LAW ASHFORDS
Samantha Newton
Tell us a little about your business
Ashfords is a national provider of legal, professional and regulatory services. We combine legal expertise, commercial experience and our wider network to help our clients achieve their goals. What changes have you experienced recently?
As part of the firm’s exciting growth, Ashfords’ family team has recently expanded into the Bristol market, with the team continuing to grow over the next year. The specialist family team provide bespoke, sensitive and commercially minded advice and are trusted advisers to the firms’ existing entrepreneurial and high net worth clients and connections. With a real focus on their collaborative offering, the team will help couples resolve their family law issues by sitting together and devising solutions for the family has a whole. What predictions do you have for family law in 2019/20?
• A rise in the number of people seeking asset protection advice to help limit the financial impact of a relationship breakdown. •An increase in financial claims by separating parents on behalf of a child. •Greater use of out of court options to reach agreement on family law issues – such as early neutral evaluation, arbitration, mediation or collaborative law. •Use of online systems for divorce and agreements about finances, hopefully streamlining family law processes. •Receipt of the long-awaited law removing the requirement of blame for couples who want to divorce or dissolve their relationship. Did you know?
Last year Ashfords launched ‘The Ashfords Foundation’, a grantmaking charity which is closely associated with the firm, and brings together all of Ashfords’ charitable giving. Its mission is to make a real difference in the communities in which its partners and staff live and work. www.ashfords.co.uk Samantha Newton
Anna Wilson
BARCAN+KIRBY
Anna Wilson, executive partner
Tell us a little about your business
We are a full service law firm with six offices across Bristol and South Gloucestershire. We specialise in private and commercial law and pride ourselves on our clear, high quality legal advice. We recently won the Legal Award at the Bristol Life Awards and the Business Award for Gender at the Bristol Diversity Awards 2019. Describe your offices?
We have offices in the following areas – Thornbury, Queen Square, Kingswood, Clifton, Bedminster and Horfield. Earlier this year we moved our Bedminster office into brand new premises next door, extended our Thornbury office and made improvements to our Kingswood and Clifton office. We will be moving our Horfield office down the road to Bishopston in October 2019. We have listened to our staff and implemented their ideas for improvements to our offices. What sets you apart from others in your sector?
Over 82% of our staff are female, and three quarters of our business support managers are also female. Also, over 53% of staff work either part-time or flexibly. Last year we achieved a gender-balanced Partnership on International Women’s Day 2018, and promoted a solicitor to Partner whilst they were on maternity leave. Did you know?
We have twelve Mental Health First Aiders (two in each office) whose responsibility is to develop an understanding of common mental health issues, such as stress in the workplace, and provide staff with the support or signposting they may need. www.barcankirby.co.uk
“OVER 82% OF OUR STAFF ARE FEMALE, AND THREE QUARTERS OF OUR BUSINESS SUPPORT MANAGERS ARE ALSO FEMALE” 148 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk