Weightmans Annual Report 2010-2011 - Weightmans Solicitors

www.weightmans.com
Weightmans Annual Report
2010-2011
Weightmans LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales with registered number OC326117 and
its registered office at India Buildings, Water Street, Liverpool L2 0GA. A full list of members is available at the registered
office. The term “partner”, if used, denotes a member of Weightmans LLP or a senior employee of Weightmans LLP with
equivalent standing and qualifications. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Index
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Managing Partner’s review
Maintaining quality of service in
a rapidly changing environment
Timeline
A period of transformation
Financial report
A foundation for growth
Merger
The story so far...
Key highlights
Toasting this year’s successes
And finally
A word from our Senior Partner
p2 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p3

Managing Partner’s review
Maintaining quality of service in
a rapidly changing environment
My report this year is dominated by our considerable expansion. We welcomed
200 new people to Weightmans LLP, as well as a long list of new clients and two
new locations. We have changed considerably in a very short space of time, after
the best part of a decade of organic growth.
Although the firm continued to make progress in 2010-2011, from
September the financial year was largely taken up with merger
discussion and activities; preparing the firm for what it was
going to become.
Nevertheless, we did make considerable progress, gaining
improved insight and clarity on the key issues facing the
firm, and the important areas we need to work on to make
Weightmans an outstanding law firm over the next five to ten
years. In addition, there were some real highlights in terms of the
results we have achieved for our clients, notable cases we have
been involved in and recognition for our people.
From a financial point of view, the firm continued to perform
well, although profit was down and turnover increased relatively
modestly. The key financial message was one of sustainability
and the end result was a very creditable one, giving us a good
platform for the development of the merged firm.
This groundwork, put in during the course of the last financial
year, will stand us in good stead as we develop our business
over the next two to three years. We continue to work very hard
to produce excellent work and deliver a high quality service for
our clients in a rapidly changing environment, as demonstrated
by the confidence of our clients in most areas and our levels of
repeat business. We act for many blue chip clients who enhance
our brand by the feedback they give us, helping us to be more
focused on producing the best results for them.
It is also important that we continue to value and nurture
the culture of our organisation. We have very loyal employees
who have created a stable environment in which to develop
our business. The key elements of combined practice and
a commitment to being a well-managed organisation are
great assets.
Partners as leaders
In 2011 we started a leadership programme for partners after
identifying personal development for partners as a key area in
which we needed to invest. Management and development, the
coaching and mentoring of our people, sound financial practices,
innovation, communication and engagement all demand
leadership skills from the modern partner. At a time when our
partnership is increasing significantly, we believed this was the
ideal opportunity to spread the word: partners are leaders and
we need leadership skills to drive the firm forward.
We looked at various suppliers who might assist us in delivering
the programme. We read extensively and decided ultimately to
work with Future Engage Deliver. During the course of our next
financial year, all partners will undergo a three day programme.
This will comprise learning on setting the vision, engaging our
people and then delivering on the strategy of the firm.
The partner group represents a significant part of the
human capital of the firm. If we can all improve our leadership
skills, if we can be aware of the effect our behaviour and the
standards we set have on the rest of our organisation, if we can
be continually conscious that we have very significant influence
(which can be positive or negative), then this programme will
make a great and beneficial difference to our organisation.
This is a significant investment for very busy people and it will
be interesting to see how this programme affects and influences
our organisation. The idea is that we will work on leadership
skills more intensively in a bespoke way with certain groups
and our hope is to take the learning from this programme and
cascade it throughout the firm.
I very much hope that our long periods of hard work will ensure
that the new Weightmans of 2011 will have a successful and
prosperous future. At the time of writing, I am already able
to say with a high degree of confidence that Weightmans will
become bigger and better, to the benefit of both our clients and
our people.
Patrick Gaul
Managing Partner
p4 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p5

Timeline
A period of transformation
The firm’s profile and reputation is strengthening year on year and this is seen in
improved press coverage and commendations in the legal directories. Pleasingly,
this was reflected in the number and quality of awards the firm received during
the year.
Landmark judgment
Weightmans successfully represented Essex County Council
when The Supreme Court handed down a landmark judgment
in the case of A v Essex County Council, a case involving a
severely disabled boy whose parents sought compensation
for damages after he was out of school for more than a year
whilst the council sought to find him a suitable placement.
Long-standing lawyer gains success
After 21 years in law, the achievements of one leading female
lawyer were recognised by the Association of Women Solicitors.
Elaine Chapman, Partner at Weightmans, swept to victory
in the ‘Best Woman Solicitor Managing a Medium-Sized
Practice’ category.
Hat-trick of top rankings for Weightmans
Weightmans secured its highest rankings in The Lawyer UK
200 Annual Report and the Legal Business survey of the top
100 UK law firms.
The year also saw our insurance lawyers feature in a large
number of significant legal cases. The preeminent example was
the deafness class action run by Jim Byard and Ben Ling from
our Leicester office. This case involved thousands of claimants,
and many millions of pounds were at stake. Jim Byard led the
defendant team to victory in The Supreme Court.
June 2010
Weightmans moved up to number 53 in The Lawyer’s annual
report, a rise of three places from 2009. The Legal Business
survey saw the firm rise four places to number 52.
National award for Business Development team
The Business Development team won the Law Society
Excellence awards, beating off competition from firms
such as Allen & Overy.
The team was rewarded for its work on a firm-wide campaign
focused on enhancing our client relationship management.
August 2010
May 2010
July 2010
Young solicitor of the year
Victoria Curran was awarded solicitor of the year at the
Leicester Law Society awards. Joanne Harrison was awarded
trainee of the year.
Weightmans continues corporate expansion
in London with partner hire
Clare Sellars joined the London office as an Intellectual Property
specialist. The move came less than a month after William
Sharpe was appointed to lead the Corporate team in the City.
Weightmans takes consortia lead after
London panel success
The Local Government team at Weightmans had cause for
celebration as it took up its sixth local authority panel place
in 12 months. The firm was appointed to the Outer London
Boroughs Legal Consortium panel, where it will represent
the 14 members over an initial four-year period.
Howden appoints Weightmans to
surveyors’ panel
Weightmans was given a place on specialist Lloyd’s broker,
Howden’s, newly created panel of law.
September 2010
p6 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p7

Tender win
Personal acheivements rewarded
Royal Mail appointment
Weightmans celebrated a tender win, which delivered a six-year
contract with national registered provider of social housing,
Guinness Northern Counties Ltd.
Weightmans beat off stiff competition to provide legal expertise
on a range of housing management services. This is one of the
UK’s largest housing associations, providing nearly 27,000 homes
across the north of England.
Weightmans raises £13,000 for GOSH
Weightmans has been a long-term supporter of Great Ormond
Street Hospital and this year brought the total fundraising
contribution for the hospital to a staggering £42,000 since 2003.
The sizeable contribution was the result of a year-long CSR
challenge which saw our lawyers and support staff battle it
out to host fundraising events.
Legal award shortlist for CSR
Weightmans was shortlisted for the ‘Corporate Social
Responsibility Project of the Year’ category at the influential
British Legal Awards.
Noted for our innovative CSR policy when we made the shortlist
in 2008, Weightmans has continued to dedicate time, resources
and money to our five partnership charities and other charitable
organisations throughout the recession. These consistent efforts,
coupled with a firm-wide culture in which CSR is recognised to
such an extent that all staff are granted two days’ annual leave
to devote to charity work and volunteering – once again earned
Weightmans a place on the shortlist.
Diversity recognised in annual survey
Weightmans was recognised for its dedication to equality in
the workplace in the 2010 Diversity League Table.
The annual report, compiled and published by the Black
Solicitors Network, looks at law firms’ efforts to address gender,
ethnicity and disability challenges by analysing the background
of all associates, partners, paralegals and trainees.
Weightmans ranked third best legal provider
to public bodies
Weightmans broke through the ranks to be named the third
best legal provider to public bodies in the country.
The 2011 UK Chambers guide published its first ever Public
Sector Commentary, surveying over 150 of the UK’s largest
public bodies to provide a report based entirely on client
feedback. Weightmans received 14 mentions – only three
mentions short of first place, which was shared between
Eversheds and Pinsent Masons. In addition, the firm secured
a joint first place alongside Sharpe Pritchard for local
government work, with nine mentions apiece.
December 2010
Weightmans announced a string of promotions for 2011,
with the appointment of five new partners and nine associates
across all five offices nationwide.
Landmark judgment
A landmark judgment was handed down by The Supreme
Court, confirming the extent to which public sector bodies
need to comply with EU Directives and Regulations when
placing contracts for goods and services. Mike Green took the
case of Harrow LBC (Brent LBC and LAML) v RMP to The Supreme
Court and was successful in having the ruling reversed, which
now permits such authorities to avoid procurement laws
altogether, subject to certain conditions.
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
Weightmans was appointed to Royal Mail Group’s panel of
preferred suppliers for employment and real estate work.
The firm is now the sole national supplier to RMG in England
and Wales for a specific type of employment work.
Top Employers award
Weightmans joined 57 other companies across the country
to be certified as one of Britain’s Top Employers for 2011 in the
annual assessment by the Corporate Research Foundation
(CRF) Institute. The firm’s relaxed and friendly environment,
approachable management teams and positive feedback
with regards to work-life balance and well-being, were all
commended by the CRF Institute.
Supreme Court decision
Weightmans, acting for Zurich Insurance, secured victory in
The Supreme Court in the first noise induced hearing loss
claim to reach the highest court in the UK.
The case, widely known as ‘The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
Textile deafness litigation’, originally concerned ten test claims
of noise induced hearing loss. Of those ten, it was only the claim
by Stephanie Baker against Quantum Clothing Group which
was brought before The Supreme Court. Had The Supreme
Court found in favour of Mrs Baker, the floodgates for tens of
thousands of noise induced hearing loss claims would have
opened at the expense of the insurance industry.
October 2010
November 2010
Vizards Wyeth Merger completed
Introduction of boot camp for paralegals
Six paralegals were recruited to an intensive three week
induction programme within the firm, in a pilot scheme
set to prepare them for a career in legal services.
The new scheme was designed by the Learning and
Development team.
Weightmans labelled user friendly by
national guide
In the Chambers UK independent guide to the UK’s top law
firms, our national healthcare offering was praised for its
‘user-friendly’ client service, while Tony Yeaman, who heads
up the Healthcare team, was cited as having ‘vast experience
in health’ and understanding the issues clients had faced.
Weightmans also retained a top tier ranking in the Personal
Injury: Mainly Defendant category, with Head of the Large
Loss team, David Holt, singled out for his work representing
the Motor Insurers’ Bureau at the European Court of Justice.
Weightmans and Vizards Wyeth formally joined forces and
began moving forward as one firm.
The consolidation enhanced the already excellent services
that the two firms provided, offering greater resource,
expertise and new opportunities for the client base.
Weightmans announces merger with
Mace & Jones
Weightmans and Mace & Jones agreed terms to merge.
The merger became effective on 1 May 2011; further
strengthening Weightmans’ position as a major national
law firm.
April 2011
The firm’s Police team also retained a top tier ranking, with
Martin Forshaw, Head of the National Police team, noted for
his ‘towering reputation’ in the field.
p8 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p9

Financial report
A foundation for growth
£ millions
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
£ millions
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
20.0
10.0
10.0
5.0
Tony Cannon, Finance Director, reports on our financial performance in 2010-2011
0.0
2006
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
0.0
Commercial
Insurance
Public Sector
The financial result for 2010-2011 is a reasonable one, particularly
considering the time and effort devoted to the mergers with
Vizards Wyeth and Mace & Jones in the second half.
We reported an increase in turnover of 3% over 2010, coming
in at £57 million, which included some income from Vizards
Wyeth for the month of April. Expenditure was just under
budget. The PEP figure of £306,000 represents a fall from
the exceptional high of £365,000 reported for 2009-2010,
but part of this was attributable to the addition of three
new Equity Partners from 1 May 2010.
As anticipated, there was increased pressure on fee levels from
our clients, and we have responded robustly by meeting their
requirements and maintaining the high-quality service levels
that have underpinned our growth over the last five years.
We have continued to work hard to reduce our bank borrowings,
and indeed the relatively healthy state of our finances enabled
us to proceed with the two mergers. Average borrowings over
the year fell by 54% compared to 2009-2010, despite the increase
in turnover, and the year-end balance of £2.5 million represents
a 41% reduction of the April 2010 balance.
Turnover growth
£ millions
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
Turnover by Business line
£ millions
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
We should acknowledge the very healthy growth in turnover
over the last five years, coming despite the effects of the
recession. Turnover in 2006 was £37.6 million and has increased
by 20%.
As we look ahead, management of cash is a major issue,
as we absorb the costs of business which will increase in
size by almost 40% in terms of budgeted income.
1.0
0
2008/09
2009/10 2010/11
1.0
0
2008/09
2009/10 2010/11
Our insurance and public sector business lines exceeded
their budgets for the year, but our commercial line continued
to suffer from the effects of the recession and posted an income
figure very similar to last year.
Average borrowings
Year-end borrowings
Tony Cannon
Finance Director
p10 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p11

Merger
The story so far...
Managing Partner Patrick Gaul provides his account of both mergers
John Schorah, Commercial Director, provides his view
In the strategy we formulated in 2007-2008, we agreed that
the firm should aim to merge with a commercial firm with a
turnover of about £5 million over the course of the subsequent
three years. The merger with Mace & Jones on 1 May 2011 fulfilled
that part of the strategy, although the size of the merger was
larger than we had set out to achieve.
We transformed Weightmans as a commercial law firm
overnight. We now have a commercial business line with a
turnover approaching £30 million, with national credibility
and a diverse range of commercial legal services at its disposal.
In addition, our strategy has been to improve and increase our
credibility in the insurance market. The acquisition of Vizards
Wyeth’s insurance division has considerably strengthened our
insurance offering for major clients, including in the South East.
Both mergers take Weightmans to another level in terms of our
capability, capacity and credibility. We employ over 1100 people
and are now likely to be a top 40 law firm by turnover.
In relation to both mergers, the important thing for Weightmans
was recognition that we were bringing a lot of people together
into an established organisation with its own culture. We did
a huge amount of work prior to the mergers to ensure that we
were compatible. We were not simply acquiring business; we
wanted to bring together people with complementary skill sets,
who fit on a personal basis and want to work towards something
bigger and better.
As Managing Partner, I have been very determined that
Weightmans should behave in a certain way, with particular
values that make us an organisation that people want to join.
It was absolutely essential for me that everybody who came
into Weightmans would see that, and want to be part of it.
I want the new Weightmans to be an exciting and dynamic
organisation, always doing interesting things. The challenges
are bigger, but so are the opportunities.
The success of the negotiations was very much down to the
diligence and skill of the teams representing Mace & Jones
and Vizards Wyeth.
Here is what those partners who were instrumental during
the merger process have to say...
The 12 months to the end of April 2011 have been
transformational for our commercial business line. We have
seen the firm merge with Mace & Jones, resulting in its
integration into our business, along with 160 Mace & Jones
employees. We have also seen our Property and Regulatory
teams expand through the merger with Vizards Wyeth, and
have acquired a team in Employment to head up our HR Rely
offering in the Midlands. So far, the integration of the people
and operations from the mergers has gone very well indeed.
The mergers have allowed us to add even greater strength and
depth to our five core practice areas of Commercial Dispute
Resolution, Corporate, Employment, Real Estate and Regulatory,
but also add new complementary practice areas of Construction
and Family and Private Client. We have also extended our
international reach with the membership of Legalink, with
64 members in 48 countries around the world, as well as gaining
in-house capacity in pensions and planning.
Undoubtedly, the mergers have cemented our position as
a major national commercial law practice, and very much a
regional heavyweight in the North West. What is more important
is the benefits the mergers bring to our clients. Clients are rightly
concerned mergers do not adversely affect service or pricing.
We have managed to allay those fears, and the overwhelming
response from clients has been extremely positive. Moreover,
there are a number of factors that should bring real benefits
to our clients from the mergers. I have already mentioned the
increased scale and breadth of capability that will help us deliver
an even better service and level of expertise. Furthermore, as our
clients grow we must be able to keep up with their needs. The
benefits to clients go beyond resource though. We will be able to
make our business more sustainable, allowing us to invest even
more in service delivery and improve efficiency.
I am sure the mergers will add great momentum to our business
and be a really positive thing for our clients.
Whilst trade remained relatively flat in the last financial year
and we do face continuing uncertainty in the general economy,
I think the outlook for this financial year will demonstrate real
growth in our business line.
John Schorah
Commercial Director
p12 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p13

Mace&Jones
Dan Cutts, Insurance Director, shares his thoughts
The biggest news of the year for the insurance business line
was our acquisition of the insurance practice of Vizards Wyeth
in London and the South East. We have known and respected
the partners in Vizards Wyeth for many years, and they very
quickly established themselves in their new roles. Clients of
Weightmans and Vizards Wyeth could not have been more
supportive, and this is a reflection of the similarity between
the two firms’ cultures. I would like to thank all our clients
for their continued support.
Client reaction has been so positive that we are now actively
recruiting in all teams in our new office. There has been an
easy transition into our team structures.
The Vizards Wyeth teams have brought us an industry leading
Product Liability service. During the year we have also added
to our Professional Indemnity and Property Litigation teams
with partner level appointments.
Richard Corran, the Managing
Partner of Mace & Jones during the
negotiation period, gives his view
During its 84 year history, Mace & Jones was fortunate enough
to form close relationships with a diverse and impressive
portfolio of clients. Focusing on Employment, Real Estate,
Corporate, Commercial Dispute Resolution and Family, Wills,
Tax Trusts and Probate, the firm had a reputation which
commentators said belied its size.
However, it is the future that matters and the decision to seek
a merger with Weightmans was a strategic one in light of
the changes in the legal market and the likely changes from
the Legal Service Act.
A huge amount of work – both before and after completion –
has gone into making the merger a success and my thanks
go to everyone who contributed. However, that work must
continue as we now build on what we have done, seeking a
better profile and platform on which to market and develop
our commercial services.
The merger has been extremely positive for the former
Mace & Jones side of the business, as we are now able to offer
a greater breadth of services to clients, with improved support
over a wide geographical area. Fresh opportunities have been
created by putting the two businesses together. Clients now
rightly expect a level of service, and particularly IT support,
which require the investment only larger firms can achieve.
The welcome given by Weightmans’ people to Mace & Jones
people when we ultimately came together has confirmed our
optimism that we were a good cultural fit. That welcome has
been warmly reciprocated. The combined business has created
a formidable commercial practice and a great team of people.
The view from Vizards Wyeth is
given by Jonathan Shaer and Brian
Williams, who were both on the
negotiating team
Vizards Wyeth had a good reputation and some very good
clients, but its size was insufficient to develop the business
and relationships with clients to make the most of its potential.
Size matters: the merger with Weightmans, a firm with similar
expertise but also many other practice areas – and well
respected by Vizards Wyeth clients – provided that opportunity.
The benefits of the merger in this regard have already become
apparent, even though we are only six months on.
Integration is an ongoing process, and everyone is making
tremendous efforts to make the merged firm a great success.
An integral part of the successful merger is the continued
support from clients.
Joining with Weightmans has given a sense of security to the
Vizards Wyeth partners and employees, which will result in
greater contributions to the combined business from them.
In turn we will bring a new dynamic and a fresh energy to
Weightmans, and together we will be stronger.
Dan Cutts
Insurance Director
p14 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p15

Key highlights
Toasting this year’s successes
2010-2011 saw some outstanding performances and great wins across all three
of our business lines. The Directors have provided a summary of the past year,
highlighting the key achievements.
Dan Cutts takes a look at what the
past year meant to our insurance
business line
Our profile in the market and trade press is rising and we have
worked hard to support our clients in policy issues; for example,
at various workshops with representatives from the Ministry of
Justice and claimant groups. This increased presence has helped
to raise the level of interest in Weightmans from prospective
clients. We have started to work for some very significant new
insurance clients and nominations.
Over the same period, we have developed and launched our
new dashboard benefit reporting tool as well as the second
generation of MyWeightmans, our extranet facility. This,
coupled with our global MI project, means that we are
continually improving the transparency of our service to
clients and striving to demonstrate and improve value at
every opportunity.
We can now offer our insurance clients a service that ranges
from first notification of loss, through outsourced handling,
to the full range of litigation services - including cases of the
utmost severity and test cases in The Supreme Court.
In summary, this year can be seen as one of the best in recent
memory. We grew the business, worked more closely with clients
than ever before on strategic issues, acquired a talented group
of new colleagues from Vizards Wyeth, and even raised our
profile and attracted some great new clients on the way.
Andrew Cooper, our Public Sector
Director, on the successes and growth
in his team
2010-2011 saw further consolidation, growth through gaining
places on consortia, and continued working with the other two
business lines to produce an all-round public sector offering.
The Local Government team had cause for celebration, after
taking its place on a sixth local authority panel win in 12 months.
We were appointed to the Outer London Boroughs Legal
Consortium, where we will represent 14 members over an
initial four year period.
We also achieved success in The Supreme Court, when a
landmark judgment was handed down in the case of A v
Essex County Council.
Following on from a string of local authority panel wins over
the past year, we also made an impression, with the firm quoted
as ‘up and coming in the local government world’, rising from
Band 5 to Band 4 in the national Local Government category in
Chambers UK, and from having no ranking at all to Band 2 for
healthcare, non-transactional. The firm’s Police team retained
a top-tier ranking, with Martin Forshaw, Head of the National
Police team, noted for his ‘towering reputation’ in the field.
John Schorah recalls the highlights for
the commercial business line
Our commercial lawyers had a busy and successful year,
despite the continuing impacts of the economic downturn.
The acquisition of Taygroup UK Holdings Limited, a distribution
network with a turnover of £23 million, demonstrated our
expertise. Disposal of the entire issued share capital of Media
Molecule to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
was also a highlight.
The Corporate team also acted on the purchase by Bibby
Distribution Limited of the entire share capital of Hargreaves
Training (Holdings) and the remaining minority interest in
System Group Limited, both for an undisclosed consideration.
I, alongside some of my colleagues, worked on the setting up
of ELTO with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, dealing with company
formation structuring and governance.
One of the great highlights of the year was our success in the
Royal Mail Group retender for employment and being awarded
real estate work for the first time. We are now sole national
provider for these two areas of work.
Andrew Cooper
Public Sector Director
p16 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p17

Sarah-Jane Howitt, our Marketing Director, talks about clients, delivering
results and enhancing relationships
Bob Hetherington, our MI Partner, on our project to improve the clarity of
our performance measurement
Our guiding principle as a firm is to deliver results for our
clients and success for our people. A key component in making
that happen is our Generator Client Relationship Management
(CRM) programme. CRM is all about understanding what our
clients want, and ensuring they receive great service on all the
work we do for them. The Generator programme aims to ignite
the passion for CRM within all our client facing staff.
Weightmans has undertaken formal CRM for a number of
years, with 70 client relationships actively managed as part
of our Generator programme. At the start of 2010, we felt
it was time to reinvigorate everyone involved in CRM and
client relationships.
We have always been clear that the cultural aspects of CRM
are the most important. A focus on personal relationships,
interaction with clients and consistently delivering a high
level of service is far more important than CRM software.
The Business Development team created a ‘Love CRM’ campaign
to capture the attention of the business and inspire both CRM
novices and experts to participate. The emphasis was firmly
on talking to and about clients, not form filling, to help us
better understand what our clients really want from their
legal advisers.
An on-going mantra of communication and collaborative
working now takes place to enhance our client relationships.
The Client Service teams for all clients in the Generator
programme meet regularly to discuss developments, share
ideas and monitor service delivery. They are provided with
background research and management information about
their clients each month, so they are up to date with what is
happening in their clients’ markets and can offer commercial
advice that helps clients achieve their own business goals. We
have encouraged as many people as possible to get involved
in managing relationships, so that CRM and great client service
are now an integral part of the culture at all levels.
The Generator programme has delivered tangible results
for Weightmans and our clients. It is understood and
talked about throughout the firm and by our clients,
which demonstrates its value to all those involved.
Achievements include:
84% of Weightmans partners now rate CRM as highly
important (source: internal marketing satisfaction survey
June 2011); a growing number actively ask for their clients
to be part of the Generator programme.
We gained an average client satisfaction rating of 8.1 out of 10
in our latest independent client satisfaction survey undertaken
by Acritas. The Acritas Sharp Legal Brands UK 2009 market
average is 7.9.
A 100% client retention rate at retender. Three major panels
successfully renewed and appointments extended to include
new areas of work.
We receive regular feedback from clients that they feel we
have revitalised our relationships with them and that our
client service has improved.
Sarah-Jane Howitt
Director of Marketing
The Management Information (MI) project was initiated to
improve the quality and delivery of our external and internal
management information.
There was a realisation that the demand for MI from our clients
was growing all the time and our system for data capture
needed to be improved. The scope of the project then expanded
to include a consideration of performance management, and
the wider context of how differing contributions should be
valued and measured within the firm.
The last 12 months have involved a period of extensive
consultation with the Board, practice area heads and client
partners and clients, about the current and future requirements
for MI and the creation of a standard framework to capture
a core set of MI across the business. At the same time,
development work has been ongoing to create a balanced
scorecard dashboard that will be accessible online and provide
a new set of performance measures, in addition to financial
targets and a new series of reports to assist with management
of the various levels of the business.
The first stages in the implementation of the project have
taken place, with the introduction of a new balanced scorecard
appraisal for fee earners that is now completed online. In
addition, the balanced scorecard methodology will be used for
the business planning process, and in the future will feed into
the setting of individual objectives that are consistent with the
strategy of the firm, business line and practice area.
The investment time codes have been amended to reflect
the new areas of performance measurement, and will allow
a more accurate analysis of how investment time is being
used across the firm.
The next 12 months will focus on the introduction of a new
set of core MI for the firm and the balanced scorecard dashboard.
This will involve an extensive period of training for all fee
earners, so that there is a collective understanding of the
new measures and how they will operate in practice.
The new client reporting dashboard has already been made
available to clients, and the target over the next year is for
all client partners to have quality MI that allows them to
report on a quarterly basis to their clients with an analysis
that demonstrates the value Weightmans can add, as well
as helping clients achieve their business objectives.
There will inevitably be a steep learning curve during the
introduction of the core MI and the balanced scorecard
dashboard, given the extent of some of the operational
changes. There has been real enthusiasm amongst client
partners for the potential improvements in client service that
the project can provide, and the ultimate aim is that MI becomes
a real differentiator for the firm within its chosen markets.
Bob Hetherington
MI Partner
p18 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p19

Peter Forshaw, Partner, on why we can be proud of our corporate
social responsibility activities
In light of the global economic challenges this year, we are
particularly proud that CSR activity has remained a central part
of our daily life at Weightmans, culminating in our shortlisting
at the British Legal Awards for CSR Project of the Year. Not only
was this gratifying recognition for our work, it enabled us to
raise awareness of the plight of those with whom we work on a
national scale. Through such publicity, event hosting, promotion
and assumption of key roles on charitable committees, we
strive to use our privileged position to persuade other equally
resourceful businesses to follow suit and support those who
need it most.
Last year we maintained our support and fundraising for our
five key charity partners (Claire House Children’s Hospice in
Merseyside, MedEquip in Manchester, The Laura Centre in
Leicester, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Great Ormond
Street Hospital), as well as supporting national charity days for
Children in Need, Comic Relief and MacMillan. Going forward,
we are now in the process of changing some of our partner
charities, as part of our commitment to our staff to support
different favoured causes, but for those we are leaving, we hope
that in some small way we have made a difference over the
period of our relationship.
A range of activities, from golf days to sponsored marathons,
Christmas fairs to dress down days, enabled us to present
further cheques to these partner charities. A donation to GOSH
for £13,000 in October 2010 brought the total raised for them
to £42,000 since our partnership began, and our partnership
with Claire House has concluded with a total figure raised of
approximately £50,000. Such vital funds have enabled these
charities to keep beds open and provide essential medical care.
Our membership of Leicestershire Cares has facilitated our
involvement in a number of volunteer schemes, including canal
clearance projects and charity premises renovation. We have
worked with our clients to host and participate in activities as
diverse as dragon-boat races, dance classes and sponsored treks,
to enable them to fundraise for their own partner charities.
We have also continued to undertake pure pro bono activity
this year, an example being our Manchester office providing
services to a local charity for the disabled to successfully
defend an employment claim made against it.
The money committed by the firm for CSR activity has been
used to support individuals in their own charitable endeavours
across the world, taking advantage of our Volunteer and Funding
policies. This year, this included representatives from our HR
team raising over £6,000 by walking the Inca Trail, a return
trip to a Ugandan orphanage, a member of our Leicester office
climbing Kilimanjaro for Cancer Research, and staff from London
travelling to India to provide a sustainable energy source to
deprived areas of that country.
Next year will no doubt be another difficult year within our
local communities and beyond. Our objective is to maintain
and enhance the breadth of our CSR activity to support those
who need it most in these difficult times.
A return to Uganda
Walking the Inca Trail
Several local schools and universities have benefitted again
this year from our delivery of careers advice and practical
assistance on CV writing, negotiation skills and interview
techniques. We continue our long term commitment in primary
schools to deliver the ‘Right to Read’ scheme, and we have
signed up as the first law firm in the Merseyside area to
deliver the Citizenship Foundation ‘Local Lawyers in Schools’
programme. As part of this, we are committed to recruiting
other firms in the region to follow our example.
Peter Forshaw
Partner
p20 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p21

And finally
A word from our Senior Partner
The economic climate has continued to provide a challenging environment for
businesses across all sectors. It was a pleasure therefore to witness over the last
year the very substantial efforts made by so many Weightmans people to tackle
these difficulties, and particularly their efforts to engage with and assist clients.
The highlights of the last year were many, but the growth
of our business through mergers with Vizards Wyeth and
Mace & Jones was undoubtedly the most significant. As a result
of both transactions, we acquired new clients and new skills,
and there have been a number of immediate gains which have
provided a tremendous lift for our business. Both firms were very
well known to us, and this has greatly assisted the integration
process which, at the time of writing, is well advanced. We now
have seven offices across the country, over 1100 people and our
turnover next year will be touching £80 million.
Whilst all of this has been going on we have continued to
recognise our commitment to the community. CSR projects and
events took place with increasing regularity, raising money for
very worthwhile local causes. It is pleasing to see so many people
across all our offices taking on this important responsibility.
The legal profession eagerly awaits the impact of the
introduction of the Legal Services legislation. There are
different views as to whether this will turn out to be the
“big bang” a lot of commentators are forecasting, but we are
keeping a careful watch on developments; at the same time
ensuring we do not take our eye off the ball. We will continue
to concentrate on building an efficient, well managed and
sustainable business.
Weightmans has been able to build upon the successes of
previous years, and for this we are grateful for the continued
support from our many clients. I would also like to conclude
this report by recognising the tremendous efforts of an excellent,
very well motivated and committed workforce.
I have noticed a number of relationships that have grown over
this period through greater collaboration and problem sharing
and solving, which has gone way beyond simply providing
excellent legal advice.
In this review you will have read of the important work the
firm is undertaking for a large number of very substantial
clients, through groundbreaking cases taken to The Supreme
Court, involvement in major incidents and collaboration
with clients in producing imaginative and innovative ways
of working. In this way, our profile and reputation as a major
law firm continue to increase.
Ian Evans
Senior Partner
p22 2010-2011 Annual Report 2010-2011 Annual Report p23