Liverpool Law Aug 2017

August 2017 

Liverpool Law 

E Rex Makin 

The Magazine for the legal sector 

in Merseyside and the North West 

Tributes to 

E Rex Makin 

John Ballam 

Kirwan’s lawyer 

four triathlons 

Explore Law 

Event 

Rachel Chandler 

Robert Peston 

Professionals’ 

Dinner 

www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk

Feel like the office 

superhero, every day 

Compiling a Contract Pack electronically has never been so enjoyable 

Paperless Contract Packs ar e here with new eCOS from InfoT 

rack. Our innovative technology empowers 

you to compile the contract pack (including all the forms relating to property information, leasehold 

information, fittings and contents) entirely ely online. Now you and your clients are able to fill out and sign 

contracts electronically, all without having to print a single page. Fast, easy and securee - our enjoyable 

technology makes you the firm superhero. 

We’re e moving conveyancing on. Sign up now. 

Visit www.infotrack.co.uk/superhero 

eCOS 

Searches SDLT 

AP1 

Land Registry

Welcome 

to the August edition of Liverpool Law 

The summer holiday season now appears to be in full 

swing. You can always tell, you can make it into the 

office without being trampled over on a train or stuck 

in a traffic jam and more importantly the ludicrous 

volume of e-mail traffic that we all usually experience 

slows down. Fabulous and enjoy it while it lasts! 

We have another full edition for you so thanks as 

always to our regular contributors and to those of you 

who have submitted something for the first time. 

Ultimately this is your magazine so please keep them 

coming. This month, as you might expect there are a 

number of tributes and accolades to those that the 

profession has sadly lost of late, notably Rex Makin 

and Bernard Wright, so particular thanks to those 

who took the time to contribute there. In some cases 

that won’t have been easy at a difficult time. 

Thanks also to Glenys Hunt for her article on the 

Everyman Theatre which wins the prize for this 

month – a bottle of wine as kindly donated by Dev @ 

R&H Fine Wines. Feel free to pop along and see him 

and please keep the reviews coming or you know 

what will happen… 

August is here which can only mean one thing. Yes, 

it's the start of the football season and Tranmere 

embark on round 3 of their effort to secure promotion 

back to the Football League. Very much hoping that 

the old adage of "third time lucky" rings true! Rest 

assured I'll keep you posted! Meanwhile on the 

eastern coast of the US, the battle hots up in the 

American League East, the Boston Red Sox currently 

hold a 2 game lead over the New York Yankees after 

just 101 games. Only another 61 to go! Out of 

interest, for those of you who don’t know, the owners 

of the Red Sox are also the owners of Liverpool FC. 

On that note, to those who are fortunate to be away 

over the next month or so, relax and enjoy and to 

those who aren't, at least the roads are clearer and the 

trains and buses are less packed, so enjoy that as well! 

Until next month 

Editorial 

Peter Holland 

Editor 

editor@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

Charity spotlight... 

Legal Education Foundation offers 

part-funded opportunity to train a new 

lawyer in “social welfare” law 

The Legal Education Foundation (LEF) has a 

scheme, the Justice First Fellowship, whereby the 

Foundation contributes financially towards the costs 

of training a lawyer in social welfare law. Justice 

First Fellows are hosted by some of the best social 

welfare legal organisations in the country. 

Organisations go through a rigorous selection process 

and have to demonstrate that they: 

• Are experts in their areas of social welfare law 

• Do work that is of national significance 

• Are innovative, effective, and think creatively 

about future sustainability 

• Meet the requirements to supervise a trainee and 

have a strong training ethos 

Host organisations receive a grant from The Legal 

Education Foundation that fully covers the salary, 

supervision and associated costs over two years. In 

some cases, private firms that host a Fellow contribute 

to these costs. The project component of the scheme 

has already helped current hosts to open up new areas 

of work and develop interesting new models that 

could go on to employ Fellows at the completion of 

the scheme. You can find out more about hosting a 

Justice First Fellow at 

jff.thelegaleducationfoundation.org/host-opportunities 

A Fellowship consists of three parts: 

1. A training contract with a selected specialist 

social welfare legal agency; 

2. Alongside the training contract, Fellows develop 

and deliver a project promoting access to justice; 

3. Fellows are brought together throughout the two 

years for additional training and networking. 

The LEF would like to meet with firms or 

organisations in the Liverpool City Region (and 

surrounding areas) that are interested in hosting the 

trainee. You could be Not For Profit or private law 

firm so long as there is the commitment to, and 

expertise in, social welfare law and where you would 

not be able to take a trainee without support from the 

Fellowship scheme. 

The recruitment process for 2018 will soon be 

underway. The scheme is up and running in other 

parts of England and Wales. 50 Fellows have been 

funded to date, eight of them have finished their 

training contracts and all eight have found jobs in 

social welfare as solicitors. If this is of interest to you 

/your firm, please email 

sarah@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk with your contact 

details so that a meeting may be arranged. 

By way of background, the LEF was part of the 

College of Law until 2012 when the education and 

training business was sold, and the monies generated 

by the sale to endow the organisation as a 

Foundation. The £200 million net proceeds from the 

sale have been invested with the Foundation 

distributing the return on these investments through 

grants and commissions. 

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. 

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 


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 

04/08/2017 AT 13:00 



03/11/2017 AT 13.00 

01/12/2017 AT 13.00 

Deadlines 2017 

14TH AUG FOR SEP 

18TH SEP FOR OCT 

16TH OCT FOR NOV 

13TH NOV FOR DEC 

www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

3

From the President 

President’s Mentions 

Good Afternoon, I hope you are 

reading this whilst relaxing in the 

Sunshine, let’s hope the good 

weather continues, it makes life 

that little bit better. 

I have been very busy this month 

meeting & greeting and spreading 

the word that Liverpool Law Society 

and the city of Liverpool is the best. 

I was pleased to attend the 

Professionals Dinner which you may 

recall last year was started by our 

own Alison Lobb and is now firmly 

on the map to become an annual 

event. This year the Accountants 

took up the baton and next year it 

will be the turn of the CISI. Robert 

Peston gave an interesting view of 

the landscape and answered some 

fascinating questions. Thanks to 

John Hall & Andrew Lloyd and the 

Accountants profession; another 

occasion for all to network and 

enjoy. I was pleased to see so many 

of our profession there and tried to 

speak to most. Please look out for 

next year’s event. 

Explore Law was an initiative 

created by University of Law with 

LLS & Hope University. I was very 

pleased to address the young 

students giving them a flavour of life 

in the profession and encouraging 

them to investigate all avenues. It is 

most encouraging to see the 

enthusiasm of the young today and 

we at Liverpool Law Society do 

spend a lot of time and effort in 

reaching out to the next generation. 

The Joint V meeting in Leeds was a 

working lunch meeting attended by 

Nina, Sarah & myself. The five main 

provincial Law Societies joining 

together to assist and share 

ideas.Nina provides a very 

informative report at page 7. 

The Echo Awards at St George’s 

Hall was an enlightening experience 

where I was able to see what 

enterprising people and businesses 

we have here on Merseyside. I met 

with many entrepreneurs in all walks 

of life who are contributing to the 

economy and providing numerous 

jobs to people. It is sometimes nice 

to get out of the bubble of law to see 

the rest of the world - 

congratulations to all the winners. 

Another occasion for winners was 

the Modern Law Conveyancing 

Awards dinner once again @ Titanic 

where I met the property people of 

the profession, another enlightening 

experience, taking me back to the 

days when I did conveyancing - so 

many changes now! 

Congratulations to Hillyer 

McKeown of Birkenhead for their 

Highly Commended award.Thanks 

also to Stewart Title for the 

invitation. 

We have this month also met with 

the local Councillors and Jeremy 

provides his usual excellent report 

on page 5. Please do consider what 

you think our local councillors can 

do for you and your clients and 

provide us @ Helix with the 

ammunition to fire at them. We are 

due to meet with them again in 

January but are working with many 

of them on various initiatives and so 

it is an on-going situation so please 

contact us with your questions and 

examples of case studies. We are 

also due to meet with the local Peers 

& M.P.s in November a Friday 

lunchtime meeting - should be jolly 

interesting this year with all the 

uncertainty and turmoil in 

Government - quite looking forward 

to it ! 

Now for some exercise: Number 1 - 

The Joint Walk with Cheshire and 

North Wales Law Society is to take 

place on Saturday 16th September - 

all welcome - a brisk walk in the 

beautiful Cheshire Countryside - 

bring the family not forgetting the 

dog. It is free and you can meet our 

lawyer cousins from Cheshire & 

Wales and I have no doubt we will 

end up at some delightful hostelry - 

Diary Dates 

contact ron.davison@gamlins.co.uk 

Number 2 - Liverpool Legal Walk - 

Tuesday 3rd October 2017 from 

QEII in Derby Square around some 

interesting places in the city centre & 

beyond. Get a team together and 

let’s try to beat the other areas with 

numbers. It is free, fresh & 

fashionable - I might even buy you a 

drink at the end. See details later in 

this edition. 

On a more sober note I was 

saddened to hear of the passing of 3 

of our most notable Lawyers in the 

City. I was honoured to be invited to 

pay tribute to Rex Makin on 

Merseyside Radio and North-west 

T.V. 

I was also honoured & privileged on 

behalf of Merseyside Solicitors to 

address the Judiciary, learned 

colleagues and family of HHJ 

Adrian Lyon @ QEII and pay 

tribute to someone who after a long 

painful illness died too young. He 

was a wonderful person who served 

the Barristers’ profession well and 

was liked by all. 

I was also privileged to attend the 

Requiem Mass & Thanksgiving 

Service for one of our past 

Presidents Bernard Wright in 

Heswall. I recall him well and he 

joined me and several other past 

Presidents at our dinner in April and 

was his usual cheerful self. My 

sincere sympathy goes to his family 

& friends. 

All three contributed so much to the 

legal profession in Liverpool and 

will be sadly missed, but long 

remembered. 

Please do not forget--- 

- 1- The Wirral Luncheon @ 

Birkenhead Town Hall on Thursday 

5th October 2017 with David 

Williams from Cammell Laird. 

There are many exciting things 

happening on Merseyside including 

Wirral and I hope David will be able 

to address update and inspire us all. 

Take a trip to Hamilton Square for 

lunch between 12noon and 2pm 

contact Helix for more details. 

-2- Annual Dinner - 9th November 

2017 @ Hilton Hotel - excellent 

speakers and delightful menu - 

another opportunity to network and 

impress clients and meet new friends 

and celebrate Liverpool the City of 

Law & Business. Numbers are 

limited so book now to secure your 

place. 

We are also formulating plans for 

the International Business Festival in 

June 2018 - let us have your ideas 

and plans please. 

SO ... it is all go go go - please keep 

up and smell the coffee we do not 

stop here at Helix - keep in touch 

contact us via Twitter, Facebook & 

LinkedIn or if you wish write a 

letter or give us a ring or stop me on 

the Square (Hamilton & Derby). 

John Ballam 

Your President. 

Sponsored by 

Like us on Facebook 

www.facebook.com/ 

LiverpoolLawSociety 

Wed 13 Sept 

Residential Property Conference 

Sat 16 Sept 

Sandstone Trail Walk with Cheshire & North Wales Law Society 

Wed 27 Sept 

Wed 27 Sept 

Family Finance Conference 

Private Dinner for Managing Partners 

Follow us on Twitter 

@LpoolLawSociety 

Tue 3 Oct 

Liverpool Legal Walk 

Thu 5 Oct 

Business Networking Lunch with David Williams from 

Cammell Laird 

Tue 10 Oct 

Social with University of Liverpool celebrating new legal & 

academic years 

Thu 9 Nov 

Annual Dinner 

Join us on Linked In 

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 

Meeting with Councillors 

The second of 2017’s twiceyearly 

meeting between LLS 

General Committee members 

and Councillors from the Local 

Authorities took place on 13 

July. Four Councillors 

attended, being Ruth Bennett 

(Liverpool), Jane Corbett 

(Liverpool), John Stockton 

(Halton) and – for the first time 

– Stephen Williams (Wirral), 

heralding representation from 

across the Mersey. The essence 

of the discussions can be 

summarised as follows. 

Liverpool Attorneys 

A number of photographs of 19th and early 20th century attorneys 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. 

J Hamilton Parr 

Attorney 

Lived 74 Upper Parliament 

Street 

Some relevant legislation had 

been enacted since LLS last met 

a group of Councillors. I took 

the opportunity to update the 

Councillors, who in turn would 

need to be aware in their dealing 

with the authorities’ various 

departments. These include 

Statutes on Bus Services, 

Children and Social Work, 

Homelessness Reduction, Local 

Audit (Public Access), and 

Neighbourhood Planning. 

I referred to a Court of Appeal 

decision on a Judicial Review of 

Local Authorities’ prosecuting 

powers under s222 of the Local 

Government Act 1972, and I 

made the point that very few 

Bills heralded by the Queen’s 

Speech in June 2017 had yet 

been published, and that I could 

not find any relating to local 

authority matters. This lack of 

many Bills is why I have delayed 

reporting in “Liverpool Law” on 

Bills published in this very early 

period of this new 

Parliamentary Session. 

In Merseyside and Halton, the 

main political new apart from 

the General Election had been 

Steve Rotheram’s election as the 

City Region’s first Metro Mayor. 

John Ballam had invited Mayor 

Rotheram to visit LLS to discuss 

and he had had to decline due to 

his heavy schedule. The Mayor’s 

interim CEO, Sheila Murphy, 

was mentioned by Councillors, 

so a meeting between her and 

LLS officers might be a 

possibility to explore. The 

Mayor’s responsibilities in the 

fields of Employment and Skills, 

Transport, and Housing are 

fields where a variety of LLS 

members might need to advise 

Clients and perhaps feed 

suggestions to his office. 

Chris Topping, Chair of LLS’s 

Access to Justice Committee, 

referred to two areas. First, a 

reminder of the LASPO review 

and connected with it the 

Labour Party’s review under 

Lord Bach. Second, Chris 

Topping referred to his cooperation 

with Cllr Corbett 

about the 10 March event in 

which the City Council had 

highlighted access to advice 

within the scope of addressing - 

and seeking to alleviate - the 

symptoms of poverty. Chris took 

the opportunity to update the 

Councillors on this coming 

Autumn’s Pro Bono initiatives 

and LLS’s particular activities to 

promote such work. 

The recent tragedies in 

Manchester and London have 

led to such provision of Pro 

Bono work by Solicitors. Charlie 

Jones stressed to the Councillors 

how Solicitors in areas affected 

by those events had rapidly and 

generously offered assistance to 

survivors and to those bereaved, 

and hoped that the Councillors 

would spread that positive 

message about the profession. 

John Ballam echoed those 

comments and referred to the 

similar role of Wirral Solicitors 

in respect of the New Ferry gas 

explosion. 

LLS holds its next meeting with 

a selection of Councillors on 18 

January 2018. If any LLS 

members have ideas or would 

like to have matters raised with 

our local Councillors, the LLS 

would be very happy to hear. 

Jeremy Myers 

LLS Parliamentary Liaison 

Officer 

committees@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

John Eden 

Attorney 

Lived Fulwood Park 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


5

Local News 

News from the Sub-Committees 

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

Regulatory Committee Action 

SRA Consultation – 

‘A new route to qualification: 

New regulations’ 

Following a meeting at the Society in early July, Liverpool Law 

Society’s Regulatory Sub-Committee submitted a response to the 

SRA’s latest consultation on training which closed on 26 July. The 

questions were: ‘Do you agree that these regulations implement the 

agreed policy framework for the SQE?’ and the committee also 

responded to the query ‘Do you have any comments on the 

proposals for recognition of the knowledge and competences of 

qualified lawyers?’ 

The SRA’s next steps are that they plan to submit the new admission 

regulations to the Legal Services Board towards the end of this year. 

They explain this is so they “can move to implementation, giving 

stakeholders certainty about the new qualification system and the 

proposed timetable. The target date for full implementation of the 

SQE is September 2020. The SQE will be delivered by a single 

assessment organisation which we will appoint following a 

competitive tender process to select that assessment organisation.” 

Solicitor vacancies on LLS Access 

to Justice Committee 

This committee, chaired by Chris Topping of Broudie Jackson 

Canter, was created in January 2012 prior to the implementation 

of the LASPO Act. Its main remit is to look at access to legal 

advice and assistance particularly to those who are of limited 

means. 

It has a membership of solicitors in private practice and third sector 

agencies including local university law clinics. It meets every couple 

of months, over a working lunch at Liverpool Law Society’s offices. 

The Committee encourages pro bono initiatives, and organises 

conferences and forums involving private sector lawyers, third sector 

agencies providing legal advice such as Citizens Advice and law 

centres, local universities’ law clinics, local authorities from the 

Liverpool City Region, and members of the local judiciary. 

The Committee also inputs into the agenda of Liverpool Law 

Society’s directors’ twice-yearly meetings with local councillors and 

MPs. The Society feels there is still a continuing role for lobbying, 

particularly to elected representatives, and the meetings enable the 

Directors of the Society to highlight areas of injustice as they arise 

with a view to arguing for the re-opening of access to Legal Aid in 

the future. 

If you are interested in becoming a member of this committee and 

are a solicitor, please contact Sarah Poblete at 

sarah@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk

News 

Joint V Meeting – Leeds 

LLS is one of the founding 

members of the Joint V – the 

largest local law societies 

outside London, being 

Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, 

Liverpool and Manchester. We 

meet three times a year to share 

ideas and report on any issues 

that we face locally that might 

be replicated in the other JV 

cities. In essence the JV is a 

collaborative group. We share 

ideas and experiences to save 

the other members time and 

effort in recreating something 

that has worked well. 

The latest meeting was at Leeds 

Law Society and the president 

and I attended. One of the 

major issues facing all five 

societies was the engagement of 

its members. We all agree that 

being relevant and giving value 

for membership is one of the 

most important things that we 

must strive to do. We looked at 

what each society is doing to 

assist its members and how we 

find out from members what it is 

that they want. Some have 

carried out surveys, or arranged 

conferences to speak to as many 

members as possible, others do 

more in the way of legal 

education and training, and 

some act as a conduit to get 

access to councillors, MPs, 

senior judiciary and professional 

regulators. 

The question was can we, as the 

JV be more? Can we use our 

collective power to get better 

deals for all of our members and 

to assert influence on policy 

makers at an earlier juncture? It 

was heartening to hear form the 

national Law Society that when 

they consult on any proposals, 

the JV is at the top of the list of 

influential views and as such 

any road shows will always 

come out to the JV cities. 

However there was a view 

expressed that we should be 

involved earlier still, given the 

number of solicitors we 

collectively represent and this is 

what we will be working 

towards and lobbying for in the 

future. 

We heard from the CEO of the 

LSB, Neil Buckley. He gave us 

the news that the ICAEW, 

already the largest issuer of ABS 

licences, was likely about to be 

allowed to regulate all reserved 

activities, not just probate. His 

view was that ABS’s were on the 

whole more innovative, for 

example they were better at 

unbundling services. He said 

that their consumer surveys 

revealed that trust in the 

profession was declining, but at 

the same time so was the 

number of complaints, the 

conclusion to be drawn was that 

the lack of trust came down to 

the fact that pricing was not 

transparent. His view was that 

we need to persuade SMEs in 

particular about the value and 

cost effectiveness of obtaining 

legal advice at an early stage. We 

can look to practitioners in 

crime/family who are already 

involved in different methods of 

charging and have found ways to 

make unbundling work. 

We also heard from Matthew 

Smerdon of the Legal Education 

Foundation. As we are all aware 

cuts have led to a huge deficit 

for law centres and this has 

meant that training people in the 

areas of law most needed in 

those centres is now extremely 

difficult. The LEF will fund 

trainees in such centres to 

enhance and deliver social 

welfare advice in law centres 

and other entities. The fellows 

will complete a project alongside 

their training contract which will 

enhance the offering on a longer 

term basis. Bristol and 

Birmingham now have a Justice 

First Fellow and LEF is looking 

to place one in an appropriate 

centre in Manchester and 

Liverpool to commence in 2018. 

The JV is our chance to share 

what we do and to expand on 

the work that has been carried 

out in other major legal centres. 

If there are any ideas as to how 

Liverpool might work better 

with other JV members to 

deliver more for Liverpool, you 

can contact me at any time to 

discuss. 

Nina Ferris 

Vice President 

Nina.ferris@hilldickinson.com 

Steve was formerly Senior Partner in a well known Liverpool firm and is a Past President of 

! 

Liverpool Law Society. He has launched this consultancy service to assist lawyers and firms with - 

! 

• Practice Management 

! ! ! ! ! ! 

! 

! ! 

! ! ! 

! 

! 

! 

• Start ups/mergers 

! ! ! ! ! ! 

! 

! ! 

! 

! 

! 

• Risk Management 

! ! 

! ! 

! !! 

• Training –• particularly ! for those ! 

wanting to move into clinical negligence and industrial 

disease work including ! ongoing ! 

consultancy 

• Compliance 

! ! 

! ! www.stevecornforth.com 

! ! ! ! ! 

! ! 

! ! 

! ! ! 

07736925355 

! ! 

! 

! 

! 

! 


7

Obituary 

Obituary: E Rex Makin 

Elkan Rex Makin was born on 20th August 1925 in 

Birkenhead. His father was Joseph (Joe) Agulnek, was born in 

Liverpool in 1890. His mother, May Merkin came from 

Ruzhany in the Russian empire to join her brothers Joe and 

Leon on Merseyside. In England, her family name changed 

from Merkin to Makin. 

His paternal grandparents and his parents were married at the 

Hope Place Synagogue. Joe was in business trading as the York 

Trunk Company. In 1928 Rex’s father took his wife’s name of 

Makin. Apparently, Rex’s mother did not like being called ‘Mrs 

Uglyneck’ and around that time they moved across the Mersey to 

reside in Sydenham Avenue off Ullet Road. 

Rex, an only child, gained a bursary to Liverpool College –the 

school was then very sporty and Rex was made to box aged 9 and 

play rugby which he hated. 

Following the outbreak of the war, Rex and his parents evacuated 

to Llandudno. Rex went to the John Bright Grammar School. 

An inspirational Welsh speaking teacher taught Rex wonderful 

English which was of fundamental significance and value for his 

future legal and journalistic life. 

Rex went to Liverpool University to study law and spent a lot of 

time interested in politics and journalism He edited to the 

undergraduate the undergraduate magazines. Despite these 

distractions and possibly, so he claimed, because of contribution 

they made to the University in the wider sense, he gained an LLB 

and then a LLM on the topic of the McNaughton rule relating to 

criminal insanity. 

His father had business acumen and steered him to become a 

solicitor: a very good living could be earned quite easily due to 

scale fees for conveyancing . Articles of clerkship were paid for 

and, so, his Principal had the privilege of Rex not only working 

for them but his family paying for him to do so. However, his 

training was worthwhile: not in the conventional sense, as he 

witnessed conduct which was not as it should have been and he 

realised that he needed to be in control and maintain the highest 

standards of professional conduct and service to his clients. 

6 months after qualifying he set up his own firm in a few rooms 

in Hackins Hey. Advertising for business was strictly prohibited – 

there was even doubt as to whether the description solicitor could 

be put on the name plate to the building. 

Rex used what he said was the ‘sweat of his tongue’ in Dale 

Street to great effect. He championed the under-dog and worked 

on the basis that if he looked after the clients then his fees would 

look after themselves and they did and the firm flourished. 

He had many notable cases – in the 1950’s the outcome of 

murder cases was literally a matter of life and death for his 

clients. In 1950 he was consulted by the brothers of George Kelly 

condemned to death for the Cameo Cinemas murders – it was 

too late and he was not able to do anything to prevent their 

brother’s execution. The distraught image of the brothers 

haunted Rex for the rest of his life. 

He had the satisfaction of seeing the conviction overturned in 

2003. In 1952 he had the Knowsley Hall murder case – in which 

Lady Derby was shot and her butler and footman killed. Harold 

Winstanley was charged with murder but survived – how this was 

achieved is a long story in itself - Harold was found to be insane 

and sent to Brodamoor from where he was later released. Harold 

E Rex Makin 

wrote each year to Rex about his life. Later in the 1950s he 

successfully defended the US soldier Freeman Reese charged with 

murder. 

On the day President Kennedy was shot Rex was representing 

Gerry Marsden in court in Wales. He was involved in matters 

connected with the Beatles and when Brian Epstein died in 1967 

he went to London to sort out the arrangements and gave her a 

media scoop. He was credited with using the term Beatlemania 

in Court in Liverpool Magistrates Court to describe a miscreant’s 

behaviour. 

In the early 1970s he acted for students of Liverpool University in 

disciplinary proceedings brought as a result of an anti-apartheid 

protest. One, Jon Snow, the newsreader, was expelled. 

In the 1980’s there was the cases of the Walton Sextuplets and 

the Heyel Stadium and Hillsborough Disaster. However, his 

professional career was not all high profile or celebrity dominated 

and he championed the underdog against the establishment and 

bureaucracy. There were many legal landmark cases such as 

liability to compensate and he used the law to secure the best 

result he could for his client. He was able to relate to and assist a 

diverse range of clients and had tremendous industry and 

demanding standards. His correspondence was sharp and, in 

part, became the source of legend. He had a great sense of 

compassion as well illustrated as a duty solicitor receiving a 

distressed call from someone arrested just before Xmas for 

allegedly stealing half a bottle of whisky so as to drown their 

sorrows because they were alone at sad at the festive time. He 

just knew the right thing to say to support the client. He was 

always more touched by the great number of people who came 

up to him, hugged him, and said how he had helped them or 

their family obtaining compensation for them or for helping them 

because of difficulties they were in sometimes due to youthful 

indiscretion and he was pleased that things eventually turned out 

well. Children and grandchildren of his original clients would 

greet him and reminisce with him. He had the most marvelous 

memory and could astonish and thrill them with his recall. 

He was honoured by the Liverpool Law Society with a lifetime 

achievement award which he very much appreciated – I think 

that he only went to one event of the Society prior thereto - and 

by Liverpool John Moores and Liverpool Hope Universities. 

Undoubtedly, a large part of his success was due to a lot of loyal

E Rex Makin 

Recollections of and 

tributes to 

E Rex Makin 

I was very sad to hear of the passing of Rex Makin, late in June. 

he was an excellent Solicitor and great character. I believe he was 

the first Solicitor to be made Freeman of the City despite being 

born in Birkenhead. 

Rex set the standard and pushed boundaries. He looked after his 

clients as if they were his family and fought to the bitter end in every 

case. He made sure that the Establishment & Authority took notice 

and were accountable. 

Rex Makin receives the Liverpool Law Society 

Lifetime Achievement Award from Charlie Jones in 

2009 

and dedicated staff who worked for him over the years and 

helped him enormously. He had a knack of hiring some very 

good people. 

Rex also worked as a journalist writing reports on local events in 

his student days and in the 1950’s. In 1993 he started to write a 

weekly column for the Liverpool Echo. He made his point often 

to the chagrin of many in positions of importance but it endeared 

him to many and kept others in fear of inclusion with some even 

going to the extent of lobbying the Echo’s editor to avoid their 

embarrassment. He continued with his column until he was over 

90. 

When he retired, the Echo thanked him for 23 years of caustic 

comments and incisive insight and said he was ‘’ the best 

journalist not on the Echo Staff ” 

He was extremely generous in many ways. Often in private and 

to causes which were less popular. He was proud of his heritage 

and was keen to remember his parents and community. He loved 

the City of Liverpool. He was a trustee of St Georges Hall. He 

was so happy to receive the Freedom of the City, and to attend 

many civic events. He enjoyed and supported education, the arts, 

health and community projects. 

He tolerated with stoicism his decline and was not angry. Whilst 

he did not go gently into the good night he did not rage against 

his decline but made the best of what he still had and was still 

alert and on the ball. He would comment on recent political and 

legal developments and provide wise advice right to the end 

despite his frustration. He was in his office last Friday 23rd June 

2017 and was due to attend when he fell ill on the day of his 

death, Monday 26th June. 

He managed to calm worries and got others to appreciate that 

things were never as they thought. He had a keen sense of fun 

and would always entertain and be supportive. 

I worked with my father since I was a little boy going in to open 

the post through attending the Magistrates Court in Dale Street 

and the Registry in India Buildings as a teenager right through to 

the weekend before he died when I sought his guidance on a high 

profile matter – his instinct was usually right. The personal and 

professional loss is irreplaceable. 

Robin Makin 

I recall his appearances in Dale Street Magistrates Court with 

interest his robust approach putting fear into the Prosecution & 

Police, he was also able to beguile his audience with his 

knowledgeable wit. He will be missed but not forgotten. 

My sincere condolences go to his family & friends particularly his 

son Robin who continues the business in his father’s name. 

John Ballam 

President 

My Fond Memories of Rex Makin 

I was sad to learn that Rex Makin passed away on 26th June after 

a long and eventful life during which he made such a difference to 

so many people. I worked for him for 14 years and wanted to 

share some memories. 

It was the summer of 1997 when Robin Makin telephoned me at 

home and asked me if I wanted to cover maternity leave doing Wills 

and Probate. I explained that I’d done a bit in my Articles and could 

only work part time owing to home commitments, this was fine and 

so I started working for Rex Makin on the 1st September ‘97, one 

day after the death of Princess Diana. 

Working for Mr Makin was like working for a Legend. I’ve worked 

for some real characters in the law but he was on another level 

altogether. He was a Tour de Force, it didn’t pay to get on the wrong 

side of him and of course, his reputation went before him. Mr 

Makin was devoted to the law and furthering the cause of the little 

people who society weren’t interested in. 

He was straightforward and it was no use going to discuss something 

at length when he required succinct and relevant information stated 

in a clear manner. A good piece of advice was never to hover round 

him, be bold and direct, no time wasting was permitted. There were 

no meetings taking many hours of verbosity and achieving only 

arranging a further meeting. 

After I’d been there for about one year, I made a mistake and had 

paid the wrong money to the beneficiaries of a rather troublesome 

estate. My heart fell through the floor and I went downstairs 

immediately and told Mr Makin what had happened. He never 

shouted at me, he asked if we could put it right and yes we could, 

we stopped the cheques, I apologised to parties and paid the correct 

amounts. 

It was like a family and Mr Makin looked after his staff in an old 

fashioned way. I remember going to visit him when he was in 

Lourdes after a minor mishap and he said that I always did the right 

thing. This meant an awful lot to me, I just do my best. 

One day and without any discussion or notice, my own name and 

those of a number of other solicitors were on the notepaper listed as 

continued overleaf

E Rex Makin 

partners. Goodness, partners in the firm of E. Rex Makin & Co 

which was all rather amazing! 

Mr Makin was made a Freeman of Liverpool on 3rd November 

2003. He was immensely proud and he invited all employees to the 

ceremony and the beautiful salmon dinner at the Crowne Plaza 

afterwards to share the celebration. The day after, I asked him to 

sign my Conferment Programme. I felt pretty daft but I’m so glad I 

asked and he was more than happy to oblige. 

I have many more good memories of Rex Makin, he was dedicated, 

kind, wise and generous. All in all it was a great honour to work for 

Professor E. Rex Makin. 

Naomi Pinder 

Jackson & Canter 

The End of an Era? – 

A Young Solicitor’s Guide to 

Working in the Shadow of Rex 

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Rex Makin a few days 

ago. I qualified as a solicitor in Liverpool in 1984. In all the 

time since, I spoke to him face to face on only one occasion. I 

felt like I had just had an audience with the Pope. It was that 

important. 

In my early days as a personal injury solicitor, I acted for 

insurance companies in compensation claims. Rex would be on 

my case, rebuking me for failing to reply to letters within 3 days 

and mocking my involvement in the local law society. This was a 

simple attempt to distract me whilst he got on with the business 

of making sure he secured the best settlement for his client. I 

soon learned. All letters I received were on half size sheets of 

paper. I was lucky to get more than one sentence. 

Rex always stood up for what he believed in. His views on a 

variety of subjects were articulated in his regular column in the 

Liverpool Echo. Sometime in the 1990s I was shown an exchange 

of complaint correspondence between Rex and Mr Hagan who 

was the senior administrator for the County Court in the old QE2 

days. The letters sent by Rex were, to say the least vitriolic – but 

also very clever. It was a regular weekly exchange between the 

two on a variety of subjects. Mr Hagan was always very 

courteous in his reply despite enormous provocation. Dealing 

with these matters was a significant distraction for Mr Hagan but 

when the staff set up a retirement party for him - guess who was 

top of the list of invitations! 

Rex was also a huge supporter of the arts in Liverpool. I set up a 

function many years ago at the Walker Art Gallery. When I said 

that I was a solicitor the staff told me about the contributions that 

Rex had made to the gallery. In fact they said he was the fourth 

largest benefactor. A private exhibition was set up for him to say 

“thank you”. Apparently significant subterfuge had to be used to 

get him there. I am told that despite outward signs to the 

contrary, he openly wept when he got there and realised what had 

been done for him. 

He qualified as a solicitor in 1949 and in 2009 Liverpool Law 

Society made a Lifetime Achievement Award to him after 60 

years service in the legal profession. 

At the time that I qualified his presence here in Liverpool made a 

big impression on me and many others of my generation. His 

approach to challenging authority and speaking out when things 

were wrong was something that we all had to follow. If you 

wanted to get on you had a lot to learn from Rex. I am firmly of 

the view that by raising the bar he played a significant part in 

establishing Liverpool as a centre of legal excellence. 

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 

Many people applauded him for what he did. Many others could 

not agree – particularly if they were on the receiving end of his 

acerbic wit and challenge. Whichever way you looked at him you 

always respected him and right now all with be sorry to learn of 

his passing. 

Will there ever be another Rex in Liverpool or elsewhere? I can 

say “never” with certainty. It really is the end of an era. 

Stewart McCulloch 

AutoResolutions Limited 

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 


E Rex Makin 

E. Rex Makin Interview 

At the Liverpool Law Society AGM in 2009 Rex 

Makin was awarded the Lifetime Achievement 

Award by Liverpool Law Society. The following 

interview appeared in the December 2009 edition 

of Liverpool Law. 

At the AGM last month, Professor 

Rex Makin was honoured with a 

lifetime achievement award by the 

Liverpool Law Society. Julia 

Baskerville spoke to Professor Makin 

about his long and eventful career in 

the law... 

Rex Makin has to be the most well known 

solicitor in Merseyside, if not the UK. In a 

career that has spanned six decades, 

Professor Makin has taken centre stage in 

many of the events that have helped to 

shape the city as well as advising the 

City’s celebrities in the areas of music and 

entertainment, sport and journalism. 

People such as Ken Dodd, Bill Shankly, 

Jimmy Tarbuck, Freddie Starr and Gerry 

Marsden have all turned to Professor 

Makin at some stage during their careers. 

He has also worked on high profile cases 

such as the Hillsborough and Heysel 

stadium disasters, the Walton Sextuplets 

and the Cameo Murder. 

Born in 1925 in Birkenhead, Rex’s family 

moved to Liverpool when he was three 

years old. 

After studying law at Liverpool University, 

gaining his LLB in 1945, and LLM in 

1947, Rex Makin set up his practice, E. 

Rex Makin & Co in 1949 from an office in 

Hackins Hey. The firm gradually 

expanded over the years and in 1978 the 

firm moved to its current location in 

Whitechapel. 

In 1963, Rex Makin was approached by 

his neighbour and client, Brian Epstein, 

who asked him to draw up a lifetime 

contract for a new band he had discovered 

known as “The Beatles.” Professor Makin 

advised Epstein that such a contract 

would never stand up in court and no 

formal contract was ever drafted. At the 

time, the music of the “Fab Four” was 

sweeping the world and Rex came up with 

the phrase “Beatlemania” to describe the 

phenomenon. Brian Epstein died just four 

years later and Professor Makin was left to 

handle his estate. 

In 2003, Rex Makin was made a Freeman 

of the City of Liverpool, the first solicitor 

to be bestowed with such an honour and 

was given an honorary professorship at 

Liverpool John Moores University in 

2000. 

Of all the cases that Rex has been 

involved in over the years, two stand out 

from the rest. In 1949, the manager and 

assistant manager of the Cameo Cinema 

in Liverpool were murdered. George 

Kelly and Charles Connolly were 

convicted and after a long trial, Kelly was 

executed at Walton Prison, Liverpool by 

Albert Pierrepoint in 1950 still 

maintaining his innocence. Many years 

later, Rex campaigned for the case to be 

re-opened and in 2003 the Court of 

Appeal quashed the decision. 

In 1952, when a young lawyer, Rex 

represented 19-year old Harold 

Winstanley who was charged with the 

murder of Walter Stallard, a butler, 

Douglas Stuart, his understudy and the 

attempted murder of Lady Derby at 

Knowsley Hall. The young killer was 

judged guilty but insane at his trial and 

sent to Broadmoor and Rex kept in touch 

with the young man until his release 

many years later. 

Rex is no admirer of the establishment 

and doesn’t pull any punches. On 

receiving his award from Liverpool Law 

Society he said “I am rather tickled. 

Liverpool Law society has not been one 

of my most fervent fans over the years, 

nor can I say that I have been over the 

moon with affection for them. Liverpool 

Law Society has changed over the years, 

but so has the composition of the 

profession which has now become a 

sleazy trade….” 

Rex is still involved in the running of the 

firm, but also takes time to write his 

Friday column for the Echo. He has never 

missed a deadline in 16 years, despite 

being hospitalised on a couple of 

occasions. 

Rex is also a champion of the arts and a 

generous benefactor in the City, so much 

so that a Lecture Theatre at St Georges 

Hall has been named in his honour. Not 

that the City really needs any reminders 

of who Rex Makin is………

Memtal Obituary Health Feature 

Obituary Bernard Bucknall Wright 

President of Liverpool Law Society 1982-83 

Bernard Bucknall Wright (“BBW” as he 

was affectionately known) was born in 

Southport on 22 December 1933 and, after 

moves to the Isle of Man and St Helens, 

settled in Heswall in the 1950’s where he 

lived for the rest of his life. He died 

suddenly and peacefully on 31 May 2017. 

As a young man his first loves were flying 

and rugby union. He went to Liverpool 

University to pursue a law degree where he 

became an active member of the University 

of Liverpool Air Squadron and was able to 

practice aerobatics in Chipmunks flying 

from RAF Woodvale – a skill which it 

would later be alleged he transferred to 

driving his car. He then did his National 

Service with the RAF. 

His love of rugby was nurtured at West 

Park Grammar School St Helens and 

progressed into the University team. He 

also played for Wasps and the RAF. After 

National Service, he continued to pursue his 

love of rugby. He played for New Brighton 

RUFC (of which he was both Captain and, 

later, President), Lancashire and Cheshire 

and had a deserved reputation as the first of 

the – now commonplace - “running 

fullbacks” at a time when all that fullbacks 

were expected to do was to tackle and kick! 

He was unlucky not to play for England. 

A remarkable aspect of his rugby playing 

career is that history does not record him 

missing any fixture through injury caused 

on the field of play. Doubt arose as to 

whether this record had been shattered 

when, on turning up for his routine Monday 

lunch with chums in 1961, he arrived on 

crutches. A comment that the Press had 

not reported any injury during the game at 

Halifax on the previous Saturday was 

answered by BBW: “That is quite correct. 

The injury happened on the dance floor 

after the game”. There remains doubt to 

this day as to whether the dancing in 

question was on the floor or on a table! 

Rugby did, however, eventually take its toll 

on BBW’s ankles causing him suffering in 

later life which he bore with great fortitude. 

Notwithstanding his extra-curricular 

activities he succeeded in graduating with a 

slightly indifferent degree and it was only as 

a result of the persuasive powers of 

Professor Seaborne-Davies that he narrowly 

decided to pursue a career in the law rather 

than re-joining the RAF. The Prof 

introduced him to Tom Roberts of Cuff 

Roberts where he was offered articles; 

retained as an assistant solicitor in 1957; 

and became a partner in 1960. 

until 2005 when he moved his desk to 

within walking distance from home at Guy 

Williams Layton’s office in Heswall where 

he was a consultant until 2013. 

Perhaps because of the quality of his degree 

BBW was unnecessarily modest about his 

capabilities as a lawyer. He became one of 

the best property/conveyancing lawyers of 

his era. His expertise in this field was 

acknowledged by his peers when he was 

appointed by the Liverpool Law Society as 

one of its “conveyancing referees” – a role 

which has since become obsolete but, in the 

days when a significant number of 

properties had unregistered titles, enabled 

technical disputes between other property 

lawyers who were members of the Society 

to be settled quickly. 

Cuff Roberts had a reputation for taking on, 

and giving excellent training to, significant 

numbers of trainee solicitors (or, as they 

were then called, articled clerks) many of 

whom are still in practice in the City of 

Liverpool and elsewhere and all will have 

derived great benefit from watching BBW in 

operation. 

BBW served with distinction as Hon 

Secretary of Liverpool Law Society from 

1977 to 1981; Vice President in 1981-2; and 

President in 1982-3. 

In addition to his rugby, BBW was also a 

keen squash player, golfer and skier. He 

was captain of Heswall Golf Club in 1989. 

Those who knew BBW only at work or only 

at play would form two quite different views 

of him. In the office he was extremely hard 

working, meticulous, and fierce in his 

pursuit of the best interests of his clients. 

At play, he was the life and soul of any 

party. An anecdotal recollection is when 

Tom Roberts at some time shortly after 

midnight following the Society’s annual 

dinner, made BBW promise to see one of 

the prestigious guests safely home to Oxton. 

The promise was dutifully kept by 

depositing the guest safely by taxi at his 

front door, but only at about 5 a.m. after he 

had first enjoyed the company of BBW and 

other colleagues and guests – and a 

mushroom omelette and chips - at one of 

Liverpool’s Indian restaurants. BBW was 

also a prime mover behind Cuff Roberts’ 

legendary (or infamous?) Christmas parties 

when the practice of sending out invitations 

eventually became superfluous because 

anyone who wanted to come would do so, 

and be made welcome, whether invited or 

not! 

When stopped for speeding on the M5 

beyond Bristol (on his way to a Law Society 

conference in Torquay) he had two traffic 

policemen in fits of laughter within a very 

short time. Unfortunately this did not 

prevent him from being summoned before 

the Weston-super-Mare magistrates. At 

receptions at Law Society conferences he 

would put a place card (which he had 

“borrowed” from somewhere else) with the 

name “Lord Wigton” on it on any vacant 

table to reserve it for the Liverpool party. It 

is alleged that he organised wine tastings 

with cheap wine decanted into expensive 

bottles and a six beer comparison with all 

the samples coming from the same can. 

Both at work and at play, however, there 

was a common feature. He was always 

immensely generous of spirit and never 

heard to speak ill of anyone. 

As this account indicates BBW was a man 

of many talents and, in the words of 

Kipling, he did succeed in filling “the 

unforgiving minute with sixty seconds 

worth of distance run”. 

BBW married Jenni in 1964 and is survived 

by her and their 5 sons and 12 

grandchildren of all of whom he was 

extremely proud. He will be greatly missed 

by all of them and by all of those who were 

privileged to be his colleagues in the 

practice of the law. 

Tony Twemlow 

He remained a partner (and was, for a time, 

Senior Partner) until 1999. Thereafter, he 

continued as a consultant with Cuff Roberts 

12 www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

BBW also had a mischievous sense of 

humour and a capacity to produce laughter 

in the most extraordinary circumstances.

Local News 

2017 Personal Injury Conference Report 

Liverpool Law Society held its 

annual personal injury 

conference on 5th July. 

The conference was sponsored by 

Wesleyan. In recent years 

Wesleyan has developed a 

successful business model 

providing tailored financial advice 

and products to select professional 

groups, notably GPs, hospital 

doctors, dentists, teachers and 

lawyers and for the organisations 

in which they are employed. 

Hosting a wide of speakers, the 

conference was held just days after 

the Queens Speech had confirmed 

the government’s intention to 

proceed with substantial reforms 

to the personal injury claims 

process. 

Lobbyist and parliamentary 

candidate, Matthew Maxwell- 

Scott set out the detail of the 

planned reforms and his 

engagement with the Ministry of 

Justice. The reforms will have far 

reaching implications for the legal 

profession – particularly in the 

north-west. 

Also relevant to the 

announcement was the 

appearance of new market 

entrant, Nuvalaw. Director Willie 

Pienaar outlined his company’s 

plans for futureproofing personal 

injury claims resolution in a 

digitised world with an inter-party 

negotiation and adjudication 

platform that brings together tools, 

processes and services to reduce 

the time and cost to settle claims. 

This system has already proven 

successful in South Africa on over 

40,000 claims and presents a new 

opportunity to personal injury 

lawyers particularly in the light of 

the planned reforms. 

L to R: Lesley Graves, David Pilling, Matthew 

Maxwell-Scott, Paul Ryman-Tubb, Kirsty McKno, 

Willie Pienaar and Richard Cropper. 

Lesley Graves of Citadel Law delivered a thought 

provoking presentation setting out the financial 

imperatives for firms specialising in personal injury who 

wish to survive the changes ahead. Delegates – 

particularly those with a head for figures - enjoyed the 

presentation by Richard Cropper of PFP on the 

implications of the new discount rate and the likely 

road ahead after completion of the Ministry of Justice 

consultation. 

In the afternoon, Paul Ryman-Tubb, Chief Technical 

Officer at MIB provided a detailed insight into the 

history and operation of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau 

going back to its creation in 1946 through responses to 

European Directives and more recently to the 

controversial ramifications of the Vnuk case. 

David Pilling ably filled what is traditionally known as 

the “graveyard slot” at the end of the afternoon. 

Delegates interests were kept alive by the talk of money! 

As he has done so on many occasions previously, David 

provided a very helpful commentary on where the 

world of personal injury is going in relation to costs. 

With the forthcoming significant changes ahead of us, 

personal injury practitioners who attended this 

conference were given the opportunity to get the inside 

track on what the changes mean and to learn about the 

digitised solutions and opportunities that are emerging 

already. Next year’s conference will be exciting as these 

things start to drop into place. Don’t miss it! 

Kirsty McKno 

Conference Chair 

Liverpool Mombasa Access to Justice Charity update 

I am writing to advise members of the formal closure of the Mombasa Access to Justice 

Project. This was an initiative which began following a visit to Kenya by members of our 

General Committee when Anne Heseltine was President. This had the potential be a 

significant venture as we developed a relationship with Mombasa Law Society as we sought 

to provide legal representation for those without the means to pay for it. There was a 

particular emphasis on the criminal justice system where many young defendants simply 

became lost in the system. 

The project began to unravel due to lack of support and co-operation from Mombasa Law 

Society. Without their support the project was simply not viable. 

Members of Liverpool Law Society showed great support and from various activities, raised 

just over £9000. The money raised was passed over to CLEAR, a project run by the Lawyers 

Christian Fellowship which pursued similar aims. 

Everybody involved would like to pass on thanks to all members of the Society for their 

support. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Cornforth 

Trustee 


13

Explore Law 

Explore Law Liverpool Event 

Over 35 students from schools 

across the Merseyside area 

were released from their 

studies on Monday 26th June 

to take part in an “Explore 

Law” event run jointly by the 

University of Law, Liverpool 

Hope University and 

Liverpool Law Society. 

Explore Law Liverpool was 

hosted on the extremely 

picturesque Creative Campus 

at Liverpool Hope University 

and provided attendees with a 

unique opportunity to visit a 

bustling university campus. 

The event itself was the 

brainchild of staff at the 

University of Law, who 

wanted to give students a 

chance to discover more about 

the skills and knowledge of the 

law as well as what a career in 

the legal sector would entail 

on a day to day basis. 

President of Liverpool Law 

Society, John Ballam, kicked 

off the event - inspiring 

students with stories from his 

extensive legal career, he 

provided a unique insight into 

what a career in the legal 

sector might be like. The 

University of Law’s Tracy 

Savage piqued the student’s 

interest further with an 

interactive session around how 

law fits into the world around 

us. 

Law tutors from the University 

of Law and Liverpool Hope 

University were then on hand 

to deliver some stimulating 

taster workshops on various 

areas of law, including: 

consumer rights, legal rules 

and intellectual property. 

These tasters proved 

extremely popular with one 

student remarking that they 

“hadn’t realised they could 

claim back postage and 

packaging on their online 

orders!” 

Following these sessions the 

student recruitment team 

provided a practical insight 

into careers in the legal sector 

and the potential routes into 

the profession. Students were 

particularly interested to find 

out about the current routes to 

qualification as well as the 

option of legal 

apprenticeships, which was 

something they weren’t aware 

of before the event. 

A legal Q&A panel brought 

the event to a close, this was a 

particularly important session 

for the students as it gave them 

an opportunity to really pick 

the brains of all of the staff 

taking part in the day and to 

pick up some extremely 

valuable advice about their 

next steps. 

Overall the event was a great 

success and really gave the 

students an opportunity to 

“Explore Law” in a fun and 

exciting way. 

John Ballam speaking to the students 

John Ballam and David Tournafond 

Need an expert in medical 

or dental negligence? 

Refer to us. City : Allerton : Garston 


0151 733 3353 

www.gadllp.co.uk

Professionals’ Dinner 

‘We live in a scary world’ leading broadcaster 

Robert Peston tells Liverpool audience 

On 6th July nearly 400 members of the regional professional and 

business sector gathered together at the Rum Warehouse at a black 

tie networking Professionals’ Dinner organised by Professional 

Liverpool and the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants. 

Over 190 firms and organisations were represented at the event, 

allowing for people to renew existing contacts and make new 

ones. 

“We are living in a world much scarier and more uncertain than that 

of a decade ago when the global financial crash began.” That was 

what ITV political editor Robert Peston told an audience of 

hundreds of professionals and business people at Liverpool’s Titanic 

Hotel Tony McDonough reports. He admitted that the current 

political turmoil, both in the UK and across the world, had caused 

aa period of “extraordinary uncertainty”. 

Global turmoil 

Peston told the audience that the results of the EU Referendum, the 

US Presidential Election and the recent General Election had 

shaken the political and media establishment to its core. And he 

added how this underlying seismic shift in public attitudes and 

behaviour had illustrated just how “catastrophically out of touch” 

most of the media is. “This period is, for me at least, much, much, 

scarier than the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008,” said Peston. 

“The problem with where we are now is just the extraordinary 

uncertainty that we are living in. It is an uncertainty that is gripping 

almost the whole Western world. “And the reason for that is us – it 

is because people are behaving in ways we didn’t expect them to 

behave. 

“People are broadly saying that they are fed up with the way the 

world has been run for the past 10 or 20 years and fed up with the 

people who have been running that world. And there is a revolt 

going on.” 

Voter power 

However, Peston appeared to suggest that recent events had 

reaffirmed the true power of democracy by pointing out the huge 

changes taking place were happening because of the way people 

were voting in elections. 

He explained: “People are protesting through the ballot box and 

when you protest through the ballot box that is significantly more 

powerful than the kind of things we saw after the financial crisis – 

demonstrations, protests on the streets which, in the end, don’t 

Roy Castle Appeal 

Nominated charity for the event was the Liverpool-based Roy Castle 

Lung Cancer Foundation. Peston’s wife, the writer Siân Busby, died 

from lung cancer in September 2012 after being diagnosed with the 

disease five years earlier. Peston was keen to raise both awareness 

and money for the charity on the night. 

Levels of funding for research into lung cancer are “very poor” in 

comparison for that of other cancers, despite it being the biggest 

killer, said Peston. “It is because there is a stigma attached to it – 

which is you only get it if you smoke,” he explained. “The other 

myth is that you only get it if you are old but it’s all nonsense. My 

wife was 47 when she was diagnosed and I have known lots of 

people younger than her. “The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation 

is a unique charity and I urge you all to give what you can to 

support it.” Over £5000 was raised on the night. 

change very much. “When people voted for Brexit, when they voted 

for Donald Trump, these were huge, powerful, some would say, 

quite scary changes. “And my argument is that we are at the 

beginning of this process of change. 

“When the exit poll landed at this year’s General Election it was a 

jaw-dropping moment,” said Peston. “Both Labour and Tory high 

command expected the Tories to win a a 50 to 60-seat majority.” 

CISI and Professional Liverpool will begin work on putting together 

2018’s Professionals Dinner shortly - in what has become an annual 

fixture in the Liverpool City Region’s business calendar. 

With thanks to Tony McDonough for allowing the Society to 

reproduce part of his article here. 


15

Local News 

Joint V meeting with the Law Society 

Following on from the Joint V meeting in 

Leeds and as a sign of the high regard in 

which that group is held by the National 

Law Society, representatives from each of 

the societies were invited to meet with 

the newly elevated President, Joe Egan at 

Chancery Lane. Alison Lobb and I 

represented Liverpool and were invited to 

discuss matters of concern to both TLS 

and local law societies and how we can 

work together for the benefit of all of our 

members. 

Our first meeting was with TLS Director of 

Public Affairs. This is TLS’ main lobbying 

team and they are currently working 

closely with the MOJ and the Brexit Team 

to put forward the priorities for the legal 

sector. The four priorities are: mutual 

cooperation and enforcement of 

judgments, collaboration on security, 

policing and criminal justice; mutual access 

to practice rights; and legal certainty by 

keeping England as the law and jurisdiction 

of choice for most contracts. 

The Director of Communications reported 

on the improvements that are being made 

to member communications. He 

encouraged all members to register and use 

“My Law Society” to get information and 

updates relevant to their practice area. 

There was a lively discussion with the 

Director of Regulatory Affairs regarding 

reform of the SRA Handbook, 

transparency on pricing and the SQE 

amongst other things. We were reassured 

that TLS Is working for us to tackle some 

of the issues raised by the SRA, but we still 

need to make sure we respond to 

consultations as fully as possible. The 

Interim Chief Executive, Paul Tennant also 

addressed us on his priorities for members 

and the fact that following the governance 

review TLS is focussed on making sure that 

it provides value for money to its members. 

Following the meetings we were invited to 

dinner at the president’s residence in Carey 

Street with Joe Egan and the new Vice 

President, Christina Blacklaws and the 

Deputy Vice President, Simon Davis where 

the debate continued. It is good to be able 

to forge stronger relationships both with the 

Joint V and the national Law Society office 

holders to impress Liverpool’s view and 

continue to have an impact on behalf of 

our own members at a national level. TLS 

is keen to build a stronger network outside 

of London so that it can better cater for us 

and our priorities. We hope that will 

continue and we are of course open to hear 

of any priorities that you would like to 

raise in future. 

Nina Ferris 

Legal Director 

Hill Dickinson 

Sandstone Trail Walk – 

Saturday, 16th September 2017 

Members of Liverpool Law Society, their 

friends and family, are invited to join Cheshire 

& North Wales Law Society for this now 

annual event. 

Ron Davison, President of the Cheshire & 

North Wales Law Society will be leading 

members from his own law society and 

Liverpool Law Society on a walk around the 

Sandstone Trail, Cheshire. 

The Sandstone Trail stretches for 34 miles (or 

55 kilometres) and offers superb, unbroken, 

and often elevated walking across the Cheshire 

plains and into Shropshire — from the ancient 

market town of Frodsham on the broad 

Mersey estuary in the north to Georgian 

Whitchurch in rural north Shropshire in the 

south. 

The joint Walks organised in alternate years 

by each of the two Societies, usually take the 

form of a 5-7 mile walk followed by an 

optional meal in a nearby pub and is a great 

way of meeting up with friends and 

colleagues, both old and new, in a relaxed 

atmosphere. 

Further details will follow. For enquiries, 

please email Ron.Davison@gamlins.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

-

I took up golf 8 years ago inspired 

by the quote of the great golfer and 

Hoylake Open winner, Tiger Woods 

who ironically said: “Achievement 

on the golf course is not what 

matters, decency and honesty are 

what matters”. A perfect sport for a 

Liverpool lawyer. 

Lifestyle 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They Call it Golf because all other 4 

letter words were taken 

I now have the honor to be the 

Captain of The Liverpool Law 

Golfing Society (“LLGS”) which 

having been established in 1895 could 

make me the 122 captain. This 

achievement was not earned on the 

golf course (I play off a 21 handicap) 

but was awarded to me in the true 

tradition of the game from the 

committee room in the Lion Pub on 

Tithebarn Street where I was 

nominated by a select group of past 

captains over a few G & T’s. 

I held my Captain’s day at Heswall 

Golf Club on Wednesday 7th June 

2017. All solicitors and barristers 

practicing in the Merseyside area 

were welcome to take part in the 

competition and 18 solicitors and 1 

QC did. The competition was fierce 

on a sunnyish day with high winds 

(my excuse for not winning) on the 

Wirral coastline. The worthy winners 

were: 

1. Cunliffe Cup (which is awarded to 

the golfer with the best Stableford 

score) - John Hulmes (for the 3rd 

time, although he does not get to 

keep the antique cup for more than a 

year) of Mersey Maritime and the 

Royal Liverpool Golf Club, off a 

handicap of 19 and scoring 38 points. 

2. The Harold Christian Jones 

Scratch Cup (which is awarded for 

the best scratch score) - Val Duggins 

of Valentine Duggins and the Royal 

Liverpool Golf Club (he is a former 

member of Wirral Golf Club, where 

I play) playing off a handicap of 6 

and scoring a gross score of 79. 

3. The Jack Rycroft Tankard (which 

is awarded for the best Stableford 

score for handicaps between 18 and 

24) - Phil Freckleton of Mark Jones 

and Partners. He played off a 

handicap of 20 and scored 37 points. 

Following the post-match dinner 

(definitely my sport), I made a speech 

(my first to the Liverpool Law 

Society since the Awards Ceremony 

of 2013, when I announced my 

change of firm), but with no such 

surprises this time for the audience, 

to the relief of my business partners. 

I was able to thank Brian Lawler of 

Morecrofts for his hard work in 

organizing the event and doing a 

wonderful job as secretary of the society. I confirm 

that fortunately he has agreed to retain the role for 

at least another year. 

Who ever said golf was a dying sport was wrong. 

Amongst the competitors were solicitors who were 

under 35. Golf unlike most other sports, is a sport 

where experience and handicaps do make it open 

for all competitors. 

The LLGS competed on the 3 July 2017 at 

Ormskirk Golf Club against the CPS in a head to 

head stableford competition. I was concerned about 

this match, as my wife being a Liverpool Crown 

Prosecutor could have teased me in the event of 

failure. I am pleased to confirm that the LLGS 

retained the “imaginary” trophy providing me with 

an achievement in my Captain’s year and a rare 

opportunity to impress my wife. The best score of 

the day went to Brain, the LLGS secretary, who 

kindly donated his prize to charity. 

The LLGS provides a unique opportunity for local 

lawyers to socialize in a sporting environment with 

other local lawyers outside the often difficult 

situations of the office, court or negotiating table. 

Those who attended the events so far had a 

fabulous time. 

On Sunday 10 September 2017 at Wirral Golf Club 

in Oxton the LLGS is resurrecting the 2 ball / 

better ball competition for the winning team to win 

a historic Cup. Teams of two’s can be lawyers from 

Merseyside from the same firm or organization (as 

part of an interfirm challenge) or can join as 

individuals and be paired up on the day. The cost is 

£40 per person to include lunch which will be 

served at 12.30pm with the first tee off time at 

2pm. It is a short course (4,500 yards) and so 

proceedings should finish by 5.30ish although the 

bar will remain open for all those wishing to 

properly rehydrate. To enter please contact Brian at 

“Bl@morecrofts.co.uk” 

I end on a tip for us all from the great Irish golfer 

Rory Mcllroy: 

”The great thing about my two lives is that I love 

them both. I’m very ambitious and nothing gets in 

the way of me practising and concentrating on 

winning golf tournaments. But then I go home and 

get back to normality.” 

Cheerio. 

Jonathan Berkson.

Legal Training Events 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.gcs-title.co.uk | 01435 868050 | underwriters@gcs-title.co.uk 

Guaranteed Conveyancing Solutions Limited is authorised and r 

egulated by the Financial Conduct Authority 

. 

Registered in England and Wales No. 3623950 

Legal Indemnity Insurance 


19

Council Member’s Report 

Council Member’s Report 

The latest news from Charlie Jones, Council Member for Merseyside 

Since I last provided a Council 

Members report I have been to 

Chancery Lane for a Membership 

Board meeting, an 

Implementation Board meeting, 

Civil Justice Committee meeting 

and a Council meeting for a day 

and a half. It has been a busy 

time and there is a lot going on. 

We now have a new President. 

Joe Egan, a Solicitor from Bolton, 

and Senior Partner of his own 

firm Joe Egan and Co. Joe took 

office as President of the Law 

Society of England and Wales on 

6 July. It is refreshing to have 

somebody from outside London/ 

the South East, for a change, and 

Joe is an avid North Westerner, 

and Bolton Wanderers fan to the 

hilt. Joe will cast his own imprint 

on the profession and you will see 

and hear of him during the next 

11 ½ months. You will have seen 

many quotes from him already in 

the legal press. I wish Joe luck. 

He is a considerable character, and 

I feel sure he will serve our 

profession well, and with 

distinction. 

One of his aims is to establish a 

local Law Society handbook 

guide, so that local Law Societies 

can learn from each other on an 

ongoing basis. This will be work 

carried out most likely by the 

Membership Board, of which I 

am a member. I look forward to 

putting that handbook together. I 

should add that Joe Egan is very 

much a local Law Society person. 

He was one of the driving forces 

behind the early days of the local 

Law Society Conference, and 

indeed hosted it in Bolton a few 

years ago. He understands how 

local Law Societies can contribute 

nationally and need to be heard, 

and understood. 

In the past I may have mentioned 

the work of Committees at 

Chancery Lane. By this I mean 

the specialist work type 

committees who do a lot of work, 

are extremely skilled, and bring a 


lot to the understanding, 

promotion and skill set of specific 

work types. There are vacancies 

on these committees. You can take 

part. You do not need to be a 

council member to sit on specialist 

committees. Indeed, non council 

member’s involvement is 

encouraged. You can find out 

about specialist committees by 

looking at the Law Society website 

or if you want please contact me. 

I urge you to consider getting 

involved. 

Recently, the specialist committees 

were described as the 

professionals, whilst council 

members are the amateurs. In 

some respects, they are where the 

real work of Chancery Lane is 

done for the good of the 

profession. 

Congratulations are due to Peter 

Wright, who is a council member 

for Yorkshire. He and a team 

entered a competition at the 

beginning of July, to attempt to 

create an online justice tools 

mechanism from scratch. 

Computer programmers and legal 

experts joined forces, and teams 

from law firms, universities, and 

technology companies had less 

than 24 hours to design and build 

IT tools to support online courts. 

It was dubbed the ‘Hackathon’, 

and was organised by Legal Geek 

driving force Professor Richard 

Susskind. Hosted by The 

University of Law, the Law 

Society team won. The team was 

headed up by Peter Wright, Chair 

of the Society’s Technology and 

Law Reference Group and Sophia 

Adams Bhatti, Director of Legal 

and Regulatory Policy. A great 

achievement. It just shows that 

lawyers are right up there when it 

comes to IT pioneering. Well 

done to Peter and Sophia and their 

team. You will hear from Peter 

elsewhere in this edition. 

Good news for all is that the 

Practicing Certificate fee has 

reduced this year. Unfortunately 

the Compensation Fund 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

contribution has increased, and we 

are told that this is because many 

claims in the future are expected 

in relation to investment fraud, 

and these claims will crystallise 

within the next few years. There 

needs to be a fund to meet them. 

We are also told that there are 

now less people contributing to 

the Compensation Fund which is 

why it has had to be increased 

slightly. 

I am attending a Membership 

Board Away Day on 9 August. 

We will be discussing all things 

that focus upon you, the 

Membership. If you have any 

specific topics that you think we 

should discuss please let me know 

so that I can bring them up. 

It is interesting that there is a 

move afoot in Poland to bring the 

Judiciary under the direct control 

of the Government. Such a move 

is of course outrageous, and an 

independent Judiciary is a 

fundamental aspect in any society 

to observing and maintaining The 

Rule of Law. It is interesting, 

therefore, to see that our new Lord 

Chancellor David Lidington is 

attempting to woo the Judiciary in 

this country. Let us hope he is not 

trying to influence the Judiciary! 

The Law Society are moving 

forward with the governance 

review. Progress is being made. I 

will keep you advised when there 

is more concrete information to 

report. 

Of course with Joe Egan taking 

the Presidency on 6 July, it meant 

the end of Robert Bourns’ period 

of office. I think we should all 

congratulate Robert on an 

excellent year. I think he has led 

the profession with distinction. 

He has stood up for us, fostered 

relations with the Judiciary and 

Government, and stood up to the 

SRA. I think our profession is in 

a healthier place than it was 12 

months ago when he assumed 

office. 

It is always sad when we lose a 

 

colleague. Since I last reported we 

have lost former President Bernie 

Wright. A considerable character, 

and a formidable past President. 

Although I did not know Bernie 

well, I enjoyed his wit and sense 

of fun at Past President 

gatherings. My condolences to his 

family. 

Professor Rex Makin has also 

passed away. It fell to me in 2009, 

when I was President, to present 

him, on behalf of Liverpool Law 

Society, a Lifetime Achievement 

Award. As a young defendant 

lawyers in the 1980s and 90s he 

kept us on our toes. He, too, will 

be missed. I extend condolences to 

Robin and his family. 

As ever, if you have anything you 

want to discuss with me, I am 

always available. Indeed, I 

welcome your comments, 

observations, complaints, 

criticisms and anything else you 

care to shove in my direction! 

Have a good summer. 

Charlie Jones 

Weightmans LLP. 

Co Council Member for 

Merseyside and District 

0151 242 7919 

Charlie.jones@weightmans.com

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

Management Matters 

Should Contract Risk be higher up your 

Law Firm’s agenda? 

Like beauty, risk is in the eye of the beholder. A key business 

decision can be seen through one person’s eyes as a clever 

entrepreneurial market move and, through another’s, as a reckless 

bet-the-house punt. It also depends on the point in time at which 

you view a decision. As Evel Knievel put it: “Anybody can jump a 

motorbike. The trouble starts when you try to land it.” 

Most business decisions end up being codified in some form of 

contract. This might be a simple letter with limited future 

consequences, such as buying stationery or booking a conference 

room. Or it might be a more complex document with long-term and 

significant consequences for the future, such as a strategic 

partnership with a key business introducer or the procurement of a 

new practice management system. Whilst both have contract risks, 

the failure of a stationery supply contract may result in nothing 

more than an inconvenience whereas the failure of a strategic 

partnership may completely disrupt the firm’s day to day operations 

or even impact the firm’s future value. 

any other parties and challenge them, as appropriate. 

RISK 5 - BEST OR REASONABLE ENDEAVOURS If a contract 

requires you to use your best or reasonable endeavours to perform 

an obligation, this is better than an unconditional undertaking to do 

something but it’s far from a slacker’s charter. Make sure you know 

what’s involved. 

RISK 6 - TIME OF THE ESSENCE If a contract makes time of 

the essence for the performance of any obligation on your part by a 

certain date or time, failure to meet the deadline will enable your 

counter-party to terminate the contract and potentially claim 

damages from you. Be alert to these deadlines and be sure you can 

hit them. 

RISK 6 - TERMINATION Understand the circumstances in which 

the contract may be terminated and what the consequences are likely 

to be. 

The contract price is irrelevant as risk can lurk in unlikely places. A 

back-of-a-fag-packet contract with a decorator which limits the 

decorator’s liability to £200 (because that’s what you’ve agreed to 

pay him) may seem innocuous enough. But if the decorator’s blowtorch 

accidentally sets fire to your offices, and your insurers discover 

that, by accepting the limitation of liability, you’ve waived their right 

of subrogation against the decorator’s insurers, they will not be 

happy bunnies. When you then discover your insurers are walking 

away from your fire damage claim because you failed to disclose this 

important contract limitation, you’re likely to be hopping too. 

So, do we give our business contracts the attention they deserve? 

With things like staff contracts and office leases, the answer is 

almost certainly yes. But what about confidentiality agreements, 

hosting agreements, introducer agreements and insurance broker 

appointments? I dare say most of us would rather study Lord 

Buckethead’s Election Manifesto. 

What then are the main contract risks? Leaving aside the 

commercial terms (the product or service description and the 

delivery and payment arrangements), here are our TOP TEN 

CONTRACT RISKS to look out for when someone pokes a 

contract in front of you for signature: 

RISK 7 - WARRANTIES & INDEMNITIES Make sure you know 

what, if any, contractual warranties and indemnities you are being 

asked to give and satisfy yourself that you can meet them. Flag them 

up to your insurance advisers if they are likely to impact your 

insurance arrangements as insurers don’t generally cover liabilities 

assumed under contract. 

RISK 8 - INSURANCE CLAUSES It is increasingly common to 

see clauses imposing insuring obligation on one or other party, 

particularly where services are being outsourced. Make sure you 

spot them and seek advice on them from your insurance advisers. 

RISK 9 - CONFIDENTIALITY & DATA PROTECTION Where 

a contract involves you sharing data with a counter-party, be alert to 

any confidentiality obligations you have and ensure that both you 

and your counter-party can comply with data protection regulations. 

RISK 10 - ENTIRE AGREEMENT And finally, most contracts 

contain an entire agreement clause so if your counter-party has 

agreed or assured you of something, stick it in the contract. 

RISK 1 - PARTIES This may sound painfully obvious, but it is 

fundamental that the contract is with the right counter-party, that the 

signatories have capacity and authority to form the contract with 

you and that you have carried out an adequate level of financial and 

reputational due diligence on the entity with which you are about to 

contract. 

RISK 2 - REGULATION You don’t need reminding that the legal 

sector is heavily regulated. It is critical that the form of any contract 

you are about to enter into is not prohibited by your regulator and 

that the contract does not oblige you to do or omit to do anything 

which could cause you to be in breach of your regulatory obligations 

going forward. 

RISK 3 - LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS Keep your eyes 

peeled for any unreasonable attempts by your counter-party to limit 

or exclude their contractual or other liabilities to you. If you do spot 

any, try to amend them or at least understand the implications. If 

any are likely to impact your insurance arrangements, seek advice 

from your insurance broker on securing your insurers’ approval. 

Conversely, check your own obligations to the counter-party to see if 

you need to limit or exclude your liability to them in any way. 

RISK 4 - TRADING RESTRICTIONS Watch out for any 

provisions seeking to restrict or limit your ability to trade freely with 

© Nigel Wallis, O’Connors LLP. O’Connors is a Liverpool and 

London-based law firm that advises all types of businesses 

operating in and around the legal sector on start-ups, structures, 

regulation, funding, mergers, acquisitions and disposals, contracts 

and insurance. O’Connors offers a fixed-price half-day session 

with its legal sector team for those law firm leaders wanting to 

firm up their strategic options. The firm also offers a fixed-price 

COLP support contract. For further information, please contact 

Pamela Rafiq, Mark O’Connor or Nigel Wallis via 

www.oconnorsllp.co.uk.

Review 

The Everyman Theatre 

Review by Glenys Hunt 

The Everyman Theatre in Hope Street is 

an iconic building on a historic Liverpool 

street. As you may remember, in 2014 the 

re-built Everyman won the Stirling Prize 

for the best building of the year from the 

Royal Institute of British Architects. It is a 

theatre in the round, and in some 

performances the audience almost feel it is 

part of the cast (especially the annual 

pantos, in which the audience get soaked 

with water). Despite this one of my 

friends, who has spent most of her adult 

life in Liverpool, had never been to a 

performance there. This was a good year 

to introduce her to the theatre, as from 

January to June there was a resident 

Repertory company consisting of 14 cast 

members who performed 5 different plays 

over the 6 months. I went to 2 of the 

plays, which were very contrasting 

productions. 

The first was The Sum. This was a new, 

contemporary musical by local singersongwriter, 

Lizzie Nunnery. It had a lot of 

political content and was quite dark in 

places, involving issues of redundancy, 

family breakdown and dementia. Despite 

that it had an upbeat, hopeful ending. The 

cast were enthusiastic, both the acting and 

the singing were brilliant. I would also 

comment on how well Lizzie combined 

her songs with the storyline. 

The second was the classical musical, 

Fiddler on the Roof. This is not a 

production I had seen live before but again 

the cast performed with style and vigour. 

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 


And here is Carol Maginn collecting 

her bottle of wine from R & H Fine 

Wines after her review of Red 

Turtle was published in the July 

edition of Liverpool Law. 

This also dealt with dark themes, of ant- 

Semitism and the Diaspora, but managed 

to be light-hearted and entertaining, and 

contained some foot-tapping musical 

numbers, which are easily recognisable 

(main example ‘If I were a Rich Man’). I 

was amazed at the way the cast could 

dance and run around the stage and sing 

at the same time. 

It is also impressive (in both productions) 

how the cast manage to deftly move 

around the props and scenery without 

interrupting the flow of the action. I was 

particularly struck by the way one actress 

in The Sum managed to change a duvet 

cover in 2 minutes flat, while singing. 

Altogether great experiences in a lovely 

theatre with a talented, versatile cast. If 

you, like my friend, have never 

experienced the Everyman I would 

heartily recommend it – but if you choose 

to go to the panto, take an umbrella with 

you.

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 us 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 us know 

and we will feature the opportunities 

on these pages. You can e-mail us at 

contactus@liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 

Kirwans lawyer inspired to fundraise after 

representing homeless clients 

A Liverpool lawyer is taking part in four fundraising triathlons 

this summer to raise money for homeless shelter The Whitechapel 

Centre, after being moved by the plight of some service users 

when she represented them in court. 

Rachel Chandler, a member of the Crime team at Kirwans, hasn’t 

entered a competitive sporting contest since she left school, but was 

determined to raise money for one of the firm’s charities of the year 

after seeing first-hand the vital service it provides. 

Rachel said: “Being in criminal law opens your eyes to what is going 

on around you. I have worked with some clients who have been 

affected by homelessness, and it has really opened my eyes to the 

many varied reasons people end up on the streets. 

“Some of my clients have previously worked in highly paid 

professions, and a change in circumstances has led to them losing 

everything and ending up on the streets. It really could happen to 

anyone. 

“The amazing work that the Whitechapel Centre does in helping 

support these people led to Kirwans choosing it as one of our 

named charities this year, and it was a driving factor in my decision 

to do the quadruple triathlon challenge.” 

As well as fundraising for the Whitechapel Centre, Rachel is also 

raising money for another Kirwans charity of the year - Overseas 

Aid for the Kids of Sierra Leone (OAKS). OAKS is a small Wirralbased 

charity which has built a school in Bo, Sierra Leone, that 

currently educates 380 children. 

In her drive to raise much-needed funds for these two organisations, 

Rachel has already taken part in her first two triathlons of the year, 

and will compete in the Chester Deva Divas Triathlon and the 

Salford triathlon in July. 

Charlotte Hopkins, events and community fundraiser at the 

Whitechapel Centre said: “Rachel’s Triathlon Challenge is incredibly 

inspiring. To complete one triathlon is hard enough, let alone four. 

It’s wonderful that Rachel is supporting The Whitechapel Centre 

and the money that she raises will be a big help in our mission to 

end homelessness. We’d like to thank her for all of her hard work 

and wish her the best of luck.” 

Sarah Birchall, Kirwans practice director said: “The entire Kirwans 

team is incredibly proud of Rachel and her efforts to support our 

goal to raise money for these vital causes. We are also in awe of her 

bravery at setting herself such a challenge; to complete one triathlon 

is an achievement in itself, but to participate in four is an incredible 

achievement. We wish her luck as she continues with her summer 

triathlon challenge.” 


Open every day of the year, The Whitechapel Centre aims to be 

there for those people facing homelessness in Liverpool to help them 

resolve their situation as quickly as possible. This includes daily 

services for rough sleepers, expert housing and benefit advice and 

health and wellbeing support. The charity also provides learning and 

education activities so that people can gain valuable life skills to help 

them maintain a home, and their independence, such as budgeting, 

managing their health, smarter food shopping and cooking. 

Poor mental health, relationship breakdowns, bereavement, job loss, 

physical health problems, debt and loss of income are all catalysts 

for homelessness. 

Last year The Whitechapel Centre worked with 2,814 people. They 

helped prevent 955 people from becoming homeless and helped 

1,321 people to access suitable accommodation, ending their 

homelessness. 

With help from the public who contact the No Second Night Out 

phone line managed by The Whitechapel Centre, the charity’s 

response to rough sleeping, which includes an outreach team who 

are on the street every day, meant that 99% did not spend a second 

night out.”

Charity and CSR 

Becky Hughes from Weightmans is in the 

dog house! 

On August 12th,Becky Hughes from Weightmans will 

be spending 24 hours in a dog kennel at Merseyside 

Dogs Home to help raise vital funds for them to 

continue their amazing work in caring for and 

rehoming the lost, stray and abandoned dogs of 

Merseyside. Becky will spend an entire day and night 

living like a homeless dog in one of Merseyside Dogs 

Home’s kennels. Locked in the outdoor kennel and 

only allowed out to use the toilet, Becky will even eat 

and sleep in the kennel, her ‘home’ for 24 hours, to 

experience what life at the shelter is like for the thousands of dogs who end up 

there every year. 

At any one time, Merseyside Dogs Home will have sixty dogs in kennels and 

around 35 ready to go into new homes. All dogs are Vet checked, flead, wormed, 

inoculated. When they are rehomed, they have four weeks free insurance, are 

neutered, temperament tested and microchipped for free. 

Each year over 3,000 lost dogs are found in Merseyside, many simply lost from a 

good home. Over 2,000 eventually do find their way home. By law a dog owner 

should have a collar and tag on their dog, along with a microchip this helps to 

return dogs home as safely and quickly as possible. 

Those lost dogs that are not claimed are then sent to rehoming centres such as 

Merseyside Dogs Home. They received 700 lost dogs last year from the 

Merseyside region that we found new homes for. 

Becky has set a fundraising target of £500 and is getting very close to achieving 

her goal. 

Enjoy Rock ‘n’ Roll Romeo & Juliet in St James Garden in aid of Citizens Advice Liverpool 

Citizens Advice Liverpool are organising a play as a fundraising event at 7pm on Thursday, 31 August 2017. It is Rock and Roll Romeo and 

Juliet - a quirky musical take on the classic play using an edited version of Shakespeare's original text. Oddsocks, who are a travelling theatre 

company, came last year and did Macbeth, which was a great success and very funny. Food and drink available in the park behind the 

Anglican Cathedral at the show or bring your own picnics! Book your tickets now – details on flyer above. 

If any law firm or company would like to sponsor the event, please contact Leanne Syers at Citizens Advice leanne@caliverpool.org.uk . 

The office number is 0151 522 1401. 

Liverpool Law So 

ciety 

and 

th 

e 

Liverpool Law School 

Invite you to join us for an evening drinks reception at the 

University of Liverpool on 

T 

uesday 10 

th Oct 

ober 

6pm 

8pm 

to celebrate the start of the new academic and legal year 

V enue: School 

of t he Arts Library room 

115, 23 Aber cr 

omby 

Squar e L69 7Z 

G 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circuit 

The event 

is free 

of charge: RSVP by 

registering y 

our attendance here. 

For further information please e email: 

slsjmret@l 

iverpool.ac.uk 


25

Hackathon 

The Online Courts Hackathon 

The online Courts Hackathon organised by the Society for Computers 

and Law and Legal Geek represented a brilliant opportunity to bring 

the the innovation and creativity of the UK’s burgeoning tech sector 

to bear on one of the thorniest problems of our age for the Legal 

Profession. Moving towards delivering justice online presents a major 

opportunity and also a major challenge. How do we ensure that the 

interests of parties are maintained, that those who are not 

comfortable with technology do not feel disadvantaged, that those for 

whom English is a second or third language still get the help and 

guidance that they need, that parties feel that they are receiving 

Justice and the online equivalent of their “day in court” where their 

matter is listened to and given due consideration? Balance that with 

the aim of improving access to Justice, helping the 9 out of ten people 

who have a legal issue or problem but who never get anywhere near a 

lawyer or a court for fear of costs, complexity or even just time? A 

major issue but one with unlimited potential to deliver access to 

justice to those who really need it, and to make legal services 

accessible for all. 

So the challenge, or rather eight of them formulated by the organisers of 

this hackathon, were focused around develop a system to help deliver an 

online court that could help with any one or more of Form Filling, 

Order Drafting, Online Hearing, Argument building, Outcome 

Prediction, Negotiation and settlement, Dispute Classification and 

bundles for hearings. Teams were invited to enter and develop a concept 

and demonstration for potential systems, all against the clock. 

The venue was the University of Law, Moorgate, with over 200 

competitors forming thirty teams. At fairly short notice, the Law Society 

had formed a joint team with Wavelength Law, and arrived at the 

previously “Secret” venue with enough supplies to last the 24 hours of 

the hackathon and relieved to see that there was a Tesco Express next 

door that would no doubt be relied on heavily by all of the competitors 

during the coming endeavours. From 11am competitors began to 

assemble, with teams from Oxford & Cambridge University as well as 

entries from firms like Pinsent Masons who arrived with a large amount 

of specialist IT equipment, Linklaters, Kennedys who arrived with 3 

coders that they had flown in from India, and even Australian firm 

Gilbert & Tobin who had flown a team in specially from Sydney. 

After a briefing from President of the Society of Computers and Law 

Rirchard Susskind, along with comments from the Chief Executive of 

Her Majesty’s Court Service, the basis of the 8 challenges were revealed 

for the first time. Crucially, while detailing the substance, it was made 

clear that teams should not feel limited by each individual challenge. So 

if your solution covered several areas of the challenges, such as 

delivering an online hearing system that also managed negotiations and 

producing bundles for the parties, this was not only permissible but 

positively encouraged. So the green flag was in effect waved at 1pm, 

with pizzas organised along with a breakfast at 8am before tools were to 

be downed at 9am when pitches would commence. 

Due to the volume of competitors it would impractical to have 30 

pitches in the main hall, so there was a first round with teams split into 3 

rooms of ten with their 4 minute pitches screened by judges to whittle it 

down to 3 teams from each room, and a final round of 9 teams pitching 

for 5 minutes in the main room where the Lord Chief Justice and the 

Chief Executive of HMCTS were in attendance. 

After some deliberations, the joint Law Society/Wavelength team 

developed a system put forward by Mark O’Grady, the sole coder on the 

team, that operated using the Amazon "Alexa" system, as well as via 

mobile App and website, allowing for verbal interaction around a 

housing disrepair issue, with a system that listened to the problem, noted 

the evidence, drafted a letter to a landlord, kept track of replies and next 

steps and made recommendations on going to the Housing 

Ombudsman, Court or finding a solicitor where it would recommend a 

range of specialists who could handle it for a fixed fee, and a bundle of 

evidence was then available to help the solicitor or support court 

proceedings. So we covered about 4 of the 8 areas within the challenge. 

Furthermore the system was built around helping the user, not 

necessarily directing them to Court if it wasn’t the most effective 

resolution for them. Indeed, if services could be provided but the matter 

kept out of Court while the user is satisfied and has received real 

practical help and support, everyone is a winner with the user departing 

happily and the Court’s resources being saved. 

Law Society Director of Legal and Regulatory Policy, Sophia Adams 

Bhatti was integral in putting a Law Society team together with 

Wavelength Law at very short notice. She presented both the first round 

pitch and the winning pitch excellently, proving to be a polished 

unflappable speaker who contributed to a presentation that talked about 

people and their problems and how our system could help them, which 

seemed to have a positive impact on the judging panel. We progressed 

through the first round even though an AV issue meant that the room 

could not hear our pre – recorded video of the interaction with Alexa 

that had been prepared. However the supportive comments from other 

competitors started to raise our hopes, and the final presentation was 

seamless, with everyone able to hear COLIN (abbreviation of “Court 

On Line”) and the interaction with “Steve”, our hypothetical client. It 

was still a surprise though to hear the final words that Wavelength and 

the Law Society were winners, with the award presented by Lord Chief 

Justice Thomas. 

Amongst the busy social media traffic afterwards, HMCTS tweeted 

about the victory, which was retweeted by Cabinet Secretary and Head 

of the Civil Service Sir Jeremy Heywood. Clearly eyes had been focused 

on the Hackathon. Now we have to ask if COLIN will become a reality? 

Peter Wright 

DigitalLawUK 

Wavelength - The Law Society team

- 

- -- 

 

 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

 

 

- 

- 

- - 

 

 

 

- 

- 

- 

- 

 

 

 

- 

- 

 

 

- 

- 

 

 

- 

For full details & to book, visit: www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk 


27

Regulation 

Regulation Update 

The latest regulation news from 

Michelle Garlick of Weightmans LLP 

In last month’s edition, I mentioned holiday sickness claims and 

investigations by the SRA into a number of firms who have taken on claims 

acquired from CMCs through illegitimate means. As holiday season is in 

full swing, this issue continues to make the press with the government 

proposing to introduce fixed recoverable costs for these cases and a certain 

travel company facing criticism from claimant lawyers for writing direct to 

claimants warning them of the risks of pursuing a fraudulent claim 

notwithstanding that the claimant has instructed a solicitor. 

SRA or CLC – chose your regulator 

The SRA has recently confirmed that it will change its indemnity insurance 

rules to make it easier to switch regulator. Currently if a firm wished to 

switch say from SRA to CLC, the firm had to buy run-off cover but under 

this proposed change, it will not be necessary to do so thus making 

switching much easier and thereby encouraging competition. The LSB still 

has to approve this but it’s looking likely to come into effect in time for the 

next indemnity year. For those firms who only do conveyancing and 

probate (the reserved activities which the CLC can regulate), this could be 

an opportunity to review who you want to be regulated by. 

SRA issues warning on fraudulent investment schemes 

The SRA has issued its third Warning Notice to the profession and the 

public relating to solicitor involvement in scam investment schemes. 

Since the last Warning Notice in September 2016 the SRA has received a 

further 12 reports about potentially fraudulent investment schemes, 

showing an increase in the trend. Recent cases have involved investment in 

the diamond trade, fine art trade and a Brazilian Ecohouses scheme. 

The SRA noted that it is a minority of solicitors involved in these schemes 

but stated that the impact on the profession is ‘very significant’ both in 

terms of damage to reputation and the fact that the majority of investors are 

vulnerable people. 

SRA Chief Executive, Paul Philip, commented that the SRA will rightly 

‘take robust action where we find solicitors have indeed participated in 

schemes designed to defraud the public’. 

Can you be sure that there are no such deals going on in your firm? Make 

sure you make your fee earners aware of these issues so that they do not 

find themselves and the firm involved in such fraudulent schemes. 

Summer social events warning! 

With the British summer now in full swing, you may be planning to hold a 

staff summer party or other staff social and/or networking events. 

However, a word of warning that the SRA expects conduct to be of a high 

professional manner at all times, which also extends to and covers staff 

social events. 

Richard Lacey, a former founding member of Parry Welch Lacey LLP 

(PWL), Liverpool, punched fellow partner, Kate Welch, in the face at a 

Christmas social event in December 2015 and has now been rebuked by the 

SRA. 

Lacey accepted a conditional caution for assault and was ordered to write a 

letter of apology and pay compensation to Ms Welch. 

The SRA stated that Lacey’s behaviour was considered deliberate/reckless 

and that by committing the offence and accepting the caution he had failed 

to uphold the rule of law and failed to behave in a way that maintains the 

trust the public placed in him. 

Lacey left the firm only 10 days after the incident and advised that he had 

been dealing with some difficult personal circumstances at the time so it 

seems as though he did have some mitigation arguments. 

The decision comes at the same time that a partner of London firm 

Winckworth Sherwood LLP is also publicly rebuked by the SRA for 

behaving inappropriately towards colleagues at the firm’s Christmas party 


in December 2016. 

John Burnand became intoxicated and behaved in an ‘inappropriate, 

physical manner’ towards several members of staff, the SRA stated. 

Burnand’s apology was placed on the firm’s intranet following an internal 

investigation and he resigned from the firm only 5 days later. He admitted 

to breaching the SRA principles for failing to behave in a way that maintains 

the trust the public placed in him and in the provision of legal services. 

Firms’ policies on standards of conduct should mention behaviour at staff 

only events or other social occasions where staff are representing the firm 

and its reputation. 

Grenfell Tower touting leads to suspension 

As if Leigh Day had not had enough on their plates dealing with the recent 

SDT case against them , they have now had to suspend two paralegals after 

allegedly touting for business amongst the Grenfell Tower fire victims. 

Harnita Rai and Sejal Sachania featured on a poster displayed around the 

tower during the aftermath of the tragedy offering to help with potential 

insurance claims and/or assisting with the review of complex documents 

and have been named (and shamed) by The Times. 

In a statement, Leigh Day commented that ‘We are clear that neither of the 

individuals named by The Times have supplied any names to the firm as 

potential clients from this tragedy. Leigh Day would never have given 

authority for the posters or their display and we are taking this matter 

extremely seriously’. 

This may well be a case of over- eager paralegals thinking they are offering 

support but clearly without thinking of their regulatory obligations in 

relation to advertising and without appreciating the impact and adverse 

publicity that it may bring. All firms again need to ensure that all staff 

understand what can and can’t be done by way of advertising and publicity 

with appropriate training where necessary. 

Further issues surrounding electronic data 

It seems that a month cannot go by without another report of issues relating 

to electronic data, whether it be hacking, cybercrime or, the latest report, 

bribery! 

Tracey Miller, a former employee of insurance company Aviva, has been 

given a two year suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £4,500 

compensation after being bribed into selling confidential data to a third 

party. Miller advised that she was approached when leaving work by a third 

party back in 2013. Following this, Miller was paid the sum of £4,500 in 

exchange for the provision of confidential data. 

A spokesperson for Aviva said that financial incentives in personal injury 

claims was a factor and that ‘insurers will continue to be targets for those 

who seek to profit from accident claims’. 

City of London’s Police detective sergeant Matt Hussey said that ‘Miller 

abused her position of trust within her organisation and instead of doing 

the right thing and alerting her employer about being approached by a 

fraudster, she instead greedily decided to set up a deal with him’. 

And finally… 

Will we see the return of transparency at the Cube? The LSB has fired a 

warning shot to the SRA that it will be monitoring the impact of its decision 

to end public and press access to its board meetings. In the LSB’s review of 

all the regulators, it has made it clear that transparency is an important issue 

for the LSB. More generally though, it has praised the SRA for making 

“considerable progress” and that the SRA’s Handbook review and 

development of its new IT system would be key to its effectiveness. 

Michelle Garlick 

Weightmans LLP

29 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Es 

on Wednesd 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Essential COFA Update 

with Jo Morris 

, 1.30pm 

ay 6th September, 1.3 

d - .4 

4 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

date 

.45pm

“SAN CARLO HAS THE INGREDIENTS 

OTHERS CAN ONLY DREAM OF” 

The Observer 

Aldo Zilli now part of 

the San Carlo team 

WWW.SANCARLO.CO.UK 

41 Castle St, Liverpool, Merseyside, L2 9SH 

liverpool@sancarlo.co.uk | T: +44 (0)151 236 0073 

@SanCarlo_Group 

WINNER OF THIRTY SIX PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

MJLD 

New MJLD Committee 

ALI HOUGH – Chair 

I shall be taking on the role as Chairman this year of the 

MJLD Committee, stepping up from Vice-Chair. I am a 

Trainee Solicitor at DWF LLP in Liverpool where I shall 

be qualifying in October into the Employment team. I am 

excited to begin the new year alongside our new 

Committee and I am sure that by working together, we will 

deliver the best MJLD year yet for our members! 

MIKE FAGAN – Vice-Chair 

This will be my second year on the committee and my first 

as Vice-Chair. I’m currently in my first year of my training 

contract at Jackson Lees Solicitors and currently in the 

Court of Protection department. In my role as Vice Chair, 

I will be on hand to assist the committee and our members 

to have the best social and educational events possible. I’m 

passionate about supporting our chosen charity for this 

coming year and hope we can help them to raise a lot of 

money. I take my role seriously but thankfully don’t take 

myself very seriously all the same! 

SARAH COAKLEY – Treasurer & Secretary 

I am at MSB Solicitors, currently working in the family 

department and will be starting my training contract in 

September. I studied Law at Liverpool John Moores 

University and completed my LPC there too. I am the 

treasurer and secretary in this year’s committee. I am 

excited to see what the year ahead holds for the MJLD! 

THOMAS STOCKTON – Social Representative 

I am a first year Trainee Solicitor at MSB Solicitors. I 

studied Law at Liverpool John Moores University and I 

am half way through my LPC, again at LJMU. I started 

with MSB at the age of 18 and have been here for 8 years. 

This is my first year on the MJLD committee where I have 

been elected as one of the social representatives. My 

primary role will therefore be to help organise upcoming 

events for the committee and members. Outside of work I 

enjoy travelling and socialising with my wide network of 

friends. 

SARAH MCGUINNESS – Social Representative 

I am a first year trainee at MSB Solicitors and I am looking 

forward to qualifying in 2018. I completed my Law degree 

and LPC at LJMU. I have been appointed as a Social 

Representative on the MJLD committee and I am excited 

to organise some great events this year. In my spare time I 

enjoy socialising with friends and spending time with my 

nephews. 

KATIE CORLESS – Social Representative 

I work for Slater Gordon Solutions as a Complex Claims 

Legal Advisor. This year I have been elected as one of the 

social representatives and I am very excited about the role. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the MJLD committee last 

year as fundraising representative and I am looking 

forward to new and exciting things in the year ahead. I 

would like to thank all those who voted for me and I look 

forward to seeing you soon at our events. 

NAOMI FATHERS – Publicity 

I am currently a paralegal in Court of Protection at 

Jackson Lees having graduated from the University of 

Liverpool in 2016. I am now half way through my LPC 

which I am studying part-time at BPP. I am looking 

forward to promoting the MJLD events and encouraging 

junior lawyers to engage with all the opportunities the 

MJLD provides. 

AMY WONG – Publicity 

I am a second year Trainee Solicitor at Irvings. This is my 

first year on the MJLD committee and I am looking 

forward to playing an active role in publicity and ensuring 

that members are kept up to date, building a greater social 

media presence for the MJLD and working closely with 

those in other roles on the committee. 

SOPHIA LIU – Publicity 

I am a Paralegal at DWF LLP and I have completed the 

GDL and LPC at BPP University in Liverpool. I am 

excited to be part of the MJLD Committee this year as 

publicity representative and I'm looking forward to working 

with everyone to make this the best year yet! 

HANNAH BICKLEY – Fundraising 

I am currently a graduate member of the Chartered 

Institute of Legal Executives hoping to qualify as a fellow 

before 2018. I work within the family department of 

Broudie Jackson Canter as a paralegal. This is my first year 

on the committee and I am really excited to start working 

with our nominated charity and raise as much as possible 

throughout the year. 

LYDIA ITIOKIET – Fundraising 

My role is Creditor Services for the Business Restructuring 

team at DWF. One of the main reasons I put myself 

forward for this role is because of my first-hand experience 

of what a difference locally funded, charity-backed projects 

can make. My older sister has cerebral palsy and there have 

been so many things over the years that she has been able 

to do that were only made possible by this sort of funding. I 

would like to thank everyone who voted for me. I am 

looking forward to working with our nominated charity and 

helping them as much as possible over the next year. 

ANDREW BALL – Eduation 

I’m currently a Paralegal in the Disease team at 

Weightmans LLP but prior to that I’ve had a pretty varied 

career in the legal industry. I studied History at York before 

doing the GDL at the University of Law Chester and then 

the BPTC at Manchester Metropolitan. Since then, I’ve 

worked as a County Court Advocate around the North 

West before moving to Hampson Hughes and eventually 

ending up at Weightmans. I’m now studying the LPC parttime 

back at Chester and I’m looking forward to a good 

year ahead with the MJLD. As part of my role, I want to 

expand our education events work with the LLS and its 

membership in achieving this 

AOIFE HENNESSEY - Sponsorship 

I am currently a trainee solicitor at Irvings Law. I studied 

Law at the University of Liverpool and completed my LPC 

at BPP Liverpool. I have enjoyed attending many of the 

MJLD events over the last year or so, I am now looking 

forward to joining the committee as sponsorship 

representative and working together with the other 

members of the committee 

ALEX THOW - Sponsorship 

I am a trainee solicitor at Brabners LLP in Liverpool. I 

studied history at the University of Leeds before 

completing my GDL and LPC at BPP Liverpool. This is 

my first year on the committee and, in the role of 

sponsorship representative, I am looking forward to 

building and maintaining relationships with our generous 

sponsors to ensure that the MJLD continues to be able to 

deliver excellent events and support for its members. 

NICOLA WILDING – National Representative 

I am a trainee at DLA Piper UK LLP and qualify into Real 

Estate in September. Having spent a year on the MJLD last 

year, thank you for electing me to represent junior lawyers 

in Merseyside on a national level again. In particular, 

raising awareness amongst students of the incoming SRA 

changes to routes to qualification which will completely 

change how individuals become qualified solicitors. Please 

let me know if you have any issues you wish to be raised on 

a national level or want to know more about what the 

MJLD or JLD is about 


I shall be taking on the role as Chairman this year of the MJLD 

Committee, stepping up from Vice-Chair. I am a Trainee Solicitor at DWF 

LLP in Liverpool where I shall be qualifying in October into the 

Employment team. I am excited to begin the new year alongside our new 

Committee and I am sure that by working together, we will deliver the 

best MJLD year yet for our members! 


This will be my second year on the committee and my first as Vice- 

Chair. I’m currently in my first year of my training contract at Jackson 

Lees Solicitors and currently in the Court of Protection department. In 

my role as Vice Chair, I will be on hand to assist the committee and our 

members to have the best social and educational events possible. I’m 

passionate about supporting our chosen charity for this coming year and 

hope we can help them to raise a lot of money. I take my role seriously 

but thankfully don’t take myself very seriously all the same! 


!" #$" #%" &'(" ')*+,+%)-./" ,0--12%*3" 4)-5+26" +2" %71" 8#$+*3" 91:#-%$12%" 

#29"4+**";1".%#-%+26"$3"%-#+2+26",)2%-#,%"+2"'1:%1$;1-1-.+%3" #29" ,)$:*1%19" $3" =AB" %71-1" 

%))1-. 

&))-1. 

?)72 

1-:))* 

.1,-1%# 

%-1#.0-1-"#29 

#$ %71 

#71#9 

%71"31#- 

%) .11"47#% 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

91:# 

8#$+*3 

%71 

+2 

4)-5+26 

.%09+ 

! 

'1:%1$;1-< 

+2 

2%-#,% 

=AB 

$3 

,)$:*1%19 

#29 

.+%3 

+2 

-3 

%# %%1 

,)$$+ 

31#-C. 

%7+. 

%71"&?=EF 

8)- 

1#9 7)*9. 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

-%$12% 

=#4 

19 

%71-1" 

AB 

#$ 

! 

1< 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 


















!" #$" #%" &'(" ')*+,+%)-./" ,0--12%*3" 4)-5+26" +2" %71" 8#$+*3" 91:#-%$12%" 

#29"4+**";1".%#-%+26"$3"%-#+2+26",)2%-#,%"+2"'1:%1$;1-1-.+%3" #29" ,)$:*1%19" $3" =AB" %71-1" 

%))1-. 

&))-1. 

?)72 

1-:))* 

.1,-1%# 

%-1#.0-1-"#29 

#$ %71 

#71#9 

%71"31#- 

%) .11"47#% 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

91:# 

8#$+*3 

%71 

+2 

4)-5+26 

.%09+ 

! 

'1:%1$;1-< 

+2 

2%-#,% 

=AB 

$3 

,)$:*1%19 

#29 

.+%3 

+2 

-3 

%# %%1 

,)$$+ 

31#-C. 

%7+. 

%71"&?=EF 

8)- 

1#9 7)*9. 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

-%$12% 

=#4 

19 

%71-1" 

AB 

#$ 

! 

1< 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 


















!" #$" #%" &'(" ')*+,+%)-./" ,0--12%*3" 4)-5+26" +2" %71" 8#$+*3" 91:#-%$12%" 

#29"4+**";1".%#-%+26"$3"%-#+2+26",)2%-#,%"+2"'1:%1$;1-1-.+%3" #29" ,)$:*1%19" $3" =AB" %71-1" 

%))1-. 

&))-1. 

?)72 

1-:))* 

.1,-1%# 

%-1#.0-1-"#29 

#$ %71 

#71#9 

%71"31#- 

%) .11"47#% 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

91:# 

8#$+*3 

%71 

+2 

4)-5+26 

.%09+ 

! 

'1:%1$;1-< 

+2 

2%-#,% 

=AB 

$3 

,)$:*1%19 

#29 

.+%3 

+2 

-3 

%# %%1 

,)$$+ 

31#-C. 

%7+. 

%71"&?=EF 

8)- 

1#9 7)*9. 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

-%$12% 

=#4 

19 

%71-1" 

AB 

#$ 

! 

1< 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " " "" " 

" " " " " " " " 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

GHI&J'"'GIBKGIL"M"'),+#*"N1:-1.12%#%+>1"" 

!"#$"#"8+-.%"31#-"G-#+211"')*+,+%)-"#%"&'("')*+,+%)-.1-.+%3"#29"!"#$"7#*8"4#3"%7-)067" 

$3"=AB/"#6#+2"#%"=?&@1"" 

" 

!"#$"#"8+-.%"31#-"%-#+211"#%"&'("')*+,+%)-."#29"!"#$"*))5+26"8)-4#-9" 

%)"T0#*+83+26"+2"UVOP)%19"8)-"$1"#29"!"*))5"8)-4#-9"%)".11+26"3)0".))2" 

#%")0-"1>12%.1."7):+26"%)"T0#*+83"#."#" 

81**)4";18)-1"UVOP1-"%71"31#-." 

%7#%".71"7#.";112"#;*1"%)"9)"%7#%"41-1")2*3"$#91":)..+;*1" 

;3"%7+.".)-%")8"8029+261-3)21"47)" 

>)%19"8)-"$11-"%71"21D%"31#-+26"6-#90#%19"8-)$"%71"@2+>1-.+%3")8"=+>1-:))*"+2"UVO[12%."#29" 

12,)0-#6+26"Q02+)-"*#431-."%)"126#61"4+%7"#**"%71")::)-%02+%+1." 

%71"&?=E":-)>+91.1"-)*1"+2 :0;*+,+%3 

# 6-1#%1-".),+# 

;0+*9+26 

9#%1/ 

4+%7 %7).1" 

,*).1*3 

9 4)-5+26 

" " " "" 

" 

" 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " " 

"" " " " " " " 

" " " " " " 

" " "" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" " " "" 

" 

" 

" " 

" " " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " " 

" " " " " " " " "" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" " " "" 

+%)-"#% 

*+, +- 

!->+26.1-:))*1-:))*1/"!"#$"*))5+26"8)-4#-9"%)";0+*9+26"#29"$#+2%#+2+26" 

-1*#%+)2.7+:."4+%7")0-"6121-)0.".:)2.)-."%)"12.0-1"%7#%"%71"&?=E",)2%+201."%)";1"#;*1"%)"91*+>1-" 

1D,1**12%"1>12%."#29".0::)-%"8)-"+%."$1$;1-.1"" 

" 

I am a trainee at DLA Piper UK LLP and qualify into Real Estate in September. Having spent a year 

on the MJLD last year, thank you for electing me to represent junior lawyers in Merseyside on a 

national level again. In particular, raising awareness amongst students of the incoming SRA changes 

to routes to qualification which will completely change how individuals become qualified 

solicitors. Please let me know if you have any issues you wish to be raised on a national level or 

want to know more about what the MJLD or JLD is about

Share e via 

LawConnect 

Share via 

LawConnect 

Integrating ting with , a document 

management system for small law firms and their clients 

Organised Reliable 

Safe 

leap.co.uk/lawconnect/ 

onnect/

Liverpool Law Aug 2017

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?