UPDATE FROM THE MANAGING PARTNER
I was pleased to see quite a few of you at the summer drinks at Browns earlier this month. It is very important for us to catch up regularly with others in the firm, especially those in other departments and find out about what they have been up to We can’t easily cross-sell to each other or recommend others in the firm externally without that knowledge. I hope that we will be able to arrange opportunities to do this more often in the future We were also able to raise money for Demelza, our Charity of the Year, which is another firm-wide initiative which I would encourage you to support.
On 9 September 1985 I started my articles with the firm at our old offices at 43 Streatham Hill I am always pleased each year to welcome the new trainee solicitors (both internal and external recruits) at the opening of their induction programme. I also attended lunch at the trainee recruitment assessment centre and along with other partners and staff was able to talk about the firm and my work. It’s fantastic to see that we can attract such talented candidates, so enthusiastic about their future in the law. The firm has always prided itself on the quality of work that trainee solicitors are involved with, both our formal development programme (now being further improved by Lucy) and our informal on the job training. I am pleased that many of our trainee solicitors have stayed with the firm and have developed successful careers with us, but others have of course moved on to successful careers elsewhere. We will be welcoming back many of these alumni to the event on 23 October to celebrate my 40 years at AG, along with some of the other people I have worked with outside the firm on various external committees over the years. I am pleased that many of you will be joining us - if you are intending to do so, please confirm this with the marketing team when requested so that we get the right numbers for catering rd
Turning to finance, fee income in August 25 was down due to the holiday season and possibly in part also due to the high billings in the previous month. Fee income in the month was £1,425k. This was behind the monthly budget by £314k Year to date fee income was however still ahead of budget by £260k (3%).
The current month will mark the end of the first half of the financial year. An important milestone for us Hopefully, we’ll see a catch up from August 25 in this month
A reminder that the first half of the year has benefited from the tail wind of some significant multi-party cases being settled and billed This sets the bar to achieve at least the same level of fee income in the second half quite high. A focus on billings every month remains a key financial priority for us. We’d be grateful for everyone ’ s continued support please.
Please note that this update is confidential to the staff of Anthony Gold Solicitors LLP and should not be disseminated outside the firm.
We’re delighted to announce that Lesley’s entry “Connect Gold” was the winning choice in our recent CRM naming competition. Her creative contribution will now be a lasting part of how we talk about and use our new system. Well done, Lesley - seen here with her prize of a £50 Amazon voucher - and thank you to everyone who took part!
Building on Connect Gold...
Following the launch of our new CRM name, Connect Gold, we ’ re also introducing two new email circulation groups to support collaboration and communication across the project
Connect Core Team - the central group responsible for leading and driving the implementation of Connect Gold
Connect Taskforce - a wider network of representatives from all departments who will support specific activities, testing, and knowledge-sharing as the system rolls out.
These groups will help us stay aligned, share updates quickly, and make sure everyone involved has a clear channel for information and communication.
Behind the Scenes of Connect Gold
Our new CRM, Connect Gold, will be more than just a system it will become a smarter way of working by streamlining our new enquiry processes. It will also enhance how we collaborate, share information, and build stronger relationships with referrers and contacts
To ensure it truly meets the needs of the firm, we ’ ve formed the Connect Taskforce, a diverse group of Support Staff, Paralegals, Trainees, Solicitors and Partners across all teams. Their insights and experience will help tailor the system so it works for everyone and supports our day-to-day work
In early October, the Taskforce will take part in three dedicated workshops, covering everything from prospect workflows to contact/referrer management and business development We will share updates with the wider firm so you can follow the progress being made behind the scenes and see how Connect Gold will benefit us all!
1. Workflow Workshop
Wednesday 1st October 2025 | 13:00 – 17:30 | On-site in LB
Taskforce members will dig into how we work today - reviewing processes, spotting departmental differences, and identifying opportunities for integration and improvement
2. Contact Management Workshop
Monday 6th October 2025 | 09:30 – 12:30 | On-site in LB
This session focuses on how we manage contact/referrer information The Taskforce will be assessing data gaps, refining relationship tracking, and shaping how we centralise records.
3. Marketing and BD Workshop
Monday 6th October 2025 | 13:00 – 17:30 | On-site in LB
Here, the Taskforce will review marketing and BD engagement processes, mailings and event planning and discuss ROI measurement ensuring Connect Gold supports growth and opportunity.
HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATE
TRAINEES QUALIFYING:
Please join us in congratulating our 2023 cohort of Trainees who have now qualified and are remaining with the firm
Robyn Laye has qualified into our Family Team.
Chikira Smith-Richards has qualified into our Housing Team
Gabrielle Magalhaes has qualified into our Court of Protection Team.
Congratulations also to Stephanie De La Haye who has qualified as a Solicitor as a firm sponsored Paralegal undertaking the Solicitor Qualifying Exam (SQE) route to qualification
SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAM (SQE) SUCCESS
Please join us in congratulating those colleagues who have successfully passed their SQE1 exams and who will now progress on to studying for the SQE2 exams
Preparing for these exams requires commitment, dedication and focus, and we applaud all of those who studied for and sat the exams for their hard work.
HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATE
NEW TRAINEES:
Please join us in welcoming our new 2025 Trainee cohort:
Alex Audeh –
Alex remains with the Court of Protection Team for his first seat
Alina Shevchenko –
Alina remains with the Court of Protection Team for her first seat
Anna Horrocks –
Anna has recently joined the firm and is sitting within the IMC Team for the duration of her training contract.
Aryan Gupta –
Aryan began his training contract earlier this year with the Employment Team and will continue with the team.
David Lavendar –
David has recently joined the firm and will spend his first seat in the IMC Team.
HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATE
NEW TRAINEES:
Hinna Raja –Hinna has joined the Housing Team for her first seat
Katy Corteel –
Katy has joined the Housing Team for her first seat.
Munzer Wehbe –Munzer remains with the Trusts & Estates Team for his first seat.
Zafirah Rahman –
Zafirah has joined the Housing Team for her first seat
Jan Janeczek –
Jan has recently joined the firm and is sitting within the Contentious Probate Team for his first seat
Jamie McGonigal -
Jamie has returned to the firm and joined the Commercial Team for his first seat.
PENSIONS UPDATE
Will be frozen
REMINDER:
Capped plan
With salary sacrifice option
Uncapped plan
With salary sacrifice option
1) From 1 November all current Aegon members will be moved into a new NatWest Cushon account. st
2) NatWest 1 will be capped and is most equivalent to the current Aegon account
3) NatWest 2 will be uncapped and members will pay their % contribution on their total gross earnings
All employees are encouraged to join a HR meeting and NatWest presentation so the schemes and options can be explained in more detail
Once the NatWest accounts are active employees will be provided with the account phone APPfurther presentations will be available through Nov and Dec to get the most out of the pension APP and support. The APP will also have a feature to track existing pension accounts and assist in moving existing pensions into your new account if appropriate
Our internal deadline for processing the new pension options is 20th October 2025 so please ensure that you have informed HR of your decision before then.
EVENTS PLANNING
Over the past 12 months we have seen a substantial increase in the demand for events. This is fantastic, and reflects the important role that events play in business development across the legal sector At the same time, it’s important that we manage resources and plan carefully so each event is purposeful, well-executed, and contributes to the firm’s wider ambitious growth objectives.
To support this we ’ ve introduced a new information form at the outset of the planning process. This is not designed to be a “bid” for resource, but instead to be a tool to help clarify objectives and confirm that proposed events support departmental needs while also making event organisation more streamlined.
The form must be completed in an initial discussion with Freya at least 12 weeks out from a proposed event date
Alongside this, we will continue to measure and report on Return on Investment (ROI) after each event giving us valuable insights into the impact of our activities. ROI trends will be taken into account before the planning of future events It is vital you work with the Marketing team to ensure relevant data is captured, and the new CRM will help with this.
We’re constantly improving internal communications about events and the calendar on the Intranet has been refreshed to provide more detail, allowing everyone to stay informed and spot opportunities or areas of interest.
For any updates and to view the full events calendar click here!
STEATHAM FESTIVAL 2025
It’s that time of year again where banners and music are abundant along the high road to mark the return of Streatham Festival!
For anyone who hasn’t heard about the event before, Streatham has a long history of community arts activity, this was celebrated in various ways until the formation of the current Streatham Festival in 2002. It is now 9 days of local events ranging from dance and art workshops to walking tours and play readings. Anthony Gold has been involved with Streatham Festival from the very beginning, becoming the key sponsor over 12 years ago
You will see our logo on banners along the high street as well as bunting and pull-up banners. We have also done a “Festival Special” advertorial in Heart Streatham magazine
If anybody is going to any festival events, we’d love to see your photos, especially if you ’ re taking part in the Streatham Strut pub crawl! The pub crawl will take place at 10 venues across Streatham and will have live music at each one You can see the full line up and their locations here
This year's Streatham Festival launch kicks off at 6pm on Friday 10th October with a reception at Streatham Tate Library.
Everyone is welcome - see below and let Freya know if you’d like to attend by Friday 26 September.
EVENTS CALENDAR
For any updates and to view the full events calendar click here!
SEPTEMBER
2025
Sep 18, 2025 Professional Deputies Forum Conference
Sep 18, 2025 STEP Awards
Sep 19, 2025 Cambridge medico-legal conference
OCTOBER
2025
Oct 9, 2025 Deputies and attorneys in civil litigation Contentious Probate, COP
Oct 9, 2025 British Wills and Probate Awards Trusts and Estates
Oct 16, 2025 AWS collaboration Family
Oct 23, 2025 David Marshall 40 year anniversary - Alumni Firmwide
Oct 29, 2025 AGRIP - safeguarding in NCDR Family
NOVEMBER
2025
Nov 13, 2025 Wills, Trusts & Estates tax roundtable
Nov 27, 2025 Renters Reform Bill webinar
EVENTS CALENDAR
LUNCH AND LEARN WITH LONDON AIR
AMBULANCE - 08 OCTOBER 13:00 - 14:00
Frank Chege, the patient liaison nurse at the London Air Ambulance will be coming to the LB office to give a presentation on what the LAA do and how we might be able to support them going forward.
This has been organised by the PI and Clin Neg team, however much of what they do is relevant across departments as a significant number of their callouts are linked to domestic abuse, and the charity regularly encounters issues that overlap with the work many of us are involved in. Anyone from the firm is welcome to attend, though it will be particularly relevant to those working in COP, Housing and Family.
SUMMER DRINKS AT BROWNS
It was wonderful to see such a great turnout for the Summer Drinks at Browns! A big thank you to everyone who came along- it was a fantastic event and a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues, make new connections, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime together.
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
The next course in our VinciWorks series is “Recognising Phishing Scams”
This short course is a hands-on, practical challenge in which users learn how to identify a phishing threat Through a series of real phishing emails, users are quizzed on the common red flags that appear in scam emails It uses real-world examples to educate on the importance of cyber security.
VinciWorks will provide us with completion reports for the courses and we will update your training records in Personio on your behalf, but you can of course still do this yourself if preferred
A reminder to those who have not yet completed the previous training courses, please log in and complete these. If you need any assistance or have any queries, please let us know.
The Lunch and Learn sessions for Trainees and Paralegals have now restarted with the first session exploring Client Experience.
Helen McGivern joined the group to discuss the CX project findings, and the group shared top tips and best practice for client care.
The Lunch and Learn sessions will now take place bi-monthly with the next session taking place on Wednesday 12 November. th
Please note that LexisNexis will be delivering sessions on the following dates:
3 October @ 11am – Refresher training - for anyone who has used Lexis previously and wants a refresher on the functions available
rd
rd 23 September @ 12pm – New User training – for anyone who is new to using the system
Lexis can also run 1-1 sessions for anyone who has specific queries or issues with using the programme.
Please let Lucy Giles know if you would like to join the above Refresher or New User training or whether you would like a 1-1 session organised
CX UPDATE
‘BUILDING OUR ONLINE REPUTATION TOGETHER’
At Anthony Gold, we are proud of the reputation we have built with our clients. On Trustpilot, we currently hold an outstanding 4 8 out of 5 rating from 959 reviews Whilst this is a fantastic achievement, and one we should be very proud of, it is not an entirely accurate reflection of the service we deliver across the entire firm. This is because, largely, Trustpilot reviews are sought by fee earners at the end of a matter, meaning they are effectively “cherry-picked” – we decide who we ask and when. So, we might ask one client at the end of a successful case, when the client has received a significant amount of damages, and we might avoid asking another if there have been some delays with their matter and/or they have proven difficult to work for. This means that our Trustpilot score is somewhat artificially inflated, and our scores on other platforms suffer as result, as illustrated below:
To build on our Trustpilot success, we are now encouraging fee earners to ask clients to also consider leaving feedback on other platforms, in particular Review Solicitors, which is a platform supported by the SRA.
Expanding onto this platform will allow us to:
Increase the overall volume of client feedback.
Raise our profile in search results and rankings, particularly on AI platforms.
Showcase the expertise of individual solicitors, alongside the firm’s reputation
Identify areas where genuine improvements can be made internally to further enhance client experience (CX).
CX UPDATE
GROW YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROFILE!
At present, clients can leave their feedback on Review Solicitors using a firm-wide link. Over time, we plan to introduce individual solicitor links, creating personal profiles where clients’ positive experiences and comments can be highlighted directly.
This will help raise the profile of our people and help prospective future clients find you!
NEXT STEPS
We will begin by creating individual profiles, with Heads of Department suggesting fee earners to take part in the initial phase. Once this has been rolled out successfully, the initiative will expand across the whole firm.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
Be selective in your asking for reviews. It is still OK to ask for a Trustpilot review, but it will benefit the firm, and you as an individual fee earner, if you can develop a varied portfolio of feedback across different platforms
Consider sending every second request as a Review Solicitors request, or be mindful of clients with a Gmail email address as these could be easily directed to leave a review on Google instead.
Everyone is encouraged to continue sharing the firm-wide Review Solicitors link with clients to help build momentum.
Continue encouraging clients to share their feedback whenever appropriate, which might not only be at the end of a matter, but during
COMING NEXT!
Watch out for resources coming from the Marketing team, including a short guide to Review Solicitors, with links and a template email, and suggested wording for how and when to ask clients for reviews.
We will be highlighting CX champions in AG Mag – for example, those who send the most requests, as well as those who receive favourable reviews.
There will also be challenges to encourage more reviews on other platforms.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Marketing team.
AI UPDATE
The firm’s AI Committee meets regularly to discuss developments in the use of AI, and what the opportunities and threats might be going forward. At the most recent meeting, Helen outlined how Google’s “AI Overviews” are beginning to affect our web traffic and what we need to do
WHAT ARE AI OVERVIEWS?
An AI Overview provides a quick and succinct answer to a basic query put into Google You will all have seen them. The below is the result of searching “what is a child arrangements order”:
WHAT ARE AI OVERVIEWS?
AI Overviews are replacing the need for individuals to click through to websites, as they trawl lots of different sites to provide a quick summary. This means that, even if our website rankings are high for certain key words or phrases, users are less likely to click through to our site.
“Traditional” search results would display a quote based on a webpage’s meta description, and a blue link to take the user to a single source e.g. a page on our site about “Child Arrangement Orders” AI Overviews collate information from multiple trustworthy sites to compile an answer, so users are often seeing our content in an overview but not clicking through to our site.
TYPE OF CONTENT AFFECTED
Pages with more general legal information will be affected e.g. “what is probate?”. If a detailed answer is given to the most basic of queries, it will negate the need for the user to click through.
AI UPDATE
IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS!
Traffic to the website may be down but this isn’t necessarily a ranking issue and doesn’t mean that our SEO has failed. The fact that AI Overviews are “stealing” clicks away from our website indicates a significant shift in user behaviour, but we would be foolish to neglect our SEO efforts now as these enable us to be cited in overviews and increase the chance of being clicked nearer the time a client wishes to instruct.
While website views are down, the people who are coming to the website are engaging more with our content. In fact, since launching the new website we are averaging 500 enquiries per month, with a record 546 in July and 483 in August despite the holiday season. This represents a 42.9% increase in enquiries compared to the old site, even with lower overall traffic
Also worth noting is that, although Google’s Overview feature is reducing direct search clicks, AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity are now citing our content, creating new traffic streams. This reflects a major shift in SEO, reinforcing the importance of fundamentals like strong content and clear structure
MARKETING PRIORITIES
1) MAINTAIN A TRUSTED WEBSITE
Our site is established and trusted by Google, so we have an instant advantage. We are continually improving and updating fee earner bios, client feedback and testimonials, accreditations and awards, memberships etc. – all of which work to improve the credibility of our site to ensure it is cited in overviews If our content ranks high at this very early stage of the client journey, when prospects are asking basic questions and may not be aware of Anthony Gold at all, this can only be a good thing for brand awareness.
2) DEVELOP SPECIFIC CONTENT
Our website is more likely to come up if we are targeting specific, niche work This might refer to our location, or to the type of work we do, or the types of client we help. The use of real-life case studies is very powerful – where have we made a significant impact on a client’s life, what is the level of our social impact on our local communities etc. If generic queries are resulting in reduced clicks, we need to broaden our information store to appeal to those more niche queries, which is where we will get clicks
AI UPDATE
3) STRUCTURE OUR CONTENT
Content should be structured so it is easy to read - for people… and for Google! Use of bullet points, headings and sub-headings, summaries, internal links to other related content and external links to other reputable sources will all help.
4) VARIED CONTENT FORMATS
An AI Overview cannot effectively summarise a video, nor can it replicate the function of an online calculator. The more varied our content formats and functions, the more likely a client will have to visit our website.
OUR MANTRA IN THE MARKETING TEAM IS: “MORE THAN WORDS!”
IN SUMMARY
AI Overviews are changing user behaviour where users are looking for basic information.
A user cannot “buy” through an AI Overview, and they are “stealing” clicks from our site.
Being featured in AI Overviews will boost our chances of repeat clicks and enquiries.
We are an established business with a website already trusted by Google.
We need to constantly remain one step ahead with regard to the content on our site
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Don't panic! – we cannot slow the changes AI brings, but the AI Committee and the Marketing team are working hard to remain competitive and one step ahead of the game.
Write naturally – continue to do what you do best; the Marketing team can ensure the relevant “SEO boxes” are ticked
Seek advice - the Marketing team can provide hints, tips, templates, structures and lots more
Vary the format – be prepared to produce video and audio content; consumers buy from real people and want to see and hear all about us!
Record AI sources – we have added new categories to the work sources on PE to assist us in monitoring this new trend; where prospects inform us they heard about the firm via AI tools, please add this in the work source fields when logging and converting prospects.
This way we can continue to refine our marketing and BD efforts to best effect.
NEWS & CONTENT UPDATE
GILESONBBCNEWS
Giles recently featured on BBC News discussing the risks tenants face when withholding rent due to ongoing disrepair issues.
While frustrations are understandable, Giles explained why this approach can be legally risky and highlighted safer alternatives, such as making a complaint or contacting the Housing Ombudsman.
Read the BBC News article here.
STEPAWARDS-18 SEPTEMBER2025 TH
The Court of Protection team attended the 2025 STEP Private Client Awards on Thursday 18 September at the London Hilton on Park Lane. A number of our team members proudly represented the firm at the ceremony, which also offered an excellent opportunity to connect and network with peers across the industry
Although we did not take home the award, we are immensely proud to have been named Finalists, a true reflection of our Court of Protection team’s exceptional dedication and hard work We warmly congratulate the winners, Bethel Chambers, and extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey.
The evening has only strengthened our team’s drive for excellence, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the highest level of service to our clients
It was a memorable night of recognition and celebration, and we are deeply grateful to our entire team for their expertise and commitment.
Our very own Fiona from the Family Team is one of the hosts of Family Law Live! The latest episode, “Bring Your Pets to Training Day” is now live on Spotify
Have a listen here.
LATEST VIDEOS
ROBIN&THERENTERSRIGHTSBILL
In this video, Robin breaks down everything landlords and tenants need to know about the new pet rules in the Renters’ Rights Bill. Robin explains how the current law works, what changes the Bill introduces, and the practical steps both landlords and tenants should take.
Click here to watch
In this interview clip, award-winning capacity assessor Tim Farmer explains when and how family members or carers can be present during a mental capacity assessment Tim discusses:
Why assessors prefer to see the individual alone where possible
When a family member or carer can help provide comfort or aid communication
Why beneficiaries or attorneys are usually excluded to avoid undue influence
How assessors watch for signs of coercion and document who was present
The importance of clear boundaries to ensure fairness and integrity
This video is essential viewing for solicitors, carers, healthcare professionals, and families navigating complex capacity issues.
Click here to watch
This video gives you a full breakdown of what’s changing, what stays the same, and what steps you should take to stay compliant.
Rooshan covers the current law on rent increases, the upcoming changes under the Renters Rights' Bill, what this means for landlords and why they should act now.
Watch this video here.
STAFF NEWS
A big well done to Adele, who recently qualified as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) with STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)
This internationally recognised designation reflects her expertise in helping clients with estate planning, wills, trusts, and related matters. It’s a fantastic achievement and a valuable asset to the firm, especially for any future referrals in this area. CONGRATULATIONSADELE!
NALA’SWALKIES
Nala is lending her paws to the cause and taking me on a 5km walkies in Greenwich Park
The London Legal Support Trust funds Law Centres and free legal advice charities in London and the South East. These charities do a fantastic job in preventing homelessness, resolving debt problems, gaining care for older people and fighting discrimination and exploitation.
By sponsoring our walkies, you will be helping to support the free legal advice charities on the frontline to ensure they can keep the lights on and doors open for the people they help.
Thank you!! - Sam Ziabi
Please sponsor our walkies as generously as you canbyclickingthislink!
Both Parents Matter CEO Sam Morfley and Chair of Trustees Paul O’Callaghan recently organised the ‘Stride for Justice’ to raise awareness of male suicide, which remains the leading cause of death among men under 50 in the UK. It took place on World Suicide Awareness Day and involved an 11-mile walk, representing the 11 lives lost each day, ending at 10 Downing Street where they presented a petition highlighting the impact of separation, loss of contact with children and the difficulties of navigating the family court system on men.
Our Family team have a long-standing relationship with Both Parents Matter, and the firm has made a donation You can read more about the campaign here
STAFF NEWS
HEADWAYCHARITYWALKWITHCLARIONS
“Rayssa and I walked 24.5km in the Yorkshire Dales in 5.5 hours last Thursday for Second Chance Headway Centre. The event was organised by Stephanie Kaye at Clarions.
We had sun for the last hour of walking – do not let the pictures deceive you… It was a really great day despite the rain, and we also made some new contacts and so it was also a unique networking opportunity” - Emma
STAFF APPRECIATION
Thank You Teresa (W) for your patience with my desk booking changes. -Grainne
Friendly Reminder: Desk Cancellations
Please remember to cancel any desks you no longer need in the upcoming weeks Let Teresa know as early as possible so she can reassign those spaces to colleagues who are waiting for a spot.
Despite her regular reminders, there are still unused desks each day, which can be frustrating for those who wish to work from the office but are unable to secure a booking
Thank you!
As Andrew Weir kindly pointed out at today’s fire evacuation at LB...
