Messenger December 2017

Forthcoming Events
10 Movers & Shakers
Law firm celebrates 40 years of success
The national law firm,
Stephensons, is celebrating
its 40 years of legal
services this month.
The firm, which was established
from the kitchen
table of a terraced house in
Golborne, now employs
more than 450 staff from
seven offices, including its
largest at Wigan Investment
Centre, which is home to
the firm’s litigation, family,
conveyancing, crime, regulatory
and civil liberties
teams.
Since its foundation as
Stephensons & Co. in 1977,
the firm has helped hundreds
of thousands of
clients, whether helping
them out of a tight spot or
helping them to fulfil their
personal and business aspirations.
Stephensons now
assists more than 25,000
people per year.
The firm is considered to be
one of the region’s great
success stories, achieving
tier-one status with the
Legal 500 – the definitive
guide to the legal sector –
and being rated as a ‘Top-
150’ law firm by The Lawyer
guide. In 2015, Stephensons
was shortlisted as one of the
most innovative legal companies
in Europe by The Fi-
nancial Times.
A further accolade followed
in 2016 with the coveted ‘Investors
In People Gold’ standard
in recognition of the
firm’s exceptional achievements
in and commitment
to management. Only three
per cent of IIP accredited
companies are awarded the
Gold standard.
Taking pride in ‘homegrown’
talent
For many, however, what
sets Stephensons apart
from others is the almost religious
commitment to personal
development, at all
levels of the firm. This
means that there is a larger
number of ‘home-grown’
talent than might be found
elsewhere, with some taking
unconventional routes
to senior positions.
This is certainly true of
Stephensons’ Chairwoman,
Ann Harrison who joined
Stephensons in 1991 as an
assistant solicitor in the
firm’s personal injury department.
“I never set out to be a
lawyer”, Ann explains, “I
haven’t got a law degree! It
was only through doing a
couple of university modules
on employment law -
as part of my Business Studies
degree - that my love for
the law began.
“I became head of personal
injury law after a couple of
years and was made partner
in 1993. By 2002, I was
asked to step up to the senior
management team.
“The people who work here
are absolutely fantastic –
they really make the most of
themselves. We’ve seen
some really good examples
of career development over
the years, particularly
among those who have
started their legal careers
here. There are some real
success stories with over
50% of our partners starting
life as graduate clerks with
the firm.”
From brewing up, to
boardroom
Andrew Leakey, Head of
Dispute Resolution and a
partner, started at Stephensons
when he was just 17
years old: “My first job was
making brews for the accounts
team – I wasn’t very
good at it, to be honest! But
I made cups of tea and
crunched data. That was my
first job.
A regional first for leading Manchester
law firm
Manchester law firm,
Slater Heelis has become
the only firm in the North
West to have two prestigious
Court of Protection
Panel Deputies.
Katharine Peterson has
joined Slater Heelis and will
work alongside experienced
Panel Deputy and Court of
Protection solicitor Chris
Partington, the Head of the
firm’s Private Client team.
Slater Heelis’s Panel
Deputies are appointed by
the Office of the Public
Guardian and are enrolled
on to a respected, court-approved
list. The courts can
choose deputies from this
list in lieu of an able or willing
volunteer to act for a
person who lacks the mental
capacity to manage their
own affairs.
Katharine spent 12 years
heading up the Court of
Protection team at specialist
serious injury solicitors Potter
Rees Dolan, and will enhance
the team with her
wealth of experience in supporting
younger clients
who have suffered severe
injuries.
Chris Partington, said: “To
be recognised by the Office
of Public Guardian is extremely
important and
something that is hugely
valuable to our clients. The
fact that Slater Heelis now
has two Panel Deputies,
more than any other firm in
the North West, reaffirms
our commitment to providing
the best possible legal
support to individuals who
can no longer manage their
own affairs.
“Katharine’s vast experience
in supporting a younger
client base, especially children
and young adults
who’ve suffered severe
brain injuries due to accidents,
assault or clinical
negligence, will be a great
asset to our team.”
Katharine commented: “I
joined Slater Heelis because
the firm is well-respected
for its excellent service for
clients and there was a
great opportunity to develop
the Court of Protection
work even further. The
team has done an amazing
Katharine Peterson
job supporting clients who
struggle with a mental capacity
and I’m looking forward
to adding to its
success.”
Slater Heelis is a full-service
firm offering a range of legal
services including Private
Client, Company Commercial,
Employment, Personal
Injury, Residential and Commercial
property and Family
Law. The firm employs over
135 people across Manchester
City Centre, Sale and
Timperley.
“I later came back on a university
vacation scheme as a
student, then got a training
contract and qualified as a
solicitor. I’m now a partner.
“The reason I’ve stayed for
all this time is simply that –
as a firm – we look after
people. We’re not a firm that
wants to burn people out or
push them to breaking
point. It’s not good for the
staff and ultimately it’s not
good for the clients when
their solicitors are working
in that environment.
“We’re very focussed on the
work-life balance.”
In Andrew’s opinion, another
aspect of the firm’s
success is the belief in the
power of the services it provides.
“I think it’s very important to
believe in what you do and
believe in the place that you
work. You spend a lot of
Roberts Jackson solicitors,
the industrial disease experts,
are delighted to announce
that they are
finalists in the Eclipse Proclaim
Modern Law Awards
2017/18.
The firm has been shortlisted
for the Client Care Initiative
of the Year, a
category which is dear to
the hearts of its founders as
their original motivation
was to build a firm that truly
had the interests of its
clients at its heart.
The award organisers complimented
all of those shortlisted,
stating “the judges
Ann Harrison
your life in that working environment
and it’s important
that your ‘nine to five’
means something. Staff
need to see the good their
work achieves and that is
something we are able to
provide.”
Planning for the future
Like many legal firms,
Stephensons has been required
to adapt to an ever
changing business environment;
not only addressing
the evolving needs of its
clients, but the demands of
government and regulators.
In particular, the firm’s recent
transformation, from a
firm predominantly dependent
on legal aid work,
towards catering for privately
funded cases, has allowed
it to adapt and thrive
in a period of government
reform. While competitors
have struggled, Stephensons
has diversified and
Roberts Jackson shortlisted for
national Client Care Award
were inundated with submissions
once again this
year, so huge congratulations
are in order!”
Roberts Jackson has won
five awards and been shortlisted
for ten so far this year
alone.
The Modern Law Awards
ceremony will take place at
the Lancaster Hotel in London
on 18 January
Client care has been the priority
for Roberts Jackson
from Day One and this focus
has resulted in a highly successful
law firm that stands
out from the crowd.
continued to grow – most
recently expanding into
London.
For Ann Harrison, the firm is
ideally placed to face the
challenges the next 40 years
will bring.
“One of the true strengths
of this firm is our ability –
and willingness – to evolve
and be innovative.
“Stephensons has faced
some enormous changes
through its history: the way
cases are funded; the needs
and wants of our clients; the
advent of the internet and
new technology.
“That the firm is still around
today, and thriving, is because
we are constantly
looking ahead – anticipating
challenges and changes,
rather than reacting to
them. That’s what makes
Stephensons a success.”
Roberts Jackson has never
followed existing pathways
for law firms, preferring to
develop its own processes
and procedures to get the
best results for clients.
With an average age of 31,
the diverse workforce at
Roberts Jackson is energetic
and dynamic, and celebrates
each success as one
team with gusto.
The drive to obtain justice
for clients is palpable and
this energy comes across,
leaving clients feeling cared
for and in safe hands at
every stage of their legal
journey.