Richard Gvero

Joint Senior Partner, Head of Commercial and Employment Longmores Solicitors

What

do you do?

I am a solicitor specialising in employment law and I support business owners and HR teams with the full spectrum of staffing issues from joiners to leavers. Matters include contracts and policies, restructures and redundancy, disciplinary and grievance processes, TUPE, and disputes such as unfair dismissal and discrimination claims. I also advise senior executives on their own employment issues, including exit arrangements and contracts when they move jobs.

We joined the Chamber in 1997 simply to reinforce relationships with Hertfordshire businesses.

Who do you work for?

Longmores is a firm of solicitors based in Hertford that is over 200 years old. From our roots as a family business advising private clients, we have grown into a modern practice also advising on a wide range of commercial and property matters.

Why

did you join the Chamber?

We joined the Chamber in 1997 simply to reinforce relationships with Hertfordshire businesses. Over time, we have taken a more active role and are approaching our 10th year as a Patron of a strong organisation that brings together the best of our commercial community.

How has it helped your business network?

We enjoy the interaction with businesses that we get through the Chamber and we value the opportunity to present at events, which allows us to share our expertise. Our network has grown naturally as we have got to know members and their businesses through those events – the programme for which is better than it has ever been. Networking has helped us build connections and friendships across the membership which in time have turned into instructions for our legal services and lasting business relationships.

What advice would you give someone starting out?

Be ambitious but practical. Young businesses need a strong foundation and will always be cost conscious in the early years, but please think about the role professional advice can play in protecting your business and consider it as an investment. It is often more complex and costly to fix things if they go wrong rather than paying for advice to get them set up correctly in the first place

What do you think is the biggest challenge affecting running and growing a business?

It would be obvious to talk about the economy, and I must mention the proposed major changes to employees’ rights in the Employment Rights Bill. However, I think shrewd businesses will take these challenges in their stride. Another worthy challenge is to embrace running a responsible business by integrating ESG principles into the everyday. Being sustainable, supporting our community, looking after our staff, putting customers first and setting ethical financial objectives should mean organisations are operating from a strong foundation making them desirable places to work and do business with.

What support do you want from Government?

We rarely delve into politics, so let’s just say that we need the Government to think about the impact big changes could have on small and ownermanaged businesses, which are so important to our economy.

How confident are you your business will grow in the next year?

We are optimistic about growth. Demand for legal advice may fluctuate across different areas of law, but it is always needed. Stability and growth are dependent on putting our clients at the heart of what we do and adding real value to their businesses. We want them to be happy to recommend or use us again knowing that we fully understand and support them in their challenges and goals.