NEWS receiving the findings of the Implementation Committee in due course. We often fear change but if it is something that makes BLS stronger we should embrace it.
VWV ACQUIRES ED. SPECIALISTS
We have some amazing events planned over the next few months. Firstly, on 9 June we have the Alternative Dinner, aimed at anyone below partner level who may not have had the opportunity to attend a formal dinner for some time or even at all. There are still a few tickets available if you are interested in attending either as a team, with colleagues or clients or even on your own. On 28 June we have the Social Mobility Conference hosted jointly with Squire Patton Boggs which follows the same format as the Manchester event hosted in March. It is a must attend for everyone. The Wellbeing Conference will now go ahead on 5 July. The Conference, which is virtual, features a Roundtable discussion looking at the 5 pillars of Wellbeing. The discussion will be led by Nisha March and include some well-known individuals from a number of firms as well as The High Sherriff of the West Midlands David Moorcroft OBE. There will be a Masterclass hosted by Donna Smith, a former lawyer looking at Self-sabotage and taster sessions looking at Mindfulness and Meditation, the importance of movement and nutrition. Given the recent consultation by the SRA focusing on mental health, it is an event not to be missed, there is something for everyone, employers and employees alike. It will not have escaped your notice that on 28 July 2022 Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games attended by over 70 nations. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most of us to be part of this historic event in our home city. BLS are currently putting arrangements in place to offer free legal advice to athletes during the games and we will be shortly looking for volunteers to make this work. The International Committee has worked tirelessly for a number of years to bring a delegation of Commonwealth Lawyers to Birmingham for a Conference entitled “Race to the Commonwealth and Beyond”. It is a real honour that they have chosen to come to Birmingham, last year they were in the Bahamas. BLS is jointly hosting the event with the Commonwealth Lawyers Association at the University of Birmingham on 21/22 July, tickets are on sale now for the Conference and a spectacular dinner on 21 July, it is an event not to be missed. And finally, it wouldn’t be summer without the annual BLS sporting events including netball, football, golf and back by popular demand “It’s a Knockout”. I really do look forward to seeing you there. If you have any comments or suggestions of things that you would like to see from BLS please do get in touch. Stephanie Perraton, President. Birmingham Law Society thanks our Gold Sponsors
VWV has acquired strategy consultants Cairneagle to bolster their combined businesses. The collaboration, announced on 16 May 2022, demonstrates both businesses’ ongoing commitment to investment and development as part of their growth and diversification strategy. In the education sector specifically, it enables them to better support clients to determine their strategic direction, giving wider choice, insight and access to a broad range of specialisms. Cairneagle is a fast growing, multi-award winning business that operates globally, recognised as EducationInvestors’ “Strategy Consultancy of the year” for the fourth time in 2021. VWV is a leading legal and business services provider in the education sector with probably the most extensive combined list of school and university clients of any UK law firm. VWV has a culture of innovation to support its clients beyond simply legal advice and their combination with Cairneagle follows investments in other subsidiaries such as VWV Plus, which has developed online tools to promote and support the compliance and assurance requirements of education providers and other regulated businesses, and HR consultants, Narrow Quay HR. Simon Heald, VWV Managing Partner commented: “We are delighted to be welcoming the Cairneagle team to the VWV ‘family’, having worked with them on joint projects for many years. This collaboration enhances both businesses, helping us to better support our clients in the education sector and its supporting ecosystem, where a deep expertise and understanding of the regulatory environment, challenges and growth opportunities gives us and our clients a competitive edge. Beyond education, there are many opportunities for developing and diversifying our broader practice and sectors as well as our London location and international profile.” Cairneagle Managing Partner, Rupert Barclay said: “We have long admired the reputation and in depth sector expertise of education colleagues at VWV. For Cairneagle, it is about moving to the next stage of growth with a firm with a similar entrepreneurial spirit as ours. The investment, synergy and shared infrastructure that this collaboration brings will benefit our clients, enabling us to meet their needs even better, and our people, ensuring we continue to grow, diversify and rise to new challenges. The new company will keep the Cairneagle name and become part of the VWV group of subsidiary companies which currently includes VWV Plus and Narrow Quay HR.
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