july/august birmingham 2013 · support staff: £110 + vat support staff: £150 + vat 18-sep-13...
TRANSCRIPT
One Region I One Profession I One Voice
Meet your local solicitor - solihull
July/august2013Birmingham
the Birmingham law society’s Membership Magazine
expert investigations sponsors Bls
the rise of international child abduction
Debt recovery Warning From sra
learning & Development
Birmingham solicitors Group say thank you
follow us on twitterwww.twitter.com/bhamlawsociety
Debt recovery Warning From sra
reGulatioN rePort | 18
the Pro Bono Noticeboard
Pro BoNo coMMittee | 24
Dates for your diary
eVeNts | 26
Mills & reeve adds Nine-strong insurance team •Wilkes Partnership expands With New appointments •
MeMBers’ NeWs | 22
editorial copy to:Birmingham law society, 43 temple rowBirminghamB2 5ls
tel: 0121 237 6004DX 13100 Birmingham
editorJudy Bonegal
assistant editorrebecca [email protected]
internal editorPW Media and Publishing ltd:Dawn Pardoetel: 01905 [email protected]
Graphic Design
Paul Blythtel: 01905 [email protected]
advertising salesalison Jones tel: 01905 [email protected]
PublisherPW Media & Publishing ltd2nd Floor richardson house, 21/24 New st, Worcester. Wr1 2DP.tel: 01905 723011Fax: 01905 780103
PrintPrinted by imagery
are you reading someone else’s copy of the Bulletin?if you are a lawyer and a member of the Birmingham law society, you can be added to the mailing list by emailing: [email protected]
iMPortaNt NoticeWe are currently reviewing the Birmingham law society database to ensure that it is as up to date as possible. you should note the any changes made with the law society are not passed onto us and you need to update us separately. you can do this by logging onto the members section at www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk or you can email your amendments to [email protected]
the articles published in the Birmingham Bulletin represent the views of the contributor and are not necessarily the official views of the Birmingham law society, or of the editorial board. the magazine or members of the editorial board are in no way liable for such opinions. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the contents of this publication are accurate, we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or late changes. No article, advertisement or graphic, in whole in or print may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 3
contents
President’s report, Martin allsopp
expert investigations sponsors Bls
0604
the rise of international child abduction
Feature | 16
Meet your local solicitor - solihull
08
september 2013
learNiNG aND DeVeloPMeNt | 20
chiltern railways still top when it comes to right time train punctuality
Feature | 14
Birmingham solicitors Group say thank you
GeNeral NeWs | 25
President
4 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
lord Dyson was anxious to engage locally on
early reaction to the Jackson reforms and
was very interested to hear the views of the
commercial litigants here in Birmingham as
to how the reforms were affecting them in
their Practices.. cost budgeting and disclosure
issues and the sometimes disproportionate time
it took to provide cost budgeting at the onset
of the case were clearly major issues, as was
impact on the already overburdened court staff
to deal with the volume of paperwork generated
particularly given the fact that it was anticipated
that further cuts in services were to follow. lord
Dyson spent more than his allocated time in
hearing the views of the local profession and
i do thank his lordship for taking time out to
visit us.
Previously, during the last month, members of
the Bls met with our chief constable, chris
simms, who explained that he thought that
cautions rather than prosecutions were actually
deterring criminals and suggested that more
efficient case management might be an issue
in perhaps reducing the cost of legal aid. as
you might imagine, a frank exchange of views
ensued but again i thank chris simms and
his officers for taking time to proffer his views
and to hearing the views of the profession in
response.
a few days later a focus group, consisting of
the officers of Bls and the chairman of the
Bls Board, met with leading representatives
of the sra to air and share views. in a week
or so’s time Bls are to hear the views of Guy
Barnett as to Mr Barnett’s views on the other
side of an intervention and what a meeting
that promises to be. the sra have similarly
accepted an invitation from Bls to attend at a
council meeting in either september or october
and i shall be reporting further on these issues
in due course.
two weeks ago i hosted the first of my
promised high street events here in solihull,
which i am pleased to say proved to be a
successful pilot and it is intended now that
further events will be held, when relevant
permits have been obtained, both in sutton
coldfield and the city centre itself. the
outgoing law society President, lucy scott-
Moncrieff, actually commented in her last
speech that law should be taken to the
people and i am pleased to say that Bls
had done exactly that in its event a week or
so before our National President’s statement
to this effect! i have on behalf of Bls sent a
congratulatory email to Nicholas Fluck, our
new National President, with whom i have
synergy as a Property solicitor. Mr Fluck has
already responded to our congratulatory email
and has accepted my invitation on behalf of
Bls to attend at the President’s Dinner on 21st
November.
Finally on the matter of events, our Golf Day
was held yesterday at Nailcote hall and proved
to be a tremendous success. let us hope that
the weather holds out for our annual cricket
match against West Midlands Police at tally
ho next tuesday – all spectators – particularly
those supporting Bls – will be made most
welcome and to the speakeasy event on the
19th.
Do all enjoy what i expect will be a well-earned
summer break. n
PRESIDENT’S REPORTBy Martin allsopp | President, Birmingham law society
Good afternoon everyone. as i dictate this article it is Friday 12th July and i have just returned from a meeting hosted by lord Dyson Master of the rolls here in Birmingham.
Feature
6 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
it is my total belief in building strong mutually
beneficial relationships that have a foundation
for the long term, that are based on honesty,
high value customer service and cost
effectiveness.
as our strap line states we bring: initiative,
intelligence & integrity to all of our investigative
requirements.
as an iso 9001/2008 accredited company
that operates in an unregulated investigation
industry we understand the need to give
confidence to all of our clients and can
boast household clients in both the legal and
commercial sector.
over the years we have been introduced
to some amazing clients by our legal
colleagues and have been able to reciprocate
introductions, networking opportunities and
joint seminars presentations and media
interviews.
or investigation services routinely cover all
aspects of the legal sector, more commonly
employment, all aspects of litigation, debt
recovery, banking and family, as well as
periodically wills & probate and housing.
With our head office in coventry and a local
office in Birmingham and london our plan is to
expand to other cities and the legal sector will
form the foundation of that move. Whilst we
have a nationwide capability i do think having a
closer geographical relationship with clients is
valuable.
as a member of the Midland Fraud Forum,
yorks & humber Fraud Forum and Fraud
advisory Panel, expert investigations are
often asked to present on the investigative
capabilities within these civil and criminal
offences, something which also extends to our
regular media involvement with both tV and
radio.
i sit in a fortunate position as being a former
Police Detective, having run an investigation
company for 13.5 years and having undertaken
14 months academic study into risk & security,
this allows all facets to knit together to give an
informative insight into the internal employee
offender.
the investigative services which we supply
nationally include surveillance & observations,
covert vehicle tracking, computer data retrieval,
general interviewing and investigations,
specialist analytical software solutions and
database research (fit to sue, locate trace and
background reports). these resources are
utilised to investigate issues of:
• theft & Fraud
ª False absenteeism & fraudulent claims
ª Breach of contract & restrictive covenants
ª General employment & litigation issues
When i am not running the company and
get my time out i can be found (or not as the
case may be) trekking across the globe. in the
last 18 months i have trekked up Kilimanjaro
(5895 metres), Mount Mera in the himalayas
(6476) and trekked the andes for 10 days from
chociuerquo to Macchu Pichu. Next year i aim
to take a 5 week trek up the 6 highest mountain
in the world, cho oyu before finally heading up
everest in the next 3 years... if my wife lets me.
i look forward to meeting new acquaintances
and catching up with current colleagues over
the next 12 months. n
David Kearns
Managing Director
expert investigations ltd
tel: 02476 630498
Mob: 07879 482902
Visit our new website for details of all our risk
management investigation services
www.expert-investigations.co.uk
eXPert iNVestiGatioNs sPoNsors Blsit is with great pleasure that expert investigations ltd has agreed to become one of the sponsors for the Bls. as an established commercial Detective investigation agency, process servers and tracing agents within the legal and commercial sector we have had the privilege of working with many of you over the last 13.5 years.
8 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
in Pictures
in my inaugural speech, i promised that we
would take law to the public on the high
streets of the region. i decided that the pilot
for such an event should be held in solihull, a
town in which i practice, so if the event proved
to be unsuccessful there was a chance i would
at least be insulted by some of the members
of the local public known to me! the event was
not at all unsuccessful but a major effort was
required to get operations underway. Firstly
a permit was required from the local council
involving completion of paperwork, a 6 week
notice period, the construction of a Gazebo to
which i will refer shortly, confirmation that there
would be no trailing wires or Pa systems and
no liquid could be stored on site – all apparently
health and safety issues etc!
For those of you that are familiar with solihull
high street, when the wind blows from a
westerly direction, which it did on the saturday
morning in question, a wind tunnel effect is
created. this makes the erection and stability
of a Gazebo a little tricky and the first four
lawyers who attended were each holding one
corner of the Gazebo down to prevent it from
blowing away! luckily the local flower seller
perceived that we were not structural engineers
and came to our help with metal weight to hold
the Gazebo in place.
our permit ran from 9.30am to 12.30pm and
for the first hour the public were only interested
in shopping. By this time, in addition to the
President and Vice President, members of
local solicitors had turned up in support and
when we all started to laugh and joke about
the erection of the Gazebo and members
of the public had realised that we were not
wearing t-shirts and handing balloons out to
local children etc, and noticed the Bls banners
they began to take interest and by 12.30pm
a number of the solicitors in attendance had
received instructions on a Grants of Probate,
preparation of a Will, a Property sale, a couple
of Boundary Disputes and consultations on a
number of employment issues. as you might
expect, the President was asked to consult on
an impossible resolution of a Boundary Dispute
and by one elderly gentleman as to whether the
college of law was fit for purpose!
upon review the local solicitors, the Vice President
and myself felt that the event had proved to be
quite a success but we learnt the following:
1. Do not try to construct a Gazebo on the
pavement in a wind tunnel.
2. engage with the local tradesmen –
particularly flower sellers with heavy metal
weights.
3. endeavour to obtain a permit from the local
council from 10.30am to 2.30pm, rather than
from 9.30am to 12.30m.
4. Be serious in your advice but engage with
members of the public. the public are far more
comfortable on the high street in their territory
knowing that they can walk away than they will
ever be feeling trapped in a solicitors’ office.
it is quite clear that many business opportunities
arise from a brief high street chat- look out
sutton coldfield, we are on the way! n
Martin allsopp
President
Meet your local solicitor - solihull
Amy Goode, Louise Mepham & Ashley Latham - all from Harris Cooper Brownings, Solihull
Richard Arney from Probate Solictors Ltd (PSL), Sarah Dodds from Schofield & Associates and Anthea Bevan
Karen Moores & Tracey Creed from Sydney Mitchell Solicitors and Tim Langford from Wallace Robinson & Morgan Solicitors
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 9
Professional indemnity insurance
in order to practise, every law firm in england
and Wales must have an Mtc policy from one
of the Qualifying insurers. all insurers subscribe
to the Financial services compensation
scheme (Fscs) which is a fund of last resort
that can be called on by eligible policyholders
in the event that an insurer is insolvent and
unable to meet its financial obligations. an
eligible policyholder must meet certain criteria
which are generally a private individual or a
small business or partnership with a turnover
of less than £1M. the Fscs will pay eligible
policyholders 90% of the amount that would
have been due from the insurer. this means
that even if Fscs compensation is available,
your practice could still be liable for 10% of any
claim along with the policy excess.
During the past 13 years many Qualifying insurers
have entered and left the solicitors’ Pii market
largely due to the losses the insurers have
experienced. the main purpose of a Pii policy
is to provide financial protection to the general
public from the consequences of negligent
advice; however, insurers have argued that the
wording of the Mtc is too broad in coverage
afforded and that it acts as a financial guarantee
rather than a traditional insurance policy.
in 2007, an unrated insurer - Quinn - came into
the market and undercut the rated Qualifying
insurers and consequently insured almost a
third of the entire profession.
Quinn was forced to stop trading in March
2010, however, fortunately for their insured’s;
the administration was not deemed an
“insolvency event” under the Qualifying insurers
agreement. the Quinn policyholders were able
to continue with their policies until renewal
rather than having to purchase another policy.
the policyholders with independent were not so
fortunate; when in 2001 one of the uK’s largest
insurers, independent insurance went into
administration triggering an “insolvency event”.
these policyholders were forced to purchase
another policy.
since 2007, we have seen a number of other
unrated insurers enter the market (such as
lemma europe, Balva, alpha, enterprise and
elite) resulting in approximately a third of the
legal profession being insured through an
unrated insurer.
some of these policies are sold by brokers
on the basis that the unrated insurer has
reinsurance with rated insurers; however it is
worth noting that the contract of reinsurance
is between the insurer and the reinsurer. in the
event of insurer failure, policyholders would
have no recourse against the reinsurer should
any claims may not be paid.
Just last year lemma europe lost their
authorisation from the Gilbratar regulator on 1st
august 2012. the company is being wound up
and any practices with outstanding claims will
need to seek compensation from the Fscs if
they are eligible.
Balva, a latvian unrated insurer has recently
been prohibited by its home state regulator
from writing any further new business in the
united Kingdom. Practices currently insured
with them are still protected but may have to
find a new insurer for the next insurance year.
Prior to the last renewal, the law society
issued a Pii buyers guide to help the profession
renew their Pii and then in March 2013 issued
a more comprehensive guide to the choice of
insurers and their rating to help educate the
profession.
No broker can guarantee the financial solvency
of any insurer; however most respectable
brokers will only recommend insurers that meet
a certain financial strength. the security of an
insurer is even more vital in Pii as it can take
several years between notification of the matter
and eventual settlement of the claim. a policy
is a promise to pay and a policyholder needs
to be able to buy a policy with the security that
there is a realistic prospect that an insurer will
be able to meet their obligations over the long
term. n
steve holland, senior Vice President, Global
Professional risks solutions
e-mail: [email protected]
telephone: +44 (0)20 7933 2444
Brian Balkin, senior Vice President, Global
Professional risk solutions
e-mail: [email protected]
telephone: +44 (0)20 7933 2045w
PoteNtial DoWNsiDe to your BusiNess oF BuyiNG cheaP WheN it coMes to your ProFessioNal iNDeMNity iNsuraNce (Pii)since the demise of the solicitors indemnity Fund in september 2000, Pii has been placed in the commercial general insurance market. all Qualifying insurers have to sign up to the solicitors regulatory authority’s minimum terms and conditions (Mtc) which is a standard wording that all primary polices have to comply with.
10 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
12 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Professional indemnity insurance
if there is a conflict, or a significant risk of
conflict arising between two or more clients,
Firms may not act for all or both of them unless
the matter falls within the limited scope of
exceptions set out in the 2011 code. When
Firms are deciding whether to act under these
circumstances, overriding consideration must
be given to the best interests of each client and
whether the benefits of acting for each client
outweighs the risks posed to each client. in
any event, the decision taken must meet the
principles of the new code and ensure that all
of the clients’ confidentiality is preserved as
required by chapter 4 of the code.
in determining if indeed a client conflict exists,
consideration should be given to whether the
clients’ interests are different, whether your
Firm’s ability to give independent advice to
each of the clients remains unfettered, if a
need will arise to negotiate between two or
more clients, whether there is an imbalance
of negotiating powers between each or any of
the clients and, if one or more of the clients are
vulnerable.
the 2011 code mandates that Firms must have
systems and controls in place for identifying
client conflicts, which are appropriate to the
Firm’s size, complexity and the nature of the
work that the Firm undertakes.
the basis to a systematic means of checking
for client conflicts of interest should be a
properly constructed matter register. this
means that the matter register should be able
to facilitate searches that can match client
surnames and addresses so that, for example,
the Firm can identify if it is being asked to
represent both the husband and wife in a
matrimonial matter and if either the husband
and wife have jointly or singularly instructed the
Firm previously. in addition, the matter register
should be able to identify all files linked to a
particular client to identify the potential of a
wider conflict existing.
checking for client conflicts of interest should
not be confined to matter opening procedures.
there is a need to be aware of circumstances
that might arise whereby conflicts become
apparent during the course of a matter. For
example, fee earners should be alert to
potential conflicts being posed by new parties
becoming involved in a civil matter, or a conflict
becoming apparent between co-accused
during the course of a criminal defence matter.
there are exceptions cited in the 2011
code to the prohibition of Firms acting for
clients where conflicts exist, or where the
potential for conflicts might exist. Mandatory
outcome o (3.6) sets out the issues Firms
should consider where client conflicts do,
or potentially do, exist; where clients have a
substantially common interest in a matter or
a particular aspect of it. Mandatory outcome
o (3.7) identifies what Firms must take into
consideration when deciding to act where there
is a client conflict and the clients are competing
for the same objective.
Where Firms are conflicted out from acting for
clients, they should have the means of directing
the client to alternative sources of advice and,
whenever possible, do so.
clearly, for many Firms, establishing systems
that check for client conflicts at the outset
and during the course of matters is a complex
undertaking. to assist Firms in this regard,
the aon Quality assurance risk Management
service offers precedent documents for
download from aonrm.com and modification to
suit the needs of the Firm, including a specimen
office manual that includes suggestions on how
client conflict procedures can be incorporated
into a Firm’s overall arrangements for risk
management. n
Nam Qureshi,
senior client Manager and lexcel consultant,
aon uK limited
telephone 0121 2533294
Aon UK Limited is authorised and regulated by
the Financial Conduct Authority.
clieNt coNFlictsManaging client conflicts can be one of the more sensitive aspects of practice management, compounded by the non-prescriptive nature of chapter 3 in the 2011 code. to reduce any negative impact on your client relationships, it is important to identify and respond to potential conflicts as early as possible in the matter acceptance process.
12 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 13
14 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Feature
the official rail industry figures, which are
based on the percentage of services that
arrive within a minute of their scheduled time,
revealed that 87% of chiltern railways trains
were on time against a national average of
68.1%, placing the train operator miles ahead
of companies such as Virgin and london
Midland.
rob Brighouse, Managing Director at chiltern
railways said: “It’s fantastic to be top of the
league table for the sixth consecutive period,
which is testament to the incredible hard work
and commitment of our staff. We understand
how important it is to have a punctual service
on which our passengers can rely. Whilst these
results reinforce how we are leading the way,
we mustn’t be complacent and are committed
to looking at ways to further improve the
passenger experience.”
this is the latest in a series of good news
stories set to benefit business and leisure
travellers from the region. on 19 May, chiltern
railways launched a refreshed timetable,
giving sunday afternoon travellers even
more options when travelling to and from the
capital. in particular, passengers can now
benefit from faster trains by up to 6 minutes
to and from Birmingham and an extra 250
seats on services between london and
Birmingham. these changes will be welcome
news for weekend passengers wishing to take
advantage of a day out in london. Passengers
can make the most of their weekend with 2
for 1 entry to lots of top attractions along the
line. the train operator also has a selection
of offers including Groupsave travel enabling
four people to travel off-peak for the price of
two adults and the Family travelcard, which is
available for groups of between 1 adult and 1
child and up to 2 adults and 4 children.
over the years, the company has developed
a strong relationship with Birmingham law
society, to ensure that they shaped a service
that works for business travellers. chiltern
railways also sponsors the legal awards and
the President’s dinner. the onboard experience
remains a big hit with passengers regularly
commenting on the high numbers of tables
per carriage, power points at every seat and
free Wi-Fi. Passengers also favour the train
operator’s premium economy style Business
Zone, which fills a clear niche in the market.
it features all the services that our research
told us business users want: extra legroom
(more than most first class services), tables,
power points, and high quality food. this has
contributed to record growth
in the number of journeys
between the West Midlands
and london.
it’s therefore no surprise
that the company is
experiencing record
growth in the number
of journeys between
the West
Midlands and
london.
While free
Wi-Fi on
board
has been
available
since the
launch of
Mainline,
the train
company
has recently
started to roll it
out to all stations.
Passengers at
stations
along the
route will
be able to take advantage of free high-speed
internet access for up to an hour each day,
allowing them to browse websites, access
social networks and enjoy an improved
experience at chiltern stations.
With features such as these, there are now
more reasons than ever for choosing chiltern,
especially for travellers looking for fast, reliable
and value for money travel option to the
capital. n
chilterN railWays still toP WheN it coMes to riGht tiMe traiN PuNctualitychiltern railways has been named top franchise rail operator for right time train punctuality for a record sixth period running, according to research released by Network rail.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 15
16 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Feature
statistics show that the office dealt with 27
cases in 2007 which has exorbitantly increased
over the last five years, to 253 cases in 2012.
Furthermore, in 2012 alone, there has been a rise
in the number of different jurisdictions the office
has dealt with, the majority being countries
within europe, with high percentages attributable
to Poland, spain, Germany and France.
this is not surprising in light of the increased
movement of people from all backgrounds
driven by globalisation which spawns family
disputes with an international element. the
increase of mixed nationality relationships
coupled with a high rate of separation has
amassed scope for international family
disputes. research funded by the Foreign
and commonwealth office confirmed that
many abductors are loving parents, usually
mothers, fleeing home on the breakdown of the
relationship, which has led them to a foreign
environment. Many parents are tempted to act
impulsively and remove their children in secret,
leaving the other parent bereft and the child’s
life hopelessly dislocated.
the hague convention 1980 provides an
effective legal framework for the signatory
countries to order prompt return of abducted
and retained children to the state from which
they have been removed. cases may be referred
to lJ thorpe’s office for direct communication
between Judges from england and Wales and
another jurisdiction or where a Judge (uK or
overseas) requires advice and assistance relating
to an international family law matter.
it is inevitable that illegal movement of children
is becoming a more serious problem every year
in our brave new world; the world of family law
will never be as it was 30 years ago. n
Mrs Pam sanghera (formally Gheent)
the Family Firm solicitors
Birmingham
the rise oF iNterNatioNal chilD aBDuctioNWhether abduction takes place in the form of wrongful removal or wrongful retention, it is widely agreed that the number of abduction cases are rapidly increasing. this is echoed by the head of the office of international Family Justice for england and Wales, lord Justice thorpe, following the release of the recent office annual report.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 17
18 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
DeBt recoVery WarNiNG FroM srathe strict application of the principles and
rules of the code of conduct can have some
unwelcome ramifications for firms practising in debt
recovery work. Particular problems arise where the
firm receives its instructions from a debt recovery
agency on behalf of its creditor clients. Firms in
this position would be well advised to pay heed to
a recent Warning Notice published by the sra.
a typical scenario is where a creditor business instructs
a debt recovery agency to collect its debts. the
agency in turn has an arrangement with a solicitors’
practice and sends out pre action letters using the
solicitors’ headed paper. if that is unsuccessful the
agency instructs the solicitors’ practice to issue
proceedings on behalf of its creditor client. When the
debt is recovered the solicitor accounts to the agency,
which then in turn accounts to the creditor client.
in many cases this arrangement works perfectly
well. the creditor client - some of whom may
have thousands of debts to collect – has only one
organisation to deal with and the costs of dealing with
an agency are lower than dealing direct with solicitors.
Many would take the view that this arrangement
should be beyond reproach and would be likely to
work in the best interests of the creditor clients.
the sra, however, is concerned that in being party
to such tripartite arrangements firms are putting
their independence at risk. the actions of the
agency may involve them, indirectly, in becoming
party to overly aggressive and/or misleading
correspondence. a further concern is that the debt
recovery agencies are carrying out reserved legal
activities contrary to the legal services act 2007.
the Warning Notice comes hot on the heels of two
cases heard in the solicitors Disciplinary tribunal
in 2013. the first case is trevor Munn (SDT 11003-
2012) where Mr Munn was fined £40,000 and ordered
to pay costs of £35,000. Mr Munn allowed a debt
recovery agency to send out pre action letters on
his headed paper in a standard format originally
drafted by him. he also permitted court proceedings
to be issued on behalf of the creditor clients in his
name as if he were acting for the creditors. Fixed
costs were claimed on the basis that a solicitor
was acting for the creditor claimant even though
the proceedings had been issued by the agency.
as the conduct of litigation is a reserved legal activity,
it is the issue of proceedings which was the most
serious allegation in this case. there was no direct
relationship - contractual or otherwise - between the
creditor client and the solicitor despite the fact that Mr
Munn was on the record at court as acting “on behalf
of the Claimant”. to all intents and purposes the
agency was conducting litigation. section 14(1) of the
legal services act provides that it is a criminal offence
to carry on a reserved legal activity unless entitled to
do so and o(7.9) of the code of conduct provides
that reserved legal activities must not be outsourced
to people who are not authorised to undertake them.
the second case which has been relied
upon by the sra in the warning notice is the
subject of an appeal, so the judgment is not
presently available on the sDt website.
apart from this Warning Notice on debt recovery, the
sra has also published notices recently on other types
of work (stamp duty land tax and payment protection
insurance) that it considers challenging from a regulatory
viewpoint. Practitioners will recall that the sra had
similar concerns regarding miners’ compensation
and land banking cases in the past. such notices and
guidance are welcome in setting out the sra’s position.
What differentiates the debt recovery cases from some
of the other examples is that the creditor clients are
almost exclusively business clients and not private
individuals. they are sophisticated enough to weigh
up the risks of dealing with debt recovery agencies.
the sra does not allege a failure to act in the best
interests of clients. the Notice states categorically
that an assertion that you were acting in the “best
interests” of your client is not an answer to the making
of an improper demand. the sra’s focus is in relation
to protecting the conduct of litigation as a reserved
legal activity and protecting the interests of the debtors
from misleading or aggressive correspondence.
Firms should be aware that innovative ideas for
business development that involve an intermediary
dealing direct with the ultimate client are those that
are likely to attract the attention of the sra. simply
concentrating on the interests of your own client is
not enough - other professional considerations to
be found in the Principles and the code of conduct
of the sra handbook are also likely to apply. n
By Jayne Willettssolicitor advocate
Jayne Willetts & co - specialists in Professional
regulation
Jayne Willetts is a director of infolegal ltd – providing the colpline practice advice
helpline and consultancy advice for law firms – www.infolegal.co.uk
regulation report
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 19 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 19
20 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Learning & DevelopmentProfessional Services
BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY
course list september 2013
course highlights
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]
Date time cPD hrs course title area speakers Fees £ Members Non Members
04-Sep-13 8:30-17:00 7 Management Course Stage 1 Management Doug Robinson £170 + VAT £210 + VAT
05-Sep-13 12:00-14:30 2 Mortgage Fraud Regulatory Stephen Cariss £50 + VAT £70 + VAT
11-Sep-13 11:00-12:00 1 Planning Issues in Property Transactions webinar Conveyancing Anthony Rollason FREE FREE
11-Sep-13 12:00-14:00 1 Mortgage seminar with Wesleyan Mortgage Peter Moss FREE FREE
12-Sep-13 13:30-17:00 3 Data Protection Regulatory Allison Matthews £99 + VAT £115 + VAT
16-Sep-13 12:00-13:00 1 Professional Indemnity Renewal – a look at the Insurance Angus Turner £25 + VAT £35 + VAT SRA Minimum Terms and Conditions, pressures Sarah Trendell-Smyth faced by the legal marketplace and the current claims environment Alexa Jone
17-Sep-13 9:30-16:00 5 Solicitors Accounts Rules: All day session Legal Accounts Linda Lambert £150 + VAT £190 + VAT Support Staff: £110 + VAT Support Staff: £150 + VAT
18-Sep-13 17:00-19:00 1.5 Bear traps to avoid in the Employment Law Employment Colin Goodier £50 + VAT £70 + VAT Noel Lambert
23-Sep-13 13:00-16:30 3 Guide to building regulations for conveyancers Property Richard Snape £99 + VAT £115 + VAT
25-Sep-13 12:00-14:30 2 Risk Management Regulatory Stephen Cariss £50 + VAT £70 + VAT
26-Sep-13 13:00-17:00 3 Presence and Persuasiveness for Lawyers – Management Nick Hughes £99 + VAT £115 + VAT How to Influence Clients
Please see our website for further seminars: www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uktelephone: elizabeth Dziergas, Professional services executive on 0121 230 1709email: [email protected]
Professional Indemnity Renewal – a look at the SRA Minimum Terms
and Conditions, pressures faced by the legal marketplace and the
current claims environment
Date: Monday 16 september 2013
Time: 12.30 - 12:45 – registration/refreshments
1pm – 2pm – seminar with Q & a session
Venue: Mills & reeve llP, 78-84 colmore row, Birmingham, B3 2aB
CPD: 1hr accredited by the sra
Fees: £25 + vat for members, £35 + vat for non-members
Speaker: angus turner, sarah trendell-smyth, alexa Jones
Why attend: this session would be
most relevant to senior and Managing
Partners, and those who look after their firm’s professional indemnity
insurance arrangements, and manage any claims that the firm may
face.
CHAIR: Angus Turner: angus has been a partner since 2000, having
qualified with Mills & reeve in 1995. he is recognised by the legal
directories and clients, as a leader in his field and specialises in defending
law firms against professional negligence claims. as well as heading
up the team of 26 in Birmingham, angus is the national sector head
within Mills & reeve for claims against law firms and regularly speaks
at conferences held by the leading professional indemnity insurers for
lawyers. the sector practice has been described by chambers as “a team
that won’t drop the ball” and angus has been described by legal 500 as
“a shrewd strategist” and someone who is “always switched on”.
Sarah Trendell-Smyth: sarah is an associate in the team, with over 12
years experience of defending legal professionals, including success
in the court of appeal in the reported case of Webster v sandersons.
sarah is a core member of the legal Professions sector within Mills &
reeve, and regularly acts for law firms facing complex and significant
value claims. clients have said of sarah that ‘she is able to look at
the issues from different angles and think commercially, creatively and
laterally rather than stick to a purely legalistic viewpoint.’
Alexa Jones: alexa is a solicitor in the team, having qualified with
Mills & reeve in 2009. alexa spends all of her time acting for law firms
in the defence of professional negligence claims, and has particular
experience of acting on portfolio claims made by lenders and for
intervened practices.
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 21
Solicitors’ Accounts Rules
Date: tuesday 17 september 2013
Time: 9:30 registration and breakfast, 10:00 - 16:00 seminar
*lunch will be provided
Venue: Birmingham law society, 43 temple row, Birmingham, B2 5ls
CPD: 5 hours cPD accredited by the sra
Fees: Member Fee for Fee earners: £150 + Vat, Member Fee
support staff: £110 + Vat, Non-Member Fee for Fee
earners: £190 + Vat, Non-Member Fee support staff: £150 + Vat
Speaker: linda lambert
the solicitors regulation authority’s accounts rules have been
substantially updated with the new rules being applicable from
october 6th 2011. also brought in at the same time were two new
roles; these being the colP and the coFa, which start as from
January 1st 2013. Due to the new roles it is important that there is
a thorough knowledge of the rules to ensure breaches, if any, are
identified as well as ensuring, where ever possible, full compliance
by the firm and their personnel. this course is a full rules course; it
includes the new roles starting 2013 and of course the rules. the aim
of the course is to help firms comply with the rules as fully as possible
and to help highlight areas of potential non-compliance.
Topics covered include: client account and client Money; use of client
account; client Monies withheld from client account; interest rules;
What is a Bill?; What is an agreed Fee?; office Monies and Professional
Disbursements; Bank reconciliations; legal aid (in brief and sar only);
accounting systems and records (including central records)
Linda Lambert: linda 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
25+ 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’, the tutor for the ilFM’s associate accounts course, as well
as working as a freelance legal cashier, mainly in Birmingham. linda
has also acted as a consultant for a two partner firm of solicitors in
Worcestershire, covered maternity leave, on a part time basis, in the
Department dealing with risk and compliance in a medium sized
Worcestershire practice and presently undertaking training of Fee
earners and support staff in several well-known firms countrywide.
Guide to building regulations for conveyancers
Date: Monday 23 september 2013
Time: 13:00 registration and lunch, 13:30 - 16:30 seminar
Venue: Birmingham law society, 43 temple row, Birmingham B2 5ls
CPD: 3 hours cPD accredited by the sra
Fees: Member: £99 + Vat Non-Member: £115 + Vat
Speaker: richard snape
Knowledge of Building regulations is becoming essential for
conveyancers and the topic is becoming of ever increasing importance
within the conveyancing process. the course aims to look at some
major issues as they affect conveyancers.
Topics covered include: enforcement periods; insurance issues;
Building regulations requirements in relation to conservatories, loft
conversions, extensions and garages; Building regulations and Build
over agreements on or near public sewers in the light of the adoption
of private sewers; What enquiries to make
Richard Snape: richard has worked as a consultant and Professional
support lawyer for Davitt Jones Bould solicitors since 2002. he was
formerly a senior lecturer in law at the university of West of england,
Bristol, and was head of land law. he and has done numerous courses
for local law societies all over the country, various public courses
throughout england and Wales, in-house seminars within solicitors
firms, and has also talked extensively to local authorities and central
government bodies such as the Ministry of Defence, National health
service and hM revenue and customs. he has also lectured within the
land registry and has written various articles for the legal press. his
areas of specialism include both commercial and residential property,
in particular in relation to local government law, domestic conveyancing
issues, development land, commercial property and incumbrances in
relation to land. an introduction to social Media for lawyers: how to
achieve more results in less time, with less effort and for less money.
Presence and Persuasiveness for Lawyers
A workshop developed in conjunction with the Birmingham Law Society
Date: thursday 26 september 2013
Time: 13.00 - 13:30 – registration/refreshments
13:30pm – 17:00pm – workshop session
Venue: Birmingham law society, 43 temple row, Birmingham B2 5ls
CPD: 3hr accredited by the sra
Fee: £99 + vat for members, £115 + vat for non members
this workshop has been designed for mid-career
lawyers who are starting to lead client accounts
and need to win new business. it is a half day
seminar for up to 20 delegates and will be
credited for 3 hours cPD points by the Birmingham law society.
By the end of the seminar participants will have learned how to
create interest from prospective clients and also how to develop their
personal skills in persuasiveness whatever the context, with a clear
set of tools for further action. During the workshop, volunteers will
be filmed delivering a pitch to prospective clients and playback will
be used to give feedback and coaching to those individuals and to
generate group discussion analysing the key skills to master. the
session will be lively, interactive and enjoyable.
Members’ News
a lawyer who deals with the
private legal affairs of people
across the region is celebrating
after receiving an excellence
award from steP (society of trust
& estate Practitioners) as one of
the top students of the year.
lisa Whitehouse, a lawyer in
higgs & sons’ private client team,
achieved the uK’s highest mark
in the administration of estates
examinations and was presented
with her award at a special
luncheon in london.
speaking about her award, lisa
said: “Professional development
is essential if we are to give our
clients the very best legal advice.
Higgs recognises the importance
of STEP and has supported me
throughout my exams.”
steP is the leading worldwide
professional body for practitioners
in the fields of trusts, estates and
related issues. Members help
families secure their financial
future and protect the interests
of vulnerable relatives. the
organisation promotes the highest
professional standards through
education and training, leading
to widely respected professional
qualifications. n
steP iN the riGht DirectioN For laWyer lisa
22 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Midlands-based
Qualitysolicitors talbots
has appointed one of the
region’s leading licensing
lawyers, meaning the firm can
offer expert advice in what is a
niche and specialist area of law.
Peter adkins is a commercial
litigation and dispute resolution
specialist but is highly regarded
for his legal 500 recognised
specialism in licensing and
Gambling law.
Director at Qualitysolicitors
talbots, Martyn Morgan,
commented “Peter is a
genuine expert in all types
of licensed and gambling
premises including pubs,
hotels, restaurants and casinos.
He is highly regarded as was
recognised by his being a
finalist for Partner of the Year
at the Birmingham Law Society
Legal Awards. We’re excited
Peter is joining QualitySolicitors
Talbots and really look forward
Qualitysolicitors talBots toasts aPPoiNtMeNt oF leaDiNG liceNsiNG solicitor
to working with him to grow this
part of our business.”
Peter joins as a Director. “When
I was approached by Talbots I
was immediately interested and
intrigued. The practice has an
outstanding reputation and I look
forward to working with my new
colleagues and bringing my skill-
set to the area. I’m excited about
joining Talbots and helping their
clients as well as continuing to
assist my existing ones.”
Peter is regularly asked to
comment on changes in licensing
law as well as to provide expert
training to local authorities and
other bodies. he also has an
acknowledged expertise in the law
as it affects social and members
clubs and runs cherryPick, a
networking group for suppliers
to the licensed trade across the
region. n
Birmingham city centre
solicitors DBs law have
begun a major expansion
programme with the acquisition
of an established high street firm
hearne & co from Bearwood. the
aim of the merger is to combine
the excellent customer service and
local knowledge of the high street
with the weight and resources of a
big city practice.
specialising in conveyancing and
wills and probate, hearne & co
have served the community of
Bearwood for over thirty years.
DBs law will now be bringing
additional legal services, family,
employment and business law to
local people from the Poplar rd
office.
the move is a direct challenge
to current trends in retail and
in legal services which are all
moving out of the high street.
Prospects are thought to be so
bad for neighbourhood retailers
and service providers that the
government commissioned tV’s
Mary Portas to produce a report
on how to save Britain’s high
streets. Portas identified out
of town shopping centres and
internet services as the main
reason for the demise of local
stores.
DBs law are going local after
market research has shown this is
what the public want.
DBs law ceo rob Bhol said,
“We’ve been convinced by
extensive research that people
are more comfortable accessing
legal services from a real place
rather than a virtual one. Even
if they don’t have time to come
into the office very often knowing
it’s there is still reassuring. We
think local offices will be a major
improvement in the clients
experience in future.”
roger hearne said, “We are very
excited to be joining with such a
strong and forward thinking firm.
As well as their excellent legal
services DBS Law has a proud
tradition of supporting community
projects. We’re looking forward to
doing even more in our community
here in Bearwood.” n
DBs laW MoVe iNto the hiGh street to ProMote local serVices
the new team is also expected
to fully utilise Mills & reeve’s
Norwich-based paralegal support
unit (Psu), which has just
celebrated its first anniversary. the
Psu, which deals with systematic
procedures such as e-discovery,
is just one way in which Mills &
reeve is looking to manage its
profit margin by putting in place a
number of best practice ideas.
Neil Davis, head of Mills & reeve’s
insurance sector, said: “We’re
delighted to welcome Alan
and his team to Mills & Reeve.
His corporate facing team will
complement our existing offering
and enhance the services we can
provide. We are convinced this
is a positive step for the clients
involved, and have worked to
facilitate a smooth transition." n
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 23
Members’ News
stourbridge based law firm,
Wall James chappell, were
lead advisors on the contractual
sponsorship arrangements
between Nicolites and Birmingham
city Fc. the new agreement
means electronic cigarettes firm,
Nicolites, have signed up as the
new principal partner of Blues for
the 2013/14 season.
as part of the major sponsorship
agreement, the Birmingham-
based firm’s logo will adorn
Blues’ first-team and adult
replica shirts for the forthcoming
championship campaign. the
link with last season’s official
charity partner, help harry help
others, will continue this season.
to further this partnership,
Nicolites has agreed to allow
the help harry help others logo
to be carried on the front of all
junior, infant and baby shirts
for the 2013/14 campaign. it
will also feature on the Blues
academy’s playing kit.
Philip chapman, head of
commercial services at Wall
James chappell, said: “We were
delighted to advise on this deal.
Birmingham City FC continues to
attract strong sponsorship and
we are sure that this partnership
with Nicolites will be successful
for both parties for the 2013/14
season.”
Nicolites managing director
Nikhil Nathwani said: “As a
Birmingham-based company we
are proud to be able to support
Birmingham City FC as the
club and fans look forward to a
successful season both on and
off the pitch. We have grown our
business in the city, invested in
the region and created jobs. This
new partnership demonstrates
our commitment to the West
Midlands region and to one of its
largest football clubs.”
ian Dutton, Blues’ head of
commercial, said: “We are
delighted to have secured an
outstanding principal partnership
with one of the most successful
Birmingham-based businesses in
recent years. Although they are a
national brand stocking in major
retail outlets, it is quite clear that
Birmingham and the surrounding
Midlands area is very much still
at the forefront of their minds.” n
Nicolites NeW MaiN sPoNsors oF BirMiNGhaM city Fc
National law firm Mills & reeve
has acquired a nine-strong
defendant insurance team.
the team will be based in Mills
& reeve’s Birmingham office in
colmore row and led by partner
alan Jacobs.
the move further strengthens
Mills & reeve’s casualty offering,
which has recently been boosted
by the appointment of consultant
chris Gough in the Manchester
office and the presence of partner
Kate archer in Birmingham.
alan has considerable experience
in handling serious rta,
employer’s liability and public
liability claims, and is also well-
known for creating the Medical
experts’ Database service (MeDs),
the online medical database for
the insurance industry. he brings
with him a team of eight, including
associate Felicity ho, solicitor
Jagjit Virdi, three other fee-earners
and three support staff.
Mills & reeVe aDDs NiNe-stroNG iNsuraNce teaM
Birmingham law firm the Wilkes
Partnership has announced
the appointment of two new
associates to its growing team.
Pam sidhu joins the employment
team, and Gavin evans joins the
commercial litigation team.
Pam brings over 12 years’
experience in employment law,
advising a variety of businesses
from large multinationals to sMes
on both contentious and non-
contentious issues, and is an
experienced employment tribunal
advocate. Gavin has spent 10
years in commercial litigation, again
working on dispute resolution for
businesses of all sizes.
commenting on her appointment,
Pam sidhu said: “The Wilkes
Partnership is a well-respected
firm in the Midlands legal market,
and has a growing employment
law practice. I wanted to join
the team as I believe there is
scope for me to make a real
contribution to the development
of the firm’s employment offering,
bringing my experience across
a variety of areas including
TUPE, discrimination law and
restructuring.”
Gavin evans added:
“The Wilkes Partnership has
an excellent reputation for
commercial litigation and has
a unique offering in the market
– it works with some major
businesses yet has a personal
approach. I am looking forward
to joining a high-quality team,
building new client relationships
and growing my understanding
of the Birmingham business
marketplace.” n
WilKes PartNershiP eXPaNDs With NeW aPPoiNtMeNts
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 25
General News
a big “thank you” to all those
who attended the Birmingham
solicitors Group’s ‘New committee
Drinks’ at Primitivo Bar & eatery
on 19 June 2013. the event was
a huge success and it was great
to see so many of you there, from
across the legal spectrum.
the event was a full house and
BsG is extremely grateful to
its sponsors, robert Walters,
the world-leading specialist
recruitment consultancy.
on Friday, 19 July 2013, BsG
is holding a joint event with the
Birmingham law society and
Birmingham trainee solicitors
society. our annual summer
Party will have a 1920s speakeasy
theme and it is being held at
the the Botanical Gardens,
edgbaston.
the event will include: Drinks
reception on the garden terrace
entertainment:
• Gaming tables
• Jazz music
• live Band and DJ
• 3 course Gourmet Buffey
• charity raffle with brilliant prizes
For further details of our
summer Party and picture from
our ‘New committee Drinks’,
please see our website: www.
birminghamsolicitorsgroup.com n
BirMiNGhaM solicitors GrouP say thaNK you
applications for 2013 rise
by nearly 70% following
successful launch last year
the university of law’s unique
undergraduate ll.B law degree,
which launched in september
2012, has been shortlisted for
a prize in the educationinvestor
awards 2013.
With 111 enrolments the ll.B
(hons) law was the most
successful law degree launch in
england and Wales in 10 years,
with a higher number of students
in its first year than any of the
more than 50 law degrees that
launched in the previous decade.
its success looks set to grow in
2013 with application numbers
increasing by nearly 70 per cent
on last year, with nearly 1,000
applications received so far
across the seven nationwide
university of law (ulaw) centres
running the programme.
Now ulaw has been named
as one of five finalists in the
‘education Providers: higher
or Professional’ category of the
educationinvestor awards.
the awards are run by
educationinvestor, a monthly
magazine featuring news and
analysis of business and political
developments in the education
sector. the organisers report that
this year’s awards have been
the most competitive yet, with
submissions up nearly 30 per
cent on 2012. the winners will
be announced in November.
Professor scott slorach, Vice
uNiVersity oF laW’s NeW ll.B laW DeGree shortlisteD For eDucatioN iNVestor aWarD
President (education) at the
university of law, said: “This
award nomination is a fitting
recognition of the huge amount
of investment that went into
our new LL.B programme. The
course is the first of its kind,
grounded on practice-based
professional learning designed to
prepare students for the modern
world of law and focussing on
boosting students’ employment
prospects.
“In contrast to many traditional
purely academic law degrees,
our LL.B has at its heart the
teaching of professional skills
that are essential when entering
the legal profession, alongside
academic examination of legal
issues. The programme launch
was hugely successful and we
look forward to witnessing its
growth in the coming years.”
employability is a key feature
of the course, with timetabled
workshops to help students
understand the career
opportunities inherent in the fast-
changing legal services market,
both in the uK and globally.
the degree is about the practical
development of knowledge and
skills, with students examining
how law affects individuals and
businesses, and can be used to
resolve disputes. this enables
them to develop a better overall
practical understanding of
how the law works in realistic,
contemporary scenarios, rather
than simply studying its historical
development.
in keeping with its reputation in
the legal education sector for
innovation in learning design,
ulaw developed over 600
multimedia learning resources
specifically for the ll.B to
bring the law to life. these
include videos of lawyer/client
interactions, film and avatar
animations to illustrate leading
cases and problem-solving
scenarios plus interviews and
presentations featuring expert
practitioners.
in its first year the ll.B ran at
ulaw’s london Bloomsbury,
Birmingham, chester and
Guildford centres as a two-
year programme. its success
has led ulaw to extend the
programme to its york, Bristol
and Manchester centres
from september 2013 and to
introduce a three-year ll.B at
its london Bloomsbury centre
to increase student choice
regarding study duration.
in 2014 ulaw is to launch the
uK’s first two-year specialist
undergraduate degree in
international legal practice
in response to demand from
law firms for lawyers with
international specialisms.
the ll.B (hons) law with
international legal Practice
is being introduced alongside
the ll.B (hons) law and will
address the predominance
of english law in international
business, the increasingly
international needs of clients and
the cross-border dimensions of
many legal transactions.
ulaw will also offer a series of
Mlaw programmes including an
international Mlaw, combining
the ll.B with the institution’s
unique ll.M legal Practice
course (ll.M lPc), which
incorporates a Masters-level
ll.M qualification.
all ll.B degrees will be available
as both two- and three-year
courses and in total eight
different law degree programmes
will be offered at ulaw from
2014.
the university of law is the
uK’s only specialist university
in legal education and has eight
nationwide centres. n
26 | www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
events
Dates For your DiaryNetworking event Date: thursday, 19 september 2013
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Venue: Pitcher & Piano
Fee: Free
Legal Eagles Quiz - Joint Event with BSG and BTSSDate: Wednesday, 2 october 2013
Time: 6pm - 9.30pm
Venue: Burlington hotel
Fee: £10 per person
Pro Bono Networking EventDate: Monday, 14 october 2013
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Venue: tBc
Newly Qualified CelebrationDate: thursday, 24 october 2013
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Venue: hyatt regency Birmingham
Fee: Free For Newly Qualified
solicitors and Barristers
Past President LunchDate: Friday, 8 November 2013
Time: 12.30pm
Venue: opus
President’s DinnerDate: thursday, 21 November 2013
Time: 7pm - 12am
Venue: edgbaston cricket Ground
Fee: £75 + Vat per ticket
Legal Awards 2014Date: thursday, 20 March 2014
Time: 7pm - 12am
Venue: the icc
if you require any further information or if you would like to book onto any of these events please visit www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Birmingham law society now accepts payment by card so if you would like to pay for any of the events by card please call: 0121 222 4190 with your card details or request a booking form by emailing [email protected]
mPW Media & Publishing
GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED
If YOU wOUlD lIkE TO
aDvERTISE IN THE BUllETIN
plEaSE CONTaCT
alISON JONES ON:
TEl: 01905 727907 [email protected]
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk | 27
classified
translations
expert Witnesses
to advertise in the Bulletin please contact alison Jones:
tel: 01905 727907 [email protected]
law costings