
since 2003. Doug teaches management course Stage 1 and 2,
pSc financial and Business Skills and a range of other financial
and management courses aimed specifically at lawyers in practice.
his clients include top 50 UK law firms, regional firms and local
Law Societies. he is a consultant to the University of Law,
regularly delivering training on public and in-house courses.
if this is a compulsory course for you, please ensure you attend
for the full day to comply with Sra requirements. participants
cannot claim for attending the course if they arrive late or leave
early. if the Sra ask whether a participant has attended the
course, notes of arrival and departure times will be passed on to
them; so please ensure that you arrive at the venue on time.
if you arrive late or have to leave early you may
be required to repeat the course.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 19
The scale of the threat facing law firms was highlighted in
a feature in the Daily Telegraph on 16 may - recommended
reading for all who can trace it. having successfully hacked
into emails shortly before completion between the vendor
and his solicitors, the fraudsters, using the vendor’s email
address, sent amended banking details to his solicitors,
thereby diverting the sale funds to them on completion. The
bank refunded most of the monies but the dispute as to the
liability of the law firm for the remainder was one of the issues
reported in the piece, with the firm concerned claiming not to
have been responsible for the outstanding losses.
Those responsible for the iT systems within their firms
would be well advised to read a highly critical report by the
information commissioner dated 5 august 2014, written
mostly from the perspective of the harm done to clients
through failure to manage data securely. The main thrust
of this report is that encryption should be used on a much
greater scale than at present, and that data should not be
regarded as being sufficiently protected if a device is merely
passworded, given the availability of software programmes
that will unscramble such codes. we seem to have forgotten
what was said in the earlier days of email usage, that sending
an unprotected email was rather akin to sending a postcard
through the postal system. we have resorted instead to
gaining the client’s consent to the use of email in our terms
of business documentation and a confidentiality notice in
our footers: the first will probably prove to be ineffective in
the eyes of the information commissioner and the second is
hardly likely to deter fraudsters.
on a more general level it will be useful to consult the
government’s “cyber Essentials Scheme” containing
guidance on the basic controls expected from the adoption of
“strong” passwords, and changing them at regular intervals,
to the safe configuration of firewalls and network devices for
detecting malware and spam messages. whether on economic
grounds or other, the firm that chooses to outsources these
functions must be responsible for the vetting any such agency,
a requirement of the code of conduct at o (7.10) in any event.
meanwhile, at an operational level, it would be well worth
ensuring that all members of the conveyancing department
are well aware of the risks of fraudulent intercept. other
reported forms include:
• fraudsters purporting to be solicitors acting on the sale
of a property, dealing with bona fide purchasers who are
represented by conveyancers unaware of the scam, who
cannot be traced once they have received the purchase
proceeds (see Davisons v Nationwide Building Society [2012]
Ewca 1626 and Santander UK PLC v R A Legal Solicitors
[2014] Ewca civ 183; and
• acting in conjunction with dishonest estate agents who
are able to tip the fraudsters off as to completion details
intervening at a late stage of a transaction and claiming now
to be acting for vendor or purchaser through a bogus firm
operation with a view to intercepting the sale proceeds or the
mortgage advance.
Taking all of this into account, perhaps one of the most
important amendments to the office manual now is one
requiring any late change of the other party’s representatives
or the banking details in any form of transaction to be brought
to the supervisor’s attention and then questioned by the firm
directly and robustly. n
Jayne Willetts is also a director of
Infolegal - a law firm compliance and
risk management consultancy. Infolegal
subscribers can now download the second
edition of the Solicitors Office Procedures Manual by Matthew
Moore and Vicky Ling in advance of its publication and can also
access a range of detailed guidance notes and factsheets on
these topics and many others. www.infolegal.co.uk.
JayNE wiLLETTS | SoLiciTor aDVocaTE | JayNE wiLLETTS & co | SpEciaLiSTS iN profESSioNaL rEgULaTioN
tHe GRowinG RisKs of CyBeRCRiMe
The growing practice of email intercepts and the significant losses that have ensued through fraudsters hacking into e-mail exchanges has been in the news of late. The risks here are considerable and growing. Law firms - especially those with exposure to transactional work such as conveyancing - are often small businesses lacking in sophisticated iT departments, but handling substantial amounts of money during numerous transactions. fraudsters, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their operations and have access to software programmes that enable them to scan thousands of communications for the transaction and financial details they require.
rEgULaTioN rEporT
20 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
mEmBErS’ NEwS
No5 chambers has
been shortlisted for
chambers of the year in the
prestigious annual awards run
by The Lawyer magazine.
The set, which boasts more than
240 barristers and 28 silks, is the
current holder of the chambers
of the year title and this year is
up against seven other firms in
The Lawyer’s 2015 awards.
The shortlist of finalists for all
26 categories was unveiled on
Tuesday and the winners will be
announced at a black tie awards
ceremony on June 23 at The
grosvenor house hotel in London.
practice director Tony mcDaid
said of the nomination: “We
are absolutely thrilled to
once again be nominated
for this prestigious award.
“We are incredibly proud
to again have our work
recognised, as well as being
encouraged that our credentials
are really starting to position
us a leading national set.”
in September 2013 No5
launched its own pioneering
not-for-profit referral company
NoVate Direct Legal Solutions.
Despite only being in existence
for 18 months, NoVate has
accepted more than 300 cases.
No5 endeavours to engage with
the communities it serves, recently
raising more than £85,000 for
marie curie, and this year looking
to raise money for the child Brain
injury Trust with its glittering
Strictly come Dancing style
event to be held next month. n
No5 ShorTLiSTED for NaTioNaL awarD
our chairman chris owen has
been the chairman of the
School governors at chandos
primary School in highgate for
the past 4 years, prior to which
he and some staff at St philips
chambers used to visit the
school every friday for an hour
on a “right to read programme”.
This is an essential and rewarding
role which makes a real difference
to the children improving their
reading ability and every volunteer
gets a buzz out of the relationships
that are quickly developed.
chandos have no relationship
with a law firm or chambers
currently and the 480 children at
the school would benefit greatly if
the law society members were to
consider volunteering in this way.
if you are interested please contact
chris in the first instance who will
then put you in touch with the school.
chris can be contacted on caowen@
virginmedia.com or 07540 666014. n
VoLUNTEErS rEQUirED
Estate agency staff understand
the conveyancing process
from a legal point of view thanks
to Law firm seminar. moving home
is often one of the most stressful
times for an individual; finding and
financing a home and the move,
dealing with Estate agents and
solicitors, and understanding the
home moving terminology - can be
a confusing, frustrating and time
consuming process for many.
in an effort to ensure clients
receive the best service from
both Estate agents and solicitors,
QualitySolicitors Talbots held
a seminar on 20th may at the
picturesque Stourbridge golf
club; inviting local estate agents,
its aim was to allow agency
staff to see and understand the
conveyancing process from the
legal point of view, to ensure better
communications and a speedier
process in the transaction for the
most important person – the client.
Said James gwilliams, Director at
the law firm, “I wanted to have a
presentation that was both informal
and informative. Sometimes it’s
beneficial for the Lawyers to see
the home buying process from the
Estate Agency point of view, and
vice versa. Our seminars give Estate
Agents the opportunity to see things
from our perspective, and ask as
many questions as they wanted.
Ultimately, this will ensure the home
buying and selling process is as
smooth as possible for clients.”
more than 48 people attended,
with the majority of local
Estate agents sending staff
to support the event.
“It was a great success. We
will be carrying out more in the
future,” added James. if any
agent is interested in attending
or sending staff to a subsequent
event, please contact James at
QualitySolicitors Talbots. n
coNVEyaNciNg SEmiNar SUccESS
chris whittington – a former
partner at geldards – has
joined Birmingham-based law
firm anthony collins Solicitors
(acS) as head of Education, to
strengthen its education team.
he brings with him a wealth of
practical experience within the
schools and academies sector.
he will work alongside Simon
ramshaw, partner at acS, to
continue the firm’s impressive
growth in this fast-moving sector.
as partner and head of education
at geldards, chris advised schools,
local authorities and public bodies,
as well as church of England
Dioceses, trusts and federations.
previously, he held significant
senior roles in local government,
including head of Legal Services
at Northamptonshire county
council. chris is also chair of
trustees for two church of England
retreat centres in the midlands.
he led a number of academy
conversions in the past – an area
of particular strength for acS
who have supported over 130
academy conversions to date.
he also led the team advising on
the establishment of the church
of England central Education
Trust (cEcET), a unique and
ground-breaking collaborative
vehicle jointly owned by
the diocese of Lichfield, the
diocese of Birmingham and
wolverhampton University.
chriS whiTTiNgToN STrENgThENS ThE EDUcaTioN TEam aT aNThoNy coLLiNS SoLiciTorS
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 21
mEmBErS’ NEwS
The partners will deliver a wide
range of integrated services
through this vehicle to over 260
academies and schools within
the diocese and beyond.
acS now plans to launch a
midlands forum for multi-
academy Trusts (maTs) following
their very successful ‘Voice of
the midlands’ dinner in march
at which both pank patel, the
midlands regional commissioner
and frank green, the National
Schools commissioner,
were guest speakers.
Simon ramshaw said: “Chris’s
appointment strengthens
significantly the ACS offer to
the schools and academies
sector and heralds the next
stage of development for
our education work.” n
Steve allen, head of the
Birmingham office of national
law firm mills & reeve, has
been appointed president of
the British-american Business
council (BaBc) at its annual
conference in New york.
The BaBc, which has its
secretariat in New york, is the
largest transatlantic business
network, with 20 chapters
and more than 2,000 member
companies based in major
business centres throughout North
BirmiNgham LawyEr appoiNTED prESiDENT of BaBc
america and the United Kingdom.
its members include many of the
world’s largest multinationals,
as well as hundreds of middle
market and smaller companies.
mr allen has been involved with the
BaBc as a member of the executive
committee of the Birmingham
chapter since 2007. he has sat on
the BaBc’s executive committee
in New york, as a representative
of all the UK chapters, since
2009 and became vice president
of the organisation in 2013.
mr allen played a pivotal role
in bringing the BaBc’s annual
transatlantic conference to
Birmingham in 2013. more than
300 delegates attended the two-
day event at the international
convention centre, with support
from the greater Birmingham
chamber of commerce and
marketing Birmingham.
he said: “It’s a huge honour to
take up this role at a time when
the US and the EU are exploring
the removal of custom duties
and other restrictions to make it
easier for companies to invest and
get better access to markets.”
During his two-year tenure, mr
allen plans to build on the already
strong trade links between the
UK, USa and canada and in
the process generate more
opportunities for Birmingham
and the west midlands. n
22 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
mEmBErS’ NEwS
committee members
from Birmingham
Solicitors’ group recently
visited Birmingham children’s
University, its nominated charity
for 2014-15, to mark the end
of a fantastic year working
together. over the last year,
the BSg has helped to raise
a total of £3095 for children’s
University which it emphasises
wouldn’t have been possible
without the support of the
Birmingham legal community, its
sponsor robert walters and the
enthusiasm and commitment of
the dedicated team at children’s
University. on behalf of
children’s University, the BSg
would like to thank everyone
who has attended its events
over the last year and helped
to raise this amazing amount.
children’s University is an
extra-curricular programme
which encourages 5-14 year
olds to try new experiences,
develop new skills and discover
unknown talents. at the heart of
its work is the ambition to raise
aspirations, boost achievement
and foster a love of learning so
that young people can make
the most of their abilities and
interests. although open to
all, it aims particularly to reach
children and young people
facing socio-economic and
educational disadvantage and
those with low self-esteem,
confidence and lack of support
to access extra-curricular
activities, including young
carers, home educated and
‘looked after’ children.
as a permanent legacy of their
successful partnership with the
BSg, children’s University have
created the ‘BSg outstanding
achievement award’ which will
be launched at its forthcoming
graduation ceremony in June
and awarded to a child on
an annual basis thereafter.
if you would like further
information about children’s
University, please contact
carolyn Lloyd, children’s
University Strategic manager at
carolyn_childrensUniversity@
centralcutrust.co.uk n
chiLDrEN’S UNiVErSiTy
west Bromwich and
Stratford-upon-avon
law firm clark Brookes
Turner cary has announced a
major sponsorship deal with
halesowen cricket club.
it is to inject a “significant sum” to
help support the Birmingham &
District League Division Two side.
and as part of the package
cBTc will be utilising the facilities
to target a part of the Black
country where it has previously
had only a minimal presence.
The one year rolling deal will
see cBTc hold meetings and
conferences at the ground for
new and prospective clients,
building on the club membership
and associated links. it will be
backing the club with perimeter
board advertising and it will be
holding half a dozen games per
year on the ground to entertain
clients, other firms and contacts.
mr Drew, a residential
conveyancing specialist, has been
a player, coach, and chairman of
penn cricket club, is chairman
of North worcestershire cricket
Development group and holds
Law firm BacKS haLESowEN cricKET cLUB aS parT of growTh pLaN
the volunteer role of legal director
at worcestershire cricket Board,
the local governing body for
the recreational game, looking
to expand cricket participation
across the county, encouraging
the sport in schools, producing
players at club level and
ultimately helping develop the
next generation at worcestershire
county cricket club. in addition
director Neil mocroft is a
worcestershire ccc member.
Three members of the team
still put on their whites –
richard pinning, director, omar
Sadique, head of criminal, and
conveyancing solicitor Jai Najran.
richard Thurston, the partner of
trainee solicitor Leah morgan,
has recently moved to the
area from Suffolk and joined
halesowen as wicket keeper.
it is the first time the firm has
got behind halesowen cc.
The arrangement has been put
together by mr Sadique and
club chairman richard Evans.
The club runs five senior Saturday
teams, two senior Sunday
teams and a youth cricket
section ranging from under
9’s through to under 17’s.
The 1st and 2nd Saturday teams
play in the Birmingham & District
League and the 3rd, 4th and
5th teams in the worcestershire
county League. members of
the extremely popular youth
arm are developed by fully
qualified EcB and licensed
coaches during the summer,
and a winter nets facility. n
george green have
promoted commercial
property lawyer, alex
Jayne Lowe, to partner.
Kevin Styles, head of
commercial property at
george green remarked, “Our
commercial property team
has been a real success story
over the last few years, with
significant growth in its size
and increasing demand for its
services. Alex has played a key
role in the team’s achievements.”
alex acts for clients from
developers through to financial
institutions and undertakes a
significant amount of corporate
support work in addition to more
routine commercial property
transactions. She is a champion
of local community projects and
is governor of a local school,
the corngreaves academy. n
promoTioN aT gEorgE grEEN
Birmingham law firm anthony
collins Solicitors (acS) has
strengthened its partnership
with the promotions of Donna
holmes and David alcock.
Donna is a nationally-renowned
specialist in the legal disciplines
of wills, probates, trusts and
estate planning. Described as
“Brilliant yet down-to-earth” by
chambers UK, she has wide
experience in the legal disciplines
of wills, probate, trusts and
estate planning and court of
protection financial matters.
Since joining acS as a trainee,
Donna has strengthened her
skills, and the support provided
to clients, in stewarding their
assets and managing their
finances to achieve their
long-term family provision,
aNThoNy coLLiNS promoTioNS
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 23
mEmBErS’ NEwS
Two trainees from west
midlands law firm higgs &
Sons have scooped awards.
Katie willems, a trainee in the
corporate and commercial
team, was named Trainee
Solicitor of the year at the
annual Birmingham Law
Society Legal awards, while
iyanu onalaja was recognised
by the Society as one of the
region’s outstanding students
with a Bronze prize.
The Birmingham Law Society
Legal awards have been
showcasing the very best of
the region’s legal talent since
the inaugural event in 2002.
They are a permanent fixture
in the legal and business
calendar, celebrating the
success and achievement
of both individuals and firms
over the last 12 months.
meanwhile iyanu onalaja, a
first year trainee at higgs, was
awarded a Bronze prize by the
Birmingham Law Society.
Each year the Society offers a
number of prizes to trainees who
have passed the Legal practice
course at the first attempt with
either a commendation or a
Distinction. iyanu’s Bronze award
recognises the fact that her marks
were the third highest of all those
submitted for consideration. n
higgS TraiNEES Scoop awarDS
National law firm mills
& reeve has recruited
commercial partner Jayne hussey
to bolster its national offering.
Jayne, previously a commercial
partner in the Birmingham office of
pinsent masons, focuses exclusively
on private sector corporate and
commercial work. She has expertise
in end-to-end supply chain
management projects, outsourcing
arrangements, advising on the
structuring of complex contractual
arrangements, joint ventures
and documenting intra-group
transfer pricing arrangements.
Jayne has particular expertise in
advising businesses operating in
and around the manufacturing
sector. her experience and
reputation will also strengthen a
number of mills & reeve’s key
sectors, including health, education,
food and beverage and technology.
Building a Birmingham commercial
law team has been identified by
mills & reeve as a key component
of increasing growth for the firm
in the midlands, providing much
needed support and strength
in-depth to the recent lateral
hires in the corporate, pensions,
tax and employment teams. n
NEw commErciaL parTNEr aT miLLS & rEEVE
financial and business goals.
David leads acS’s work for
social businesses, including
significant work for cooperatives,
community organisations –
including leading umbrella body
Locality – and social enterprises.
he is a national specialist in
community asset transfer and
the community right to bid,
and has led on major projects
in acS work around the re-
modelling of public services.
David also delivers high-level
governance support to a range
of organisations, including
dealing with board disputes
and constitutional issues.
acS has also promoted gemma
Bell, raj Bhangal and charlotte
measures to senior associates
and David Evison to associate. n
richard Jaffa, one of the
longest serving solicitors
in Birmingham, had a career
before entering the law and
worked as a reporter on the
Daily mail in the 1960s. he
has put that early training
to good effect by editing a
collection of letters written
by famous journalist olga
franklin to her sister (his
mother) Beryl in Birmingham
between 1932 and 1965.
This book has already been
serialised in the Daily mail
and featured in the Newcastle
Evening chronicle and
Birmingham Jewish recorder.
The letters describe in vivid
terms many of the great events
and personalities of the period
in the uninhibited terms that
the two sisters corresponded,
often with the details that were
left out of the newspaper.
in her time olga travelled to
moscow with wolves in the first
trip by a British football team
after the war. She was the first
reporter to meet prince philip
long before he was engaged
to the Queen. Speaking fluent
russian she travelled across
the USa with Nikita Krushchev.
her exclusives included
celebrities from groucho
marx to the Duke of windsor.
These and many other exploits
are described in her letters
including a fall-out with the
Beatles and Nobel Laureate
harold pinter. richard says:
“Knowing a little bit about
the law of libel, i waited until
all the people mentioned
in the book were dead!”
richard was formerly senior
partner of the wilkes partnership
and now works as a consultant
to Dass Solicitors. he has been
a member of the Birmingham
Law Society for over 40 years. n
a LETTEr from oggi
24 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
fEaTUrE
he stayed at the firm until late 1976 when he was approached to
become a barristers clerk in the largest set in Leicester.
in 1988 he was approached to move to London as Senior clerk
and join the chambers at 2 crown office row where the late Sir
Desmond fennell Qc oBE was the head. he was chairing the
Kings cross fire inquiry at the time and was chairman of the
Bar, both roles gave chris an early insight as to the workings of
the Bar at the highest level.
The other leading silk in chambers was igor Judge Qc (as he
then was) who was bound for the high court shortly after chris
arrived! So all chris could do was clerk his returns!
when Lord Judge was made Lord chief Justice it was the
second such appointment from that chambers, the first being
Lord Lane.
chris stayed in chambers (now known as 7 Bedford row) until
his 50th year and twentieth silk appointment, milestones he had
set himself before retiring.
along the way he enjoyed spells as Vice chairman of the Bar pro
Bono Unit, common Law Secretary of the institute of Barristers
clerks. he also sat on a dozen bar council committees and
chaired or was a speaker at several national seminars on
best practice, bar mark, equality and diversity, pro bono and
pupillage.
after a spell as a consultant and legal headhunter chris was
tempted back to the trade and became chief Executive at 11
New Square a chancery commercial chambers who he very
quickly took into a merger with 11 old Square to form what is
now radcliffe chambers.
chris then decided to move back into his consultancy and
headhunting role until he was invited by the senior partner of
a law firm in Bristol to become cEo and manage a merger
with a London firm. alongside that chris was appointed as the
commercial director of aDr group the mediation company, for
whom he opened a London office.
having completed both tasks chris had a further spell in
consultancy before he was invited to join St philips chambers
as cEo in 2009 where he stayed until 2012.
The call of London proved too strong and in 2013 chris moved
back home and was involved in an aBS start up.
in 2014 he was invited to join the leading legal recruitment and
headhunting firm hewetson Shah as a partner where he remains.
you will still see him around Birmingham however as he
continues his three voluntary roles in the city as chairman of the
Board of Directors of the Birmingham Law Society, chairman of
a School governors and since 2012 he has sat on the St philips
cathedral Tercentenary Steering committee.
his daughter Naomi is a well known barrister at No 5 chambers. n
Meet the Board - Chris owen, Chairmanchris started his career in the law as a 5 year articled clerk to the senior partner of a firm in Leicester in 1968.
chris owen
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 25
26 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
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25 June 2015 Summer event with BTSS & BSg The Jam house27 June 2015 abseil charity Event Birmingham women’s hospital23 July 2015 cricket BLS vs wmp Tally ho3 September 2015 annual golf day Nailcote hall hotel 15 September 2015 Networking event TBc7 october 2015 Legal Eagles Quiz Night event with BTSS & BSg TBc22 october 2015 Newly Qualified Event hyatt regency Birmingham3 November 2015 annual pro Bono Event with Baroness Lawrence TBc26 November 2015 president’s Dinner TBc17 march 2016 Networking event TBc21 april 2016 Legal awards 2016 icc26 april 2016 agm TBc
Cricket: Birmingham Law Society vs West Midlands PoliceDate: 23 July 2014 Time: 6:00pm - 9:30pm
Venue: Tally Ho Sports & Conference Centre, Pershore Road, Edgbaston, B5 7RN
Cricket season is upon us - please join the team! But if you are dibbly-dobbly and don’t know your bouncer from your yorker you should still come and join us to support the team!
6.30pm - Cricket game followed by buffet hosted by West Midlands Police If you are interested in playing please visit our website.
EVENTS
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