CEO Report

SUMMER 2020

I hope this issue finds you safe and well and that with the easing of lockdown restrictions, life is slowly starting to resemble something a little bit more normal; it has certainly been a period full of challenges.

Here at SLS HQ, we have been extremely busy, adapting to the current situation and striving to offer members the support they need during these difficult times. We have focussed our efforts on providing extensive online content in a variety of formats, and have been delighted with the excellent engagement we’ve received from members throughout lockdown. Since March, the Society has offered members the opportunity to participate in a range of initiatives including:

■ A Series of Business Continuity Webinars: covering topics such as Managing your Cashflow, Cyber Security, Marketing and Managing the End of Lockdown.

■ The Focus on Conveyancing Webinar Series: 4 webinars on key issues facing the Conveyancing sector, presented by Ian Quayle and sponsored by Stewart Title.

■ Online Forums: interactive meetings, specific to an area of law, where like-minded practitioners can discuss issues and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have also tried to keep members informed via our e-Bulletins and the News section of our website, and have actually posted over 40 updates on the impact of COVID-19, and the support available to solicitors, since lockdown began.

We are thrilled to have been able to keep in touch with members throughout this period, despite the inability to meet in person, and it has been lovely to engage with so many of you at our webinars and forums. We hope that you have found the initiatives valuable but, as with anything we do, please do feedback and let us know any other ways that you feel we could support you.

Moving forward, we have taken the decision to move our usual Training & Development Programme online as well, so that we can ensure members are able to access these courses, despite the inability to hold them in the usual manner. At the time of writing, we have run three excellent sessions, covering Inheritance Tax Planning, Residential Conveyancing, and New Build Issues for Conveyancers; plans are now underway to reschedule our postponed Spring courses, the Masterclass for COLPS, Checking Up on Your Boilerplates and Residential SDLT for Conveyancers, so watch this space.

We are also now starting to explore the possibility of resuming a selection of our courses and events in person, and are having extensive discussions with some of our usual venues about how this might happen safely. Please rest assured that we will be carrying out all the necessary risk assessments and putting strict safety measures in place, before we proceed on this basis; we will of course keep you posted over the coming months on how plans are progressing.

One event that unfortunately will not be happening in 2020 are our Annual SLS Legal Awards, which we have taken the decision to postpone until 4 March 2021. As our flagship event, we wanted to feel confident that everyone could celebrate the achievements of their colleagues and peers in the usual style. I would like to encourage all members to review the Award Categories below and consider nominating themselves or a colleague. Now more than ever, we need to recognise the fantastic work being carried out by the profession, particularly during these challenging times. Nominating couldn’t be easier, and you can find a nomination form for each category at www.surreylawsociety.org.uk/events/152.

■ Commercial / Corporate Lawyer of the Year

■ Family Lawyer of the Year

■ Litigation Lawyer of the Year

■ Private Client Lawyer of the Year

■ Property Lawyer of the Year

■ Paralegal of the Year

■ Rising Star of the Year

■ Support Team Member of the Year

■ Lawyer of the Year

■ Law Firm of the Year

We will be working hard over the summer to plan our Autumn programme of courses and events, be it in person or online, and will keep you updated on plans via the website and e-Bulletins. I do hope that it isn’t too long before we can meet again and very much look forward to catching up with you in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I would like to thank our patrons for their continued support of the Society.

Without their generosity, we would be unable to provide much of the content and support that we have. Please do take a minute to visit their websites, to see if there is any way they might partner with you. Wishing you all a wonderful summer. ■

Helen Opie

Chief Executive & Magazine Editor