birmingham bulletin January 2016

Greater Birmingham
Bulletin
The monthly publication of the Birmingham Law Society
New Year
New Street
New Logo
New Publication
BLS loses one of its
brightest stars
News from the
President
Legal Awards 2016
The Autumn Statement’s
major changes to the
motor insurance industry:
the end of whiplash?

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Bulletin
4. News from the President
5. New Logo for BLS
Greater Birmingham
5. Dates for your Diary
8. The Autumn Statement’s major changes to the
motor insurance industry: the end of whiplash?
9. Legal Awards 2016 to be hosted by Gyles Brandreth
12. Practice Advice from Stephen Gold
14. West Midlands legal sector loses one of its
brightest stars
21. Davies and Partners win their second case in
Europe
29. A Birmingham Lawyer with eight memorials
to his name
Birmingham Law Society
Suite 101
Cheltenham House
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Birmingham
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Published by
Baskerville Publications
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Editorial Enquiries and
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Julia Baskerville
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editorial@birminghamlawsociety.org.uk
j.baskerville@jbaskerville.co.uk
www.locallawsocietypublications.co.uk
The views and opinions
expressed in The Bulletin are
those of the individual
contributors and not those of
the Birmingham Law
Society.
On the Cover....
This month’s front cover features the re-developed
Birmingham New Street Station.
The original New Street station opened in 1854. At the
time of its construction, the station had the largest singlespan
arched roof in the world. In the 1960s, the station was
completely rebuilt.
Birmingham New Street is the eighth busiest railway station
in the UK and the busiest outside London, with 34.7
million passenger entries and exits between April 2013
and March 2014. It is also the busiest interchange station
outside London, with more than 5 million passengers
changing trains at the station annually. In 2015 an average
96,747 people passed through New Street each day, or
4,031 in an average hour.
A £550m redevelopment of the station named Gateway
Plus opened in September 2015 and includes a new
concourse, a new exterior facade, and a new entrance. New
Street will also become the terminus for the city
centre extension of the Midland Metro, with a new tram
stop on Stephenson Street, expected be finished by 2016
New Street in
2015
New Street in
1910
If any member of Birmingham Law Society
would like to submit a photograph for future
front covers of the Bulletin, please email
editorial@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
The Bulletin 3

From the President
News from the President
New Publication
Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of the Society’s revamped new publication,
Greater Birmingham Bulletin. We have a new publisher, Baskerville Publications.
The new publication will be packed with insightful articles, interviews, entertainment in
a fresh new style. It will be the ‘go to’ publication for the legal community in Greater
Birmingham. I do hope you like it.
Please support this publication by sending in your news stories, for example any charity/corporate
social responsibility work that you have been involved in. We would also
like to hear your suggestions on topics for inclusion in the magazine. Please contact the
publisher/editor on 01253 829431 or email editorial@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk.
New Logo
Mushtaq Khan
President
I am pleased to announce the Society’s new logo (please see page 5). The Society recently
ran a logo competition and received numerous entries and I am delighted to say
the winning entry was created by Daniel Pickerill of Solihull College. Well done Daniel!
The new logo is a modern, minimalist design that captures the heritage and reflects the
modernity of the Society yet allows for easy reproduction and cross-platform use.
Lights, camera, action!
In partnership with our Sponsors MMADigital, we have produced four new videos, Meet
The President, Newly Qualified Event, Meet The Sponsors and the President’s Dinner
2015. They are all available to view on the Society website.
Videos have become an essential part of the online experience. It is a format that will
help us better connect with our busy members and allows us to better showcase our
key events.
2016, It’s A Big Year!
The Society is a progressive organization which is reflected in the positive changes including
the new Bulletin publication, new logo and the new video postings on the Society
website. As we enter 2016, it promises a brighter and exciting future for the Society.
Crystal Ball Gazing Into 2016
So, what does 2016 hold? There are some national pressing issues that have
implications. There is the consultation over the British Bill of Rights, the Investigatory
Powers Bill – so called - “Snoopers Charter” and the highly
anticipated EU referendum.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove has pushed back the
long-awaited and controversial British Bill of Rights from 2015 to 2016. The former Attorney
General, Dominic Grieve can be expected to continue his criticism if the government
follow through with their plans. The Scottish National Party’s Nicola Sturgeon, has
indicated that the Scottish government will do ‘absolutely everything’ to oppose the
Act’s repeal. There is also opposition to scrapping the Act by the Labour party. Is the
Lord Chancellor set for a big disappointment in 2016?
The government's Draft Investigatory Powers Bill has sparked debate over the balance
between privacy concerns and national security in the post-Snowden era, with controversy
around encryption, bulk data and hacking. Clause 71 is causing much concern.
This requires web and phone companies to store records of websites visited by every
citizen for 12 months for access by police, security services and other public bodies.
4 The Bulletin

Diary Dates
Security services will be legally empowered to bug computers
and phones upon approval of a ‘warrant’. Companies will
be legally obliged to assist these operations and bypass encryption
where possible. One concern here will be around
the security of this data, Apple has stated: “The fact is to
comply with the Government’s proposal, the personal data
of millions of law-abiding citizens would be less secure.”
Clearly surveillance powers can play an important role in
preventing and detecting serious crime. I like many others
am unconvinced that the proposed framework provides sufficient
safeguards to ensure it is conducted in a necessary,
proportionate and accountable way – online and offline. We
are cautious and mindful of the State entering our homes,
never mind searching them and taking away our belongings.
Why should we be less cautious when it comes to our online
communications? I do hope we do not sleep walk into losing
fundamental rights of privacy through politics of fear. The
debate on this has only just started….
The in-out EU referendum in 2017 train has left the station
and building up speed as prime minister Cameron tries to
convince EU leaders (and his own party!) of his reform plans.
The Prime Minister hopes to strike out a new deal before issuing
a UK vote. What does this all mean for the legal profession?
Research carried out for The Law Society has found
that the legal sector could lose between £225m and £1.7bn
annually by 2030 if the UK left the EU.
The EU vote is predicated to take up the most column inches
in newspapers and soak up the most minutes on TV. “To be
or not to be in EU?”, this will surely be THE question of 2016.
Wishing Mistakes for 2016…
I hope that in this year to come, you, I, we are not afraid to
make mistakes because if we are making mistakes then we
are trying new things, learning, living, pushing ourselves,
changing ourselves, changing our world.
Let us be inspired in 2016 by the following two great
thinkers views….
“Anyone who has never made a mistake
has never tried anything new.”
― Albert Einstein
“The greatest mistake you can make in
life is to be continually fearing you will
make one.”
― Elbert Hubbard
Dates for your Diary
27th January 2015
6.15pm
Student Member networking event
Birmingham City University
10th March 2016
6pm - 8pm
Networking Event
Hyatt Regency, Birmingham
21st April 2016
7pm - 1am
Legal Awards 2016
ICC Birmingham
26th April 2016
5pm - 7pm
AGM & Networking
St Philips Chambers, Birmingham
Please see website for further details and to
book: www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk or
email: events@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Deadlines for submissions to the Bulletin
28th Jan
21st July
25th Feb
25th Aug
24th Mar
29th Sep
14th April 24th Oct
26th May
24th Nov
23rd June
editorial@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Birmingham Law Society are
proud to work in partnership
with our sponsors
Mushtaq Khan
President
The Bulletin 5

BLS Sponsorship
Midshire announces new partnership
with Birmingham Law Society
Industry-leading office technology sales and service provider
Midshire, is delighted to announce a key new partnership with
Birmingham Law Society, moving into 2016.
At the heart of Birmingham’s business community, Birmingham Law Society
is the largest regional law society in the UK, representing over 4,400
solicitors and barristers across the region. The society represents, promotes
and supports its members through delivering a dynamic programme
of communications, professional events and networking.
Danny Walden, Midshire Regional Sales Manager explains more about the
partnership plans: “Birmingham Law Society has been a customer of Midshire’s
for many years and we look forward to working closely with them
on this new exciting partnership. Our vision for 2016 is to provide society
members with the very latest technology news, updates and solutions to
help their businesses grow and flourish.”
“During the coming twelve months we will be covering hot topics such as
document security, mobile working and cloud technology as well as sharing
our industry knowledge and expertise.”
“I look forward to meeting with members over the coming months and
helping them tackle the technology pain-points within their business. ”
Midshire is the largest independent provider of photocopiers, printers
and managed print services in the Midlands. Delivering a full-service
technology solution to its customers, the company specialises in reducing
office-printing costs, business telecommunications and IT services. Midshire
has over 11,000 installations across the UK and has won multiple industry
awards for both sales and service.
Birmingham Law Society President, Mushtaq Khan comments on the
partnership with Midshire: “This is a genuinely exciting development in
the relationship between Birmingham Law Society and Midshire. This
partnership will provide clear opportunities for the Society to support its
members by providing useful technology developments, news and solutions
to help support their businesses growth.”
Midshire is available for product demonstrations at its office in West
Bromwich. For more information or to arrange your demonstration please
get in touch with Midshire today:
Contact Danny Walden on: 07971 896 006 or email:
danny.walden@midshire.co.uk or visit: www.midshire.co.uk
“Birmingham Law Society has
been a customer of Midshire’s
for many years and we look
forward to working closely
with them on this new exciting
partnership. Our vision for
2016 is to provide society
members with the very latest
technology news, updates and
solutions to help their
businesses grow and flourish.”
6 The Bulletin

Birmingham Law Society
unveils new logo
Birmingham Law Society recently ran a competition
to design a new logo for the Society which reflected
its professional, forward-thinking and modern approach.
The competition was open to all art and design
students in the Midlands.
The Society received numerous
entries, and the logo created by
Daniel Pickerill, a graphic design
student at Solihull College was
selected by the judges.
Society News
Daniel, aged 19, is currently in
his second year of studying for
an HND in Graphic Design, and
says that he will continue the
course for a further two years.
His ultimate ambition is to be a
Creative Director with a Design
Agency.
Daniel says that his aim was to create a minimalist and
modern design for the Society and the colour he selected
co-ordinated with the Society’s website.
Well done and thank you Daniel!
SUPPLYING THE MIDLANDS
WITH AWARD WINNING
OFFICE TECHNOLOGY
MIDSHIRE MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
CONTACT danny Walden: 07971 896 006
danny.walden@midshire.co.uk www.midshire.co.uk
Midshire Midlands: Midshire House, Doranda Way, West Bromwich, West Midlands B71 4LT
PROUD SUPPLIER & SPONSOR OF:
The Bulletin 7

PI
The Autumn Statement’s major changes to the motor
insurance industry: the end of whiplash?
George Osborne has sought to tackle the compensation
culture and the cost of motor insurance in his most recent
Autumn Statement. The Chancellor says that the
proposed reforms, which came as a surprise to the majority
of the industry, will save an average of £40-50 per
motor insurance policy for the consumer. The key reforms,
which are set out in paragraph 3.103 of the
Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, are removing
the right to general damages for “minor soft tissue
injuries” and transferring personal injury claims of
up to £5,000 to the Small Claims Court.
Removing the Right to General Damages for “Minor Soft
Tissue Injuries”
The first key reform is the removal of general damages for
“minor soft tissue injuries.” This will include damages for
pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA) that so often make
up the majority of motor claims, but will not affect a
claimant’s entitlement to special damages.
The obvious question follows - ‘what is a “minor soft tissue
injury?”’
The phrase “soft tissue injury claims” is used in the Pre-Action
Protocol for Low Value RTA Claims where essentially it refers
to whiplash injuries. Given the Autumn Statement’s aim to
“reduce the excessive costs arising from unnecessary
whiplash claims” and the increased insurance premiums arising
from those costs it is likely that the use of this phrase is a
deliberate one.
However there is as yet no definition of what constitutes a
minor soft tissue injury claim. Aviva’s Road to Reform rather
cautiously suggests that injuries persisting for up to 3
months should be considered “minor” whilst other options
may be by reference to a monetary figure or whiplash itself.
When examined with the second reform discussed below, it
may be that the Chancellor’s intention was for the two reforms
to work together meaning that whiplash claims with a
total damages figure of up to £5,000 are deemed “minor.” Of
course until the Government consultation in the new year
this is purely speculation. One thing that is clear is that how
and where the Government chooses to set this limit will be
crucial.
Transferring Personal Injury Claims up to £5,000 to the
Small Claims Court
The second of the two proposed reforms will certainly be
wider in scope than the first with “all personal injury claims”
up to £5,000 being transferred to the Small Claims Court, a
limit that was previously set at £1,000. Whether this increase
will be limited to motor insurance claims, in accordance with
the aim stated in paragraph 3.103 of the Autumn Statement,
or all personal injury claims, as has been debated for many
years now, remains to be seen.
8 The Bulletin
This change is aimed at reducing disproportionate legal
costs in lower value cases. The relevant procedural protocols
provide that claims which fall within the Small Claims Track
limit will be subject only to the restrictive fixed costs regime.
The assumption then being that any costs saving for the insurers
will be passed on to the consumer by way of reduced
policy premiums.
The Impact of the Changes
The plans will have a transformational effect on the market:
the Claims Management Companies (CMCs) marketing the
claims and the lawyers handling them. If, as predicted by
some, the reform had only been a rise in the Small Claims
limit for RTA claims to £5,000, the likely result would have
been a new market for these claims, filled by CMCs, as well as
solicitors working on lower costs bases, competing for those
claims. Their rewards would have been a percentage of the
damages recovered (Damages Based Agreements). However
the removal of damages for minor soft tissue injuries means
that the number of cases will reduce and may mean that injured
people are no longer represented by a lawyer where
the value is below £5,000. Clearly there are concerns for
those injured and whether they will get the right level of
compensation in these circumstances. Conversely, the insurance
industry has been making their views known on the
lack of merit in many whiplash claims, an area with a high incidence
of fraudulent claims.
There may also be another factor suggesting an overall reduction
in claims - claimants may feel less compelled to
bring a claim with only special damages on offer. Insurers
and the Government however will point out that claimants
will be well compensated as part of the shifting emphasis
from “cash to care,” the idea being that the insurer will provide
early rehabilitation as opposed to a monetary settlement.
It is intended that this will strike a better balance
between the interests of the injured party and the interests
of the average consumer who will be set to save on their insurance
premiums. Those representing claimants are unconvinced
and the access to justice debate continues.
The Government’s exact intentions and the likely impact of
them cannot be determined until we are provided with more
details as the consultation process begins in 2016. What is
clear is that we have not seen the end yet of Government’s
attempts to deal with the perceived compensation culture.
Caroline Coates
DWF LLP
Chairman of the Personal Injury Committee

Legal Awards 2016
Legal Awards 2016
Gyles Brandreth to host Legal Awards
Writer and broadcaster Gyles
Brandreth will be the guest host and
speaker at the Birmingham Law
Society Legal Awards 2016.
The charismatic former MP and Government
whip will oversee proceedings at
the annual event for the region’s legal
community, which is being held at the
International Convention Centre on 21
April this year.
Mr Brandreth has had a varied career in
politics, the media and show business.
Since the 1970s he has appeared on numerous
TV and radio shows, including
Countdown, QI, Have I Got News For
You, The One Show, and Just a Minute
on BBC Radio 4.
As the Sunday Telegraph Review’s editor-at-large
and a journalist for many
years, Mr Brandreth has interviewed
both celebrities and world leaders and
has written books on the Royal Family
and politics, drawn from his time as a
Government whip.
His career in politics spanned from 1992
to 1997, when he was the Conservative
MP for the City of Chester. In 1995 he
was appointed to a junior ministerial
role as a Lord of the Treasury.
Today, as well as appearing on TV and
radio, Mr Brandreth is a regular on the
after dinner circuit.
Mushtaq Khan, president of Birmingham
Law Society, said: “The focus of the
evening is the awards and recognising
the wealth of legal talent Birmingham
and the wider West Midlands has.
“It’s also a celebration and a chance to
have fun with friends, colleagues and
peers, and who better to help us do that
than Gyles Brandreth?
“Gyles’ sense of humour, wit, and penchant
for telling stories and anecdotes
from his long and varied career will be a
fitting addition to the evening.”
The Legal Awards, which is being sponsored
by office equipment supplier Midshire,
is organised by Birmingham Law
Society, the largest law society outside
London, to recognise and reward the individual
and collective achievements of
the region’s legal community.
The awards include Trainee Solicitor of
the Year, Barrister of the Year, Paralegal
of the Year, Chartered Legal Executive of
the Year, Assistant/ Associate Solicitor of
the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility
and Pro bono Lawyer of the Year, Partner
of the Year, Law Firm of the Year
(sole practitioner – four partners), Law
Firm of the Year (5 – 15 partners) and
Law Firm of the Year (16 plus partners),
plus two new categories, Corporate
Team of the Year and In-house Legal
Team of the Year.
There will also be a special Lifetime
Achievement award presented to an
individual who has made a significant
contribution to the legal profession
during their career.
Nominations for the awards are now
closed.
Mr Khan said: “We have been overwhelmed
by the level of interest we
have received in the awards this year. In
fact, we have had a record number of
entrants, which goes to show the
awards are still held in high regard by
the region’s legal sector.”
“Gyles’ sense of humour,
wit, and penchant for
telling stories and
anecdotes from his long
and varied career will be a
fitting addition to the
evening.”
To book tickets for the event email
events@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
The Bulletin 9

Gyles Brandreth to host
Legal Awards 2016
Charismatic writer, broadcaster and former
MP Gyles Brandreth will take to the stage
as the guest speaker and compere at this
year’s Legal Awards.
Best known for his appearances on TV and radio
shows such as Countdown, QI, Have I Got News
For You, The One Show and Just a Minute on
BBC Radio 4, as well as his work as a journalist,
currently as the Sunday Telegraph Review’s
Editor-at-Large, and published author, Gyles will
be bringing his irrepressible charm, good humour
and wit to the awards dinner on 21 April 2016.
There will also be a special performance by
Britain’s Got Talent 2015 finalists The Neales.
Tickets for the annual sell-out event, which
showcases the best of the region’s legal sector,
from talented trainees to brilliant partners
(solicitors) are now on sale.
The winners of the 12 categories will be announced
on the night, with awards presented for:
(sole practitioner up to 4 partners)
(5 to 15 partners)
(16 plus partners)
To book tickets for the 2016 Legal
Awards please see reverse for details.
Booking Form

Book now
for Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards
21st April 2016
International Convention Centre, Birmingham
Tables for 10 persons cost £850 + VA
AT and individual tickets £95 + VAT
The quickest and easiest way to reserve your table(s) or ticket(s)
is to book online at www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Alternatively, you can return this form to:
Birmingham Law Society
Suite 101, Cheltenham House
14-16 Temple Street
Birmingham B2 5BG
DX: 13100, Birmingham 1
Email: events@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Practice Name:
Practice Address:
(DX number to be given where e available)
Contact Name:
Telephone No:
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E-mail:
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(please circle)
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tickets @ £95.00 + VAT Total amount:
...a night
not to be missed
*Invoices will be posted to you and payment will be required by no later than 18th March 2016

Practice Advice
"Thanks, But No Thanks."
Sometimes it's best to just say no, says Stephen Gold
Every firm grapples daily with the question: How do we
price this job? But when a new opportunity comes along,
there is always a prior question: Do we want it at all? In
general, lawyers are not terribly good at giving the right
answer. There is something about us that makes it difficult
to say no: the desire to help; reluctance to offend; a
feeling that any work is better than none; anxiety about
hitting fee targets; fear of not being able to feed the machine.
And so we tell ourselves stories to justify taking on
whatever comes our way; it helps cover the overheads;
we may lose on this job, but it's an "investment" to win
better work; if we don't do it, our competitors will, and
we will never see the client again. As in love, the possibilities
for self-deception are infinite.
I know this from personal experience. When my wife and I
set up our firm, I had just recovered from a tussle with cancer,
in which, thankfully, it came a close second. We took on a
sleep-repellent mortgage to get the firm established. We
had a lot of belief, but there was no guarantee we would
convert it into reality. Back then, if a potential client had
wandered in and asked me for a quote to paint his garage, I
would happily have grabbed a brush. Even though the firm
grew to employ hundreds of people, that feeling of insecurity
- a combination of personal experience and my thirdgeneration
Jewish immigrant mentality - never completely
went away. So if you ask me if I ever took on work I should
have avoided like the plague "because it was there" I confess
to being a serial offender before the penny, as it were,
dropped.
In the bear pit of today's market, with every single piece of
business hard won, the temptation to take whatever comes
in the door has never been stronger. But precisely because
the pressure on profit is so intense, it has never been more
important to assess every opportunity with our heads, not
our hearts. To an engineer or quality controller the term,
"Go/No Go" has a defined meaning: Does the product meet
the right specifications? Is it safe to proceed with manufacture?
Go/No Go should be our test too. We need to ask (and
give honest answers) to these questions:
What markets do we want to serve?
Look around the most successful firms, of whatever size or
sector. All of them are clear about the markets they want to
be in, and aspire to deep excellence. Sometimes, as with my
firm, this has involved big bets; abandoning mainstream
areas of practice, or electing to practice exclusively in a specialised
field. Firms that try to be most things to most people,
or have not thought through properly what they want to
be, can still be spotted performing the neat trick of spiralling
downwards, while vanishing up their own fundamental haplessness.
Do we have the skills to do this job well?
Note the emphasis on "well". The question is not, "Can we,
with the wind at our back, Jupiter in the ascendant, and the
client not noticing, muddle through?" However juicy the fee,
taking on work in which the firm is not expert, or does not
have the resources to manage well, is an express route to
grief and pain.
Do we have the data, process and pricing skills to make
informed choices?
The antidote to decisions based on fear, hope and greed is
good data and process. Assuming you have the technical
skill, how well are you able to calculate the cost of doing the
job? Are you able to make well informed decisions on who
should best deliver it, how they will deliver and what resources
they will need? Do you have the methodologies to
scope the work and price attractively, with a decent margin?
Large firms have the advantage of specialists in finance, project
management, tendering and pricing. They are critical to
deciding Go/No Go, when every major tender may mean
spending tens of thousands of pounds in time and cash. But
the ability to develop systems and processes to guide good
choices is within the reach of every firm. My firm started out
with one qualified lawyer. We grew to just under 500 people,
acting mostly for large institutions north and south of the
border. Of those, only 22 were lawyers. I do not suggest for a
moment this is a model for everyone, but it does show the
potential for thinking differently about how and by whom
work should be done, and the impact that can have on the
bottom line. Advances in artificial intelligence will have a
transformative effect not just on legal practice, but on middle
class jobs globally in the decades to come. Meantime,
12 The Bulletin

Practice Advice
there are many valuable measures
firms of all sizes can take
which require thought, willingness
to adapt and some investment,
but are decidedly not
rocket science.
It is impossible to develop a successful
strategy without the wisdom
and courage to say no. If you
were to wander into Pizza Express
and ask for Pattaya Prawns, you
would be pointed politely to the
Thai Palace down the street. You
will never hear, "Hang on, we'll
just turn off the oven, grab a wok,
and get started." Securing the
largest slice for your firm means
following their example, however
difficult it seems.
Stephen Gold will be writing a
monthly practice advice column
for the Bulletin during the
course of 2016.
Meet Stephen Gold
Before discovering the law, Stephen
Gold's first job was in management at the
leading retailer Marks & Spencer plc. It
gave him experience of working in the
real world, a passion for customer service
and a tie collection which might
charitably be described as “brave”.
In 1981, aged 32, having just recovered
from cancer, with his wife Ruth he
founded Golds Solicitors, Glasgow, in a
converted suburban shop. By 2007, it had
grown to 450 people, and gained a reputation
as one of the UK’s most innovative
law firms. Golds were pioneers in using
new process and technology, specialising
in work for banks, insurers, and national
organisations. Alongside the Glasgow office,
a successful English practice was
built from a base in Manchester, to make
the firm one of the few Scottish firms to
offer full UK coverage.
Stephen was senior partner and Golds’
best-known rainmaker, until the firm
merged with UK giant Irwin Mitchell in
2007, where he stayed for just under 3
years, first as a partner and then as a
consultant, responsible for developing
business in the firm’s financial services,
corporate and commercial practice areas.
Today, he runs a successful law firm
management consultancy, Stephen Gold
Consulting, through which he is retained
as a non-exec, trusted adviser and
mentor to well-known firms throughout
the UK, and internationally. Stephen
writes regularly on law firm strategy and
management, and is a frequent speaker
in professional forums.
Contact:
e:stephen@stephengold.co.uk
t: 0044 7968 484232
w: www.stephengold.co.uk
twitter: @thewordofgold
The Bulletin 13

Local News
West Midlands legal sector loses one
of its brightest stars
Martyn Morgan
One of the West Midlands leading
lawyers has passed away after a short
illness. Martyn Morgan, the head of
QualitySolicitors Talbots and a
Birmingham Law Society Council
Member, died on 10th December 2015
aged 60 years-old at Worcestershire
Royal Hospital and leaves behind wife
Mary, daughters Abby, Charli, Danielle,
Hannah and son Ben.
The Stourbridge-born residential property
specialist was a popular figure in the Midlands
law scene and was renowned for his
sense of humour and commitment to delivering
high quality legal services ‘locally’.
one of the premier law firms in the West
Midlands – is achieved. He always believed
that local people and businesses shouldn’t
have to travel to the big cities and pay extortionate
fees to get the right legal advice
when they need it most.”
Martyn was articled to Bryan Evers of Harward
and Evers in Stourbridge, who he
cited throughout his career as an inspirational
lawyer and individual.
He took over QualitySolicitors Talbots in
1991 when the practice had two offices
and a handful of staff.
“He was the heartbeat of the business and wasn’t
afraid to try new ideas and innovate the way we
did things in what is still a very traditional sector.”
A former student of King Edward VI Grammar
School, he had just marked the company’s
best ever year in business, achieving
£8m of annual fees and helping it secure its
position in the top 20 conveyancing firms in
the UK.
“Everyone is shocked and naturally saddened
by Martyn’s sudden passing and our
thoughts are with Mary and their children,”
commented Rachel Pardoe, Practice Director
at QualitySolicitors Talbots
“He was the heartbeat of the business and
wasn’t afraid to try new ideas and innovate
the way we did things in what is still a very
traditional sector.”
She went on to add: “Despite his immense
workload he would always make time for
people and, more times than not, his larger
than life character would brighten up the
day with one of his trademark jokes or witty
comments.
“As a business, we will continue to work
hard to ensure Martyn’s vision – to remain
Today, the company boasts more than 190
employees, seven offices across the Black
Country and Worcestershire and a reputation
for being experts in business, employment,
estates, family and property law.
Under his guidance the firm has also introduced
a number of innovations, including
‘free first advice’, Saturday openings and
fixed-fee business advice meetings.
Rachel concluded: “Talbots was like a second
family to Martyn and he would have
wanted us to get back to business as
quickly as possible, ensuring we put the
clients first. That’s exactly what we are
going to do.”
Outside of work, Martyn was a massive
Aston Villa fan and enjoyed keeping fit,
running two marathons (New York and
London), taking part in long bike rides and
playing practical jokes.
He was also a major fundraiser for the Chris
Westwood Charity for Children with Physical
Disabilities, where he helped to raise
tens of thousands of pounds.
14 The Bulletin

Movers & Shakers
Trio strengthen expanding Corporate Team
One of the Midlands' leading corporate
legal teams is expanding further
with three new appointments.
Higgs & Sons' corporate team has appointed
paralegal Shana Quinn, corporate
tax adviser Adam Rollason and
associate Jody Webb.
Partner and head of department Nick
Taylor said: "We are extremely proud to
be one of the most experienced corporate
teams in the Midlands. The new
skills that are now being brought to the
team will only add to our offering for
clients."
The appointments bring the total number
of lawyers in the team to 21, including
trainees and paralegals..
local accountancy firm while studying
for the AAT on day release. He went on
to qualify as a chartered certified accountant
in 2012 and then moved to
Baker Tilly where he also qualified as a
chartered tax adviser.
Finally, associate Jody Webb comes to
Higgs & Sons from Gateley where she
had been since gaining her qualification
from EMW Law. Jody joined them as a
part of the Corporate Transactional in
2007 and was promoted to associate in
2012.
Nick Taylor added: “We have followed a
strategy of appointing experts within
their individual specialisms and aim to
grow the team even further in the future
to match the needs of our clients."
Partner and Head of
Corporate at Higgs & Sons Nick
Taylor with new team members
Shana Quinn, Adam Rollason
and Jody Webb
Shana Quinn joins Higgs as a paralegal.
She completed her law degree at the
University of Law in Birmingham in
2014 where she also went on to complete
her LPC.
Corporate tax adviser Adam Rollason
joins the firm from Baker Tilly where he
worked for three years. Having left
school at 16, Adam began working for a
Higgs & Sons’ award winning corporate
team is recognised as one of the most
progressive in the region. With a
breadth of experience across many different
types of business sales, acquisitions
and merger & acquisition work,
the department acts for national and international
organisations, from banks,
PLCs and large private companies to
owner managed businesses.
New era begins
for Freeths
A new era has begun for leading law firm Freeths with a
move to state-of-the-art offices in the heart of Birmingham’s
Colmore Business District.
The new 8,000 sq ft offices, on the third floor of the Colmore
Plaza building, are home to a 46-strong Freeths team, with
room for more staff as the firm continues to grow its operations
in Birmingham.
Richard Beverley, Freeths managing partner for the Birmingham
office, said: “There is very little prime office space available
in Birmingham at the moment but Colmore Plaza is just
that. It’s the perfect location for us, in the heart of Birmingham‘s
business district and the quality of the facilities is reflected
in the high profile businesses we are sharing the
building with.
“The legal sector is incredibly competitive when it comes to
attracting and retaining the best talent. The new offices will
play an important role in helping us do that, by reaffirming
our position as one of the leading firms in the city.”
Freeths managing partner Richard Beverley
(left) and Lee Clifford, partner and head of
corporate team
Richard added: “Since we moved to our last offices less than
four years ago, we have more than doubled our staff numbers
in Birmingham. We’ve simply outgrown the space. Our
new offices at Colmore Plaza will enable us to bring all of our
staff together on one floor, and provide the flexibility we
need as we continue to expand our numbers going forward.“
Freeths’ new offices comprise a highly contemporary fit out
which displays the work of prominent local artist Jo Ruth and
her unique take on the most prominent buildings in the city
centre.
The Bulletin 15

Movers & Shakers
Trowers & Hamlins ramps up construction
capabilities in the Midlands
International law firm Trowers & Hamlins, with offices in
Birmingham, continues to bolster its construction capabilities
in the Midlands with the recent appointments of
Paul Mountain and Tim Willis, who have joined the firm
as consultants.
Paul was previously a partner and head of construction at
SGH Martineau in Birmingham. He specialises in non-contentious
construction work, with a particular focus on areas
including education, energy, regeneration, and heritage and
culture. He also advises on the formation of not-for-profit
companies and social enterprises and on related governance
matters.
Paul's appointment follows that of Tim Willis, former construction
and engineering partner and head of renewables
at Harrison Clark Rickerbys, earlier this year. Tim is Solicitor
Advocate, having originally practised as a barrister. He is
also a former Chairman of the CIArb in the Midlands and Vice
Chairman of the Adjudication Society. He specialises in providing
contentious construction advice and conducting litigation,
arbitration and adjudication.
The construction capabilities of Trowers & Hamlins' Birmingham
office have grown significantly recently. The appointments
of Paul Mountain and Tim Willis follow those of
Victoria Ball, who joined the non-contentious team from Interserve's
in-house legal department, and Tanya Chadha on
the contentious construction side. The Birmingham construction
team now has nine members.
Assad Maqbool, head of regional Projects and Construction
The Construction Team
at Trowers & Hamlins, commented: "We have seen a rise in
demand for construction-related advice and have responded
accordingly to our clients' needs by boosting our offering in
the Midlands.
"The arrivals of Paul and Tim further strengthen our offering
and follow on the heels of the strategic decision we took last
year to relocate partners Vijay Bange and Andrew Vickery to
Birmingham from London."
Trowers & Hamlins' Birmingham construction team is part of
the firm's national construction practice, which provides fully
integrated "cradle-to-grave" construction law advice. The
team is best known for its innovation and determination to
achieve practical and commercial results for its clients,
whether contractors, government bodies, local authorities,
developers or housing providers.
No5 Named Regional Chambers of the Year
A leading set of barristers has been named Regional
Chambers of the Year 2015 at a prestigious, annual
awards ceremony.
No5 Chambers scooped the award at the Chambers UK Bar
Awards which was held at a new venue for 2015, Old
Billingsgate Walk in London, and hosted by award winning
comedian Marcus Brigstocke.
The awards, covering 27 categories, exclusively highlight
the excellence of members of the UK Bar, recognising the
most outstanding achievements by chambers and their
members. 640 guests attended the ceremony.
No5, which has its head office in Steelhouse Lane in the
city, also has branches in London, Bristol and the East Midlands.
It is one of the largest sets of barristers chambers in
the UK with more than 240 members including 28 Queens
Counsel.
Throughout its 100 year history, No5 has established a reputation
for breaking new ground and continues to be regarded
as progressive and forward-thinking.
Tony McDaid, Practice Director at No5 Chambers, said: “We
are extremely pleased to be named Regional Chambers of
the Year, and that we were singled out by the judges as a
‘notable winner’ on the night.
“Chambers continues to go from strength to strength and
is widely regarded by many as a national set. However we
are proud to retain our head office in Birmingham, the
country’s second city, which is enjoying a renaissance with
its own plaudits and awards.
“Here at No5 we remain committed to providing a quality
service to our clients across the country, achieved through
our high calibre of barristers and staff.”
16 The Bulletin

Movers & Shakers
Mayor of Walsall congratulates Enoch
Evans LLP as the 130 year-old business
opens new offices
The Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Angela Underhill, has
congratulated leading Walsall law firm, Enoch Evans
LLP, on the opening of their newly refurbished offices
in the heart of the city.
The expansive new facilities help to ensure the firm can expand
its operation even further over the next few years.
Enoch Evans LLP now has the office space it needs to provide
more support to more people throughout the Black
Country and into the Midlands. At the celebratory opening
of the offices in St Pauls, Councillor Angela Underhill, the
Mayor said, “I’m delighted to see one of our older buildings
being refurbished and put to such good use by Enoch Evans
LLP. There’s already a big team here and by the look of it,
even more room to grow.”
Enoch Evans LLP is one of the Black Country’s longest established
law firms – and a significant local employer. The firm
currently employs more than 40 lawyers, who assist private,
commercial and corporate clients. The legal team is supplemented
by a strong support team. Enoch Evans LLP has always
worked hard to invest in local talent, and the firm’s
spacious new offices give them the potential to go on growing
– and go on creating more jobs for local people.
The grand opening in the presence of the Mayor was a bit of
a back-to-the-future moment. The firm’s founder, Mr Enoch
Evans, also served as Mayor of Walsall in 1921 and maintained
strong connections with Walsall throughout his life.
He was even described as one of Walsall’s outstanding personalities.
His firm has operated from Walsall from its inception
in 1884 – and, no matter how much it grows, Enoch
Evans LLP will always have its home here.
Managing Partner David Evans and Mayor
of Walsall, Councillor Angela Underhill
Even after 130+ years in business, there’s still an Evans at the
head of Enoch Evans LLP. Managing Partner, David Evans is
the great grandson of founder Enoch Evans. While the firm
has grown tremendously – David Evans is still looking ahead,
saying, ‘This is a proud moment for Enoch Evans LLP. This development
allows us to grow in line with our ambitions to
build on our already excellent reputation to provide quality
legal support for the residents of Walsall and beyond.’
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The Bulletin 17

Movers & Shakers
George Green expands its top ranked
Corporate & Commercial Team
Law firm George Green LLP have expanded its topranked
Corporate and Commercial team with the recent
appointment of Senior Associate, James Bird.
James previously worked as a Senior Associate at Wright
Hassall Solicitors specialising in a wide variety of commercial
contracts, procurement and supply chain issues, IT agreements,
outsourcing and intellectual property licenses and
transfers.
Paul Bennett, Senior Partner at George Green commented
“The recent Chambers and Partners ranking reaffirmed our
status as one of the leading corporate and commercial
teams in the West Midlands. James appointment builds on
this reputation”.
James Bird, Senior Associate said “I am delighted to join
George Green’s top-ranked Corporate and Commercial Team
and hope to continue building this reputation by bringing
my previous experience to help the team continue with their
success”.
James Bird, Senior Commercial Associate
& Paul Bennett, Senior Partner,
George Green LLP
Gateley Plc lawyer appointed as
Sport Birmingham Trustee
Merran Sewell, senior associate in
the Employment team at national law
firm, Gateley Plc’s Birmingham office
has been appointed as a new Trustee
to Sport Birmingham.
The appointment will see Merran join
the independent charity as one of
eleven trustees responsible for the governance
and strategic direction of the
Trust.
Working as one of 45 County Sport
Partnerships in England, Sport Birmingham
is committed to harnessing the
power of sport and physical activity in
order to improve the lives of individuals
across Birmingham.
Commenting on her appointment, Merran
said: “I am delighted to become a
new Trustee for Sport Birmingham. The
charity plays a vital role across the city
and in our communities, encouraging
individuals to get involved in sport and
physical activity.
18 The Bulletin
“I have benefited immensely from local
sport clubs and I’m excited at the
prospect of providing similar opportunities
across our city, harnessing enthusiasm
from recent campaigns such as
“This Girl Can”. Within the UK only 25
per cent of over a million coaches are
women. I look forward to that changing
over the years ahead through the
good work and endeavours of County
Sports Partnerships in which I am proud
to now play a part.
“In addition to my Trustee responsibilities,
I’ll also be supporting Sport Birmingham’s
HR function. At Gateley many
of our lawyers advise organisations
within the sports sector and our teams
have a strong understanding of the
challenges and opportunities facing the
sector.”
Mike Chamberlain, Chief Executive Officer
at Sport Birmingham, said: “With her
passion for sport, experience and skillset,
Merran will be a really valuable addition
to our Board, supporting the
team to lead sport and physical activity
development and investment in the city
– exciting times lie ahead of us.”
Merran Sewell , senior
associate at Gateley Plc.

The Bulletin 19

Learning and Development
Birmingham Law Society
Learning &
Development
CON29DW – WHY BUY AND WHAT ARE
THE RISKS?
Date: Thursday , 28 January 2016
Time: 12.00 registration and light lunch,
12:30 – 14.30 seminar
Venue: Gateley
CPD: 2 Hours CPD
Fees: Free
Speaker: Owen Davies
Who should attend?
This seminar will be effective for those working
in residential conveyancing.
This seminar will cover the following:
• To consider the scope and implications of
the CON29DW
• To look at the purpose of the 23 questions
and answers
• To develop an understanding of any risks
which may arise as a result of information
provided
• To consider recent and future legislation
and its effects on homeowners
responsibilities.
• To provide an update on the future
transfer of private sewers and pumping
stations
Owen Davies,
Business Development Manager.
Owen has worked for Severn Trent Searches for over
12 years and has extensive experience and insight
into all our search reports meaning he is ideally
placed to highlight real issues raised in search results
and any issues of liability that customers and their
client’s may need to know. Owen works closely with
many of the Local Authorities within the Severn Trent
region and has particular interest in the current political
environment and its implications for conveyancing.
Owen has been presenting at seminars for
Severn Trent Searches for over 5 years.
Birmingham Law Society invite you to an exclusive networking
event taking place on Wednesday 27th January
2016 from 18.15pm at Birmingham City University.
This is an amazing opportunity to hear from legal professionals
within the region and gain valuable information in a dynamic,
informal setting. Numbers are extremely limited and
places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
At this event you will be able to find out:
· What a typical day is like
· Challenges and developments within legal practice
· Hints and tips on how to be successful in the
recruitment process
So whether you are trying to decide between a career at the
Bar or Civil or Criminal practice our legal professionals will
endeavour to answer all your questions! After the event
there will also be chance for informal networking with the
practitioners involved.
This event is open to all student members of the Birmingham
Law Society. To book your place, please register as soon
as possible on our website
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
This event is free to student members. If you have friends
who would like to attend but are not student members, they
are welcome to sign up as members before the event and
then register for the event.
Please email students@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk for a
membership application form or apply online on our website
www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Event details
Time: Please arrive promptly as the event will begin at
18:15pm.
Location: Birmingham City University, Faculty of Business,
Law and Social Sciences, Curzon Building, Cardigan Street,
Birmingham, B4 7BD
On arrival: You will be met by a representative of Birmingham
City University who will direct you to where the event is
being held.
Refreshments: Will be available after the event during the
informal networking.
We look forward to seeing you there!
20 The Bulletin

Law News
Davies and Partners win their
second case in Europe
Davies and Partners Solicitors in Birmingham
has been successful before the
European Union Court of Justice (ECJ),
with a case which will have far reaching
effects for employers and employment
agencies across the UK and throughout
Europe.
It is rare for a solicitor to appear as an
advocate in front of the ECJ, but this is the
second time Davies and Partners’ employment
specialists at Davies and Partners
have appeared at the highest court in
Europe. In this week’s test case on
holiday entitlement Solicitor Ian Pettifer
(right) appeared at the court in
Luxembourg to argue the case for his
client The Care Bureau. In 2012, Managing
Partner Nigel Tillott, who heads Davies
and Partners’ Employment Department,
also appeared in the ECJ in Luxembourg.
This case will have wide effects for any
employer or employment agency which
has either part-time staff or staff on variable
hours. It established some important
principles for how the holiday entitlement
should be calculated when working hours
change.
The case concerned the calculation of
holiday pay for a part-time worker,
Kathleen Greenfield. Her employer, The
Care Bureau, calculates holiday entitlement
for all staff in weeks, following the
rules laid out in the Working Time
Regulations 1998 very closely. All
employees are given 5.6 weeks of annual
leave. Kathleen Greenfield had been
working one day a week for some years,
and in the first few months of the holiday
year in 2012, she took seven days of leave,
which was equal to seven weeks of
holiday under the contract (a little more
than her annual entitlement).
Soon after taking her holidays, she asked
to increase her hours of work, and this was
agreed. She left before the end of the
year, for unconnected reasons, and then
asked for pay in lieu of additional holiday,
claiming that she had accrued extra days
of holiday by working increased hours.
The Care Bureau objected that to give her
more holiday meant retrospectively recal-
culating her entitlement, as she had already
taken her full holiday entitlement.
After hearings in the Employment
Tribunal, the ECJ was asked to give
guidance on how to calculate holiday pay
when a worker increases working hours
after already taking the year’s full holiday
entitlement.
“It was important to establish that holiday
does not have to be recalculated retrospectively,
after it has been granted and
taken,” commented Ian Pettifer. “After all, if
the period of holiday has already been
taken by the worker, the employer cannot
claw back days of holiday, unless they
have a time machine! The ECJ also
decided that holiday taken in an earlier
part of a holiday year can be off-set
against later periods. I am delighted that
we won on these important principles.
This will now go to the Employment Tribunal,
who will decide the detail of how it
applies to UK businesses.”
Commenting, Nigel Tillott said, “It is a rare
achievement for a solicitor to argue a case
before the ECJ. For two members of the
Employment Department to appear personally
in Luxembourg arguing cases
before the court is a rare distinction. It
shows that Davies and Partners have a
remarkably strong employment team, and
the ability to take a case all the way to the
highest court in Europe.”
Solicitor Ian Pettifer
appeared at the court
in Luxembourg to
argue the case for his
client The Care Bureau.
The Bulletin 21

Regulation
Regulation Update
A new SRA Handbook for 2017?
Just when you thought you were familiar with the 2011 Handbook, the SRA
has published a position paper setting out plans for further change to the
Handbook on what looks like an epic scale. The only good news is that most
of it seems to be de-regulatory. The SRA is promising simplification not complication
in an attempt to reduce the compliance burden. It is also promising
on-line resources such as case studies and toolkits in its attempt to support
firms.
Why further change?
It seems that the Legal Services Board and the SRA are of the view that the Handbook
in its current form is preventing innovative business development. This
means it is preventing the SRA from meeting the Legal Services Act’s regulatory
objectives of, in particular, improving access to justice, promoting the interests of
consumers and promoting competition. The SRA has singled out as an example
the small businesses market as one which is not having its needs met because
legal costs are too high.
What changes are anticipated?
The position paper does not go into much detail but does say that there will be a
complete review of the Handbook. One of the proposed changes that has been
identified concerns Rule 4 of the Practice Framework Rules. This deals with inhouse
solicitors and who they can provide their services to. With some exceptions,
it restricts them to doing work for their employer and prevents them from providing
legal services to the employer’s own customers.
You might wonder why this is of interest to private practice. However, since the
separate business rule was relaxed in November 2015 and firms can now provide
all their non-reserved legal services through an unregulated separate business, the
SRA has realised that rule 4 prevents solicitors being employed by these businesses.
The consequence of this is that those best qualified to provide legal services
to the public through a separate business are excluded from doing so.
To deal with this anomaly, the SRA is proposing that solicitors should be able to be
employed by unregulated businesses to provide legal services to the public. The
employing entity will not be regulated but the solicitors providing the services will
be regulated as individuals. This carries through the assumption arising from the
LSA, that the only legal services which need to be provided through a regulated
entity should be those that are reserved. Just how this will work in practice will no
doubt be explained in the consultation papers that we are told to expect in 2016.
For example, will a solicitor in a separate business be responsible for supervising
those working in his or her team? Or will he or she be expected to be responsible,
and to what extent, for legal services that they are not directly supervising which
are provided by the business?
Other changes that are proposed include reviewing the SRA Principles, stripping
the indicative behaviours from the Code and removing some of the detail in the
outcomes, and making the Accounts Rules more Principles based. Targeted guidance
and toolkits are planned to cover the more difficult areas of interpretation in
the Code and to replace the indicative behaviours.
Protecting the public?
If, under these proposals, individual solicitors are permitted to deliver non-reserved
services to the public through unauthorised organisations, there is scope
for even more confusion on the part of the public as to who is regulated, by whom
and for what. The SRA is hoping to provide certain protections for clients such as
Jayne Willetts
Solicitor Advocate
Jayne Willetts & Co
Specialists in
professional regulation
access to the Legal Ombudsman; restrictions
on holding client money; imposing
personal responsibility in relation to
professional indemnity insurance and
limited access to the SRA Compensation
Fund. It will be the responsibility of individual
solicitors to ensure that these
protections are in place. How the SRA
can expect a junior employee in a large
commercial organisation to introduce
such protections and then ensure their
continued operation remains to be seen.
When will all this change happen?
The SRA intends to set out its proposals
this Spring. Look forward to a consultation
covering the Principles, the Code,
the Accounts Rules and the Practice
Framework Rules. Following the consultation,
draft rules will be published in
the autumn and the plan is that they will
be effective in the spring of 2017. Quite
a tight timetable!
Jayne Willetts is also a director of Infolegal –
a law firm compliance and risk
management consultancy –
www.infolegal.co.uk
22 The Bulletin

Pro Bono Noticeboard
An Invitation to our Public Legal
Education Roundtable
12.30-2pm, 26th February 2016
Are you looking for a new CSR activity for your firm? Would
you like to get involved in raising people’s awareness and
understanding of the law? Does your firm already do this? If
any of these apply to you then we would love to hear from
you at our upcoming event on public legal education (PLE).
PLE gives lawyers the chance to use their knowledge and expertise
about the law to help inform and educate the public
about their rights and responsibilities. PLE sessions can be
delivered in schools, charities and other community groups
and organisations. PLE can form a valuable and rewarding
part of your firm’s CSR strategy, or you can chose to get involved
on an individual basis.
At this event, organised by Birmingham Law Society’s Pro
Bono Committee, in conjunction with The Law Society and
education charity, the Citizenship Foundation, we want to
find out more about PLE activities already taking place in
Birmingham, so please do come along and tell us what
you’re doing. For those who have not yet engaged in PLE
but would like to know more, it will be an opportunity to
find out what is involved in PLE and how you can get started.
The Citizenship Foundation, the UK’s leader in the field of
PLE for young people, is working with The Law Society to expand
PLE in schools across England and Wales. It is launching
a PLE programme in Birmingham to support lawyers
interested in supporting the delivery of PLE in schools and
would like to hear your views and opinions about how best
to do this.
We would encourage attendance from law firms and chambers,
representatives from the third sector and universities so
that we can ensure the discussion is firmly grounded in the
needs of our local community.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Time: 12.30-2pm
Date: Friday 26 February 2016
Venue: Irwin Mitchell, 31 Temple Street, Birmingham
For further information about the session and to confirm
your attendance, please email Sally Shera-Jones:
sally.shera-jones@lawsociety.org.uk
Birmingham Law Society Pro Bono Committee
Linden Thomas, Chair - University of Birmingham
Louise Foy, Secretary - Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Inez Brown, Vice Chair - Harrison Clark
Julia Jones - Bevan Brittan
Hannah Ayers
Michael Bates - Birmingham Law Centre
Lucy Burrows - BPP University
Laura Charles - Wragge Lawrence Graham
Laura Ralfe - Irwin Mitchell
Laura Oseland - Irwin Mitchell
Sophie Brambley - Thomson Reuters
Pro Bono Community – Addressing
the Deficit in Free Legal Advice
In a financial climate which has seen Law Centres and advice
agencies closing down and hundreds of thousands
fewer people receiving legal advice and assistance, Pro
Bono Community is a registered charity which has been
set up to increase the amount and quality of advice from
well-trained and highly-motivated volunteers, one of the
few practical ways of addressing the legal advice deficit
created by the removal of government funding.
PBC ran a successful pilot training programme between September
2013 and April 2014 and the charity gained its first
paying customers in autumn 2014. Since then, PBC has
trained cohorts from law firms including Simmons & Simmons,
Shearman & Sterling, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer,
Herbert Smith Freehills, Olswang, Ashurst and Linklaters as
well as students from City Law School and London South
Bank University.
PBC has developed modular training courses in a variety of
areas of law including welfare benefits, housing, employment,
debt and consumer with family and immigration
courses under development. Driven by our structure as a social
enterprise, we are able to tailor our training to the bespoke
needs of clients with a range of options in terms of
content, format, duration, scheduling and venue.
The Pro Bono Community Training Certificate course covers
both interpersonal and practical skills as well as specific
areas of law and, where required to do so, Pro Bono Community
can also provide clients with a co-ordinated volunteer
recruitment scheme, placing volunteers with local Law Centres
and advice agencies.
For more information, please see
www.probonocommunity.org.uk or contact
PBC’s director Bill Skirrow on 020 7092 3957 or via
bill@probonocommunity.org.uk.
Mark Taylor- Eversheds
Imogen Francis- Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Abigail Halcarz - Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Katherine King - Coventry Law Centre
Iqbal Mohammed - St Philips Chambers
Kelly Schofield - Wright Hassall
James Dixon - No 5 Chambers
Natalie Marsden - Higgs and Sons
Sam Burns - University of Law
Lorna Gavin - Wragge Lawrence Graham
Michael Young - Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Nicola Ellen - Shoosmiths
Syma Rushd
Committee News
If you would like to know more about pro bono in Birmingham you can contact the committee at:
probono@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
The Bulletin 23

Social Media
5 Top Tips
for Social
Media
By Jason Westall, Head of Marketing & Communications, MMA Digital
There’s nothing quite like social media. As well as costing us
nothing, it allows us to share our thoughts, activities and dailylives
on a gigantic-scale, with relative ease.
For businesses however, they first have to learn how to utilise
the correct tools in order to harness social media’s real potential.
Get it right and you will receive more engagement, more enquiries
and improved brand identity. Get it wrong and the repercussions
are not worth thinking about. To get you started, we
have compiled some of mmadigital’s top tips for competing with
your digital adversaries.
Join Facebook…Now
As of 2015 there are nearly 1.4 billion active users enjoying
Zuckerberg’s brainchild. Unlike Facebook’s early years, the platform
is now made up of users of all ages and not just youngsters.
In fact, around 15% of Facebook’s audience is made up of over
55’s, and 31% are aged 35 to 54. While the platform doesn’t play
host to ‘everyone’, it’s clear to say that if you have a demographic
in mind, you will be able to find them. That’s why research suggests
there are 40 million small business pages, as companies try
to take advantage of the 21-minutes (average) we all spend on
Facebook everyday. Consumers today are no longer just using
search engines to find your brand on the net, they are using
multiple platforms and a plethora of devices to discover you. Ensuring
you have a Facebook page is essential in giving your
brand credibility on the web, as well as giving your audience another
path to your front door.
Audit
Be it Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin, you should ask yourself, ‘are
we really doing enough?’. By using the following checklist, you
will get a better idea of whether your social media channels are
completing some of the bare necessities:
• Do you have an engaging and professional cover photo that
has a size specification tailored to the platform?
• Do you have a tagline or any demonstrated benefits on your
profile picture/cover photo? This should include a clear call-toaction.
• Do you have a short description about your company including
a web address?
• Are you posting at least once a day on every platform?
• Are you asking questions in your posts to drive engagement?
• Are you varying your posts between text, photos, links and
video?
•Are you sharing tips in your niche?
These are just a handful of questions you should be asking if you
want to contend with your competitors on some of the biggest
digital arenas.
Get Visual
Whether it’s articles, blogs, or adverts, images have become a
common accompaniment to almost everything we share in
2015. With Twitter images amassing 89% more ‘favourites’ and
150% more ‘retweets’, businesses have realised that harnessing
the visual capabilities of social media is crucial in attracting maximum
engagement.
But using images in your blog posts isn’t enough. You need to
make sure your images are clean, crisp and precise. As HD moves
to 4K, and our screens become even clearer, the expectation of
users will also grow. Having slightly blurry or pixelated images
(and yes users will spot these) will ensure that your post is
skimmed past immediately. We recently did some research into
the Twitter accounts of the Top 50 UK law firms and found that
14 of these have a blurry or pixelated profile picture. Staggeringly
18 of the top 50 also don’t have anything in their banner
space or use a preset block of colour. To increase enquiries and
strengthen brand identity, businesses should be utilising this
space with call-to-actions, links and useful information.
A good technique is to recycle your old content with different
images to see which performs most effectively, this split testing
approach will ensure your posts are steadily optimised.
Expand Your Network
In theory it’s simple, you offer your audience valuable content
and enquiries start coming through thick and fast. The reality is
this doesn’t work without having a few other weapons in your
arsenal. Social media accounts that drive leads are the ones that
juxtapose valuable content with the expansion of their network.
The amount of people who see your posts, or more commonly
24 The Bulletin

In a Nutshell
known as ‘reach’, can be extended with the aid of a few best
practices. Here is just a handful:
• The ubiquitous hashtag is used by many and for very good reason.
Consistently landing on good hashtags that are used by
highly engaged groups allows businesses to share content
amongst relevant communities that are likely to help you grow
your online presence. However, over use of the hashtag can look
amateurish and spam-like, which can often result in poorly performing
posts. So make sure to avoid crowbarring random hashtags
into your tweet; #legal, #law and the like will just result in
#poorreach.
• Convert one of your blog posts into an infographic. As we explained
above, if you are able to use visual references over written
speech, your audience are more likely to engage.
• For only a few pounds you can run paid advertising campaigns
that will help to boost your content to extended audiences, and
should help you to develop your following.
• Guest posts are a great way to expand your reach. It allows you
to share content with readers that you weren’t able to reach previously,
thus exposing your brand to unfamiliar communities.
Linkedin Company Page
With over 400 million members worldwide, Linkedin can be used
as a powerful marketing tool for businesses, especially those
who are B2B driven. Like Twitter and Facebook, merely having a
presence is no longer acceptable if you wish to capitalise on
leads, you need to tailor your company page for engagement.
Add relevant keywords
When a Linkedin company profile is created, you have the option
to add keywords on the page. Because every profile is searchable
via the box at the top of the screen, these keywords can
help to increase your traffic.
Ask Questions
The headline space on Linkedin is far more liberal than Twitter’s
meek 140 characters. Make the most of this space by asking your
audience questions to drive engagement and traffic. Don’t just
limit questioning to your post, wait for responses and drive conversations
with your audience.
Join Linkedin Groups
Linkedin groups are a great way of extending your network and
finding like-minded companies\individuals.
By participating in industry-relevant groups you increase your
visibility on the platform, as well as gaining the ability to add real
value for prospects and your network.
If you’re looking to build a social media strategy,
you can get in touch with mmadigital by calling
0161 452 0311 or email: info@mmadigital.co.uk
In a Nutshell
Each month the Bulletin will be bringing
readers simple guides to various business.
government and european organisations...
Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local
Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP)
GBSLEP is a partnership of business, local authorities and
universities which supports private sector growth and job
creation.
The GBSLEP Board is comprised from the private sector,
local authorities and universities and colleges. There are a
total of 18 Directors, ten from the business community,
seven from local authorities and one representing
higher/further education.
The Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone is one of
the major projects for the GBSLEP, with the potential to
create 40,000 new jobs, add £2 billion a year to the economy
and make available 1.3 million sq metres of floorspace over
the lifetime of the project.
The Board of GBSLEP are working closely with
Government and other stakeholders to ensure all parts of
Greater Birmingham benefit from HS2, with improved
transport links across the metropolitan area.
GBSLEP work with the Better Regulation Delivery
Officer (BRDO), the GBLSEP to developing practical ways to
improve the trading environment through regulatory
support.
GBSLEP also work with the Sector Skills Council in promoting
Apprenticeships and Traineeships.
GBSLEP works with UKTI to encourage inward investment
from overseas.
Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP can be reached at:
Email: gbslep@birmingham.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 303 4369 Address:
Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP Executive, Ground
Floor, Baskerville House, Centenary Square, Broad
Street, Birmingham, B1 2ND
The Bulletin 25

Competition
Competition
Enter the LAND OF THE DIVINE
There was a time when the world was full of
beauty and wonder. When heroes split mountains
and swam with dragons. When divine beings
walked the earth and emperors ruled under
the will of heaven. When people lived in harmony
with the universe and believed in a connection
between all things.
What if you could, just for a moment, visit this
timeless place?
Shen Yun brings this lost world to life with unrivalled
mastery. Every movement, every musical
note, makes this a stunning visual and emotional
experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Begin your journey at Shenyun.com
Answer these 3 questions for the chance to win a pair
of £50 tickets for the Shen Yun performance at
7.30pm on Saturday 5 March at the ICC Birmingham.
1. Shen Yun Performing Arts dance and music
company is based in:
A/ Hong Kong, B/ Shanghai, C/ Beijing, D/ New
York
2. How many years of Chinese civilisation does
Shen Yun portray in one evening?
A/ 15, B/ 100, C/ 5,000, D/ millions
3. How many people have already seen the Shen
Yun performances?
A/ 100 thousand, B/ millions, C/ half a million
Send your answers with your full name and address
by 8th February 2016 to:
Shen Yun Reader’s Competition
editorial@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
Experience a Divine Culture
“5,000 years of Chinese music and
dance in one night.”
- The New York Times
All-new show with live orchestra
5-6 MARCH 2016
ICC BIRMINGHAM
ShenYun.com/uk
0208 133 7986 | 0121 780 3333
26 The Bulletin

Sporting and Charity News
Lawyer kicks for Gold
Legal Professionals back
on the dance floor
A paralegal working in the
insurance disputes team at the
Birmingham office of national
law firm Mills & Reeve has won a
gold medal at the Tae Kwon Do
Association of Great Britain
(TAGB) British Championships.
Stacey Cockbill, 32, competed at the event at
Derby Arena last weekend. She took part in
the sparring event - which typifies the sport’s
semi-contact high energy fighting style - taking
gold in the ladies’ lightweight blue division.
She is now British champion in this class,
a title she will hold for one year.
Stacey, who represented the Oldbury and
West Bromwich clubs, part of West Midlands
Tae Kwon Do, competed alongside more than
1,200 athletes. She is coached by Claire
Southall, a 3rd degree black belt who runs the
Oldbury and West Bromwich clubs.
A Korean martial art characterised by headheight
kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, Tae
Kwon Do has been an Olympic sport since
2000. Welsh athlete Jade Jones won Britain’s
first Tae Kwon Do gold at London 2012.
In addition to the British title, Stacey won
gold in Cardiff at the Welsh Championships
earlier this year, following winning student of
the year in 2014 for her club. She is aiming to
compete at the 2016 Tae Kwon Do TI World
Championships, which will be held on home
soil in Birmingham next July.
She said: “Winning gold in the British
championships has involved a lot of hard
work and dedication. I love to compete and I
am so glad it has paid off!”
As the BBC’s Strictly Come
Dancing heads for its finale,
members of the Midlands’ legal
profession have again signed
up for their own sparkling competition.
For the second year running, No5
Chambers is to host Strictly 9 to 5
which will see representatives of
the Judiciary, the Bar, solicitors,
clerks and other legal professionals
compete to lift the glitter ball
trophy.
And once again, Strictly Come
Dancing favourite Anton Du Beke
will be compere for the charity
event, which is being held at Birmingham
Town Hall on Friday, June
10 2016.
Tickets have now gone on sale for
the evening of dance and entertainment,
and organisers are hoping
to at least match the £23,000
raised this year for The Child Brain
Injury Trust.
Tony McDaid, Practice Director at
No5 Chambers, said: “I was privileged
to be able to hand over a
cheque to CBIT for £23,208 following
this year’s hugely successful
Strictly 9 to 5, and we really hope
that we can at least equal that figure
next year.
“Eleven business colleagues representing
some of Birmingham’s top
legal firms have put themselves
forward for the 2016 competition,
all hoping to follow in the footsteps
of the 2015 winner Charlotte
Doyle from The Wilkes Partnership.
“We want it to be a big success,
tapping into the pulling power of
the ‘Strictly’ factor. The added
bonus for us as a Chambers is that
the evening should help us raise
even more money for the Child
Brain Injury Trust.”
The dance volunteers will meet in
January for eight weeks of group
Tony McDaid, Practice
Director of No5 Chambers,
hands over a cheque for
£23,208 to Lisa Turan, CEO of
the Child Brain Injury Trust,
raised at this year’s Strictly 9
to 5 event.
dance sessions before partnering
with a dance professional for 14
weeks of one to one training. They
will then showcase their performance
on the night before a panel
of judges in a bid to win the coveted
trophy.
The Child Brain Injury Trust was
established by a group of health
professionals in 1991 to research
and provide information regarding
the effects of ‘traumatic’ injury
on a child’s developing brain. It is
the leading voluntary sector organisation
providing non-medical
services to families affected by
childhood acquired brain injury
across the UK. It receives no Government
or NHS funding. The
Trust has a national network of
child and family support co-ordinators.
Tickets for the 2016 event will include
a drinks reception and
canapes, an auction and a raffle
for which donations from the
business community are still
being accepted. Prizes last year included
holidays and sporting
memorabilia.
For more information, contact the
marketing team at No5 Chambers
on 0845 210 5555 or email marketing@no5.com
The Bulletin 27

Feature
Paperback Writer
Birmingham Solicitor David Cooper has just published his third legal
suspense novel “Craven Conflict”. David talks to Julia Baskerville about
his career, writing and inspiration...
David Cooper of Birmingham solicitors Cox Cooper has recently
published his third novel “Craven Conflict’. David’s previous
novels “Hatred Ridicule and Contempt” and “Infernal Coalition”
were published in 2011 and 2012.
David qualified as a solicitor in 1987, and specialises in employment
and commercial litigation. His initial idea to write a legal suspense
novel came to him after a change in career direction almost 20 years
ago. There were two key inspirations from this early part of his career.
One was a libel case in which he had been involved, and the other was
the prevalence of office politics in a large law firm. Using these kernels
of ideas he set to writing his first book, but found that there were too
many obstacles for the first time writer. “I couldn’t get a publishing
contract because I didn’t have a literary agent, and couldn’t get a
literary agent because I didn’t have publishing experience - essentially
a ‘vicious circle’“.
This led David to shelve the project until many years later with the
advent of the E-publishing boom. “My wife took to reading on a
Kindle and this gave me the idea and incentive to self -publish. I found
a cover designer and it was a relatively simple process to deal with the
editing and formatting of “Hatred, Ridicule and Contempt” myself.”
Eight months later he followed it up with “Infernal Coalition”, which
tied in a plot to defraud a law firm with a political theme involving an
acrimonious struggle for Parliamentary candidate selection.
Using his background as an employment lawyer, David then set to the
task of writing his third novel, “Craven Conflict”. In parallel with the
main plot, a court battle involving a recruitment consultant who faces
the destruction of her business if she drops her claim and the cruel
exposure of her private life if she takes it all the way to trial, he
examines the dilemma facing a character who has to weigh up the
pros and cons of informing his oblivious employers that he has
Asperger’s Syndrome. It took David 9 months to develop the plot, a
further twelve months to write and finally six months to refine, format
and edit. He says “The characters do draw upon a certain degree of
inspiration from a number of clients and colleagues and are not
based on any one person in particular. Some are purely the product of
my imagination. I have to say, though, that the villains are so much
easier to create than the good guys”.
David accepts that achieving ‘bestseller’ status would only be wishful
thinking, and writes more for pleasure and a sense of achievement,
but adds ‘it is quite satisfying to see the statistics of how many books
have been purchased”. David has no plans for a follow up at the
moment, but is always on the lookout for ideas. He adds “When the
inspiration finally comes, I will aim to sit down with a clear plan from
the start.”
“Craven Conflict” is available for download from Kindle Direct for
£1.99.
Reviews
"Absolutely brilliant writing! Move over John
Grisham and Michael Connolly - this book [Hatred,
Ridicule & Contempt] is beautifully written, very
well plotted and has a great twist. Well done."
Marion Eaton, Writer of Mystery Thrillers with
a Supernatural Twist.
"I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed
Hatred, Ridicule & Contempt ... it is a novel which
should have a wide appeal, particularly for those
who enjoy legal thrillers and would like to try
something different to the usual
American fare."
Curious Book Fans
David Cooper’s books are available on
Amazon or visit
http://davidcooperbooks.blogspot.co.uk/
28 The Bulletin

I have always believed that it is important to
preserve the history of our Birmingham firms
and fortunately some firms have written up
their histories over the years. How important
this is that the Birmingham roots are preserved
and not overlooked, particularly now that many
firms are becoming international.
I am particularly glad that a partner at Ryland Martineau
kept a note of the articled clerks who were with the firm in
the First World War and noted down who had been killed in
action.
That partner might have been Hugh Carslake's father, and
certainly thanks should go to Hugh, who unearthed for me a
scrap of paper listing my great uncle, Leslie Harold Bowen, as
one of four articled clerks, who later joined up and was killed
during the war.
This year on the 22 December 2015 it is the one hundredth
anniversary of his death and I have
had the privilege of writing up the
history of Leslie's life and visiting his
grave at Cabaret Rouge near Arras.
Leslie was born into a Birmingham
family, and his father's firm John
Bowen & Sons, was well known at
the time for building our Victoria
Law Courts.
History Matters
A Birmingham Lawyer with
eight memorials to his name
Perhaps no brave death is ever
properly written up in a manner
worthy of the sacrifice, but I am
pleased and find it remarkable, that
apart from Hugh Carslake's 'scrap of
paper', and the head stone of Leslie's
grave, that there are some eight memorials
which include Leslie's name.
These are at King Edward's School
Birmingham, Queen's College
Taunton, St John's College Cambridge,
St Anne's Church Moseley, The reading room of the
Law Society at Chancery Lane, Birmingham's Hall of Memory,
The Roll of Honour of the Lincolnshire Regiment at Lincoln
Cathedral and at the ring of remembrance at Notre Dame de
Lorette.
You could make it nine if you include the scrap of paper.
“ Perhaps no brave death is
ever properly written up in
a manner worthy of the
sacrifice, but I am pleased
and find it remarkable, that
apart from Hugh Carslake's
'scrap of paper', and the
head stone of Leslie's
grave, that there are some
eight memorials which
include Leslie's name.”
Leslie Harold Bowen's life can read on line at
www.johnbowen.org
Anthony Collins
The Bulletin 29

Business Matters
Greater Birmingham Business Briefing
RSM survey reveals West-Midlands named one of UK’s
hottest regions for investment in 2016
The West-Midlands has been named the third highest region
for overseas investment into the UK property market according
to a survey carried out by RSM.
The survey, which was carried out amongst decision makers
in the real-estate sector, revealed that nearly a third (33 per
cent) believed that over half of the investment into UK commercial
property will come from overseas investors over the
next twelve months.
Unsurprisingly, the large majority of respondents said that
most overseas investment would be in the London property
sector, however two-thirds said they believed that if priced
out of the capital, investors were more likely to look to the
regions for investment.
Major clearance work has started to demolish John
Madin's Central Library in Birmingham which was closed
over two years ago.
The £500 million Paradise regeneration project will eventually
comprise eight new grade A office buildings, a hotel and
public realm on the area currently occupied by Central Library,
Adrian Boult Hall and the Copthorne Hotel. It is due for
completion in 2026.
The first two buildings to be completed during 2018 will be
called One and Two Chamberlain Square and will total more
than 350,000 sq ft of office space.
Birmingham attracted the highest ever number of visitors
in 2015, with numbers reaching 38.1 million and
tourism revenue hitting an all-time high of £6.2 billion.
The figures were boosted by Birmingham’s landmark ‘Super
September’, which saw visitor numbers peak at four million
throughout the month – and helped to attract half a million
more visitors to the city compared to the same period last
year.The city’s most significant month in a decade saw the
completion of the £600 million redevelopment of New Street
Station and the opening of the Grand Central shopping destination;
along with two fixtures of the Rugby World Cup
2015 at Villa Park.
HS2 Ltd has published a shortlist of firms in the running
to win a share of £900m of preparatory work ahead of
the start of major civil engineering on the first stage of
the project, between London and the West Midlands.
The enabling works contracts cover a range of activities including
utility diversions, ecology surveys, archaeology, establishing
site compounds, site clearance, demolition,
ground remediation, watercourse activities, highways realignments,
monitoring and instrumentation, structural reinforcements
and drainage.
The work is split into three packages covering northern, central
and southern sections of the route, with work expected
to start in 2017.
Business leaders in Birmingham have criticised the
Government following its decision to delay the
development of a new runway at Heathrow Airport.
The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said the
delay gave the Government the opportunity to reconsider
the role that Birmingham Airport and HS2 could play in
shaping future aviation strategy.
Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the GBCC, said: “This really is
developing into a farcical mess but it does give the Government
the opportunity to take another serious look at Birmingham
Airport and HS2.
He said that Birmingham Airport already had extra capacity
and the government was already investing in HS2 at least
warranted further examination. He added “We now call on
the Government to go back to the drawing board and take a
long, hard look at expanding Birmingham Airport.”
30 The Bulletin

At Clayton Legal your talent matters...
At Clayton Legal your talent matters...
...so we go further to connect your legal talent to opportunities nationwide
...so we go further to connect your legal talent to opportunities nationwide
Private Client Solicitor Birmingham
A long established Birmingham firm are looking to
appoint an experienced private client solicitor to handle
a caseload of wills, trusts and probate matters. They
are looking for a minimum of five years PQE.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Costs Draftsman
Birmingham
Well respected firm is seeking an experienced and
versatile Costs Draftsman with experience handling
multi-track Litigation Costs matters. Competitive salary
offered in return.
Contact Natasha Darr nd@clayton-legal.co.uk
Conveyancing Lawyer Birmingham
Niche Conveyancing firm based requires experienced
conveyancing lawyer who is able to hit the ground
running with existing caseload. Must have prior
experience handling residential matters.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Litigation Lawyer
Walsall
A highly reputable firm is seeking an experienced
litigation solicitor to handle a mixed caseload of
civil/commercial litigation matters. Open to applications
from solicitors/legal executives or experienced
paralegals.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Head of Family
Birmingham
Specialist family and criminal frim based in central
Birmingham looking for a head of family to oversee a
rapid growth plan for 2016. Family or Children law
panel membership is essential as well as extensive and
varied family experience.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Where talent matters
Conveyancer
Birmingham
A large legal 500 firm are looking for an experienced
conveyancer who can handle an existing caseload of
residential transactions. Applications are welcome from
solicitors, legal executives or licensed conveyancers.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
P
Commercial
Property Lawyers
West Midlands
A number of firms are seeking to add experienced
commercial property lawyers to their departments
P ranging from NQ up until head of departments.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Immigration
Solicitors/Caseworkers Birmingham
A specialist immigration law firm are looking to
recruit an experienced immigration professional to
handle a wide ranging caseload of immigration
matters. It is essential that applicants have Level 2 LSC
accreditation.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Legal Secretaries
Conveyancing
Birmingham
Multiple Midlands firms are looking for legal secretaries
who have solid property experience. Firms range from
high street firms up to international law firms.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
Family Mediator
Birmingham
Experienced family mediator required to assist in the
rapid growth of mediation department at a highly
regarded law firm based in Central Birmingham. PPC
is highly desirable but not essential.
Contact Ben Smith bs@clayton-legal.co.uk
For For more more on these on these and and other other vacancies please contact Clayton Legal
telephone: 01772 259121
telephone: 01772 259121
email: enquiries@clayton-legal.co.uk
email: enquiries@clayton-legal.co.uk
visit our website: www.clayton-legal.co.uk
visit our website: www.clayton-legal.co.uk
The Bulletin 31

One database to run your
small law firm.
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