The Legal Conversation - Summer 2023 Edition

Issue 001 Summer 2023

THE LEGAL CONVERSATION

NEW HIRES

Glaisyers ETL and Laytons ETL announce new appointments

NETWORK NEWS

Take a closer look at our highlights from the last quarter

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

WRS’ Joshua Chinn discusses all things crypto

OFFICE LAUNCH

Glaisyers ETL opens new office in Liverpool’s Commercial District

THE LEGAL CONVERSATION

Issue 1

Summer 2023

Welcome to the first issue of The Legal Conversation, the specialist newsletter brought to you by ETL Legal.

Directed at leading businesses, our quarterly publication has been designed to provide a platform to represent the legal scene in the UK, whilst shining a light on the people behind the work we do.

With this in mind, we want to encourage you to get involved with The Legal Conversation. If you want your voice to be heard, or would like to share an idea to include in our Summer issue, please get in touch at: hello@glaisyers.com.

At ETL Legal, our vision focuses on growth. We aim to be a driving force of innovation within professional services, and our successes so far throughout 2023 are testament to this.

The last quarter has seen a number of notable new hires for ETL Legal. In February, Steve Kuncewicz joined Glaisyers ETL as Partner and Head of Creative, Digital and Marketing, whilst Laytons ETL appointed Michael Kashis as Managing Partner CEO in April. More recently, the opening of Glaisyers ETL’s second North West location in the heart of Liverpool’s Commercial District has seen Adrian Rogers join the firm as Corporate Partner and Head of Liverpool Office.

Our Community Series, featuring articles from two Junior employees, launched at the end of 2022, celebrating the impact that sport has had on members of the Glaisyers ETL team; whilst our Parnter Spotlight demonstrates how WRS ETL’s Joshua Chinn can help ETL Legal and the wider ETL GLOBAL network to begin working with cryptocurrency.

This issue gives prominence to the pioneering work of the firms behind ETL Legal. We hope you enjoy reading!

ETL Legal is a group of law firms headed by Glaisyers ETL, a Manchester-based solicitors of almost 50 years. In 2018, David Jones and David Marlor relaunched Glaisyers ETL as we know it today. At the same time, the firm was acquired by ETL GLOBAL, an international network of professional service firms.

ETL LEGAL

Glaisyers ETL’s motto, ‘Local Expertise. International Reach.’ summarises all you need to know about what makes it a figure of innovation within the industry. Upon its conception, David Jones described his vision to ‘create a stand-out model that will shake up the legal scene’, as he began to combine the personalised, local approach of the well-established solicitors, with ETL GLOBAL’s international connections.

David Jones, Executive Partner, cross-qualified as a Solicitor in 2009. Since then, he has acted in complex, high-value and, on occasion, multi-jurisdictional disputes for successful entrepreneurs and corporations. Although he primarily works in litigation, David’s clients refer to him for advice across a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters, trusting him to help with matters affecting their business interests and wealth.

Michael Kashis Joshua Chinn

Managing Partner & Head of Property Glaisyers ETL

David Marlor Managing Partner CEO Laytons ETL Director & Co-Founder WRS ETL

David Jones Executive Partner Glaisyers ETL

Managing Partner and Head of Property, David Marlor, is a commercial property solicitor who specialises in property finance and recovery work. He acts for a broad range of lenders and also focuses on complex development loans. David’s exceptional technical experience means that he is valued on the Glaisyers recoveries and restructuring team for his ability to provide straightforward solutions to challenging cases.

In spring 2021, Glaisyers ETL acquired London-based firm Laytons LLP, which went on to rebrand as Laytons ETL - doubling ETL’s legal footprint in the UK! Following this, in January 2022, Glaisyers ETL went on to secure a minority stake in Wealth Recovery Solicitors (WRS), an investment and crypto fraud specialist. With a combined turnover of £16 million and a workforce of 170 employees, including 40 partners, Glaisyers ETL, Laytons ETL and WRS ETL together comprise ETL Legal.

NEW HIRE

Laytons ETL appoints Michael Kashis as new Managing Partner CEO

In April 2023, Laytons ETL appointed Michael Kashis as Managing Partner CEO. He takes over from managing partner John Abbott, who is stepping back to focus on his international dispute resolution practice. Mr Kashis joins from fellow London firm Bishop & Sewell LLP, where he was managing

partner and head of corporate and commercial. His appointment came into effect as of 11 April, and he will initially be supported by Mr Abbott during a handover period. Mr Kashis has 23 years’ experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer and has worked both in private practice and in-house for national and international organisations. He joined Bishop & Sewell in 2014 and took over as its managing partner in 2020.

In addition to his legal experience, Mr Kashis holds an MBA from Imperial College London, and was involved in planning and implementing strategic changes at both a departmental and organisationwide level at his former firm.

He said, “I am very excited to be joining such a fantastic team of lawyers with such an extensive and wide-ranging practice serving clients from every corner of the world. It is going to be a pleasure to be able to dedicate myself to a full-time management role and I am relishing the prospect of being able to grow the firm and fulfil its considerable potential.”

Mr Abbott, from whom Mr Kashis will take over, joined Laytons following its merger with Silverman Sherliker LPP in 2017. He had worked for the latter firm since 1997, and served as its managing partner between 2012 and 2014. Mr Abbott took over as Laytons’ managing partner in January 2020 and oversaw the process by which, in 2021, the firm joined ETL Global. Laytons ETL has a particularly high profile advising on multi-jurisdiction matters, and has an active client base in Europe, the US, and the Middle and Far East.

Mr Abbott said, “I am looking forward to supporting Michael in his new role as well as returning to and further developing my mediation and international arbitration practices.

“I am pleased to be able to hand over a profitable firm which is growing strongly on a sustainable footing. We have achieved a great deal over the past few years, and this would not have been possible without the dedication, support and hard work of my colleagues.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their loyalty and support throughout my term of office.”

RECENT RECRUITS

Steve Kuncewicz joins Glaisyers ETL as Partner and Head of Creative, Digital and Marketing

Glaisyers ETL has appointed Steve Kuncewicz as partner in its recently established entertainment, media and sport practice. Kuncewicz is a well-known legal face in the North West, and a leading practitioner in the fields of intellectual property, media and social media.

He joins Glaisyers ETL from Clyde & Co, where he was partner and head of the firm’s creative, digital and marketing sector group. His appointment reunites him with Glaisyers ETL partner and Head of Corporate Daniel Varney, who joined from Clyde & Co in 2022.

David Jones, Executive Partner, said, “Steve is a pioneer in social media and marketing law, and an acknowledged expert in his field. I am really pleased to welcome him on board and look forward to working with him to build a market-leading practice.”

Mr Kuncewicz said: “From my first conversation with Glaisyers, I knew that the firm would be the right fit for me in terms of my practice, but also its values and entrepreneurial focus. The firm is at an exciting stage of its continued growth, and I’m very much looking forward to making my own contribution in the years ahead.”

Glaisyers ETL announce new Partner and Head of Liverpool office, Adrian Rogers

In May 2023, Glaisyers ETL appointed the highly-regarded lawyer Adrian Rogers as a partner in the firm. Carrying out all aspects of corporate and commercial work, Mr Rogers focuses on mergers, acquisitions and disposals, private equity and venture capital transactions, corporate reorganisations, share schemes and commercial contracts.

In his new role, Mr Rogers will be heading up Glaisyers ETL’s new Liverpool office, which will focus on corporate and commercial law. His appointment represents a professional homecoming for Mr Rogers, who spent the first 15 years of his legal career at Brabners, where he qualified as a solicitor and rose to the position of partner in its Liverpool office. In 2017, he joined the Manchester firm Turner Parkinson, which became part of Knights Plc in 2018, and held the role of corporate partner at that firm.

Mr Rogers said, “Glaisyers ETL is an innovative, entrepreneurial and growing firm, with an ambition thar matches my own, so when David Jones offered me the opportunity to be part of the team, help grow the ETL network and come home to Liverpool, it was a very quick and simple decision.”

We look forward to seeing Mr Rogers spearhead Glaisyers ETL’s expansion into Merseyside and wish him the best of luck in his new role!

LIVERPOOL LAUNCH

Glaisyers ETL launch their first Liverpool office

This June, Glaisyers ETL were delighted to launch their new office location in Liverpool. This expansion marks an exciting milestone in Glaisyers ETL’s journey, as they continue to strengthen their presence across the North West.

The new office will initially focus on corporate and commercial law, with an emphasis on serving owner-managed businesses in the city and its surrounding areas. It is being led by new corporate partner Adrian Rogers, who has joined Glaisyers ETL from Knights Plc.

Located in The Plaza, at 100 Old Hall Street, the Liverpool office is housed in a landmark building which was last year the subject of a £3.7 million refurbishment by its landlord, Bruntwood. Strategically located in the heart of Liverpool’s Commercial District, the new office boasts a modern design that is thoughtfully crafted to foster creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Home to around 850 businesses, the Liverpool Commercial District covers 85 acres, and is just minutes away from Princes Dock and Liverpool’s waterfront - the ideal location for an expanding client base.

David Jones, Executive Partner at Glaisyers ETL and overall head of ETL Global UK’s legal arm, lives in Liverpool. He said, “I have always had an ambition to open an office in my home city, and I look forward to Glaisyers ETL growing our presence and becoming an integral part of Merseyside’s business and professional scenes over the years ahead.”

In addition to expanding its legal footprint into Liverpool with Glaisyers ETL’s new office, ETL GLOBAL UK is also looking to invest in accountancy practices in the city.

Mr Jones said, “Liverpool is one of the most internationally focused cities in the UK so I think, for a lot of firms here, the opportunities that come with membership of a worldwide network will be really compelling.”

We look forward to seeing Glaisyers ETL take on Merseyside and wish David and Adrian the best of luck as they embark on this new chapter together.

Liverpool Office: The Plaza, 100 Old Hall St, Liverpool L3 9QJ

T: 0151 332 3555

THE ROBOTS ARE COMING

By now, artificially intelligent systems are integrated into our lives. Aside from everyday uses, new AI systems are regularly rolled out, often to perform tasks that were once human - leaving us to question “are the robots taking over?” Below, trainee solicitor Ryan Baratzi discusses the recent advancements of AI, such as ChatGPT, as well as the legal issues that could ensue.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making remarkable advancements in recent years and has become an integral part of many industries and businesses. Will AI take our jobs? Maybe in some cases and sectors. Do we know what the true influence of AI will be on business in the long term? No – but right now, it’s not necessarily something we should be afraid of, despite what Hollywood Blockbusters might suggest. AI is currently only being used as a tool, although admittedly the gap that bridges what humans can do in comparison to AI is getting smaller all the time.

It is important to remember that you have probably been using AI in some form for many years without even realising it. Did you know that AI is responsible for separating your junk emails from those that matter? Similarly, soon you’ll no longer have to spend 3 hours on a mind-bending spreadsheet, and instead on something that will improve your business, such as providing

face to face customer service with your clients – that’s a real human interaction that AI can’t easily replace.

AI machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision has the potential to further revolutionise the way that we live and work, but they also bring a host of legal and ethical questions. As AI continues to become more prevalent, it is crucial to consider the legalities surrounding its development and use. The UK currently has very limited regulation in place relating to the use of AI. Although the Government has recently put forward its own proposals, these take a less-centralised approach than the EU, and are based on six key principles to both promote innovation and protect the public.

The research release of ChatGPT has plunged AI back into the headlines, mainly since it is more accessible, and increasingly one of the most well-known platforms. At the moment, ChatGPT seems less risky than previous attempts at rolling out AI chat bots such as Microsoft’s Tay, a Twitter Bot which repeated racist and misogynist comments fed to it by other users in less than a day.

Aside from regulation, one of the biggest legal issues at the heart of AI adoption is intellectual property ownership. In fact, Getty Images is currently in the process of attempting to sue AI Art Generator Stable Diffusion for copyright infringement. This came after the alleged use of 12 million images to “train” its AI model “without permission or compensation”. If an AI system has taken small amounts from millions of images to create a new one, a derivative work may only have been created and only be protectable in its own right if it is significantly derivative from the original. The judgement in this case may help to illustrate how old law can be effectively applied to new and rapidly advancing technology that may outpace its development.

It’s likely that similar could happen if ChatGPT scrapes other content from the web, the new quickly generated content may lead to infringement disputes if it becomes key to generating income for your business. Further legal issues to be clarified around AI are privacy, discrimination, and general bias of the user and the algorithms that drive AI systems. What if the system is shaped by its user to encourage a particular bias that will then be pushed upon the consumer and gradually upon society? Right now, we don’t have any of the answers and may not be asking the right questions.

It is important for our governments to address these concerns in order to ensure that AI is developed and used in a way that is safe, and legal. We expect that within the next few years more and more disputes will be brought before the courts for issues related to AI.

If you would like advice about the adoption of Artificial Intelligence for your business, or need to talk to us about how your own interests may have been affected by them, please get in touch at: hello@glaisyers.com.

COMMUNITY SERIES

‘What football means to me’

I first became interested in the sport while watching a football game when I was 7 years old. It was May 2005, Liverpool vs AC Milan in the Champions League Final. Born in Iran and growing up in England, two huge yet underperforming footballing nations, it was really hard not to get captured by the nations’ footballing spirit. No matter where I was, there was a ball being kicked just a stone’s throw away.

Restructuring & Insolvency Paralegal Glaisyers ETL

Glaisyers ETL boasts a thriving Entertainment, Media & Sport department, and encourages members of their team to pursue sporting activities on a professional and personal level. Team sports in particular are a great way to bring communities together, on both a local and wider scale.

In this quarter’s Community Series, Armin Pishro and Grace Sloan reveal how football has shaped their lives and careers.

My enthusiasm for football continued, and at a young age, it was clear that my goal was always a career in football. A few Saturday morning youth football matches indicated my career certainly wouldn’t be as a professional footballer. Unlike many football fans though, I’m just as interested in the behind-the-scenes of football as I am in what happens on the pitch! This is why a career in law was a no-brainer for me, with the eventual goal of becoming involved in the administrative and legal work within the sport.

During my third year at university, the COVID-19 pandemic sent the UK into lockdown. In June 2020 when the government announced the go-ahead for outdoor sports to resume, I decided to set up Tottington (Totty) Robins F.C., a local, open-age football club that plays their games on a Sunday morning in Bury. I established the club to offer people who had been struggling throughout the pandemic an opportunity to join a football club and to be able to socialise once again. I used the skills I had developed as Vice Chairman of the University football team to run a team of my own.

Armin Pishro

I’d always had an interest in developing my understanding of Law, so I completed my Masters of Law in Legal Practice. During this, I studied Commercial Dispute Resolution, Employment Law and Insolvency. I took a big interest in insolvency, particularly because my childhood club, Bury F.C., had recently gone through this.

My passion for the sport inspired me to write my dissertation on the current measures and regulations in football that attempt to tackle the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs, comparing these to other sports. The opportunity presented by my dissertation topic taught me how each sport is governed differently and made me realise how interested I was to keep learning about the sport.

In early 2021, shortly after I founded Totty Robins F.C., the country was placed back in lockdown, with no organised sports allowed to take place. This meant that all of the fixtures for the club were suspended. As a result, I decided to set up a charity 1000km run throughout March 2021. The aim was to run 1000km as a team combined throughout the month. Not only did this keep the squad active and healthy, but more importantly, we raised over £1000 for ‘The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity’. Throughout November, the members of Totty Robins F.C. also took part in Movember, an annual charitable event, supporting mental health and suicide prevention, as well as raising awareness about prostate and testicular cancer

I was really excited to join Glaisyers ETL as

an Insolvency Paralegal in July 2022. The firm has invested in me and allowed me to pursue my goals in Sports while continuing to carry out my duties in the Insolvency department. I also contribute to the Iranian Footballing Podcast, GolBezan, as a translator of interviews with International Iranian footballers from Persian to English.

Since I moved to the UK as a four-year-old, football has given me a platform to develop my skills, make friends and support my local community. This is what football means to me.

COMMUNITY SERIES

Ever since I can remember, sport has been a huge part of my life. I grew up playing a lot of sport to a high standard and cannot remember a time in my life when it wasn’t involved. Given that my dad is hardcore ‘Red’ and my mum an avid ‘Blue’, I have always been interested in football - you can only imagine how turbulent our weekends are! They revolve around sport and always have done.

Grace Sloan

Glaisyers trainee solicitor, Grace Sloan, reflects on what football means to her as a young woman who has worked in hospitality at Manchester United since she was 16, and was recently scouted by Manchester City to take care of their hospitality boxes. In the aftermath of the Lionesses’ success and the elevation of women’s football in the media, Grace reflects on how football has shaped her life on a personal level.

I am a proud member of Women in Football, a network which encourages female talent and aims to raise awareness in a bid to drive a change in attitudes towards women working in football, addressing the gender imbalance in the industry.

When I was 16 years old, I started working at Manchester United Football Club, waiting on tables to earn some pocket money. This gave me a taste for working in the sports industry, and after just one season I was promoted to supervisor, and then after my fourth season I was further promoted to Manager. This then led to me winning Manager of the Year for Hospitality after the 20/21 season! In 2022 I was headhunted to go over to Manchester City F.C. to look after their Hospitality boxes, meaning that I now hold managerial positions at both stadiums.

I soon realised that to me, this was more than just a part-time job. Over the past 8 years, football has introduced me to a vast number of people and challenges. Women’s football hasn’t always had the best reputation - we often face adversity within the sport, and working in hospitality on

Trainee Solicitor Glaisyers ETL

‘What football means to me’

matchdays was no exception to this. Being a young woman in a position of power taught me a strong work ethic, how to handle difficult situations and, most importantly, helped me to develop my inter-personal skills. I am also responsible for the wellbeing of my staff, which has made me so grateful for the opportunities young people are given through football, no matter what background they come from.

The main things I have taken from working in football are the networking opportunities and the relationships I still maintain and develop in order to better my future. Football ended up being the pathway into my career, because through communicating with my customers and by simply being myself, I was introduced to Glaisyers ETL, where I am now a trainee solicitor. If it was not for football, I would not be where I am now and my future would look very different. I have been exposed to many areas of law since working at Glaisyers, and I am currently working in the Corporate and Commercial team, where I have developed a particular interest in broadening my knowledge of media and sports law.

I have learnt many lessons through my involvement with football and the fantastic communities surrounding it. These inspired me to keep working within the sport throughout studying for my GCSEs, A Levels, Law degree, Paralegal and LPC qualifications, masters degree, and now as I’m undergoing solicitor training.

The refreshing change in attitudes towards women working in the industry from when I

started in 2016 is truly rewarding. Observing how players are inspiring the next generation of women watching in the stands is amazing to see, and I can only hope it continues.

At Glaisyers, many of our clients come from a footballing background. The community series highlights the passionate individuals in our team who have a genuine love of sport personally and professionally - whether it be advising elite athletes, supporting community programmes or helping individuals with the development of their career and ideas.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

In our latest Partner Spotlight, WRS ETL’s co-founder and director, Joshua Chinn, highlights the work he and his team do for clients who have lost large sums of money in investment scams.

As the mainstream use of cryptocurrencies continues to grow, it may seem like an intimidating area for professional service firms to branch into. However, the ever-evolving nature of cryptocurrency means that it will be beneficial for businesses within the ETL GLOBAL network to gain an understanding of it. That’s where WRS can help.

When do cryptocurrency scams occur?

WRS ETL (Wealth Recovery Solicitors) was designed to help vulnerable clients who have lost substantial amounts of money online, by using the latest technology to trace and return their lost funds. Since our beginning in March 2021, we have managed to make a name for ourselves, specialising in recovering wealth lost to trading scams, Forex, CFDs & Crypto Currency. Building on this success, we then went on to join ETL GLOBAL UK in early 2022, expanding the UK’s legal network.

We often deal with investment scams where our clients have been approached by an alleged investment manager, who promised to expand their wealth if they bought cryptocurrency from them and transferred it into their online account. Our clients will then find that they cannot withdraw money from these online accounts and it has actually disappeared.

As a currency, crypto was designed to avoid the need for legal and accounting regulations, but this has quickly become a flawed system. The recent collapse of the giant crypto exchange FTX has caused over a million people to lose large sums of money, destroying the trust many had been gaining in cryptocurrencies. The reason FTX managed to get away with losing so many people’s money is due to the lack of regulations surrounding cryptocurrency. However, by highlighting the instability of investing in cryptocurrencies, we are hopeful that the scandal will put emphasis on other exchanges to be more compliant in

Joshua Chinn

Director & Co-Founder WRS ETL

protecting their clients. In fact, since the collapse of FTX in November, we are beginning to see its effects, increasing cooperation from exchanges throughout our proceedings with them. Alongside this, we should expect to see more regulations put in place by the UK Government to facilitate more mainstream usage of cryptocurrencies.

So, what do we do?

At WRS ETL, we operate a three-step approach to recovering our clients’ funds for them in a short time span. So far, we have recovered approximately £5 million from brokers in Cyprus for Forex and CFD trades, all out of court. Our approach aims to keep the client out of court, ensuring a process that is as smooth and successful for them as possible:

1) Investigation: We start by investigating the company involved to work out if they are a regulated company, or if they themselves are the victim of a cryptocurrency scam. The team will then examine the strengths and weaknesses of the case, finding the best ways to recover our client’s lost funds.

2) Building the case: Moving on from this, we will then analyse the trades made throughout the process, and where the funds have gone. We will then begin to build a strong argument in order to recover our client’s investment.

3) Recovery: We remain optimistic throughout the entire process, working tirelessly to expose any breaches for our client, hopefully returning most of the money they have lost.

How can the network benefit?

Going forward, we want to work with other professional service firms to maximise the chance of our clients receiving the best outcome possible.

As the world of crypto continues to grow, we hope to help ETL GLOBAL break into the sector, so the network can continue to offer unique services. For more information, please feel free to contact me directly:

josh.chinn@wealthrecovery.co.uk

0203 695 9239

NETWORK NEWS

Laytons ETL: Supporting families through surrogacy

There are 3.5 million people in the UK facing fertility issues. Most people who experience problems conceiving can have fertility treatment to help them to get pregnant, but for some, no amount of medical treatment can help. For them, surrogacy offers a potential route to parenthood.

Although science has made considerable advances in the area of surrogacy, the Family Law department at Laytons, led by Andrew Spearman, are experts in trying to ensure the law keeps pace. Andrew’s work in this area helps to create, complete and support families through surrogacy. A recent note from a surrogacy client sums up the impact this work has:

“There will never be a gift big enough or words expressive enough to convey the appreciation we feel for your tremendous support. My boys will come to learn the impact you had on their lives. Thank you so so much.”

Many clients understandably struggle to come to grips with their legal position in addition to their personal fertility challenges. Under UK law, if you have a child through surrogacy, the surrogate will be the child’s legal mother at birth even if they have no genetic link to that child. If the surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, it adds further complication, as their partner will automatically be the child’s other legal parent. The child’s intended parents, therefore, have to apply for a ‘Parental Order’, which requires the surrogate’s consent, to obtain parental responsibility for the child. This often comes as a surprise to those considering surrogacy, who may expect the process to be much more streamlined, as is often the case in different countries.

If you are considering a surrogacy arrangement, it’s absolutely essential to ensure that it takes place within the right legal framework. Andrew has represented clients in the High Court on various matters and advanced case-law to become outcomefocused for the best interests of the child, intended parents and surrogate alike. He is best known for his work in international surrogacy and resolving the conflict in private international law. Recently, Andrew advised on a landmark Family Court case highlighting the risks involved in international surrogacy arrangements. In the case of Y & Anor. v V & Ors. [2002] EWFC 120, the judge was critical of the conduct of the intended parents and warned that in similar future cases the outcome might not be so happy. Andrew’s pro bono work helped the applicants navigate difficult waters and bring this case back from the brink of disaster.

Andrew and the entire Family Law team provide expert legal advice to help intended parents build their family through surrogacy. From initial planning through to securing parental status, the team can advise at every stage of the process to ensure it is navigated smoothly.

To get in touch with Laytons ETL’s Family Law department, please contact the team directly on 0207 842 8000.

Manchester Office: One St. James’s Square, Manchester

M2 6DN

T: 0161 832 4666

Liverpool Office: The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9QJ

T: 0151 332 3555

hello@glaisyers.com

www.glaisyers.com

Issue 001 Summer 2023