Happenings in Hampshire
VERISONA ATTRACTS FOOTBALL CLUB INTEREST The historic ruling in the High Court by Mr Justice Peter Smith last month which secured the future of Portsmouth Football Club was not only was a groundbreaking precedent set for Club ownership throughout the sport, but has also created a demand for the team who won the hard-fought and gruelling legal battle. COUNCIL MEETING: The Law Society Council met at Chancery Lane on Thursday, 11th July. It was just a half-day meeting, but a very full half day as there were some important issues to be decided around the Net Funding Requirement/Compensation Fund contributions There were also the normal reports from the Chief Executive and the four representative boards (Management Board, Membership Board, Regulatory Affairs Board and Legal Affairs and Policy Board).
THE LAW SOCIETY’S AGM: This took place in the Law Society’s common room on Thursday, 11th July. It was a very special occasion for me, for obvious reasons! The Law Society’s Office Holders for 2013/2014 are as follows:Nicholas Fluck - President Andrew Caplen - Vice President Jonathan Smithers - Deputy Vice President
The Leaders of Verisona’s Portsmouth Football Club’s Legal Team (clockwise from top left): Mike Dyer, Director & Head of Verisona’s Commercial Division, David Oliver, Insolvency and Business Recovery Consultant, Ian Peach, Director and Member of Pompey Supporter’s Trust, and Christopher Allnutt, Director and Head of Commercial Property.
and on the same page was quite a task before even facing the opposition, but it has been a tremendous team effort.” “The key members of the legal team are all lifelong fans of our local club and, even if we may have underestimated the complexities involved, we always believed it was achievable,” says Mike. “Through our work, we have created a formula for local communities to regain the ownership of their Football Clubs.” Just a few weeks after the Portsmouth FC victory, it was announced that Versiona would be supporting Aldershot Town Football Club after it was placed into administration.
After 16 months of tireless dedication, commitment and hard work, legal firm Verisona celebrated a resounding success after providing the business support, legal representation and financial management needed by the consortium including Pompey Supporters Trust, or PST, who have now taken ownership of Portsmouth Football Club. At the end of 2011, Verisona began the preparatory work so that when Portsmouth FC was officially placed under administration in March 2012, the PST was ready to hit the ground running.
Administrators Mr Carl Jackson and Mr Paul Goddard of Southampton based Quantuma LLP are currently running the club until a successful option for the club’s future can be assured and taking legal advice from Verisona’s Insolvency and Business Recovery expert, David Oliver. Verisona’s Chief Executive, Vincent Denham, is delighted with the recognition the firm has received: “With the expertise and subsequent reputation we have earned a result of our historic win for the consortium which now owns Portsmouth Football Club, we are proud to have been chosen by another organisation in need of guidance and support.”
and Wales at the AGM in July.
“One of the real challenges was to coordinate all the parties involved,” explains Mike Dyer, Director and Head of the Verisona Team. “As well as the PST, we were liaising with the Football League, Premier League, Football Association, Professional Footballers’ Association, lenders to the club, owners of the land, the local council and many other stakeholders. Keeping everyone together
Andrew will become President at the
HOMECOMING FOR LOCAL SOLICITOR
Congratulations to Andrew who has been elected Vice-President of The Law Society of England
AGM in July 2014. Andrew has been the Law Society Council member for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight since 2000 and has a particular interest in access to justice. During this time Andrew has been very active within the Law Society. Andrew was Chair of the Law Society's Access to Justice Committee from 2008 until 2012. He was Chair of the Law Society’s Management Board and Treasurer of the Law Society Group from 2010 until 2012 We wish Andrew well in his year as Vice-President.
“We have dealt with some incredibly complex and challenging scenarios whilst working within the world of football, but it has given us valuable experience and insight which has already attracted a great deal of interest from Football Clubs across the country.”
Sian Davies, a Senior Solicitor in law firm Glanvilles Family Department is soon to return after a year of being away. Sian temporarily left Glanvilles in June 2012 to serve with the British Army in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick. Glanvilles CEO Jeremy Weeks said: “As a member of the Territorial Army we always knew it was likely that Sian would be called for active duty in an operational environment. When we got the news we were extremely proud to know that she would be helping our troops.”
years now. Both my military and trade skills were put to the test out in Afghanistan. Day to day I was working as a vehicle mechanic in side Camp Bastion, our main priority being to get the vehicles fixed and back on the road.
It is clear on speaking with Sian that she has fully embraced the experience. “I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve with HM Armed Forces in an operational environment. I have been in the TA many
On occasions I left Camp Bastion as part of a vehicle convoy to other British camps around Helmand Province in Afghanistan. My years of training became vitally important at that time. Now my tour is just a distant memory, but memories I will keep and cherish forever. I am soon to return to Glanvilles on a full time basis. I am looking forward to getting back to doing my job.”
Hampshire Legal
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