Surrey Lawyer Winter 2021

SurreyLawyer XXXXXXXXXXXX

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SURREY LAW SOCIETY

Balancing employment rights post COVID-19 Reframing support for families following parental separation

Supporting Surrey:

Careers

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WINTER 2021

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Work from home with ease.

Legal practice management software 2 | SURREYLAWYER

leap.co.uk/work-remotely

PUBLISHER Benham Publishing Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com

Contents 08 05 President’s Jottings 07 CEO Report 08 Local News 11 Reports 14 Legal Awards 2021 16 Insight:

ACCOUNTS DIRECTOR Joanne Casey SALES DIRECTOR Karen Hall STUDIO MANAGER Lee Finney MEDIA No. 1712 PUBLISHED WINTER 2021 © The Surrey Law Society Benham Publishing Ltd. LEGAL NOTICE © Benham Publishing.

None of the editorial or photographs may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publishers. Benham Publishing would like to point out that all editorial comment and articles are the responsibility of the originators and may or may not reflect the opinions of Benham Publishing. No responsibility can be accepted for any inaccuracies that may occur, correct at time of going to press. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

DISCLAIMER The Surrey Law Society welcomes all persons eligible for membership regardless of sex, race, religion, age or sexual orientation.

All views expressed in this publication are the views of the individual writers and not the society unless specifically stated to be otherwise. All statements as to the law are for discussion between members and should not be relied upon as an accurate statement of the law, are of a general nature and do not constitute advice in any particular case or circumstance.

Maralyn Hutchinson

17 Balancing 16 17

For the Spring 2021 edition Advertising Anyone wishing to advertise in Surrey Lawyer please contact Catherine McCarthy before the copy deadline. 0151 236 4141 catherine@benhampublishing.com Editorial Anyone wishing to submit editorial for publication in The Surrey Lawyer please contact Helen Opie before the copy deadline. helen.opie@surreylawsociety.org.uk 0333 577 3830

Careers

Service guilty of over 1,500 data breaches in the last year

21 Considering ethical

COVER INFORMATION Image by Niek Verlaan from Pixabay.

16th March 2021

18 Supporting Surrey: 20 Crown Prosecution

Members of the public should not seek to rely on anything published in this magazine in court but seek qualified Legal Advice.

Copy Deadline

employment rights post COVID-19

23

investment options

23 Reframing support for families following parental separation

25 Formalising ‘quick

fixes’ in the face of long-COVID

Follow us on social media @SurreyLawSoc @surreylawsociety https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8731473 SURREYLAWYER | 3

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President’s Jottings WINTER 2021

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he nightmare that was the year 2020 is over. But was it the worst year ever?

When I became President of SLS at the AGM in November 2019, we had plans in place for a great 2020, building on our successes of recent years and strengthening relationships.

Things got off to an excellent start after having had good and positive conversations with our patrons and supporters about the year ahead. In February 2020, we had a well attended Conveyancing and Private Client Conference at the Mandolay in Guildford and we were set to have record numbers at a sold out Legal Brain of Surrey Quiz at the Weyside pub in March 2020. Everything seemed good with the world, but then it all changed. Just days before the quiz, the World Health Organisation declared the global Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and unprecedented restrictions on all our lives followed, as we entered lockdown for the first time on 23 March 2020.

At the time when we all hurried home at the beginning of lockdown we had no idea when it would end, but it put an end to the plans that we had. I’m fairly confident that whatever you had planned for 2020, it probably didn’t happen either.

Instead, we had to rewrite the training and events programme and quickly move over to a virtual world. Looking back, 2020 was full of completely novel and crazy experiences: toilet paper panic buying, social distancing, lockdowns, quarantines, washing and sanitising your groceries, elbow bump greetings, takeaway beer and wine and a lot of online meetings.

2020 was hailed by many as “the worst year ever”, but was it?

There are several strong contenders for that title. The final year of the First World War in 1918 was pretty bad when the Spanish flu wiped out millions around the world, and some historians say that the truly worst year ever was 536. That’s the year a volcano erupted in Iceland and the sun dimmed for a year and a half, leading to a catastrophic global cold spell. That year snow fell in summer, crops failed, people starved and a few years later a massive plague erupted that would lead to the collapse of the Roman Empire. 2020 was a bad year, but not quite that bad in my opinion.

For many of us though, 2020 was the worst year of our lifetimes because COVID-19 was everywhere and personally affected almost everyone. Many of us had to adapt, and quickly. Home working, home schooling, the blurring of work and personal life and other things, or, rather, in the case of lockdown, lack of things, were experienced that we never imagined we would have to face and this became the new normal. It was, without question, a very challenging time.

Nick Ball, President

before his time. Saying goodbye to John on behalf of SLS was probably the hardest thing I had to do as President, and less than a year after my first act as President of honouring him for his outstanding work and service to our Society, when he was made an Honorary Member in 2019. It was a shock and John left a legacy that will not be matched by many and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

While 2020 was a very challenging year, we overcame the challenges with grit and determination and by supporting and encouraging one another. While the original SLS training and events programme for 2020 had to be largely scrapped, the rewritten programme worked out very well in the end and there were some huge positives to take from it. The virtual world that we were forced to operate in made meetings with local law societies and others up and down the country much more feasible and, therefore, more frequent. Online forums proved very popular with members and we were able to collaborate and work much more closely with Surrey Junior Lawyers Division to provide a new support initiative. We have reflected on the positives to come out of the crisis and the SLS training and events programme for 2021 is very much a mix of the old and the new world – it is something that we are very excited about.

I attended many virtual meetings with the Law Society and other local law societies during 2020, including the virtual Presidents’ and Secretaries’ Conference. Nothing groundbreaking that we weren’t already doing came out of it and, in many ways, SLS was and is ahead of the curve.

2020 was one of the three worst years ever, but it has been a huge privilege to serve as President. We have a resilient legal community here in Surrey and you should all be proud of what you have achieved in very difficult circumstances. Here’s hoping for a better 2021 and beyond. ■ With my very best wishes,

Nick Ball President

We also lost John Perry. A stalwart supporter of SLS and a giant of a man, known and respected for decades, who passed years SURREYLAWYER | 5

OFFICERS

KEY OFFICERS

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

President NICK BALL TWM Solicitors LLP 65 Woodbridge Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4RD Tel: 01483 752700 Email: Nick.Ball@twmsolicitors.com

VICTORIA CLARKE (Immediate Past President) Watson Thomas Solicitors 16 Haydon Place, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4LL Tel: 01483 320114 Email: vclarke@watson-thomas.co.uk

Vice President MADELEINE BERESFORD TWM Solicitors LLP 65 Woodbridge Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4RD Tel: 01483 752742 Email: madeleine.gooding@TWMSolicitors.com

MARALYN HUTCHINSON Kagan Moss & Co 22 The Causeway, Teddington TW11 0HF Tel: 020 8977 6633 Fax: 020 8977 0183 Email: maralyn.hutchinson@kaganmoss.co.uk

Deputy Vice President MUMTAZ HUSSAIN M: 07983 488 351 mumtaz1uk@gmail.com Hon. Secretary KIERAN BOWE Russell-Cooke Solicitors Bishops Palace House, Kingston Bridge, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 1QN DX 31546 Kingston upon Thames Tel: 020 8541 2041 Fax: 020 8541 2009 Email: kieran.bowe@russell-cooke.co.uk Hon. Treasurer VICTORIA CLARKE Watson Thomas Solicitors 16 Haydon Place, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4LL Tel: 01483 320114 Email: vclarke@watson-thomas.co.uk

SUB-COMMITTEES CONVEYANCING & LAND LAW Maralyn Hutchinson

KAREN GRIMM Morrisons Solicitors Prospero, 73 London Road, Redhill RH1 1LQ Tel: 01276 401 689 Email: karen.grimm@morrlaw.com

STRATEGIC PLANNING & FINANCE Kieran Bowe Nick Ball Victoria Clarke Madeleine Beresford James Scozzi

GERARD SANDERS Hart Brown Resolution House, Riverview, Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4UX DX 2403 Guildford 1 Tel: 01483 887704 Fax: 01483 887758 Email: gts@hartbrown.co.uk

SOCIAL James Scozzi Gerard Sanders Victoria Clarke Nick Ball

JAMES SCOZZI Elite Law Solicitors 1 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1BR DX: 14 London Chancery Lane Tel: 020 3440 5506 Fax: 01923 219416 Email: jscozzi@elitelawsolicitors.co.uk LAW SOCIETY COUNCIL MEMBERS SUSHILA ABRAHAM S Abraham Solicitors 290A Ewell Road, Surbiton KT6 7AQ Tel: 020 8390 0044 Email: office@sabrahamsolicitors.co.uk ALASTAIR LOGAN Pound House, Skiff Lane, Wisborough Green, West Sussex RH14 DAG Email: alastairdwlogan@btinternet.com

Membership details Annual Subscriptions: £98 per person, per year Corporate Subscriptions: £1,850 per year (20+ fee earners) Solicitor: £60 (not in private practice) Solicitor: £35 (not practising) Honorary Membership: Free Associate Membership: Free – no voting rights 6 | SURREYLAWYER

Chief Executive & Magazine Editor HELEN OPIE Surrey Law Society c/o Russell-Cooke Solicitors, Bishop’s Palace House, Kingston Bridge, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 1QN Web: www.surreylawsociety.org.uk Tel: 0333 577 3830 Email: helen.opie@surreylawsociety.org.uk

SURREY JUNIOR LAWYERS DIVISION Yasmin Curry (Chair) Kate Lewis Adele Edwards Martin Whitehorn Alexandra Milson Sonay Erten Asta Asaka Tilly Greenstreet-Carter Daniel Crate Sapphira Gold Tabitha Lee Victoria Batstone Chantelle de Filippis Beth Duffy Joshua Day Email: surreyjuniorlawyersdivision@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ young-surrey-lawyers Instagram: jld_surrey Twitter: @YSL_Live / @SurreyJLD

To apply for membership please contact: Helen Opie, Chief Executive Surrey Law Society c/o Russell-Cook Solicitors Bishop’s Palace House, Kingston Bridge, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 1QN Web: www.surreylawsociety.org.uk Email: helen.opie@surreylawsociety.org.uk Tel: 0333 577 3830

INTRODUCTION

CEO Report WINTER 2021

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s 2020 draws to a close, it is hard not to reflect on how much has changed since my report this time last year. Who could have imagined that the world would change so dramatically and that so many would have to face such enormous challenges. It has been a difficult year for many of our members but I very much hope that with the rollout of vaccines now imminent, 2021 brings fresh hope for you all.

book with complete confidence that should a further wave of the pandemic occur, your booking will be automatically transferred to a new date for any postponements or fully refunded in the event of a total cancellation.

2020 has also brought its own challenges for the Surrey Law Society, as we have had to adapt our membership offering, following the cancellation of all our in-person events, courses and meetings. We very much hope that during this difficult period, you have found support from our webinars, courses, online forums and website guidance. Whilst not how we had imagined the year to run, we have enjoyed embracing new technologies and expanding our engagement with members in different ways.

■ Leon Hutchinson, Director of Assurance at PwC UK, who will give members an invaluable insight into the company’s 2020 Annual Law Firms survey ‘Embracing Change to Succeed’.

■ Simon Douglas, Junior Counsel at 5 Stone Buildings, who will examine what tax planning opportunities should be considered before predicted reform to wealth taxation at the next budget.

■ Rachel Baker and Matthew Withers at 1 Crown Office Row, who will consider the significant reforms that will be brought to the personal injury market by the implementation of the Civil Liability Act in April 2021.

■ Rob May, who is the Managing Director and Founder of Godalming-based IT support firm, ramsac, but who also recently rated as one of Onalytica’s Top 10 Cyber Security speakers and is the Institute of Directors Ambassador for Cyber Security.

■ Jayne Constantinis, whose range of experience includes live announcing on BBC Television; business reporting on BBC World; fronting corporate programmes for blue-chip companies and facilitating large, complex live events. Her BBC TV series on Mexico was nominated for a BAFTA.

Most recently, we have collaborated with Surrey Junior Lawyers Division on a new initiative, ‘Supporting Surrey’, aimed at assisting members of both organisations on issues that affect them. The first programme focussed on careers support and progression and included webinars on a range of topics, as well as individual careers clinics with legal recruiter Chadwick Nott. More information on the programme can be found later in the magazine.

Moving into 2021, we are excited to announce that we will be offering members a hybrid programme of training and events, which merges the new virtual initiatives with a return to our usual in-person courses and social activities, which will reconvene in Spring. We are thrilled that the programme will be the first of its kind for Surrey Law Society and will hopefully offer more variety than ever with the following different options for your training needs: ■ Free 1-hour webinars, including sessions on practice management, people and communication skills, the Civil Liability Act and cyber security.

■ Free Online Forums for private client practitioners and conveyancers, offering members the opportunity to share views and best practice with their peers in a confidential setting.

■ 2-hour online courses covering a range of topics for private client practitioners, conveyancers and family lawyers.

■ 3-hour in-person courses held at the Mandolay Hotel in Guildford and featuring the return of some of our most popular speakers, including Richard Snape, David Keighley, John Bunker, Peter Warner, Richard Land, Professor Lesley King and more.

We will also see the return of our social events programme, which will resume in May, beginning with our Legal Brain of Surrey Quiz. We will also be preparing for the return of our Past President’s Championship Cup at Daytona, Sandown Park, and introducing a new Golf Challenge Cup and President’s Dinner later in the year. We will be ensuring that all our inperson activities adhere entirely to COVID safe procedures and Government guidance and have already been in touch with all of our venues about how things can be run safely. Members can

We are delighted to see the return of many of our most popular speakers for next year’s programme but are also thrilled to be introducing some new experts to the schedule, including:

These are just a few of the new names that have been added to the programme, and we look forward to welcoming them and many more next year.

One final occasion in the 2021 calendar will be the return of our SLS Legal Awards, which will be held on Thursday 16th September at the Mandolay Hotel, Guildford. We had originally rescheduled our 2020 awards to take place on Thursday 4th March, and had hoped that it would be possible to hold these safely at that time. However, after careful consideration, the committee has agreed that this will not be possible and we will therefore focus all our efforts on making the 2021 Awards the highlight of our events calendar in September. There is more information on the categories overleaf, and any member who has already submitted nominations for the 2020 Awards will automatically have these moved to 2021.

As always, I would like to thank our patrons for their continued support of the Society, particularly during these difficult times, they are HFS Milbourne, DPS Software, Finders International and Moneypenny. I am also delighted to welcome new patron LawSure Insurance, who will be partnering with the Society in 2021. LawSure Insurance is a leading independent broker specialising in innovative insurance solutions for solicitors and their clients; please do visit their website at www.lawsureinsurance.co.uk to see how they could assist you.

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LOCAL NEWS

Continued from previous page

All that remains is for me to wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year. I do hope that 2021 brings with it fresh hope and optimism for the year ahead and that everyone is able to enjoy some much needed time with family and friends when the restrictions are temporarily relaxed. ■

– PAT R O N S –

Very best wishes, www.hfsmilbourne.co.uk

www.dpssoftware.co.uk

www.findersinternational.co.uk

Helen Opie

Chief Executive & Magazine Editor

www.moneypenny.com

www.lawsureinsurance.co.uk

T. 0333 5773830 E. helen.opie@surreylawsociety.org.uk @SurreyLawSoc

Lastly, I could not conclude this report without commenting on how incredibly sad we all were at Surrey Law Society to learn of the passing of our dear friend, John Perry. John was so supportive of all we do at the Society and incredibly kind to me when I took on the role of CEO. He will be missed by so many of us and our events will not be the same without his presence.

The committee is considering the best way to commemorate John, so that he is always remembered by Surrey Law Society members and will have news on this over the coming months. In the meantime, we send our very best wishes to Rosemary and the family, and to all at Palmers Solicitors.

@surreylawsociety

Helen Opie (Chief Executive at Surrey Law Society) LinkedIn SLS Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8731473

Charles Russell Speechlys receives outstanding endorsements in Chambers UK & Chambers High Net Worth Guides

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harles Russell Speechlys’ Guildford office has received significant endorsements in Chambers & Partners UK – a highly respected guide which, following extensive research, lists the top ranking law firms and lawyers across the UK. The Guildford office’s private wealth practice also received an outstanding endorsement in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2020.

In Chambers UK, for the South of England, Charles Russell Speechlys’ Guildford office is recognised in nine legal categories, with five of these in Band 1 rankings: Construction, Corporate/M&A: Lower Mid-Market (South); Family/Matrimonial, Real Estate Litigation and Restructuring/Insolvency.

A total of 24 Guildford-based lawyers have been singled out with individual rankings, with three lawyers, Noel Wardle (Professional Discipline), Ingrid Saffin (Real Estate) and Andrew Keeley (Construction) all gaining improved individual rankings. William Rollin (Family/Matrimonial) is included in the guide for the first time.

Charles Russell Speechlys is an international law firm, with UK offices in London, Guildford and Cheltenham. The firm ranked highly nationwide, with 73 lawyers and 41 of its practice areas selected for the prestigious directory.

Chambers High Net Worth (HNW) Guide 2020: South of England In the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2020 – a publication aimed at the international private wealth market – Charles Russell Speechlys’ private client team in Guildford is described as “a

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Duncan Elson very high-quality, technically brilliant, client-focused team across a broad range of services, such as private client and family law.”

Five lawyers were singled out as notable practitioners: Sally Ashford (Tax, Trusts and Succession), Duncan Elson (Private Wealth Disputes), Samantha Ewing (Private Wealth Disputes), Rebecca Piper (Private Wealth Disputes) and Gareth Walliss (Tax, Trusts & Succession).

Duncan Elson, Partner and Head of Charles Russell Speechlys in Guildford commented, “I am very proud of the achievements of our exceptional teams in Guildford and across the rest of the firm in the UK. We continue to grow our reputation for excellence across a wide range of disciplines and it is great to receive these strong endorsements in such highly regarded publications.”

Charles Russell Speechlys’ listings in the Chambers directories follows on from its recent endorsements in Legal 500 2020 in which the firm was recognised in 67 categories nationally, with Charles Russell Speechlys’ Guildford-based office being ranked as a Tier 1 firm in 14 categories for law firms in the South East.

Charles Russell Speechlys employs over 160 staff in its Guildford office at One London Square and provides a full range of services to businesses and private clients in the region, backed by the resources of an international law firm. ■

LOCAL NEWS

Moore Barlow receives top rankings in Chambers & Partners UK 2021 guide

Moore Barlow partner authors new definitive legal guide to farming partnerships

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op 100 UK law firm Moore Barlow has gained widespread recognition in Chambers & Partner UK 2021 rankings, one of the UK’s leading guides to the country’s top lawyers and law firms.

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This is the first time Moore Barlow has featured in the directory since the merger between Moore Blatch and Barlow Robbins in May 2020. The combination of both legacy firm’s strengths has resulted in Moore Barlow receiving recognition for 13 practices, all ranked in the top three bands, with 33 individually ‘Ranked Lawyers’, and a total of 41 lawyers recommended overall.

Philip’s book – entitled “A Practical Guide to the Law of Farming Partnerships” – explores the myriad legal issues faced by farming families and covers a range of aspects of farming partnerships, including the need for commerciality and succession planning. Replete with practical examples, the book provides an overview of the main issues that those entering into farming partnerships may come across, along with the guidelines and strategies to help and support all those involved in advising on such partnerships.

The firm’s Southampton-based Rural services team has been awarded the top Band 1 ranking, with Managing Partner Ed Whittington acknowledged as an Eminent Practitioner for Agricultural and Rural Law. In addition, Moore Barlow’s highly renowned Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams are ranked as Band 1 for their claimant work across Southampton and Guildford & surrounds, along with nine ‘Ranked Lawyers’, reflecting the team’s depth and strength.

Moore Barlow has also been recognised amongst national firms for its work in the Education sector, with the team ranked as Band 2 and Partner Ben Collingwood being newly included as a ‘Ranked Lawyer’ alongside Joanna Lada-Walicki.

Chambers also distinguished two Moore Barlow partners – Daisy Waldren (Real Estate) and Rebecca Chaplin (Restructuring & Insolvency) – as “Up and Coming” individuals and recognised the important work of the firm’s junior team with five Moore Barlow associates listed as “Associates to watch” including Eman Hassan (Personal Injury), Victoria Jones (Clinical Negligence), Rebecca Langmead (Agricultural and Rural Affairs), Adam McRae-Taylor (Education) and Sarah French (Family).

Ed Whittington, managing partner of Moore Barlow, comments: “The fact that so many of our team have been individually recognised as leading practitioners in their field is a testament to the quality of our people, and their dedication and commitment to providing Ed Whittington outstanding expertise, support and advice to our clients across our key focus areas. Even amidst the challenges of COVID-19, it is extremely gratifying to celebrate the hard work, dedication and progression of so many individuals within the Moore Barlow team.”

oore Barlow is pleased to announce that partner Philip Whitcomb has authored a new book which is set to become the definitive legal guide for farming partnerships in England and Wales.

A widely respected lawyer in his field, Philip has extensive knowledge and practical experience dealing with all aspects of estate planning, particularly for farmers and landed estate owners, as well as farming partnerships. Legal 500 recognised that Philip’s “knowledge of will, trust and partnerships as they relate to our agricultural clients makes him one of the top people in the country” and further commented that “his draft of wills, deeds and particularly partnership agreements is exceptional.”

The book is now available to order from www.lawbriefpublishing.com.

Philip Whitcomb, Partner at Moore Barlow comments: “Many professionals will be familiar with partnerships and how they work but few will truly understand the nuances and complexities of a farming partnership. With high values of land and an increasingly elderly farming population, Philip Whitcomb the risk levels for advising in this area of law continue to increase significantly. This book endeavours to help practitioners keep abreast of these issues, and to recognise all the key intricacies surrounding farming partnerships.” ■

The full rankings, including all ranked Moore Barlow lawyers can be accessed at https://chambers.com/law-firm/moorebarlow-llp-uk-1:294. ■ SURREYLAWYER | 9

LOCAL NEWS

Richard King

Stevens & Bolton strengthens Litigation Practice with 5 new hires S

tevens & Bolton LLP has today announced the appointment of five new hires to its successful litigation practice: Senior Associate, Jack Bailey and Associates Kate O’Callaghan, Elizabeth Butler, Alasdair McDowell and Hayley Robinson. Both Jack and Hayley are specialists in contentious trusts and estates disputes, while Kate, Elizabeth and Alasdair have a breadth of expertise advising clients across a range of commercial disputes and sectors.

Commenting on the new hires, Head of Dispute Resolution Sarah Murray said: “I am delighted to welcome all the new joiners to our team. The expansion of the team will help allow us to supplement our existing capabilities and service our growing client base. Both the commercial litigation and contentious trusts practices have gone from strength to strength in the past 12 months and we are delighted to be adding to our well established teams to provide even more support to clients who need assistance with resolving disputes both domestically and internationally”.

The firm’s dispute resolution team (which includes contentious trusts) now has 25 lawyers and is one of the largest, and most well-recognised, contentious legal practices in the South East.

The team works closely with the firm’s wider specialist practices, including property and construction litigation, intellectual property and insolvency, advising on the resolution of disputes for a wide range of clients ranging from owner managed businesses and entrepreneurs to UK and foreign multi-nationals.

Much of the team’s work is international and cross-border in nature, in particular with extensive experience in international arbitration. The team also has considerable expertise in a range of market sectors, with particular strength in the life sciences, insurance, retail/franchising, fraud and cybersecurity sectors.

The announcement follows the firm being featured earlier this month in The Times Best Law Firms 2021 listing, in particular being commended for its commercial dispute resolution team. The firm was also named “Law Firm of the Year: the Independents” at this year’s The Lawyer Awards. ■

L to R: Jack Bailey, Kate O’Callaghan, Elizabeth Butler, Alasdair McDowell and Hayley Robinson.

Guildford firm Stevens & Bolton named law firm of the year

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uildford law firm Stevens & Bolton LLP has been named Law Firm of the Year: The Independents at The Lawyer Awards 2020, one of the most highly-regarded awards in the legal sector and the largest celebration of legal excellence in Europe.

The firm was selected for this prestigious award, ahead of six other firms from across the UK, by a judging panel of legal experts. The award was announced last week via a virtual awards ceremony. The criteria assessed by the judges included evidence of strategic vision and strong leadership, strong financial management and growth, innovation in client service delivery, significant client wins and excellent talent management. This landmark success comes after the firm was highly commended last year in the category ‘Regional/Offshore Firm of the Year’ at the 2019 Legal Business Awards.

The firm has also been included, for the second year in a row, in The Times Best Law Firms 2021 listing, which highlights the top 200 legal practices in England and Wales plus Scotland’s top 40, as chosen by lawyers.

Managing Partner, Richard King commented: “We are thrilled to have won this highly prestigious award and to feature once again in The Times Best Law Firms listing. It is a fantastic achievement for the firm and reflects the hard work of everyone here. My thanks go to all of them for the part they have played in making the firm what it is today.” ■

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REPORT

The Law Society Report W

e have all been affected in numerous ways by the Coronavirus and the restrictions that have been implemented to keep us safe. Solicitors, and the legal profession overall, are no different. Members across England and Wales face the same challenges as everyone else: from how to keep themselves, their employees and their clients safe; to how to keep their businesses viable; and dealing with the physical and mental impact of the pandemic. The Law Society of England and Wales has continued to work diligently throughout the last ten months to support our members during the turbulence brought on by the Coronavirus crisis. All of our guides and resources are available on our website, which I would encourage you to review.1 However, as the year draws to a close, I would like to shine a light a key piece of the Society’s work that you may have missed during the pandemic; namely our work on supporting the profession through the end of the Brexit transition period.

The Law Society have been undertaking high profile work of vital interest to the solicitor profession and have been making continuous representations on behalf of our members in advance of the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Following the referendum, the Society set out key priorities for legal services and the justice system as part of any agreement: ■ Access for lawyers to practice law and base themselves in the UK and EU and EFTA member states ■ Civil, commercial and family judicial co-operation, including recognition and enforcement of judgements and respect for choice of jurisdiction clauses across the EU ■ Collaboration in policing, security and criminal justice ■ Legal certainty throughout the process of withdrawal ■ Government collaboration with the legal services sector to continue to promote England and Wales as the governing law of contracts, the jurisdiction of choice and London as the preferred seat of arbitration These priorities have been the basis of work influencing stakeholders in both the UK and EU. The Law Society have been continuously engaging with a number of these key stakeholders to discuss the legal sector priorities for the EU negotiations.

These include: the lord chancellor; solicitor general; justice minister and business minister. We have also had regular contact with civil servants in the Ministry of Justice, the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We have repeatedly met with MPs and peers on our Brexit priorities and have given written evidence to over 15 select committees, and oral evidence a further seven times.

This led to our policy recommendations being included in several reports and has been key to ensuring stakeholders in parliament and the EU are aware and receptive of our members’ priorities and concerns.

The Law Society have been actively engaging with the profession in Greater London, the South East and East to share our knowledge of the issues surrounding Brexit with our members, and how best to prepare as 31 December gets ever closer. We held virtual roundtables with Local Law Societies in the region, at which our then vice-president, David Greene, gave an update on the Society’s ongoing work and invited members to share their own concerns and experiences.

However, at the point of writing the risk of the UK leaving without a future relationship remains, and it is likely there will be significant changes for individual solicitors and firms. We have been clear that UK lawyers working in the EU and EFTA states should already be taking steps to ensure their continued practice after 31 December. Our international team have prepared extensive country guides of the national regulations that apply in each jurisdiction in the EU/EFTA, and have been liaising with stakeholders such as the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), as well as individual Bar Associations, to establish the conditions for UK solicitors to practice under home title after the end of the transition period.2 We have been supporting the profession by providing guidance since the referendum, and are encouraging members to review this guidance in the run up to 31 December. Some of our latest resources include a 10-step checklist3 for law firms to prepare for the end of the transition period, as well as guidance on: the impact of the end of free movement and what can be done to prepare; EU legal professional privilege; civil judicial co-operation (including on the taking of evidence, service of documents, rules on jurisdiction, alternative dispute resolution, enforcement of foreign judgements and choice of court agreements); family law (private family law and public children law) and the practice rights of EU/EFTA lawyers in the UK and UK lawyers in the EEA and Switzerland.4 We have numerous webinars and podcasts available regarding the end of transition period that can be viewed on our website.5 A number of areas are still subject to negotiations by the UK and EU, and we shall update our guidance when the negotiations conclude. Further support will also be made available in the new year to assist members. Though this is just one example of our recent work, there are of course plenty of other examples of our areas of priority and recent successes available on our website.6 If you have not done so already, please sign up for a My LawSociety (My LS) account7 where you will be able to tailor the latest news, advice, practice notes and jobs relevant to your professional interests on a personalised dashboard. You can also add information to your Find a Solicitor profile and choose to opt-in to receive emails from your preferred Local Law Society via a tick-box.

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REPORT

Continued from previous page If you would like further information on any of the Law Society’s work mentioned above, or any other areas of interest, please do not hesitate in contacting me. ■

Beth Quinn

Relationship Management Executive London, South East The Law Society E: beth.quinn@lawsociety.org.uk T: 02080493755 @LSLondonandSE

1. Please visit the Law Society’s Coronavirus page for all the latest updates and guidance 2. The Law Society’s country guides on practice rights: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.

3. The Law Society’s 10 step checklist 4. The Law Society’s guidance: the impact of the end of free movement and what can be done to prepare; EU legal professional privilege; EU data flows; civil judicial cooperation (including on the taking of evidence, service of documents, rules on jurisdiction, alternative dispute resolution, enforcement of foreign judgements and choice of court agreements); family law (private family law and public children law) and the practice rights of EU/ EFTA lawyers in the UK and UK lawyers in the EEA and Switzerland 5. The Law Society’s podcasts and webinars on Brexit 6. www.lawsociety.org.uk 7. MyLawSociety account

Council Members Report

By Sushila Abraham, Council Member

W

e now approach the end of 2020 which has changed our lives and the way we work. Hopefully with the advent of a vaccine we can look forward to a better year next year. That does not mean that the damage this pandemic has done to all of us and our businesses will be easy to overcome but we are a resilient profession and are used to uphill climbs. Some of us may need more help than others so I ask that you look out for colleagues who may be finding recovery difficult and lend a hand if you can. Sometimes just listening is all that is needed.

But reach out and make sure that you are there for those who need it.

We have a lost a friend and former Council Member John Perry who sadly passed away on 12th October 2020. John served Surrey as one of its Council Members for many years and sat on many of the Law Society Committees. We told him on his retirement how much his service to his fellow solicitors and contribution was valued. Due to the COVID restrictions his funeral took place on 6th November and SLS was represented by our President Nick Ball who was offered a place at the funeral because of John’s long membership of SLS and its predecessors.

It has been a very different experience taking part in virtual Council and Committee meetings and the AGM was held virtually, too, for the first time. We extend a warm welcome to our new President David Greene, Vice President Stephanie Boyce and Deputy Vice President Lubna Shuja. Simon Davis, the Office Holders and the whole team at Chancery Lane have done a great job helping the profession in these dark times and fighting our corner on a wide variety of issues.

As you are all aware, at the AGM there was a Motion before members to vote on the changes that my fellow Council Member had reported in the last SLS magazine. A timetable has been set and both Alastair and I continue to urge all of you to update your MyLaw Society in order for you to receive the ballot.

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Please do look at the report from Alastair in the Autumn magazine. Please also check the SLS website for updates and also the dates for voting.

Sushila Abraham

I know a number of you have been in contact with me in relation to preparing digital bundles for the court in family matters.

I have been informed by the Policy Adviser-Modernising Justice at the Law Society that emails transmitted via the gsi (government secure intranet) network and other equivalent secure Government networks, can send, and receive from CJSM accounts. More information about signing up to this service is available at www.cjsm.justice.gov.uk. If you have any other queries, then please do not hesitate to contact myself or Alastair. I have also raised issues relating to delays in receiving the Grant of Probate and have been informed that HMRC and HMCTS are having ongoing discussions to see what can be done to alleviate delays.

The Law Society continues with its “Reset, Resilience and Recovery” campaign for COVID. So, if members have any specific views around the impact of COVID, we would like to hear from you. There are consultations on Modern slavery offences guideline consultation, Legal Guidance on Rape and Sexual Offences and the consultations close in January 2021.

Please do get involved in consultations as it does help to hear from members.

If you have any matters that you wish to raise with the Law Society, please do not hesitate to contact me or Alastair. As we approach Christmas, I would like to take the opportunity of wishing all of you Good Wishes during this festive season and a prosperous and healthy 2021. Please stay safe and well. ■

REPORT

Surrey Junior Lawyers Division Report

T

he 1st November saw many more committee members join Surrey JLD, who all impressed with the skills they had to offer and the shared vision of making life better for our peers.

Adele Edwards joined as our second Events Representative, sharing the responsibilities with the incumbent Kate Lewis. I continue in my role as one of the Social Media and Publication Representatives, administering the LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. I also became the National JLD Representative, where I represent Surrey’s junior lawyers at the committee meetings of The Law Society’s national Junior Lawyers Division. I am pleased to have my fellow Social Media and Publication Representative Alexandra Milson running our Instagram account, not to mention her flair for graphic design (look at the poster she made for our Christmas event to see what I mean).

Improving others’ well-being is at the heart of what we want for Surrey JLD members and it is a pleasure to gain our specialist Wellness Representative, Sonay Erten. Sonay has hit the ground running in her new role, having made a Wellness Hub on our website and written our first blog.

Helping the best talent become solicitors, whether or not you are already working in a law firm, is such a key aspect to what we do that it deserved several new committee members. Our Diversity & Inclusion Representative, Asta Asaka, is joined in this work

by CILEx Representative Daniel Crate, Student Representative Tabitha Lee, Career Changer Representative Sapphira Gold and In-House Representative Tilly Greenstreet-Carter.

Maintaining strong links to Surrey Law Society is important to us. Beth Duffy has moved from being our National JLD Representative to our Law Society one, along with becoming our Secretary. Joshua Day continues in his role as Treasurer and has passed the Sponsorship Representative torch to Victoria

Batstone. Chantelle De Filippis has become Media & Communications Representative, and our Chair Yasmin Curry continues to be the glue that binds us together.

In the past few months we have: carried out a joint careers initiative with Surrey Law Society “Supporting Surrey: Careers” for current and aspiring solicitors navigating the journey to their next role, particularly in a virtual setting, with an increasingly virtual world; run our regular Cocoa With The Committee to let our members connect and network, and given a presentation to Guildford and Reading’s University of Law students together with JLD Berks, Bucks and Oxon. Perhaps the most fun event of the year was the JLD mixer we enjoyed on 11 November 2020 including committee members of not only Surrey JLD, but JLD Berks, Bucks and Oxon (to whom we are grateful for taking the lead in organising), Herts JLD, and Northants Bucks JLD! We answered quizzes, played Pictionary and at the end of the evening Surrey JLD had won!

Like the Junior Lawyers Division, membership with us is free. If you're a junior lawyer, you're a member. Our members currently include LPC and BPC students and graduates, paralegals, chartered legal executives, conveyancers, trainee solicitors, solicitor apprentices, solicitors of up to 5 years’ PQE, pupil barristers and junior barristers of up to 5 years’ practice.

All you have to do to keep up to date with our events is send an email asking to be added to our mailing list to: surreyjuniorlawyersdivision@gmail.com. ■

Martin Whitehorn

Surrey Junior Lawyers Division

SURREYLAWYER | 13

EVENTS

SLS LEGAL AWARDS 2021

Thursday 16th September 2021, The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford

– Award Categories & Criteria – NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

and member firms and individuals are invited to make submissions in one of the following 10 categories.

The nomination process couldn’t be simpler, visit www.surreylawsociety.org.uk/events/152, click on the category you would like to enter, and download the nomination form to assist you in preparing your submission. Once you’ve completed the entry, use the handy criteria checklist at the end of the document to ensure you’ve covered everything and submit this with any supporting documentation you wish to send to helen.opie@surreylawsociety.org.uk.

1. Private Client Lawyer of the Year The judges will accept nominations based on one outstanding matter worked on during the last year or on the overall performance of the individual during that year. The nominee must be able to demonstrate that he/she has delivered exceptional client outcomes. Please explain the single greatest achievement of the past 12 months in one or more of the following: client service, innovation or exceptional client outcome/s.

2. Property Lawyer of the Year

3. Law Firm of the Year

We will accept entries from both commercial and residential property Lawyers and landlord and tenant specialists. The nominee must be able to demonstrate that he/she has delivered exceptional client outcomes. Please explain the single greatest achievement of the past 12 months in one or more of the following: client service, innovation or exceptional client outcome/s.

The firm must be able to show significant progress and development as a business within the last 12 months. Evidence of this can include details of growth, strategy, financial performance, employee development, training and diversity. The firm must also be able to demonstrate that it has a rounded approach to the delivery of legal services, and that it is working in the best interest of not only its clients but the profession overall.

4. Rising Star of the Year

5. Paralegal of the Year

The nominee needs to show a sizeable level of involvement within the profession and/or the area in which they practice and provide evidence of any significant obstacle/s they have overcome.

Evidence in relation to how and why the nominee has “risen” over the past 12 months is advised.

This award recognises the key role paralegals play in our justice system. The nominee will be an exceptional individual who consistently makes contributions to the legal profession whether in client care, business development, training or otherwise and who acts as an inspiration to other paralegals through their knowledge of the law, perseverance in cases, professional and personal development and superior skill set. The nominee must also demonstrate a commitment to continuing legal education.

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EVENTS

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country and there is no sign of restrictions easing in the immediate future, the Society has taken the decision to cancel the 2020 SLS Legal Awards, which had been rescheduled to take place on Thursday 4th March 2021. The Society will instead focus on the 2021 Awards programme, which will culminate in our usual celebrations at The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford on Thursday 16th September 2021.

6. Support Team Member of the Year This year we are welcoming nominations from colleagues or clients for secretaries, cashiers and other support team members who support Surrey Law Society members. Nominees must demonstrate a special contribution to their organisation or to specific clients, showing dedication and commitment that goes ‘the extra mile’.

Nominations are open for the 2021 Awards and we would encourage all members to make submissions in the categories listed here. If you had submitted a nomination for the 2020 awards, we will automatically transfer your entry to the 2021 programme, however, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like the opportunity to update these.

7. Lawyer of the Year The nominee must be a Lawyer who goes “above and beyond” in both his/ her colleagues’ eyes as well as those of the clients. This might be demonstrable in a specific case or work done in relation to a particular area of Law. The nominee may also have proposed and put in place a business solution that proved beneficial to the firm overall or to his/her client, or both. The nominee should also be able to show strong management and leadership skills.

8. Family Lawyer of the Year

9. Litigation Lawyer of the Year

The nominee must demonstrate excellence within the field of family law through their practice. The nominee must also show that they have provided an outstanding quality of legal service for their clients and demonstrated teamwork within their firm, with external lawyers and/or other professionals.

The judges will accept nominations based on one outstanding matter worked on during the last year or on the overall performance of the individual during that year from those who practice in any area of litigation on either the Claimant and/or Defendant side. The nominee must be able to demonstrate that he/she has delivered exceptional client outcomes. Please explain the single greatest achievement of the past 12 months in one or more of the following: client service, innovation or exceptional client outcome/s.

10. Commercial / Corporate Lawyer of the Year

Could it be you?

The nominee must be able to demonstrate that he/ she has delivered exceptional client outcomes.

Please explain the single greatest achievement of the past 12 months in one or more of the following: client service, innovation or exceptional client outcome/s. Nominees will be accepted from Lawyers working in corporate finance, private equity, banking, insolvency, Intellectual Property and other commercial disciplines.

Do you have what it takes to be our Lawyer or Law Firm of the Year? Will your firm, one of your colleagues or even you be one of our Award Winners?

GO TO SURREYLAWSOCIETY.ORG.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION

SURREYLAWYER | 15

INSIGHT

SLS Insight – with Maralyn Hutchinson SURREY LAW SOCIETY Why did you join the SLS Committee?

My office location straddles Middlesex and Surrey. I have been a member of Middlesex Law Society for over 20 years and hoped to find common interests at SLS. What do you enjoy most about being on the Committee?

Every committee member has individual experiences and expertise to bring to the table. It's also a good forum for general discussion about topical issues, general and local to the Surrey constituency.

What are you looking for in new Committee Members?

Enthusiasm, and an interest in the wider legal world.

Why would you encourage someone to join the SLS? Because it is possible to try and influence change and be part of the legal landscape rather than a pure recipient.

Maralyn Hutchinson

THE PROFESSION

ABOUT YOU

When and why did you become interested in the law?

Like so many other lawyers, I was argumentative and questioned everything – I was head of the debating team at school. My uncle was a QC.

What’s your favourite film?

A 1966 French film written and directed by Claude Lelouch and starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant called A Man and A Woman.

What firm do you work at and what is your role there?

Kagan Moss in Teddington – I deal with residential property work, and probate, wills and LPAs. I handle recruitment and other office admin functions.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A brain surgeon or a make-up artist.

What is a typical day for you at work?

Coffee, stress, more stress, more coffee, stress then a 2 hour drive home.

What is the most enjoyable part of your role?

A seamless completion day, and a grant of probate with no mistakes in it.

What’s been your most memorable career highlight to date?

Many years ago, I handled a very serious criminal case that made the papers. Our leader was an ex-Home Secretary and we had 2 trials. Thanks to the Central Court taxing office, we did not make any money but I will never forget that time in my younger career, or the parties or counsel.

What’s been the hardest challenge career-wise?

Dealing with third parties.

What are the biggest challenges facing the legal profession in the next 10 years?

Insurers, freelancers, changes to the legal landscape that adversely affect the general public.

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If you were CEO of a company name one thing you would make compulsory in the office?

Lovely food provided throughout the day.

Name the 3 celebrities you most admire David Attenborough, Noel Fitzpatrick and Ru Paul.

What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

Eavesdrop in the newsroom of a national newspaper.

What's a great book you've read recently?

Elizabeth Taylor (not the actress!) – short stories.

What do you think is the greatest invention of all time and why?

Not sure – probably the internet or heart stents.

What is your favourite day of the week and why?

Saturday – I can sleep late and the next day is not usually a working day. ■

FEATURE

Balancing employment rights post COVID-19

T

o many, the impact of COVID-19 seems never-ending, not just personally but also professionally. After all, it has created a new workplace issue to manage alongside other, more familiar day-to-day responsibilities.

The pandemic has, of course, seen some interesting developments in employment law that employers might find difficult to ignore in the future.

Here are just three that may lead to significant changes in employment circles post COVID-19.

Flexible working Prior to the situation where those employees who could work from home were told that they should unless they were a key worker or absolutely had to travel to work, flexible working was not exactly popular with employers, many of whom viewed it with suspicion.

Then, in March 2020, companies were scrambling to arrange laptops and phones for their employees when they were told that they had to shut their businesses. At that point, the workingfrom-home culture that might usually only have come from a successful flexible working request became “the new norm”.

No doubt, many employers would like to bring as many staff members as possible back to the office if/when ordinary “normal” does return, but their business reasons for declining flexible working requests (particularly if those requests focus on working from home) have suffered an irredeemable setback.

The solution to this is for employers to ensure that they do have genuine business reasons why an employee cannot work from home on a regular basis.

For example, the expense and logistics of setting up an office assistant to work from home preparing trial bundles could be a clear situation where that form of flexible working might not work. However, if a solicitor can perform 5 days’ of work in 4 working days and still remain profitable, then this may well be a situation in which it is difficult to decline a flexible working request.

In other words, the same laws will continue to apply, but employers will need to think very carefully about their response when an employee utters the inevitable words “but it worked during lockdown”.

Furlough leave As we have seen, the government’s introduction of furlough leave as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic has created something of a rod not only for its own back, but potentially also for subsequent governments as well.

This is an area that we shall certainly need to watch as, even though financial support for employees goes by many names, the precedent our own brand of furlough leave is now there and will be remembered, both by employers and by employee representatives alike.

Health and safety detriment claims Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Section 100 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 was little used and little understood. It protects an employee from being dismissed for a health and safety reason in certain circumstances.

Whilst it has been used in various ways during the pandemic, its existence and potential application is now becoming far more widely known. Employers will naturally be concerned about Section 100 being applied for the wrong reasons but must tread carefully in health and safety situations all the same.

Communication is key here: as an employer, you must obtain the specific reasons from the employee why they do not wish to come into the workplace (i.e. something more than “I don’t feel safe there”), which is where your investigatory skills as a solicitor will be invaluable to you.

Your business advisers can also come into their own here.

Initially, you should commission your health and safety advisers to review the workplace and to report upon its safety (or not, as the case may be). If your employee is concerned about the journey to and/or from work, then you should also consider steps to limit the risk for them here as well (i.e. could they perform their role, partly or wholly, from home). Your human resources advisers can then assist you in communicating the outcome of these researches to the employee in question, identifying the safety of the workplace or, conversely, the steps that you are taking to ensure that it is safe.

If the employee still refuses to come into work after everything has been done to ensure that the workplace is safe, then suitable medical advisers would be the logical next step in determining the employee’s ability to work in the context of what has been done to ensure their safety. Ideally, the medical advisers should be Occupational Health consultants but, as an absolute last resort, it may be necessary to ask the employee to consult their GP. One thing is clear, however: any decision that could be interpreted as inflicting a detriment upon the employee (such as not paying them all or part of their salary or dismissing them) must only be taken after you have received detailed and informed advice from your team of employment law and human resources specialists. ■ Richard Hiron is an Associate Solicitor at TP Legal Ltd specialising in all aspects of employment law. The firm was established in Woking over 8 years ago.

When it attempted to introduce a scheme that was regarded as less supportive to employers and employees (i.e. the Job Support Scheme) the backlash was noticeable to say the least.

Whilst the presence of furlough leave in the future is something for the government to legislate for, popular demand might see radical changes to the existing law of laying staff off (which is equivalent to the US idea of furlough leave) so that it essentially becomes furlough leave.

Richard Hiron SURREYLAWYER | 17

FEATURE

Supporting Surrey: Careers I

n November, Surrey Law Society was delighted to join forces with Surrey Junior Lawyers Division to bring members of both organisations the first ‘Supporting Surrey’ programme, which focussed on Careers.

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic changes to employment around the globe. In the UK, we have seen the unemployment rate rise to 4.8% in the 3-three-month period to September 2020 and redundancies hitting a record high. Sadly the legal profession has not been exempt, and it was with this in mind that the Supporting Surrey programme was developed to provide a suite of free careers support for both the Surrey Law Society members and Surrey Junior Lawyers Division subscribers. The support took the form of individual careers clinics and three excellent webinars, and we are delighted to share the content from the first two of these here.

Our first webinar looked at ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Legal Recruitment’ and was presented by Penny Heighway, Consultant at Chadwick Nott, who summarises her session here.

WEBINAR 1 – THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON LEGAL RECRUITMENT I was at my desk throughout the first lockdown and every day spoke to lawyers at all stages of their careers – from high street firms to large international practices across the South East. It was a very worrying time for so many, especially during those early weeks.

I qualified as a Solicitor in 1998, after a delayed training contract due to recession and then experienced a further economic down turn whilst on maternity leave in 2008, during which my team went through a redundancy process. Being physically away from the office whilst that process was taking place was very unsettling. I therefore had enormous empathy (and still do) for those lawyers to whom I spoke, especially the junior lawyers, newly embarking on their careers.

After March the volume of vacancies fell almost over-night.

Understandably many law firms focused on the logistics of moving staff to working from home, and, with many hiring partners and HR teams on furlough, there was no one to progress the recruitment process. I felt most keenly for those who had handed in their notice but then were not taken on by their future firm, trainees on furlough who were not sure what impact that would have on their qualification, but perhaps most of all for those trainees whose firms were not going to survive and were looking to complete their training contracts elsewhere.

The good news is that since July the number of new roles has steadily increased as many workflows have remained constant, and, for us at Chadwick Nott August and September were very busy. Compared to the 2008/9 financial crisis, this feels different. In many practice areas the work is there, the main

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reservation firms have in making hires is uncertainty as to what the future holds, or hiring freezes imposed across the board by central management.

Although the overall number of vacancies fell dramatically, perhaps surprisingly a number of smaller regional and high street firms recruited their way through the summer and are still recruiting. Going into December legal recruitment tends to slow down but this is not a normal year and we are still seeing a number of new roles every day. We are particularly buoyant in private client, family, DR, insolvency/restructuring, residential conveyancing, court of protection and employment.

This has definitely been a challenging year for many trainees and NQs and this continues to be the case. Working from home has made it difficult to get direct supervision and there have been fewer external vacancies. However it is not all bad news.

Internal retention was good this year and once lockdown eased a number of firms looked to build their teams. I also anticipate further vacancies in the Spring as the new financial year begins.

For those whose who have had their qualification date delayed due to furlough use this time to your advantage. Be strategic in gaining useful experience and internal networking. If you are keen to qualify into a particular practice area, speak to your supervisor early to assess the likelihood of being retained. If it looks as though you will have to consider external options, then start speaking to recruiters early, six months ahead is about right.

Keep your options wide. For example if you want IP, look at commercial with an IP element. Don’t just consider private practice, look in-house, third sector, public sector.

Be as flexible as you can on location. Although traditionally employers like to see a real connection with a geographical area, we are now seeing more roles offering genuine remote working.

If you are a graduate or at the early stages of your training contract, it would be helpful to think strategically at what might be growth areas in 2021. As a direct result of COVID-19 insolvency/restructuring, insurance litigation, commercial litigation, family and private client must continue to be in demand. Planning, development and the environment is likely to be part of the economic recovery and therefore we are likely to see growth, whilst the baby boomers retiring will see a surge in demand for legal services focusing on retirement planning, securing assets for the next generation and the legalities of living arrangements for old age.

Use this time to get your CV right and make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and a professional reflection of you and your experience. A recruitment consultant can help you with this as well as preparing you properly for remote or in-person interviews.

FEATURE

Penny Heighway

I believe we are through the worst and it has been hard for many, but especially for our junior lawyers. However, much like the previous two financial crises, I am sure, in a relatively short time, junior lawyers in many practice areas will again be very highly sought after.

Penny Heighway

The second webinar in the series examined ‘Securing your Future Role – Acing the Online Interview. It was presented by Sue Lenkowski who summarises the content here.

WEBINAR 2 – SECURE YOUR FUTURE ROLE: ACING THE ONLINE INTERVIEW Since the beginning of the pandemic, most recruitment activity has moved online. When restrictions were relaxed in July, many firms continued with this approach, certainly for initial screening, as it has proved a very cost-effective way of doing things.

I don’t imagine even when we are on the other side of the pandemic that online interviewing will disappear so it’s good to have a few tips on how to ace these interviews.

Basic Tips ■ Log in no earlier than 5 minutes before your appointment ■ Dress smartly ■ Practice using the technology in advance (there are many different platforms being used – Teams, Skype and Zoom are the most common and all have idiosyncrasies depending on the device you use) ■ If you can use a laptop or large screen tablet this is preferable to a phone ■ Make sure you have a stand or if not you set up your equipment to be rigidly fixed ■ Think about what’s behind you (the book case obsession!), maybe use a background available on the software ■ Be upfront if you may have a potential interruption (childcare for example) ■ Eye contact is still really important – if it’s a panel focus eye contact on the person who asked the question, particularly if they are all in separate locations ■ Always ask at the beginning what you should do if the connection fails or quality drops ■ Get the best signal strength you can before you join, maybe ask others in your household to disconnect their devices during your interview (especially if you live with gamers!)

■ Put your phone onto silent/do not disturb and take the landline off the hook ■ Make sure everyone in your house/flat knows that you must not be disturbed ■ Try and get a headset or use earbuds, it really improves the experience and helps you project confidence General Tips ■ Research and plan for different types of interview – the most popular are competency-based and strength-based.

If the interview is competency-based research the S.T.A.R method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to help you structure your answers

■ Quite often, an initial online interview may feel like a conversation; remember it’s not a conversation and you are being assessed, so maintain a professional business-like approach whilst showing your personality appropriately ■ Always give yourself time to think before you answer – thinking time seems to last much longer in the virtual world but it’s important to assemble your thoughts, maybe take a sip of water/explain you are gathering your thoughts ■ Look for non-verbal cues from the interviewers that they have heard enough, if you are not sure, ask if they want you to continue ■ Don’t worry if you don’t appear to be getting many positive non-verbal cues back, quite often these seem to disappear in the virtual world, particularly when people are taking notes Tips for presentations as part of online interviews ■ Practice using the technology particularly around screen sharing if you are using PowerPoint ■ If you feel more comfortable standing, it’s really important to practice and remember you must limit moving around ■ In general it is easier to present virtually from a seated position and simply explain why you are doing so in the virtual environment ■ If you struggle to use PowerPoint and if it’s optional, don’t use it; even the professionals struggle Final Thoughts If the technology fails, don’t panic. After eight months of doing this, there has never been a problem that couldn’t be solved.

Whether on the prospective employer’s side or the candidate’s, we understand Wi-Fi works in mysterious ways, so don’t panic if things need to be restarted just prepare for this in advance with a positive mindset.

I have known some companies offer candidates the option of face to face or virtual and I’m often asked what should I do? There’s no right or wrong answer but if it’s first stage and travel is tricky I would opt for virtual. If it’s down to the final decisions and it’s safe to do so, I would Sue Lenkowski always say try and meet face to face. But with the current restrictions in place at the time I am writing this, I think it may be a while before people are comfortable doing this and the guidance allows.

Sue Lenkowski Our final webinar, presented by Robert Hanna, looked at Raising Your Online Profile: Networking and Business Development in a Virtual World’ and the excellent content from this will be featured in the Spring issue of the Surrey Lawyer.

The Careers programme was the first in a series of ‘Supporting Surrey’ initiatives, which will continue into 2021. If you have any areas that you believe we could support you with, please do get in touch. ■

SURREYLAWYER | 19

ARTICLE

Crown Prosecution Service guilty of over 1,500 data breaches in the last year

T

he Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has recorded 1,627 data breaches over the entirety of the 2019-20 financial year, up from 1,378 in the previous financial year, according to official figures.

The data, contained in the annual CPS report (www.cps.gov. uk/publication/cps-annual-report-and-accounts-2019-20) and analysed by Griffin Law, a leading UK litigation practice, also revealed that 59 incidents were so severe that they were reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Analysis revealed that these incidents potentially affected up to 1,346 people.

The period from January to March saw by far the largest quantity of severe personal data incidents, with 21 data handling incidents leading to loss of ABE and media discs, as well as an additional 18 incidents of unauthorised disclosure of case information, impacting a whopping 1,233 people in total.

By comparison, just 11 incidents of unauthorised disclosures of case information affected 56 people in the period of October to December 2019, 12 data handling incidents and unauthorised disclosures of case information impacted 34 people in January to March, and 23 people were impacted in April to June 2019 by 15 total personal data incidents.

In total, 1,463 of the total data breaches recorded over the entire financial year, were due to unauthorised disclosure of information, with 78 being considered ‘severe’. A further 143 of the total incidents were due to loss of electronic media and paper, and in 22 of these instances, the data was never recovered. Finally, the final 21 reported cases were due to loss of devices, including laptops, tablets and mobile phones, although only one of these devices was not eventually recovered, and no CPS data was compromised as a result.

Donal Blaney, Principal, Griffin Law, comments: “The Government’s nonchalance over these persistent threats to the UK's national cyber security is troubling. In the light of international concerns surrounding hacking and ransoms, not to mention the missing ‘papers’ included in this report from the ICO, can we be sure there aren’t more incidents that go unreported or undetected? These charts reveal very little follow-up action is ever taken and that every faith is placed in the encryption software installed on government-issued devices. To state that, ‘no CPS data has been compromised’ is a very bold claim and one which, in my opinion, requires further clarity.”

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Cyber expert Andy Harcup, VP, Absolute Software, comments: “The Crown Prosecution Service oversees some of the most sensitive data imaginable, from confidential case files to personal details of witnesses and victims in criminal trials.

Against this backdrop, these figures paint a worrying picture of the organisation’s approach to data and device security, with many incidents appearing to put the safety of individuals at risk and some so serious they required notification of the Information Commissioner’s Office.

“Moving forward, the CPS needs to up its game, with a much more rigorous approach to securing personal data. Key to this effort is ensuring that every mobile device or laptop is protected and retrievable, so that they can be wiped or frozen in the event of loss or theft. Additionally, staff need better training on how to reduce data loss incidents, to preserve the integrity and public trust in the CPS brand.” ■

ARTICLE

Iain Halket, Chair of the HFS Milbourne Investment Team considers ethical investment options as the company launches a Socially Responsible Strategic Portfolio Service (SRSPS) Iain Halket

T

here is no doubt that the popularity of socially responsible or ethical investing has skyrocketed in recent years.

“We have seen a shift in attitude amongst our clients, with investors looking for the best possible financial return coupled with socially desirable outcomes,” explained Iain Halket, Chair of HFS Milbourne Investment Team.

A key turning point has been the Blue Planet series on BBC TV which kickstarted what has become known as the ‘Attenborough effect’.

David Attenborough, the broadcaster, naturalist and all round national treasure, has created a noticeable uplift in public awareness of the need for plastic reduction and biodiversity protection and has become so influential that he gained a record breaking one million Instagram followers in less than five hours.

We are also seeing governments and businesses investing in renewable energy projects such as offshore windfarms and electric vehicles etc to meet the Paris Climate Change agreement, the ambitious assembly which brings nations together to combat climate change.

As a result of the growing interest in this area, HFS Milbourne has launched a Socially Responsible Strategic Portfolio Service (SRSPS) which combines all the benefits of ethical investing with proactive portfolio management.

“As the name suggests SRSPS allows us to hand pick appropriate investment opportunities, in line with a client’s principles, be they ethical, moral, social or environmental and very much chimes with a more socially aware mindset amongst clients which we are very keen to support.”

What is ethical investing?

A quick scan of the mainstream media and it is quite easy to see the changing landscape in terms of corporate governance.

Legal & General, for example, recently hit the headlines when it demanded that all FTSE 100 companies must have at least one board member from black, Asian or ethnic minority background by start of 2022. L&G cited Black Lives Matter protests as a ‘call to action’ and declared it would not support businesses that do not engage the BAME community at director level.

NEGATIVE SCREENING Ethical Investing Exclude Tobacco/ Oil/Armament Stocks

Responsible Investing Exclude companies with weak ESG practices

Consumers are not afraid to call out firms when things go wrong either. Despite its phenomenal success, the online retailer and fashion giant, Boohoo was recently under the spotlight when an investigation by The Sunday Times alleged that textile workers producing clothes for the company’s suppliers were being paid far below the UK minimum wage (£8.72), while working in unsafe conditions. As a result of this exposé, Boohoo’s market value fell by a third.

In terms of choosing which companies to invest in, there are three central pillars which can be used to measure the sustainability and societal impact of a business operation i.e. Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance, often referred to as ESG. An initial step is to eliminate businesses that an investor many find objectionable for moral or ethical reasons such as those operating in the oil or tobacco industries (known as negative screening) whilst supporting those with good ESG credentials such as a company that provides for the local community (positive screening).

Ethical investing: negative and positive screening helps identify ESG businesses “There is currently no industry standard for what constitutes acceptable ESG credentials and sometimes it is more about what just does or doesn’t feel acceptable,” added Iain.

Take for example, the mining specialist Rio Tinto, which came under immense scrutiny when it was given permission to access a sacred 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site in order to expand an iron ore mine. But the works extended to blowing up ancient caves which should have been preserved and did not form part of the original plan. The public backlash was immense and ultimately led to the resignation of Rio Tinto’s CEO. On the other hand, a company currently operating within the energy sector could be transitioning to renewable energy sources with a target to eliminate all fossil fuels by 2030.

Although this company might initially fail to clear the negative screening process, it could be considered an attractive investment opportunity by many people, particularly those taking a longer-term view.

Continued on next page POSITIVE SCREENING

Sustainable Investing Companies investing to make positive benefits to society

Impact Investing Investments directly targeting significant social benefits

ESG Integration

Shareholder Engagement

ESG criteria used to Actively engaging select companies companies to improve ESG standards.

SURREYLAWYER | 21

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Continued from previous page “The point I’m making is that there is a lot of subjectivity and perhaps over time we will see the introduction of a grading system for ESG credentials, particularly within listed companies, which could be used as measure of ‘invest ability’.”

In the meantime, HFS Milbourne uses Morningstar, the financial research specialist and rating agency RSM to carry out further due diligence on fund managers and the selection criteria they use to screen potential investment opportunities. This adds a further layer of qualitative assessment to the mix prior to committing any client funds.

How often is the performance of funds reviewed?

All funds are monitored on an ongoing basis and the HFS Investment Team meet quarterly to ensure that portfolios are automatically rebalanced in line with their tactical asset allocation.

An annual review takes place on 1 December when clients are informed of any specific advice or recommendations that we advise. Clients can review our recommendations before any updates are made.

For further information on HFS Milbourne’s Socially Responsible Strategic Portfolio Service (SRSPS) please contact Iain Halket on 01483 468888.

The selection of funds Although the choice of asset classes in this niche is limited to cash, equities and fixed-interest investments, our approach is to invest in the widest range of funds across different asset classes and industry sectors, in line with a client’s attitude to risk. This helps reduce the impact of market volatility and thereby limits the risk of capital loss, whilst generating more consistent returns over the medium to long term.

HFS Milbourne Financial Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and specialises in wealth management, pensions, finance on divorce, mortgages, employee benefits and corporate financial planning.

“By not ‘putting all your eggs in one basket,’ there is scope to generate income from several sources, as we all know asset classes can react differently to the same economic event.”

Iain Halket

Further information: www.hfsmilbourne.co.uk.

Telephone: 01483 468888. ■

HFS Milbourne

Cloud technologies enable better client service L

ast year was incredibly challenging for law firms to meet the needs of their clients. While circumstances remain largely uncertain for 2021, there is no better time to think about designing the future of their legal services.

What’s most important to recognise is that over the past year clients have grown more accustomed to technology and are using it more. With this change, clients are also shifting their expectations when working with professional service providers.

How has technology become more vital to clients?

■ 50% say they are more comfortable with technology ■ 52% say they are using technology more ■ 58% say technology is more important to them now than before the pandemic ■ 53% say cloud technology is a necessity to them As clients adopt these technologies, they also grow more accustomed to the ease and convenience of solutions like video conferencing software, and the time-saving benefits they provide. The fact that they can connect face to face without leaving their home or office vastly reduces commute times and allows more flexibility within the context of other personal and professional commitments. The same advantages apply to paperless workflows, which are fast and easy, and help keep a clear record of communications.

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Most law firms have already adjusted how they operate in some form or another, and much of this shift has seen firms adopt more online cloud technologies to support remote work—both among staff and with clients. What many firms are also realising is that these shifts will likely be in many ways both permanent and irreversible.

These are just some of the findings from Clio’s recent Legal Trends Report, which is based on aggregated and anonymised data from tens of thousands of legal professionals. Based on the research, lawyers should be looking at how to use cloudbased technologies to expand virtual and remote systems to better serve the needs of clients.

To learn more about how Clio can support innovation at your law firm, visit www.clio.com/uk. ■

ARTICLE

What about me?

Reframing support for families following parental separation Karen Barham

Report by the Family Solutions Group

The Family Solutions Group The Family Solutions Group is a sub-group of the Private Law Working Group. It is a multi-disciplinary group with broad and deep expertise in working with separated families in and out of court. We have been tasked with bringing fresh and focused attention to improving the experiences of separating families away from the Family Court where it is safe to do so.

The issue Every year, around 280,000 children see their parents separate in the UK. How those separations are handled will affect the rest of their lives. The current system is failing many children and their parents, and this affects society as a whole. The financial cost to the tax payer of family failure is now £51bn up from £37bn pa 10 years ago.

The context When parents separate, the reflex action for many is to frame parenting disagreements as legal disputes. If you have a toothache you go to the dentist; if you have an issue following separation you go to court. Too many parents who separate on difficult terms expect to fight over their competing ‘rights’, rather than cooperate over their shared ‘responsibilities’.

Family breakdown is painful. When people are anxious and/or angry they are extremely vulnerable to manipulation. They need support and an approach that focusses their energy into putting their children above their own hurt feelings; an approach that steers them away from the courts.

We need to shift what are seen as ‘custody battles’ into long term goals of cooperative parenting. Unless there are safety concerns a child should be able to enjoy a close and loving relationship with both parents; one parent does not have the right to stop or sabotage that.

A ‘justice system’ response to parenting disagreements is a blunt instrument for a family going through family breakdown.

If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail. Some families need the protection of the family court, but many do not.

Disagreements about children may be symptoms of unresolved emotions following relationship breakdown, and yet relational issues are not addressed in a system designed to administer justice. In practice, the adversarial nature of a justice system may only add fuel to the fire, increasing stress and conflict within the family.

Many issues currently being taken to court are not legal disputes; in fact the traditional legal response is unhelpful,

maybe even harmful, for many families. The system is designed to focus on the differences between parents not what they have in common. Sir Andrew McFarlane President of the Family Division has said “court is not the right setting for many. It provides a pitch and a referee for parents to play out further rounds in their adult contest”.

We know that conflict can be highly addictive. Some parents are frequent returners to court relying on the state as a third parent.

The courts’ precious resources should not be used to determine which platform at Clapham Junction (T v S) or which junction on the M4 (Re B) a child is handed from one parent to another.

These children deserve better.

Things have to change. As a society, we must protect children and restore their needs and rights as central in any disagreement between parents.

Key recommendations from our report: 1. A policy response. There are thirteen separate government departments responsible for families, children and family breakdown. We are proposing a more coordinated, joined-up approach across government departments to tackle the financial and human cost of family breakdown.

2. Change the cultural response to separation. Separating parents need to be steered away from acrimonious court proceedings. We are recommending a campaign of public information and education with the aim of achieving a permanent shift in cultural attitudes. For example attendance at a kite-marked Parenting Programme should become the norm as it is in other jurisdictions.

3. Put the rights and needs of children at the centre of any parental separation. All the evidence points to the detrimental effect of acrimonious court proceedings on children, often for many years to come. Research is clear that psychological harm caused by parental conflict impacts children’s long-term mental health and future life chances. Children become silent victims as their voices are drowned out in the adult conflict and childhoods are lived against a backdrop of parental conflict, often continuing for years after any legal process is completed. We propose a presumption that children age 10 and above should have the opportunity to have their voices heard.

Continued on next page SURREYLAWYER | 23

ARTICLE

Continued from previous page 4. Steer some parents to the ‘safety pathway’. There is no doubt that some families need assistance from the family courts: for example where abuse is alleged or there is the potential for harm (perhaps because of addiction or severe mental health issues). We estimate that 20-24% of families fall into these categories and in such cases safety must be prioritised above all else. We are recommending that such cases are identified early and directed onto what we have called the ‘safety pathway’. This will give them accessible and affordable support, and access to representation in court where needed.

5. Steer others to the ‘cooperative parenting pathway’.

For the remainder, we need to reframe the conversation so that a legal response is not the default option. In the absence of safety concerns, the goal must be to support parents to resolve issues in a child-focused way themselves. These families require a ‘cooperative parenting pathway’, which presumes that parental involvement, almost always in the form of contact with both parents, is beneficial to a child.

Separation can be a distressing process, and we cannot ignore the hurt and often anger that some parents feel at this time. However, we are calling for a system which holistically assesses the needs of families and offers clear routes to integrated support and therapeutic services, funded (where financially eligible), and in which

the voices of children are central. This will require better coordination of support both locally and nationally. Ultimately, parents and their children deserve a more humane response to relationship breakdown.

6. Family law professionals and the interface with the family court. There must be a greater understanding within the legal profession about the effects of parental conflict on children and relationship dynamics generally; mandatory core training is proposed. Notwithstanding an increasingly sophisticated range of non-court resolution processes parents and their lawyers continue to cling to the court.

The court must now discharge its duties under Part 3 of the Family Procedure Rules. A proposed new Part 3 Protocol with ‘teeth’ will assist the court to encourage and facilitate out of court processes by ordering a case into an out of court process and in some cases refusing to hear the matter. Further sanctions would include costs orders against parties and their lawyers for unreasonably refusing to consider or engage in an out of court process such as mediation. ■

Karen Barham

Member of the Family Solutions subgroup of the PrLWG Solicitor, Mediator, Parenting Coordinator Consultant Moore Barlow karen.barham@moorebarlow.com / DD 07774 495963

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ARTICLE

Formalising ‘quick fixes’ in the face of long-COVID

W

hen lockdowns were first enforced in March, an estimated 300 million1 office workers across the globe made the shift to remote working. Months later, despite widespread initial reservations, many law firms are embracing the transformation to working from home.

Managing partners have recognised that they’re able to operate effectively with a dispersed workforce and haven’t experienced the drop in productivity they’d anticipated. According to Gartner, 74% of organisations plan to permanently shift to more remote work post COVID-192 – including Slater & Gordon which announced it was closing its London office in September.

Love or hate homeworking, the fact is that it’s here to stay and as the UK emerges from ‘Lockdown 2.0’, it has become apparent that firms are facing long-term change. Any temporary measures put in place back in March won’t constitute a sustainable long-term solution and could hamper legal practices from transitioning successfully into this new era of remote and hybrid working.

Leading outsourced communications provider, Moneypenny, has supported the sector throughout the pandemic to ensure firms are available as and when their clients need them. Head of the Legal Sector, Bernadette Bennett, shares her advice for formalising quick fixes in the face of long COVID. Sensitive documents Solicitors handle a vast amount of sensitive materials – from contracts and clients’ identification documents to employee files. With team members working from home, confidential documents could quite easily find themselves in the wrong hands and even if staff are equipped with shredders, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be used properly.

Outsourcing this requirement to a mobile document destruction service is the most strategic way for firms to ensure that they’re protecting themselves and their clients. Employees are provided with sealable bags or lockable bins, which are collected regularly and the contents shredded professionally. The SRA Code of Conduct details specific requirements for confidentiality of client information, but there’s no room for error when it comes to data handling, so this is a smart investment.

Telephone connection ‘How are clients and prospects going to get hold of us?’ – it’s one of the very first questions asked by firms when switching to remote working. The most common solution – if a phone system allows it – is to reroute calls to mobile phones. This approach creates a dangerous single point of failure that, if it failed, would completely breakdown the inbound phone connection to a business.

Relying on mobiles also depends on good signal in employees’ homes and them constantly being available to answer calls.

Inevitably, callers will get through to the wrong people and have to wait for a call-back or even worse, reach a voicemail.

It makes for a clunky client experience and opens firms up to missing valuable leads. Outsourced telephone answering support ensures that every single call is answered and handled professionally. Calls can be transferred to any member of staff wherever they are working and the service is available round the clock, so firms can be contacted outside of the traditional 9-5 – an ever-growing requirement in the world of remote working.

File sharing and collaboration When working remotely, sharing files securely and finding ways to collaborate digitally, rather than face to face has become imperative. Cloud-based low cost tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack and Google’s G-Suite provide a relatively intuitive experience for even the most un-tech-savvy and help teams to work together at the click of a button.

As well as sharing and storing files and enabling multiple employees to access and edit documents at once, these tools also get people talking, which can help to address some of the wellbeing concerns around remote working.

Digital presence Client visits to the office are off the agenda in the most part so the spotlight is firmly on law firms’ online presence and now’s the time to ensure websites are working as hard and they can.

With reduced resource and remote teams, websites can help manage some of the marketing and communications burden. Live chat solutions can keep volume away from phones and offer a quicker, more interactive alternative to online forms. Additionally, regularly updating website with useful content such as FAQs, videos and downloadable guides give visitors added value and make websites become lead generators rather than just brochures.

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about a complete shift in worker habits and team dynamics. With little time to prepare, law firms naturally went into survival mode and put measures in place that made sense in the short term to help combat the immediate impact of lockdown. However, in the long run, these fixes create bottlenecks and can begin to have a bearing on productivity as team members don’t have easy access to information they need. The quality of client experience then drops and ultimately, reputation is put at risk. By putting solid foundations in place for successful remote operation now, law firms will not only survive the latest lockdown, but future-proof their businesses.

Moneypenny handles more than 2 million legal calls and live chats each year for more than 1,000 legal firms in the UK, including 60 of the Top 200, thanks to its dedicated team of 60 legal PAs. Established in 2000, Moneypenny is the world's market leader for telephone answering, live chat, outsourced switchboard and customer contact solutions. In total, more than 13,000 businesses across the UK benefit from Moneypenny’s mix of extraordinary people and ground-breaking technology.

For more information about Moneypenny’s work with the legal sector, visit www. moneypenny.com/uk/legalanswering-services/ ■

Bernadette Bennett Commercial Manager – Legal, Moneypenny

1. Data from Boston Consulting Group (www.bcg.com/en-us/ publications/2020/covid-remote-work-cyber-security) 2. Gartner CFO survey (www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/ press-releases/2020-04-03-gartner-cfo-surey-reveals-74percent-of-organizations-to-shift-some-employees-toremote-work-permanently2) SURREYLAWYER | 25

G

rowing old doesn’t come with a manual and later life can be challenging for many people. Significant life events such as retirement, family moving away, bereavement as well as changes in health and mobility all have an impact on how we feel and cope. Every person and their situation will be unique. That is why we tailor our support holistically.

Having time and space to support people in moving forward with their lives, helping people to meet others really can make all the difference to someone’s life. We aim to reduce loneliness and social isolation, maintain people’s independence and improve health, wellbeing and resilience.

A gift to Age UK Surrey will help us deliver a range of one to one support services and group activities that: ■ Provide practical support by helping people understand their options and entitlements through free, impartial and confidential advice on all issues such as housing, care and money.

■ Give people the gift of friendship and companionship by connecting and introducing them to others through our Befriending and Wellbeing services.

■ Help people remain healthy and connected and learn new skills through social activities, walks and tea and chat groups.

■ Enable people to remain independent at home by offering practical Help at Home support such as cleaning, shopping and gardening.

Age UK Surrey is a local independent charity. Monies gifted to us remain in Surrey which means that a gift will benefit a Surrey resident. Please refer to our charity as ‘Age UK Surrey’.

Registered charity number: 1036450. Thank you. ■

A gift to Age UK Surrey can help change an older person’s life Age UK Surrey is committed to being there for older people.

By leaving a gift in their Will to Age UK Surrey your client will be helping people who live in Surrey navigate the changes and challenges of later life.

01483 503414

enquiries@ageuksurrey.org.uk

www.ageuk.org.uk/surrey Charity No: 1036450 26 | SURREYLAWYER

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