Liverpool Law May 2017

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www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

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May 2017 

Liverpool Law 

Annual Quiz 

The Magazine for the legal sector 

in Merseyside and the North West 

Max Steinberg CBE 

MJLD V LLS 

Annual Quiz 

Dr. Tribe’s 

Vignettes of 

Liverpool Legal 

History 

Launch of 

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Tranmere Rovers 


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Editorial 

Welcome 

to the May edition of Liverpool Law 

Liverpool Law 

Needs YOU! 

Liverpool Law Society Magazine 

is produced by and for Liverpool 

Law Society Members. This is 

our opportunity to share our news, 

events and celebrations with our 

friends in the legal community. 

Hello and welcome to this edition of Liverpool Law. 

May already! I hope everyone has enjoyed both the 

Easter break and the May Bank holiday which have 

certainly been very welcome and another Bank 

Holiday weekend end looms on the horizon, by 

which time hopefully, Tranmere Rovers will have 

secured their place back in the Football League! 

On that subject, many thanks to the club for the 

hospitality extended to members of the Liverpool 

Law Society who were invited to attend at two recent 

home fixtures. An overview of those days and the 

work that the club are doing in the community and 

overseas and how members might be able to get 

involved are featured in an article in this edition. 

The last week or so has seen some significant 

developments on the political front with the 

Government announcing a general election on the 8th 

June with Parliament to be dissolved on 5th May. 

One notable consequence of this announcement is 

that a decision has had to be taken as to which pieces 

of legislation currently proceeding the Commons 

should continue and which should be dropped. I'm 

sure many readers will be aware that against that 

background the Government is no longer proceeding 

with the Prisons and Courts Bill which contained 

clause which may have had serious consequences for 

the personal injury market and Law Firms operating 

in it. Whether the Bill reappears at some stage in the 

future remains to be seen although opinion seems to 

be that is more likely than not, but at this stage at 

least, it seems that there will be postponement 

timescale wise at worst! 

As always the articles in this month's edition are 

many and varied so thank you to everyone who has 

contributed and I should say not only thank you but 

also congratulations to Charlie Jones for his review of 

Pygmalion in response to my call for such articles. 

Charlie will duly receive his prize courtesy of R&H 

wines so please keep your articles coming and of 

course your reviews! 

See you next month 

Peter Holland 

Editor 

editor@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

Charity spotlight... 

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All members' contributions to 

Liverpool Law are warmly 

welcomed. Please send your 

article (and photo captions where 

possible) or request for further 

information, or assistance to the 

editor at 

editor@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

Photographs should be provided 

in the highest resolution possible 

to ensure a good reproduction. 

The views and opinions expressed 

in Liverpool Law are those of the 

individual contributed and not 

those of the Liverpool Law 

Society. 

Published by Baskerville 

Publications Limited 

Apt 327 Holden Mill 

Blackburn Road 

Bolton 

BL1 7PN 

Email: j.baskerville@jbaskerville.co.uk 

Editorial Committee 

Dates 2017 

02/05/2017 AT 13:00 






Deadlines 2017 

15TH MAY FOR JUNE 

19TH JUNE FOR JULY 

17TH JULY FOR AUG 

14TH AUG FOR SEP 

18TH SEP FOR OCT 

16TH OCT FOR NOV 

13TH NOV FOR DEC 

www.liverpoolsunflowers.com 


3

From the President 

President’s Mentions 

Good afternoon, I am writing 

this on the day the Prime 

Minister decided to have a 

General Election, after she 

said she would not. 6 months 

is a long time in politics and 

maybe, maybe we will have 

some clarity, certainty and 

then confidence to deal with 

the problems the country 

faces - watch this space ! 

We are living in interesting 

times and as I have said on 

many occasions, we lawyers 

will have to step up to the 

mark and hopefully the 

Government will take notice 

and acknowledge our 

contribution. One can only 

hope. 

I suppose it was one way of 

avoiding the testing 

Parliamentary Questions that 

we at LLS had set the 

Ministers recently, thanks go 

to Jeremy Myers. Now they 

are likely to rush through 

their business before finishing 

for the hustings. 

We hope to meet the local 

M.P.s in November and 

would value your 

views/questions and 

observations to put to maybe 

fresh M.P.s. 

On to brighter and happier 

matters I had a most 

enjoyable and successful Quiz 

night at the end of March the 

oldies (LLS) once again 

beating the young pretenders. 

Nothing beats experience, 

many thanks to MJLD for 

organising the event and 

SaccoMann for sponsorship. I 

also won the red-letter day 

prize donated by Lucy 

Grainger of SaccoMann and 

will report on my adventure 

later this year. 

Tranmere Rovers are also 

flying high in the National 

League, thanks to them for 

hosting a 2nd luncheon and 

to the players for the 9 goals - 

a record. 

I must remind everyone of 

the training regulations, you 

must not fall foul of the new 

regulations and I would ask 

you to look at the courses 

and more particularly the 

offers from LLS contained in 

this edition to ensure you can 

confidently sign off your 

declaration in September 

when applying for the 

Practising Certificate. The 

Season Ticket is an excellent 

way for your firm to provide 

the standard required . 

I would like to thank Dr John 

Tribe for his most interesting 

contribution to Liverpool 

Legal History and look 

forward to further articles. I 

am pleased he mentions one 

of Birkenhead's leading 

personalities F.E. Smith - old 

boy of Birkenhead school 

and Lord Chancellor, also 

nephew of founder of Smiths 

Estate Agents still going 

strong in Hamilton Square. 

By the time you receive this 

the Legal Awards will be 

Diary Dates 

upon us and I wish all 

nominees the best of luck 

and anticipate that we will 

have a great time on 12th 

May. 

Can I remind you all to save 

the date for the Annual 

Dinner which will take place 

at The Hilton Hotel, The 

Strand on Thursday 16th 

November 2017 and I am 

pleased to confirm that Sir 

Brian Leveson, President of 

the Queens Bench Division, 

and old boy of Liverpool has 

agreed to be my guest 

speaker. Book your table now 

as numbers are limited. 

I am sorry to lose two of our 

Directors this month for 

personal reasons namely 

Sylvia Shepherd who was 

editor of this magazine for 3 

years and also an excellent 

contributor to the committee 

during her term, I wish her 

well in her new venture. Also 

my old friend John Weate 

who sadly has to retire due to 

personal family reasons. 

Once again many thanks to 

John for your contribution 

and my best wishes to you 

and family. 

I am however pleased to 

welcome 3 new Directors 

Eileen Chisnall, Martin 

Rodwell and Emma Palmer 

and look forward to seeing 

them at the General 

Committee and working with 

them. 

Finally sadly I have to report 

the death of my old friend, 

former Partner and colleague 

Norman King who passed 

away peacefully at home after 

short illness on 2nd April at 

the grand age of 85 years. He 

was a true gentleman and 

professional who worked 

tirelessly for all his clients on 

the Wirral. Our sympathy 

and good wishes go to Joan 

and her family at this time. 

Thanks once again to you all 

for your contributions to the 

Society. Please do not forget 

to contact us at Helix with 

your news views and 

observations and continue to 

use Twitter, LinkedIn and 

Facebook. 

John Ballam 

President 

Sponsored by 

Like us on Facebook 

www.facebook.com/ 

LiverpoolLawSociety 

Join us on Linked In 

Wed 10 May 

Commercial Property Conference 

Follow us on Twitter 

Fri 12 May 

Legal Awards Ceremony 

@LpoolLawSociety 


Private Client Conference in conjunction with STEP Liverpool 


Public Child Law Conference 

Wed 7 June 

Regulatory Conference 

Thu 8 June 

Summer Wine Tasting 

Thu 6 July 

Professionals’ Dinner 

Thu16 Nov 

Annual Dinner 

4 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk Photographs for Liverpool Law 

https://www.linkedin.com/ 

company/liverpool-law-society 

If any member has photographs of Merseyside or surrounding areas and would like them to be 

featured on future front covers of Liverpool Law, please email editor@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk.

Local News 

Nominations T invited for Law Society 

Council Vacancy for Merseyside & District 

There will be an election for The Law Society's Merseyside & 

District Co-council M member post which will fall vacant on the expiry 

of the terms of office of the current Council Member at the Annual 

General Meeting on 6 July 2017. Nominations are invited from 

solicitors (who must be members of the Law Society) who have a 

registered address in the constituency concerned or who are 

members of a local law society in the constituency. 

The Annual 

MJLD v LLS QUIZ 

The successful candidate will take office at the conclusion of the 

AGM on 6 July 2017. There will be an induction meeting for new 

Council members on a date to be notified to candidates as soon as 

possible. The normal term of office of a Council member is four 

years. 

The deadline for nominations is 10 May. 

For further information and for nomination forms please see 

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/News/Stories/preliminarynotice-of-council-elections-2017/ 

E 

T 

M 

Members of both the Merseyside Junior Lawyers Division and 

Liverpool Law Society met to compete in the annual quiz at the 

Revolution Bar at Temple Court, on Thursday 30th March. With the 

mantle of ‘Merseyside’s Legal Masterminds’ up for grabs, it was 

sure to be a hotly-contested affair. 

Boasting an unblemished record against the ‘young pretenders’ in 

recent years, the LLS could be forgiven for becoming complacent. 

Likewise, with it all to prove, it was to be seen whether the MJLD 

could handle the pressure of ‘breaking the duck’ and taking home 

the title. Tension heightening with every question and both sides 

fully focused on nothing but victory, one would be forgiven for 

thinking they were still in court, but at the end of the evening the 

Morecrofts team took the crown. 

Expertly hosted by quizmaster Jack Roberts and kindly sponsored by 

Sacco Mann Legal Recruitment, it has to be said that the real 

winner of this event was in fact knowledge itself. Or at least it would 

have been were it not of course for LLS who mercilessly put the 

MJLD to the sword yet again (a fact that this junior lawyer is simply 

not in a position to acknowledge at present…). 

To the LLS, congratulations for proving to be true Bamber 

Gascoigne’s year-in, year-out. And to the MJLD, this was a guy who 

used to be really intelligent on the telly apparently - way before our 

time… 

Michael Fagan, 

Trainee at Lees Solicitors 


5

Local News 

News from the Sub-Committees 

Email: committees@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk for further information 

Family Law Committee 

The April meeting of the Family Law Committee was well attended 

by a number of practitioners from a number of firms representing 

the full range of family law. We discussed all our standing items and 

it is clear we are all passionate and very committed to what we do 

and often represent the local law society at various committees at 

court relevant to family law. Below is a report from one of our 

members on cross examination of vulnerable witnesses in family 

cases. 

Adele Schofield 

Chair 

Resolution HQ emailed the various Committee members, seeking 

views concerning cross examination of witnesses by perpetrators of 

abuse in the Family Court. 

As we are aware of the fact that there are no present provisions to 

prevent this happening within the Family Courts, whereas Criminal 

Courts are able to appoint an Advocate to undertake such cross 

examination. A Minister’s statement suggests that the Government 

has proposed to replicate the criminal provision in the Family 

Courts. Based on that the MOJ are intending to replicate the 

criminal provision, they wanted the Resolution Committee 

members’ views on things that they need to bear in mind, any 

concerns that transferring the criminal provision to the Family 

Courts raises. 

A lot of feedback was received by the Members nationally, which 

was referred back to the Resolution HQ, outlining a number of 

concerns and raising number of questions including, as to who was 

to actually do the Advocacy, whether it was Counsel or Solicitors; 

funding as to how much of it would be covered by Legal Aid; 

whether the Advocate would only be required to attend the cross 

examination for part of the case or whether they would be involved 

throughout the case; unused Police disclosures as to what should 

happen to them? A discussion is to take place with the MOJ but 

Resolution are now forming a Committee to discuss these and 

further issues, which have arisen following the feedback by the 

Members. 

Debapriya Choudhuri 

Criminal Practice Committee 

A number of matters were discussed of which the following are 

bullet points. 

1. Committee members were provided with a copy of the document 

issued from Nikki Johnson from the Magistrates court in relation to 

the Listings review. Observations from members were passed on by 

me and all members of the committee were given just a few days to 

pass on their own further observations on the published document. 

We will have to wait and see what lies next! 

2. In relation to DCS the Learned Recorder of Liverpool HH Judge 

Goldstone QC has asked me to remind all defence practitioners to 

notify the cps by e mail when defence documents are uploaded onto 

the system. 

3. There was a discussion in relation to how far the responsibility of 

the Duty Solicitor goes when assisting a defendant who is pleading 

not guilty at the first hearing. It was agreed subject to further 

consideration that if not instructed to act beyond that hearing the 

duty solicitor should not be required to complete the case 

management form as it could lead to problems at future hearings. 

The Court should engage with the defendant in person in relation to 

that. 

4. Eileen Chisnall kindly organised a meeting with Inspector Holden 

and Sgt Potts with regard to how the Merseyside Police intend to 

operate the new Bail Provisions under the Policing and Crime Act 

2017 which comes into force on the 3rd April, 2017. An offer was 

made for a training session to be arranged in which the profession 

would be invited and the committee thought that this would be very 

helpful. It is hoped that this can be arranged fairly quickly and I 

would encourage as many people to attend. There was discussion 

on Court hearings with regard to bail issues and we hope to have 

definitive answers shortly. It was certainly vented that this may be a 

situation where non-means tested advocacy assistance may apply. 

Clarification is being sought from the LAA representative on the 

committee. 

5. I have been asked to remind practitioners that an annual training 

ticket for next year costs £360 plus vat and entitles the holder to 

attend all training events. 

Finally whilst stepping down from the Chair of the Committee I am 

to remain an active member and would encourage any practitioner 

to e mail me on any issues they would like the committee to 

consider. 

John Weate 

john.weate@rmnj.co.uk 

Criminal Practice Committee meeting on the 23rd March, 2017. 

Sadly, for me this is the last meeting I will preside over having 

advised the President of my intention to resign the chair for personal 

reasons. The President being present at the meeting insisted that it 

be recorded the Society’s thanks for my work since becoming 

Chairman. For my part I would like to thank all those practitioners 

and committee members who have supported me during the last 18 

months. I would also like to put on record my thanks to the staff at 

the Law Society especially Ann who have assisted me during this 

time. 

The work of the committee will go on especially at these troubling 

times in relation to fees and the next chair will require not only 

enthusiasm for the position but also the support of the other 

committee members and the profession generally. 

6 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk

Access to Justice 

How can we Support Access to Justice? 

Access to legal advice makes an enormous difference to people’s 

lives, reducing poverty and suffering. Successive cuts in public 

funding for free legal help have had a huge impact on the most 

vulnerable in society and whilst we cannot seek to fill the gap left 

by these cuts, helping vulnerable people must be a priority. 

The Access to Justice Foundation aims to help these people by 

raising funds and distributing them to organisations that support 

those who need legal help but cannot access legal aid or afford to 

pay. 

As a lawyer you will know that access to justice is about people who 

need help to enforce their rights. From the client who is worried 

about being threatened with eviction if they complain about a 

Landlord refusing to complete repairs on the property, to clients 

wanting advice about their employment rights after being treated 

unfairly following their return to work after an injury. Without the 

means to enforce the rights that people have, the rights themselves 

are meaningless. Free legal advice provision is vital. With access to 

even a one - off piece of legal advice, the escalation of many of 

these issues could be avoided. 

The Access to Justice Foundation is working closely with the pro 

bono and free legal advice sector to help secure the free legal advice 

services that exist and to extend services to parts of the country 

where none exist so that vulnerable people can access the help they 

need in order to enforce their rights. 

There are three main ways lawyers can help the Access to Justice 

Foundation: 

1) Unclaimed Client Accounts – It’s Not Just Peanuts 

Unclaimed client account balances become an annoyance for firms 

as they must be analysed and explained to auditors each year. Law 

firms can donate these dormant client account monies to the 

Foundation. The Foundation is able to provide indemnities for these 

donated funds. Individually, dormant client accounts may only hold 

small amounts of money, but the money can really add up. In 2015 

this source of funds raised over £200,000. 

2) Pro Bono Cost Orders 

If a civil case is won with pro bono help, pro bono costs can be 

ordered by the court, or included in settlements. The costs cover any 

period when free representation was provided and the amount is 

based on what a paying client would recover. The costs must be paid 

to the ATJ Foundation (s194 of the Legal Services Act 2007). We 

then distribute the money to projects that give free legal help. 

Claiming pro bono costs is a straightforward process; for more 

information see our website. 

3) Legal Support Trust Events 

The third way you can support the Foundation is by taking part in 

one of our fundraising events for the North West Legal Support 

Trust, who support local advice services in the North West. The 

Liverpool Legal Walk is taking place on Tuesday 3rd October 2017, 

and is a great opportunity for colleagues to come together to raise 

money for free legal advice charities. 

For more information about any of these projects and for contact 

details please see our website www.atjf.org.uk. 

Senior partner of EAD Solicitors steps down 

Former Liverpool Law Society President, Steve Cornforth, has stepped down as a Partner at 

EAD Solicitors having completed 6 years as Senior Partner at the Liverpool Firm. He has also 

retired from Private Practice from the end of April 2017. However he has no plans to go into 

retirement! From 1st May he has launched the Steve Cornforth Consultancy for Lawyers. The 

consultancy will offer support to law firms particularly in relation to Compliance, Risk 

Management and Training with an emphasis on PI, Industrial Disease and Clinical Negligence. 

Steve said – ‘The whole Personal Injury Sector is going through massive change particularly with 

the reforms which are scheduled to come into force in October 2018. Many firms are reviewing 

their work and looking to diversify. I have spent most of my professional life acting for victims of 

work related diseased and Clinical Negligence and will be offering support for lawyers who are 

looking to change direction. This will involve a combination of in-house training followed by 

ongoing consultancy.’ 

Steve has also been the COLP at EAD for many years and previously chaired the Society’s 

Regulatory Committee. He will also be helping firms in relation to compliance matters again by 

way of training and support. 

He can be contacted via his website at www.stevecornforth.com 


7

Memtal Health Feature 

Are We Surviving or Thriving? 

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from May 8 

-14, is Surviving or Thriving? and this year the aim is to uncover why 

too few of us are thriving with good mental health. It is more than the 

absence of a mental health problem: people are struggling to cope with 

the demands of life. 

In the increasingly demanding and changing legal environment, 

resilience is important in order to thrive. Resilience is defined as the 

ability to resist or bounce back from adversity, and in any workplace 

there will be people who thrive on challenges and difficulties, while 

others will find it hard to cope with unexpected change or problems. 

Highly resilient people are flexible, adapt to new circumstances quickly, 

and thrive in times of constant change. Most importantly, they expect to 

bounce back, and feel confident that they will. That expectation is 

closely linked to a general sense of optimism, and finding the positive 

aspects in most situations. 

Ten tips to build resilience: 

• Learn to see challenges, mistakes and failures as valuable 

learning experiences 

• Give ourselves a pat on the back when things go well, forgive 

ourselves when things go wrong 

• Don’t give in to negative thoughts 

• Use humour to defuse and downplay difficulties 

• Be flexible. Nothing stays the same, especially in the 

workplace 

• Take care of physical and mental health. Get enough sleep, 

exercise and eat well 

• Take time off work, use holiday entitlements and take breaks 

during the working day 

• Recognise that a bad situation is usually temporary 

• Build a support network. Make time for friends and family 

who offer encouragement and strength. Consult supportive 

work colleagues 

• Don’t extrapolate one bad situation into another unrelated 

situation 

Attitude and perspective are fundamental to building resilience: paying 

attention to strengths and how to develop them, learning to accept that 

things won’t always go well, focusing on what is working rather than 

what’s not, and we will all be on our way to thriving, rather than just 

surviving. 

LawCare supports and promotes good mental health and wellbeing 

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Our key support service is our free, confidential and independent 

helpline, and our trained staff and volunteers listen and support with 

any issues. Call 0800 279 6888 or visit www.lawcare.org.uk 

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IFB 2018 

Launch of International Business Festival 2018 

On 4th April I attended a launch event at Oh Me Oh My in Water 

Street, for the International Business Festival 2018. The rebranded 

International Festival of Business, takes place in 

Liverpool once again for three weeks from 12th June 2018. 

Max Steinberg CBE, chair of the Festival, and Jude Kelly, creative 

director, both spoke about the progress the Festival had made since 

the first event in 2014. Despite the fact that the cabinet members 

who originally supported the festival have all now moved on from 

their posts, the Government have committed to the Festival, and to 

its taking place in Liverpool, in both 2018 and 2020. Whilst the 

event is still in the planning stage (which started immediately the last 

festival ended), it is proposed that once again the agenda will 

comprise of events and conferences, workshops and advice sessions, 

and opportunities for local and international businesses to meet, 

make contacts and promote themselves to international investors. 

Jude Kelly then hosted a panel session with Justin Dooley of Caffe 

Cream, Aine McGuire of The Sensible Code company, Phil 

Charnock from SwapBots and Dr Steve Powell from the Liverpool 

Life Sciences accelerator, who talked about their own groundbreaking 

Liverpool based businesses who trade all over the world, 

and how they have benefitted from the Festival in previous years. 

Jude Kelly 

The Panel 

The message? The previous two festivals have brought £600 million 

into the UK and yet we are still learning as to the best format and 

way to involve as many as possible in the festival. Liverpool is 

currently the destination of choice for the event and Liverpool 

Vision obviously want to keep it that way, it not only showcases our 

city but brings large sums into the regions hospitality venues, as well 

as any advantage that local businesses can gain from the advice, 

contacts and support on offer. Both Liverpool as a City and the City 

Region have a lack of businesses, and local businesses are therefore 

encouraged to engage with the festival and use whatever services 

they can to help them grow. We are all encouraged to interact, 

support and champion the festival as far as possible, to help our 

businesses, and those of our clients. 

A new website is being launched www.ifb2018.com and you can 

also follow @TheBusinessFest on twitter for the latest news. 

Alison Lobb 

Morecrofts LLP 

Max Steinberg CBE 


News 

Tranmere Rovers and 

Liverpool Law Society 

Over the last month or so our members have 

had the pleasure of being the guests of 

Tranmere Rovers, and have seen two 

thrilling games and been privileged to hear 

about some of the very exciting plans that 

Mark and Nicola Palios have for the club. 

Peter Holland, our Editor, and lifelong 

Tranmere fan was delighted when our 

President, John Ballam, accepted the 

invitation to our members from Martyn Best 

(incidentally, a Past President of the 

Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants, 

and now Associate Director of Tranmere). 

The purpose of this was to show to our 

members what is happening at Prenton Park, 

and see if there was anything that might be of 

interest to our members and firms in 

supporting. There was the added bonus of a 

very pleasant meal in the boardroom and 

seeing Tranmere win – not once but twice, as 

the event was so well supported that the club 

extended the invite with around 50 of our 

members and guests taking advantage. 

Mark and Nicky, who acquired the club in 

August 2014 highlighted the ambition that 

they have to restore the club’s fortunes by 

ensuring that there is a wide and sustainable 

business model underpinning the finances, 

and there is a vast array of activities which 

help the club engage across the Wirral and 

Liverpool community. The prime aim is of 

course promotion this season, and building 

upon that success. 

Our members heard about the work that 

Tranmere Rovers in the Community is doing 

with many disadvantaged groups, with 

disability programmes, young people, and the 

establishment of Tranmere Rovers College 

delivering BTEC’s to around 60 young 

people. 

Mark also talked about how the club has 

engaged with the Inner Mongolia government 

and is delivering football coaching 

programmes in China, and has plans to 

develop a growing International Football 

School and welcome young Chinese people 

and football coaches to the Wirral. 

There is also a very innovative approach to 

helping younger groups follow Tranmere via 

the SWA2 scheme (Super White Army), 

whereby anyone can buy a junior season 

ticket for £30 and the club will ensure that 

this goes to a worthy youngster who 

otherwise could not afford to follow their 

club. 

On the pitch there was a high degree of 

excitement with Tranmere beating Braintree 

1-0 in the first game, and then having an 

astonishing 9-0 victory against Solihull. This 

game was a record for the National League, 

and in fact Tranmere’s second highest victory 

in their 133 year history. 

During the presentation Mark and Martyn 

highlighted the many opportunities there are 

for our members to engage with the club and 

many of these programmes, and there is a 

reminder of these activities here. 

Overall, our members had two wonderful 

occasions of not only hearing about 

Tranmere, but of course in catching up with 

each other, and there are plans to repeat the 

event next season – when hopefully Tranmere 

will have secured that all important 

promotion to League Two. 

How you could become more engaged with 


Come to more games 

Visit the souvenir shop 

Become a corporate sponsor 

Use their meeting and conference rooms 

Use the recreation centre 

Support Tranmere Rovers College and their 

BTEC graduates 

Talk to them about the Apprentice Levy 

Sign up to their domestic violence campaign 

Donate to the SWA2 appeal – season tickets 

for disadvantaged young people 

Come and see Madness, Libertines and Little 

Mix – 19/20/21st May 

Many sponsorship opportunities (Futsal / 

Ladies team) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

% % % % 

Mark and Nicky Palios 

 

 

 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! 

11

Movers & Shakers 

Morecrofts scoop Employer of 

the Year Award at Women in 

Liverpool Business Awards 

Future Boss Club launches in the 

North West 

Morecrofts Solicitors were crowned Employer of the Year at the 

recent Liverpool Women in Business Awards. 

The ceremony, which celebrates female-led business in the region, 

took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. 

Hosted by networking organisation Downtown in Business, the 

event saw more than 400 business people attend from throughout the 

city region. 

Morecrofts’ managing partner, Alison Lobb said: “It was an absolute 

honour to be named Employer of the Year in the city region. The 

thing that makes Morecrofts so special is our people. We have some 

of the best legal minds in the region, and we pride ourselves on 

excellent staff retention and a fantastic team. 

“We have invested a lot of time training and nurturing new talent, as 

well as assisting our women (and men) who take time off to have 

children. More than 12 Morecrofts babies have been born in the past 

few years, and I am proud to support their parents in a happy 

working environment. I am delighted to have been recognised for 

that level of support which we give to our people, as well as the way 

in which they can develop their careers with us, at the Women In 

Business Awards” 

A newly established North West networking group, Future Boss 

Club, marked its arrival with an exclusive launch event in 

Liverpool on 9 March. 

The launch event welcomed both rising talent and decision makers 

to explore the forward-thinking concept. Alongside the networking 

opportunities, guests were treated to a trio of inspirational talks from 

Chair of Future Boss Club Rebecca Keegan, Chief Executive of The 

Liverpool Knowledge Quarter Colin Sinclair and Chief Executive of 

The Women’s Organisation Maggie O'Carroll. 

Future Boss Club was created by young females for young females 

to help support the next generation of future leaders. Jayne Croft, 

corporate solicitor at Brabners, is one of the 11 female professionals 

who established the group. 

Commenting on the launch of the club, Jayne said: “Future Boss 

Club is all about empowering and inspiring today’s generation of 

young, professional women. Starting out in business can be a nervewracking 

experience, so we wanted to create a concept that would 

support our next generation of future leaders both professionally and 

personally. 

“From tackling issues head on such as how to network effectively 

and increase productivity, we hope that Future Boss Club becomes 

an integral part of Liverpool’s professional network.” 

Future Boss Club is a regional members-only networking group 

designed to inspire and support young women from the ages of 18 

to 30. The group will host a range of events and seminars aimed at 

providing ongoing support, advice and training to its members. 

To find out more about Future Boss Club or to become a member 

visit www.futurebossclub.co.uk 

With over 60 members Atlantic Chambers is able to offer a wide 

range of expertise within our specialist practice groups. 

Civil Litigation including Clinical Negligence, 

Family, Chancery & Commercial, Crime, 

Employment, Proceeds of Crime & Public Law 

4-6 Cook Street, Liverpool L2 9QU 

T 0151 236 4421 F 0151 236 1559 

DX: 14176 Liverpool 1. 

E-mail: info@atlanticchambers.co.uk 


Movers & Shakers 

Professional services specialists join forces to transform 

commercial dispute resolution for SMEs 

A group of leading professional services businesses including law 

firms Bermans and Moore Blatch; accountants PKF, Haines Watts 

and Price Bailey; legal expenses expert QBE Insurance; and 

insurance claims mediation specialist Flaxmans – have come 

together to launch a ground-breaking commercial dispute 

resolution service for SMEs. 

The new process, called Escalate, removes the barriers that currently 

prevent claimants from pursuing their cases by helping them with 

their cashflow. Escalate focusses on achieving a prompt settlement, 

with fixed fees payable only on a successful outcome and no upfront 

costs. 

This contrasts with the traditional commercial dispute resolution 

process that typically takes 18 months; is often billed by the hour; 

can require the payment of disbursements, such as court fees or the 

costs of an expert, up front; and leaves the claimant at risk from 

large legal bills from its advisers and exposure to the defendant’s 

costs in the event of an unsuccessful outcome. 

Escalate is a two-stage process. Firstly, Escalate focuses on a 

negotiated settlement, using licenced corporate recovery specialists 

with a track record of rapidly recovering assets to negotiate on 

behalf of the claimant, and encouraging the defendant to settle 

quickly in the client’s favour without the need for litigation. The 

process allows a maximum of three months for this negotiation. 

If the defendant is unwilling to settle in this timeframe, solicitors 

acting on a fully conditional basis will begin preparing for litigation 

with the back-up of the adverse costs insurance. As part of the 

service, all fees and associated costs are funded and paid on the 

client’s behalf all the way up to a High Court resolution, with the 

adverse costs risk indemnified by an insurance policy. 

The founders of the Escalate process are encouraging other leading 

professional services businesses – particularly legal practices and 

accountancy firms with corporate recovery teams, to sign up to use 

the Escalate process. 

The Escalate process covers the full range of commercial dispute 

cases – including bad debt, contractual, and negligence – that SME 

businesses typically face. 

Importantly, it can tackle cases going back up to three years, 

enabling businesses to start to recover monies that were previously 

written off and providing an unexpected cash flow injection. 

Escalate partner firms are currently working on a number of cases, 

including one involving a business that was forced to cease trading 

two years ago because of an unresolved dispute. 

Escalate is being used to see if additional funds can be returned to 

creditors, breaking new ground and potentially opening up a new 

channel through which insolvency practitioners can recover funds. 

Nick Harvey 

Nick Harvey, a partner at Bermans LLP, said: “Pursuing a 

commercial dispute has tended to be a costly, lengthy and risky 

undertaking. It’s hardly surprising, then, that many businesses 

decide against making a claim and reluctantly write-off what they 

are owed.” 

“Escalate is a smarter way for businesses to resolve commercial 

disputes: there’s no financial risk in that clients don’t pay out unless 

they reach a successful recovery; there’s no pressure on cash flow as 

we’ve removed all of the upfront costs; the fees are fixed and clear 

from the start; and we’re confident we can achieve early and good 

outcomes for clients in most cases.” 

For more information on Escalate visit 

http://www.bermans.co.uk/funding-solutions/escalate/ 

Need an expert in medical or 

dental negligence? 

Refer to us. City 

: Allerton : Garston 

0151 733 3353 

www.gadllp.co.uk 


13

Dr Tribe’s Tribe 

“Dr. Tribe’s Vignettes of Liverpool Legal History” 

An introduction to the vignettes of Liverpool legal history 

Welcome to my first column for the Liverpool 

Law Society magazine. It is a great privilege to 

have been asked to contribute and I am grateful 

to the editor for this opportunity to share some 

thoughts on various aspects of the history of law 

in Liverpool. Future columns will discuss, inter 

alia, biographical details on legal luminaries who 

are products of Liverpool’s legal scene as well as 

more prosaic/esoteric areas which are discussed 

below. 

As will become obvious it goes without saying why the areas should 

be considered both geographically and in terms of subject matter in 

this magazine. Apart from some notable examples, such as the 

Liverpool Law Society’s magnificent “A Century of Liverpool 

Lawyers” Liverpool’s legal history has largely remained a dark and 

neglected subject. This column will go some way to address this 

grave lacuna. 

Perhaps the best place to start in this journey is to explain why an 

academic, albeit with a link to practice with Exchange Chambers as 

an academic associate, should appear in these pages at all. Well 

hopefully if justification is needed it comes in the form of a long 

held link between (professional legal) town and gown. For over one 

hundred years there have been close connections between the 

University of Liverpool (hereafter University) and legal practitioners 

who practice in the town. This is most clearly exemplified by 

individuals who have had careers as practitioners in Liverpool, but 

who have also been teachers at the University. These individuals will 

feature as the subject of future columns and are already familiar to 

the readership and the broader legal world. No serious student of 

English and Welsh law has not touched upon the careers of the great 

Liverpool luminaries such as FE Smith, known to posterity as the 

Earl of Birkenhead following his elevation to the woolsack as Lord 

Chancellor. A successor in that elevated position, David Maxwell- 

Fyfe, otherwise known as the Earl of Kilmuir, was another 

Liverpool Lord Chancellor whose early practice saw him pitted 

against his great Liverpool rival, Sir Hartley Shawcross, later Lord 

Shawcross QC a man whom a number of the readership will have 

known and who is famous to the wider public as Attorney-General 

of England and Wales and, inter alia, a member of the prosecuting 

team at Nuremberg and co-drafter of the European Convention on 

Human Rights. Each of these individuals will have an entire column 

dedicated to their contribution to our subject. 

We will also examine Liverpool buildings that have featured in the 

administration of the law in the City. From the distinct and unique 

jurisdiction embodied in the Liverpool Court of Passage to the 

magnificent edifice that is St George's Hall and its now defunct 

Court of Assize, we will see how buildings in the City of Liverpool 

have contributed to the administration of justice. 

We will also focus on how the University of Liverpool has 

contributed to the development of law, and in particular, legal 

history in Liverpool and beyond. For this we will see how one of 

our greatest legal historians, Professor FW Maitland, made some of 

his first contributions to academic law when he delivered lectures at 

the University in 1883 and 1884. Long links stretch from him to the 

present day through the subject of equity, most notably in the form 

of the late Professor David Parker. We will examine his and other 

contributions both to the City and law as a discipline. 

Liverpool is also noteworthy for a number of legal firsts, one of 

which is one of the first female High Court judges in England and 

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Dr Tribe’s Tribe 

Wales. We will examine the career of Mrs Justice Ebsworth and her 

contribution to the administration of justice as well as that of Mrs 

Justice Heilbron. 

Where the Earls of Birkenhead and Kilmuir trailblazed their way 

ultimately to the highest legal position in the land we will see how 

another Liverpool lawyer, Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, has taken 

up the mantle in more recent years progressing as far the Judicial 

Committee of the House of Lords (as it then was). We will consider 

his contribution as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. 

Finally, we will examine the law collection at the Athenaeum, 

Liverpool’s oldest and best book endowed institution. The club 

contains a marvellous and overlooked collection which provides a 

snapshot in time of an 19th century practitioners’ library. We will 

examine some of the treats that reside in the library like so many 

pearls in a Lord Chancellor Earl’s coronet. 

I hope this foretaste of what is to come has whet your appetite. If 

this sort of treatment sounds interesting and fun then welcome 

aboard! If it doesn’t I will attempt to win you round over the next 

year or so as we progress through various vignettes of Liverpool 

legal history. I look forward to this exciting journey through aspects 

of Liverpool’s legal past. 

Liverpool Attorneys 

A number of photographs have been donated to Liverpool Law Society 

by the family of the late Peter Howell Williams who was President of 

the Society in 1980-1. His family have sent them as a gift in case they 

may not only be of interest to local legal historians but also of use as a 

historical record. On the reverse side of each is the name of the 

practitioner and where appropriate post held. However, if members have 

more information, then please submit to the Editor for future 

publication. 

A P Fletcher 

Born 1824 died 1899. 

Lived Beechwood Road, 

Aigburth and then Sandlea, 

Victoria Park, Wavertree 

Treasurer Royal Infirmary 

Bluecoat Hospital. 

Chairman Runcorn Soap and 

Alkili Corp 

Dr. John Tribe 

Good Friday, April, 2017. 

Dr. Tribe is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the School of Law and 

Social Justice, University of Liverpool & an Academic Associate 

at Exchange Chambers. 

Email: j.tribe@liverpool.ac.uk 

Twitter: @TribeBankruptcy 

A G Squary 

Became solicitor to Dock Board 

Lived Apooly Villas, Lower 

Bebington 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15

Local News 

 

 

 

Free affiliate membership of Chamber of 

Commerce for LLS member firms 

C Liverpool Law Society (LLS) is delighted to confirm it has, once again, secured a free 12- 

month affiliate membership (worth £150) of the Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of 

Commerce for member firms and organisations of the Society as a benefit of annual LLS 

membership. 

During the 12 months (from 1st June 2017) the Chamber will send you details of their 

events which you will be able to attend at member rate; you will also receive all the 

membership benefits ordinarily provided to a business subscribing to the e-membership 

package at the Chamber. They include: 

D 

 

 

 

 

• Access to Chamber website for each individual business 

• Upload news and events to the Chamber website from the company account 

• Individual Membership certificate 

• Meeting room and hot desk facilities at 1 Old Hall Street for city centre 

meetings 

• Discount on attending Chamber events 

• Company listing on Chamber website 

• Access to New Markets Export Growth programme 

• Access to Chamber HR Oracle Legal template documents and HR Helpline 

• Digital version of magazine and digital version of diary (no paper) 

 

 

• 

 

 

• 

 

• 

 

• 

 

 

• 

 

• 

 

 

• 

• 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

s 

R 

Affiliate Membership of the Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce entitles you to 

attend the Chambers’ free events and other paid events at the reduced member rate. 

Affiliate membership does not include all member benefits as some are reserved for full 

members only. 

Request an application form from contactus@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

School of Law and Social Justice, University of 

Liverpool, Community Engagement Awards Evening 

On 28th March, the School of Law and 

Social Justice hosted the annual 

Community Engagement Awards Evening. 

This important event is an opportunity to 

celebrate the work done by students across 

the city and to hear about the some of the 

innovative projects and partnerships that 

aim to support the wider community whilst 

also giving the students valuable work 

experience. 

Affiliate membership does not include all member benefits a 

We heard short presentations from students 

about the projects they have been involved 

in. These included Streetlaw, Interchange, 

mentoring, Social Welfare Advice and the 

Student Law Review. In the Streetlaw 

project law students give prepare and deliver 

classes to secondary schools on the law. 

The students involved in Social Welfare 

Advice work in the voluntary sector 

assisting with welfare benefits claims. In 

Interchange sociology students conduct 

research for NGOs to help them evaluate 

and report on their work. We heard 

students talk about all of these projects with 

passion an enthusiasm, and the common 

theme was how knowing that their work 

was be making a difference motivated them 

to go the extra mile. 

We also heard from a number of students 

who volunteer in different projects in the 

Law Clinic. We are very proud of all the 

work that students do in the Law Clinic, 

from answering the phone to researching 

law, interpreting for clients, writing letters 

and drafting documents in asylum and 

statelessness cases. 

The students spoke about their commitment 

to clients and about how making a 

difference in the real world enhanced their 

learning and developed their selfconfidence. 

Congratulations to Jenny Price 

(DLA Piper) and Lyn Luces (Independent 

consultant solicitor) for winning the award 

for best Law Clinic Supervisor. We could 

not run the general advice service without 

the support and commitment of the many 

solicitors who give their time to supervise 

the students’ work. 

Congratulations also to all the students who 

took part in all the projects and who spoke 

so passionately about their work on the 

evening. 

Lucy Yeatman, 

In-house Solicitor 

Liverpool Law Clinic

Law Society News 

Law Society Library - 

how we can help you 

Introduction 

The Law Society library has one of the most comprehensive printed collections of law material in 

England and Wales. It provides three key services to all members of the Law Society, irrespective of 

type of organisation, size or location, to support their information needs. 

This article briefly looks at the services we provide to members - research, access to the collection, 

and a same-day document delivery service. It also includes details about an additional service we are 

looking to introduce for which I would appreciate your feedback. 

1. Library research service 

The library deals with about 10,000 member enquiries each year, covering a wide range of legal 

research from point-in-time legislation, tracing precedents, case law, parliamentary material, articles, 

even genealogy. 

Enquiries come from members working in all types of legal organisations - from small firm 

practitioners to Top 100, in-house, and government. The majority of enquiries we receive are either 

by email or telephone so it does not matter where you are based, you can use our research service. 

For the vast majority of research there is no charge. Charges only apply if research takes longer than 

30 minutes and you will be notified well in advance if that is likely to happen. So, if you need research 

help please contact the library service on 020 7320 5946 or 

library@lawsociety.org.uk 

Telephone and emails enquiry lines are open 09.00am - 17.00pm, Monday to Friday. 

2. Collection service 

The library provides members with access to one of the most comprehensive printed collections of 

law material in England and Wales. The printed collection comprises of 55,000 volumes housed in a 

Grade 2 listed interior room at The Law Society in Chancery Lane. It is a reference only collection 

made up of: 

• Precedents - including EF&P, Atkins and a wide range of textbooks 

• Law Reports - a wide range of law reports for England and Wales, smaller 

collections for other British jurisdictions and a small collection of 

Commonwealth law reports 

• Legislation - public general acts, local and private acts, plus access to original and amended 

l egislation 

• Journals - a large collection of journal indexes and legal journals 

• Parliamentary - House of Commons papers from 1801 and Hansard debates from 1804 

• Commentary - an extensive collection of up-to-date practitioner textbooks and looseleafs 

The library also provides 11 public access computers, including two for visually impaired lawyers, that 

provide access to Lexis, Westlaw, PSL and Justis. 

3. LawDocs document delivery service 

LawDocs is the library's heavily used document delivery service and deals with around 100 member 

requests for copies of legal information each month. Providing it is within copyright, the majority of 

our collection, can be emailed straight to your inbox, be it precedent material, law reports, 

commentary, or legislation. Alternatively, documents can be posted, sent by DX delivery, faxed or 

collected. The service can be used when documents are required for current judicial proceedings. 

Email contact details are: lawdocs@lawsociety.org.uk and the service is open 9.00am - 5.00pm, 

Monday-Friday. 

As the library is fully compliant with the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) there is a copyright fee 

for using the service which is passed on to the CLA. 

4. New legal research training service 

We are currently investigating the value to members of creating a library legal research service 

providing members with practical training on the basics of legal research techniques. 

This would cover how to use popular commercial services such as Lexis and Westlaw, top tips to bear 

in mind when researching case law and legislation, and even more abstract training on areas such as 

legal genealogy. Training would tie in with the SRA's competencies framework. 

The project is in its infancy but if you have any thoughts on content, type of delivery, or may be 

interested in attending such a session then please contact the librarian at: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

michael.maher@lawsociety.org.uk 

0207 320 5696 07548 678133 


17

Review 

This month Charlie Jones of Weighmans reviews... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pygmalion 

Headlong Production 

Liverpool Playhouse, 9th March 2017 

I am sure that you will all have heard of 

Pygmalion/ My Fair Lady. The cockney 

flower girl who the toffs Professor Henry 

Higgins and Colonel Pickering meet, and 

the meeting results in Pickering making a 

wager with Higgins that the latter cannot 

use his phonetic linguistic teaching skills to 

enable Eliza to be presented in Hertford, 

Hereford and Hampshire with no clear 

evidence that she could not possibly have 

been brought up in ‘Ertford , ‘Ereford and 

‘Ampshire. Higgins says he can! 

I attended the above production of 

Pygmalion. It was fantastic. It was very 

modern, described as ‘hip hop’. The first act 

sees the cast mouth pre-recorded lines in 

voices and accents other than their own. 

Quite confusing, most amusing, yet very 

thought provoking. What do accents really 

tell us about a person? 

At the end of that scene Higgins meets 

Eliza, who comes from Keighley and speaks 

Bradfordian, and put Higgins right on how 

to say ‘ Keighley’. We are then transferred to 

his ‘ lab’, where he has very advanced sound 

manipulating gadgets. It reminded me of 

school, and the ‘language lab’, (a very 

modern gismo when I was at school). 

Shaw, being from God’s own country, lived 

in an era when there were rather fewer 

dialects in the street than there are now. 

Therefore, for me, the story and portrayal of 

so many voices really lends itself to modern 

society, and modern issues : slavery, 

snobbishness, class, racism; how we treat a 

person dictating how they behave (as 

opposed to vice versa). 

Other than the language lab the stage was 

minimalist. The characters created the 

scenery. The ‘not bloody likely’ Tea Party 

with Higgins’ Mother took place in a 

massive fish tank place on stage: very clever 

and ironic. The Ambassador’s party took 

place behind a screen, with only accents 

heard. 

Doolittle – Eliza’s father- does not get 

married in the morning (or in the evening, or 

indeed married). He does, however, sell his 

daughter to Higgins, yet still delivers his 

standard tirade about middle class morality. 

The play was riveting. I really enjoyed it. 

Alex Beckett made me see Higgins in a 

much more dynamic manner than Rex 

Harrison. Natalie Gavin’s Eliza would put 

Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews in the 

shade. It is a play about dialects, voices, 

accents and how they interact. You could 

walk around Liverpool, and you could be on 

stage. 

My advice? If you get a chance to see this 

production: TAKE IT !!!!! 

Charlie Jones, 

Weightmans LLP 

Don’t forget to submit your reviews - 

You could win a bottle of wine or prosecco.. 

All you need to do is write a review of a movie, gig, festival, book, concert, 

play, album or favourite box set and each month one will be rewarded with 

their choice of a bottle of prosecco, red or white wine, very kindly supplied 

by R&H Fine Wines of 12 Queen Ave (just off Castle Street) Liverpool. 

Please give it a go! 

Send your entries to editor@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 


19 


CPD Events 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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-

Council Member’s Report 

Council Member’s Report 

The latest news from Charlie Jones, Council Member for Merseyside 

I hope that you have all had a good Easter break. 

There has been no Council Meeting since my last Report. As I compile this Report, I await the results of the 

Deputy Vice President election. We are to discuss Governance at the next meeting . The popular view is that 

the revised governance arrangements should be in place before a new CEO is appointed. I think this is a 

sensible approach. So I will update on these items next time. 

As I have just been on an extended Easter break, please forgive me if my report is massively cut short on this 

occasion: Hurray, perhaps I hear some say ! 

Below us the the official summary of the March Council Meeting. 

Call me if you need. I am here to help if I can. 

Charlie Jones, 

Weightmans LLP, 

Joint Council Member Merseyside and District: charlie.jones@weightmans.com 0151 242 6919 

Law Society Council meeting summary: 22 March 2017 

Council met on 22 March for its second meeting of the calendar year. 

As usual, a wide range of activity was reported on by the Board Chairs 

and the Chief Executive. In addition to ongoing discussions on 

governance, Council also had the opportunity to discuss and vote on two 

Council member motions. 

Governance 

After a brief report in February 2017 from the governance review group 

chaired by the President, Council had the chance in March to have a 

fuller discussion of the role of Council, the Main Board and the 

Executive, emphasising among other points the key role of Council as 

the voice of the profession. There is still more work to do, but we are 

hopeful of bringing more definite proposals to Council in May. We 

remain keen to hear the views of the wider profession, and the e-mail 

address: representation@lawsociety.org.uk is still open for your 

thoughts. 

Council member motions 

The first motion, proposed by the Chair of the Equality, Diversity and 

Inclusion Committee and seconded by the Deputy Vice President 

(DVP), invited Council to agree to create a seat on Council for the 

recently established Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Lawyers' 

Division. Council passed the motion by a very large majority, subject of 

course to the future of the seat being considered as part of the wider 

governance review in due course if required. The second motion, which 

was proposed by the Chair of the Human Rights Committee and also 

seconded by the DVP and overwhelmingly passed by Council, registered 

Council's concern at the risks to the independence of the legal profession 

and the rule of law in Turkey, and invited the Turkish authorities to 

respect due process and international standards in relation to any 

disciplinary proceedings against judges and lawyers. 

Promoting the profession - market and regulatory change 

Council noted our response to the Legal Services' Board's draft business 

plan, which had stressed the view that the LSB's main role is oversight of 

the front-line regulators, rather than a focus on competition at the 

expense of other regulatory objectives. You can view the response here: 

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/policy-campaigns/consultationresponses/legal-services-board-draft-business-plan-law-society-response/ 

Council also noted that work continues to develop the Law Society's 

strategy in response to the Competition and Markets Authority report on 

the legal services market, particularly its focus on consumer information 

and greater transparency on price and quality. 

A number of issues in civil justice came to Council's attention, among 

them the Law Society's representations in relation to fixed recoverable 

costs (Jackson LJ's review, to which you can read our response here: 

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/policy-campaigns/articles/fixedrecoverable-costs-call-for-evidence-response/) 

and specifically in regard 

to the Department of Health consultation on clinical negligence. The 

Department had modified its pre-consultation proposals somewhat in 

the light of Law Society arguments, but we remain concerned at the 

impact on access to justice unless the scheme excludes complex cases 

and unusual circumstances. As clinical negligence cases are complex and 

lengthy by nature, we would want to ensure that correct exemptions are 

put in place to recognise this, and would be concerned about limits on 

access to specialist advice. We believe that fixed costs should be applied 

in a proportionate and appropriate way, and that any regime should not 

restrict the economic viability of solicitors undertaking these cases to the 

highest professional standards. 

Representing and supporting the profession 

Council was updated on our continuing engagement with government 

and others on Brexit. This included an ongoing programme of meetings 

with key stakeholders including select committees, and hosting a 

meeting of the Lord Chancellor's Brexit taskforce at the Law Society. It 

was noted, from the Director of Relationship Management's report, that 

Brexit remained a key issue of concern to the profession at large. 

Council noted that a practice note had been published on 23 February 

2017 on legal professional privilege (LPP), in the main as a response to 

increasing challenges to LPP from a variety of sources. It may be found 

here: http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/advice/practicenotes/legal-professional-privilege/ 

and it provides a detailed tool for the 

profession in understanding and applying the rules relating to LPP. 

Council noted that the Membership Board had received a presentation 

on the activity of Law Works, which collaborates with law schools and 

law students to support and facilitate pro bono work, and is one of a 

number of organisations to which the Law Society has made grants for 

some years. 

The Membership Board had also approved planned enhancement to the 

Law Society website to make it easier for members of the profession to 

contact Council members from their own geography or area of practice. 

In advance of holding its May 2017 meeting in Cardiff, Council noted 

the passage of the Wales Act on 31 January 2017, with increased powers 

for law-making in Wales. In the context of this, the Law Society had met 

with the head of the Welsh Government Justice Policy team, with whom 

we are working to monitor the effect of the Her Majesty's Courts and 

Tribunals Service change programme on access to justice in Wales. 


Local News 

Room hire available at Liverpool 

Law Society's premises 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Need a room for a meeting or event? Why not consider Liverpool Law 

Society's new premises which are fully equipped with AV including projector, 

screens, and microphones. Complimentary WiFi access is included. The 

Society is situated in the heart of Liverpool's commercial business district and 

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Room capacity and daily* hire rates: 

Training Room: Members £150+VAT/Non-Members £175+VAT 

Classroom Style seats 32, Boardroom Style seats 20 and Theatre Style seats 60 

Meeting Room: Members £100+VAT/Non-Members £125+VAT 


Both Rooms: Members £250+VAT/Non-Members £275+VAT 


*Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. 

Additional charges apply for out of normal business hours events. 

Enquiries regarding availability can be made by emailing 

roomhire@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

Training Seat Exchange 

Liverpool Law Society has a Trainee Seat Exchange service. The purpose is to assist member 

firms and member in-house legal departments interchange trainees. The aim is to provide 

more training contracts on Merseyside and beyond by facilitating an exchange between firms 

and in-house departments who may otherwise find it difficult to offer their trainees the 

requisite number of seats in both contentious and non-contentious work. 

The Training Seat Exchange, which is open only to members of Liverpool Law Society, is a 

free, online service. Details of what seat a member firm can offer and what seat they are 

seeking appears. The exchange must be discussed and agreed between each member firm on 

an individual basis. 

If you would like to appear on the list, please complete our online form at 

www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk/training-seat-exchange-form and the Society will be in touch 

with you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


21

Charity and CSR 

Charity and CSR Matters 

Hello! Some great news of your 

fundraising activities this month. If 

you would like to tell others about 

your CSR activities, please send me an 

article. Equally, if you want to get 

other lawyers involved in offering probono 

advice, know of an opening for 

a charity Trustee or want us to feature 

a particular charity, then let me know 

and I will feature the opportunities on 

these pages. You can e-mail me at 

matthew.smith@weightmans.com 

Riverview Law Bid to Raise £5,000 for Ronald 

McDonald House 

Riverview Law are hoping to close in on their target of raising 

£5,000.00 for their charity of the year, Ronald McDonald House at 

Arrowe Park Hospital. 

Riverview Law are committed to encouraging their team to support 

and become involved in community initiatives and charitable work. 

This includes raising sponsorship and donations which are 

distributed to national and local charities. The Company has a staff 

Charity Committee in place to support and encourage the 

involvement of staff in community initiatives and charitable work. 

The Company provides the Charity Committee with an annual 

budget and they select and work with a different charity each year. 

The Charity Committee have raised £2,700.00 so far for Ronald 

McDonald House by undertaking activities during 2016 which 

included the setting up and running of a Tuck Shop, the X runner 

challenge, Krispy Kreme donut day, Cyclathon, Office Auction, 

Raffle and fancy dress days to name but a few. 

Riverview’s last push for fundraising for Arrowe Park will be a 

sponsored walk, from the Wirral office to the Manchester office (40 

miles!) at the end of April, after which they will see how close they 

have gotten to their £5,000 target for the year. 

The Company will then choose their next charity of the year, which 

sees employees vote for one of three short-listed charities. Events 

will commence again with the Company’s much loved ‘Office 

Auction’ followed by a summer Fun Day and charity car wash. 

In addition to their fundraising activities for the charity of the year, 

the Company itself donates a fixed sum per quarter year, for staff to 

nominate local charities to receive a one-off donation. The Charity 

Committee collates and considers the submissions for each quarter 

and awards donations. 


Charity and CSR 

Chief Executive in the Running 

Chief Executive of Maxwell Hodge Solicitors, Simon Leyland, will 

swap his suit for his running shoes on the 2nd June 2017 to raise 

funds for Dementia UK. 

Simon will be running from the West Coast to the East Coast, 86 

miles in total, aiming to complete the run over 3 days. Simon will 

run along the Hadrian’s Wall path (known as the National Trail) 

from Bowness in Solway near Carlisle, to Newcastle. Simon is 

calling it “The History Run” …. being a Roman wall and all! 

Dementia UK are a Charity who support people suffering from 

dementia in their homes with a network ! of Admiral Nurses. The 

Charity also supports those family members who care for loved ones 

with dementia. 

Simon said “I wanted to set myself a challenge that would require a 

huge amount of effort and determination so I could try and raise as 

much money as possible for the such an amazing charity. Like many 

others my family has been affected by this terrible disease”. 

Back in 2015 Simon set himself his first challenge of running 127 

miles in 5 days from the Leeds to Liverpool canal for the 

Alzheimer's Society and raised nearly £4,000 and he hopes to raise 

even more this time around. 

For more information about the charity visit www.dementiauk.org 

Are you a charity hero? 

Do you provide pro-bono legal advice? Do you volunteer for a 

charity in your spare time? Are you a charity trustee? Have you 

set up your own charity? Done something amazing for a 

charity close to your heart? 

Then stop hiding your light under a bushel! I am looking 

individuals from the legal sector to take part in a ‘spotlight’ 

feature on these pages, which will shout about the 

achievements of a different charity hero each month. Stop 

being modest and get involved. 

Send me an e-mail at matthew.smith@weightmans.com if you 

would like to take part. 

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25

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27

Regulation 

Regulation Update 

The latest regulation news from 

Michelle Garlick of Weightmans LLP 

I hope everyone had a good Easter break? Here’s a summary of 

what’s been happening in the regulatory world in the past month: 

SRA reviews complaints procedures 

The SRA has confirmed that it has commissioned two independent 

research companies (London Economics and YouGov) to review the 

way law firms handle complaints and how this can impact on the 

perceived quality of service that clients receive. 

They have confirmed that the main focus will be on understanding 

firms’ approaches to dealing with complaints as well as barriers that 

firms face in the process. The research will also be gaining consumers’ 

perspectives on firms’ complaints handling. The research will be 

expected to highlight examples of both good and bad practice and it 

is understood that both consumers and firms are likely to be 

approached for their views. 

There are strict regulations already in place relating to complaints 

handling. All firms are currently obliged to have stringent processes in 

place, including making sure clients are aware of their complaints 

rights prior to any works being undertaken, and in reporting to the 

SRA on a yearly basis regarding the number and content of 

complaints received. The research is being jointly funded by both the 

SRA and Legal Ombudsman. 

With the research underway, now would be a good time to review 

your firm’s complaints policies and procedures and ensure that all 

policies are up to date, with staff trained on the importance of 

complaints handling and making clients aware of their rights from the 

outset. Outsourcing to specialists can also be a cost effective way of 

handling your complaints – if this is of interest, then do not hesitate 

to get in touch. 

Jail for insurance fraudsters 

A group of six lawyers, all based in Preston, have been jailed for a 

collective 13 and a half years for conspiracy to defraud by false 

representation. 

Nadim Suleman, a solicitor working at Farleys Solicitors, Blackburn, 

was the ringleader, being sentenced to 4 years in jail for his 

involvement. Suleman purported to make a claim on his wife’s behalf 

after her vehicle fell from a ramp whilst being repaired. Suspicions 

arose when he made a claim for hire of a replacement vehicle which 

was later found to be for sale at a car dealership in Kent. It was 

subsequently discovered that the group had been falsifying both 

treatment invoices and medical records to substantiate their claims. It 

is understood that over £425,000 had been falsely claimed. 

The result is the first prosecution secured by the City of London 

Police Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED). 

Importance of Accounts Rules 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Following a hearing on 21 March 2017 firm Clyde & Co has been 

handed a £50,000 fine from the SDT, with three of its partners also 

receiving a £10,000 fine each. The firm was found to have used a 

client account as a banking facility in breach of both the anti-money 

laundering regulations and the SRA accounting rules. 

In a statement, the firm said “we hold ourselves to the highest 

professional and ethical standards and take responsibility for ensuring 

we meet them” and “we are confident that the circumstances which 

led to these breaches could not happen again” before going on to 

stress that ”any mistakes made were honest”. 

The fines amount to one of the largest penalties awarded against a law 

firm by the SDT, only being matched by West End firm Fuglers in 

2014 which used the client account of Portsmouth FC as a banking 

facility to channel £10m and favour certain creditors. The SDT’s 

judgment is yet to be published. 

 

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Following on from this, the former boss of the first law firm ABS has 

been fined £7,500, plus costs, by the SRA for 11 breaches of the 

Accounts Rules and 2 breaches of the SRA Principles. The SRA only 

has the power to fine law firms up to £2,000 but with ABS’ it can fine 

up to £250m. The SRA found that Tony Rand, former managing 

director of Vamco (which bought Kingsley Law, formerly part of the 

Nesbit Law Group), failed to keep proper accounting records of 

dealings with client money as well as failing to keep client ledgers or 

a client cash account. 

These fines come at the same time as a Bradford based woman is 

jailed for three and a half years after pleading guilty to money 

laundering and 8 counts of fraud. Caprice Chaneele Lindo, who is 

not a solicitor and was employed on a temporary contract basis, had 

worked at various firms throughout Greater Manchester since 2013 

and misappropriated funds from various substantial property 

transactions. She was arrested by police in March 2014 and reports 

allege that over £225,000 of the funds have not yet been traced. 


Regulation 

This year it is even more important to stay on top of what good 

compliance looks like and to show precisely how you demonstrate 

your best practice to third parties. Liverpool Law Society’s Regulatory 

Conference on Wednesday, 7th June 2017 will be your one-stop shop 

for best practice legal regulatory compliance and will give you 

practical support to help you stay ahead. 

Dishonesty and integrity – the same or not? 

A really interesting development in the High Court recently was a 

judgment in the case of Malins v SRA where the High Court judge on 

appeal from the SDT has ordered a re-trial of a solicitor found to be 

dishonest but where dishonesty had not been pleaded. The Judge held 

that the SRA’s distinction between dishonesty and a lack of integrity 

was ‘intellectually virtually impossible to understand’ and led to great 

confusion in the proceedings before the tribunal. In accusing Malins 

of acting without integrity but not with dishonesty, the prosecutor 

was, in the judge’s view, trying to maintain a ‘cordon sanitaire’ which 

was repeatedly breached and Malins found himself defending 

dishonesty allegations in relation to the first two charges (relating to 

the creation of a fabricated form N251) “which he never expected to 

have to meet, and which had not been spelt out against him”. He 

continued: ‘It is elementary, and supported by abundant authority, 

that if you are accused of dishonesty then that must be spelt out 

against you with pitiless clarity.’ 

There isn’t enough space in this column to delve into the significance 

of the judgement in detail but it will be interesting to see how the SRA 

will plead and prosecute its cases involving breach of integrity going 

forward. 

And finally in relation to disciplinary matters this month is the news 

that costs incurred by the SRA in prosecuting solicitors increased by 

almost 44% last year. The SDT’s annual report recently published 

showed costs of more than £3m were awarded to the SRA in 2016 in 

contrast to £1.7m awarded to the SRA in 2015. The tribunal noted 

that ‘A number of substantial cases were heard during the period 

which, to some extent, explains the significant increase in this figure. 

Cases lasted longer and were more complex in terms of the 

investigations carried out by the SRA.’ There was also a sharp 

increase in the number of solicitors who were struck off, up from 56 

in 2015 to 76 in 2016. 

Cybersecurity risks 

You may recall in the April edition I discussed the recent solicitor 

scams. Since then, the SRA has held a ‘roundtable’ involving experts 

from a range of sectors (including representatives from Barclays, 

Microsoft and the Information Commissioners Office) to address the 

issue. 

The roundtable agreed that solicitor firms are an attractive prospect to 

scammers, firstly because of the large amounts of money within the 

accounts, and secondly because of the vast amounts of confidential 

information held on their systems. 

It was noted that all too often the risk is viewed as an IT only matter 

rather than a risk to the business as a whole. The roundtable 

recommended a number of points for firms to consider including staff 

training (making sure that all staff at every level receive training on 

how to spot a cyber attack and their many forms), policies specific to 

cyber security and procedures for staff to follow if they suspect that 

they have been a victim of a cyber attack (i.e. who to report to and 

what should be done). 

In addition, the group recommended that firms update software to 

protect IT systems from cyber attacks and ensure that there are formal 

procedures to follow when clients and other contacts change their 

contact and/or banking information. 

Michelle Garlick 

Weightmans LLP 

 

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29

NEWS FROM THE MJLD 

Local Groups 

News from the MJLD 


MJLD Annual Ball 


We hope that ball-gowns and tuxes have now been sourced, given that the MJLD Annual 

Charity Ball is taking place on Saturday May 20 th at the Doubletree by Hilton (further 

details MJLD MJLD below). 

Annual Ball 

MJLD Annual Ball 

We hope We that hope ball-gowns that and ball-gowns tuxes have now and been tuxes sourced, have given now that been the MJLD sourced, Annual given Charity that Ball is the taking MJLD place Annual 

We hope that ball-gowns and tuxes have now been sourced, given that the MJLD 

on Saturday 

Annual 

May 20th 

at the Doubletree Charity by Ball Hilton is taking (further details place below). on Saturday May 20 th at the 

Charity Ball is taking place on Saturday May 20 Doubletree by Hilton (further 

at the Doubletree by Hilton (further 

details below). 

At time of writing details there are below). a very limited amount of tickets still left on offer. Please email socialMJLD@gmail.com for ticket information, 

and the committee warmly welcome you to what stands to be a brilliant night! 

At time of writing there are a very limited amount of tickets still left on offer. Please email 


socialMJLD@gmail.com for ticket information, and the committee warmly welcome you to 

socialMJLD@gmail.com for ticket information, MJLD and Stars the Stars committee of 2017 of warmly 2017 Awards welcome Awards you to 

what stands to be a brilliant night! 


MJLD With Stars winners of of 2017 the MJLD’s Awards Stars of 2017 Awards set to be 

MJLD Stars of 2017 Awards 

announced at the ball itself, the MJLD would like to commend the 

With following winners nominees: of the MJLD’s Stars of 2017 

With winners of the MJLD’s Stars of 2017 

Awards set to be announced at the ball itself, 

following Star Awards Solicitor nominees: 

set or to be Legal announced Executive at the of 2017 ball itself, 

the MJLD would like to commend the 


following nominees: 

Star - following Solicitor Zoe Simpson nominees: or – Lees Legal Solicitors Executive of 2017 

Star - Solicitor Rosie or Spencer Legal – DWF Executive LLP of 2017 

- Star Vanessa Solicitor Wragg or - Lees Legal Solicitors Executive of 2017 

- Zoe Simpson – Lees Solicitors 

- Zoe Simpson – Lees Solicitors 

Star - - 

Trainee Rosie Zoe Simpson 

Solicitor Spencer – Lees 

of – 2017 DWF Solicitors 

- Rosie Spencer – DWF LLP LLP 

- Rosie Spencer – DWF LLP 

- - Vanessa Vanessa Wragg Wragg - Lees Solicitors - Lees Solicitors 

- Vanessa Wragg - Lees Solicitors 

- Rebecca Wright – Lees Solicitors 

Star 

Star 

- Trainee Laura Solicitor Mullin – Emerald of 2017 Law 

Star Trainee Solicitor of of 2017 2017 

- Michael Fagan – Lees Solicitors 

- Rebecca Wright – Lees Solicitors 

Star - - 

Paralegal Rebecca 

or Apprentice Wright – Lees Solicitors 

- Laura Mullin – Emerald Law or Costs 

Draftsperson - 

- 

Laura 

Laura 

of Mullin – 

2017 

Emerald Law 

- Michael Fagan – Lees Solicitors Law 



Star Paralegal or Apprentice or Costs 

- Star John Paralegal Kemp – Weightmans or Apprentice LLP or Costs 

Draftsperson - Draftsperson Daniel of Martin 2017 

of – DWF 2017 LLP 

- Katherine Spaughton–Lees Solicitors 

Draftsperson - John Kemp – 

- John Kemp 

of Weightmans 2017 LLP 

– Weightmans LLP 

Congratulations - Daniel Martin to all those – DWF listed LLP above and thank you to all those 

who - sent - John their Daniel nominations! Martin – DWF LLP 

- Katherine Spaughton–Lees Kemp – Weightmans Solicitors LLP 

- Katherine Spaughton–Lees Solicitors 

Congratulations 

- Daniel 

to 

Martin 

all those 

– 

listed 

DWF 

above 

LLP 

Congratulations all those listed above 

and thank - Katherine you to all those Spaughton–Lees who sent in their Solicitors 

and thank you to all those who sent in their 

nominations! 

nominations! 


socialMJLD@gmail.com for ticket information, and the committee warmly welcome you to 


EVENTS 

EVENTS 

Flash Prosecco Event - 

Flash Prosecco Event Event - 6.00pm - 

6.00pm 20 April, The 

EVENTS 206.00pm April, The 20 Chancery April, Bar The 

Chancery Bar & Restaurant – 

& 

Restaurant Chancery Bar – was & Restaurant kindly – 

kindly sponsored by Hayes 

kindly sponsored by Hayes 

Recruitment, sponsored we by Hayes will be 

Flash Recruitment, Prosecco we Event will - be 

treating Recruitment, 50 of our members we treated to 50 of 

6.00pm treating 2050 of April, our members The to 

free prosecco, our members as a thank to free you 

free prosecco, as a thank prosecco, you 

Chancery for your support 

as a thank 

Bar & 

you 

Restaurant throughout 

for your support 

– 

for your support throughout 

kindly the year. 

throughout 

sponsored Full summary 

the 

by 

year. 

Hayes to 

the year. Full summary Full to 

follow in next month’s edition 

Recruitment, summary follow in next to we follow month’s will in edition next be 

of Liverpool Law! 

treating month’s 

of 50 Liverpool of edition our Law! members of Liverpool to 

free prosecco, Law! as a thank you 

for your support throughout 

the year. Full summary to 

follow in next month’s edition 

of Liverpool Law! 

With winners of the MJLD’s Stars of 2017 

Awards set to be announced at the ball itself, 


Star Paralegal or Apprentice or Costs 

Congratulations to all those listed above 

and thank you to all those who sent in their 

nominations!

Local Groups 

News from the WLD 

! 

I can't believe my time as Chair of the Merseyside Women 

Lawyers Division (WLD) has come to an end! 

With a slight change to the events taking place prior to Christmas, the WLD began the festive season 

with fizz tasting in November. The fun-filled night was held at the New Capital and consisted of 

guesting tasting a variety of 7 specially selected champagnes, cavas and proseccos, which were 

greatly enjoyed by all attending, and a quiz about the wines being tasted. Nibbles were provided to 

assist in keeping everyone standing. The night was hugely successful and the WLD would like to 

thank R&H Fine Wines for providing us with their knowledge of fine wines, New Capital for hosting the 

evening and Kingsley for kindly sponsoring this event. 

It has been a fabulous year, filled with lots of brilliant events and 

very generous donations for our chosen charity, Marie Curie. 

We started the year with our welcome event at Fazenda in June. 

This informal evening was a great way to meet new members and 

catch up with old friends over some delicious canapes. 

December saw the WLD committee attending their annual Christmas committee meal which was held 

at Fazenda. The committee enjoyed a variety of cuts of meat followed by a fabulous selection of 

miniature desserts. 

We then had our gin tasting experience hosted by Liquor and All 

Sorts Ltd at Ma Boyles in July. As well as being able to try out 

different gins and gin liqueurs, we learned how to make our own 

refreshing gin cocktails at home. 

To bring in the new year, the WLD is excited to announce the long awaited Harvey Nichols Beauty 

Bazaar event on 10th February 2017. In anticipation of the popularity of this event, those interested 

are requested to contact the WLD as soon as possible to reserve their places via email at 

wldevent@gmail.com. 

! 

To burn off the gin calories in time for summer, our next event was 

a much needed Zumba class! 

In October, we piled the calories back on at our ever popular 

pudding club night. As usual, we were not disappointed with the 

array of tasty puddings and refreshing fruit teas on offer for us to 

try. 

To celebrate the New Year in style, we held our fizz tasting event. 

There was an abundance of bubbles for us to sample and some 

tough competition to win the champagne prize for the fizz tasting 

quiz. 

For those who love a bit of relaxation and pampering, we held our 

extremely popular beauty event at Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols 

in February. I think we all picked up plenty of excellent tips and 

helped ourselves to some lovely complimentary goodies. I am sure 

everyone is already looking forward to this one again next year. 

Last but not least, we brought the year to a close with our annual 

charity quiz at Leaf, Bold Street to support Marie Curie. All funds 

raised will be donated directly to the Liverpool Hospice to help 

with the amazing work they do. Congratulations go to my 

colleagues at Slater & Gordon Lawyers for being the overall 

winners (not my team, so not a fix)! 

Details of our final grand total of money raised for Marie Curie 

will follow in next month’s update. 

If you are interested in finding out more about our events or 

joining the WLD please e-mail wldevent@gmail.com. 

I would also like to thank the rest of the WLD Committee and our 

sponsors over the year, namely Kingsley, EAD Solicitors, Brabners 

LLP, Wesleyan, Evolution Costs and Exchange Chambers, whose 

continued support has been invaluable. 

Finally, I would like to wish our new Chair, Kathryn King, the best 

of luck in taking over from me next year after the AGM on 11 

April. I very much hope that Kathryn enjoys her time as Chair as 

much as I have. 

Sara Davies 

(Chair 2016 - 2017) 

!

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