High ranking for Howes Percival

SOS DAY CREAM WINS TOP AWARD

SOS Serum Skincare has been awarded the prestigious Beauty Shortlist 2021 Editor’s Choice Award for its SOS H20 Day Cream SPF 30.

This exceptional formulation blends active plant stem cells and anti-ageing ingredients, including White Truffle and Green Grape, which have been shown to stimulate new skin cell production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

SOS Serum Skincare offers a range of skin care products that help keep skin healthy and protected and nurture diabetic skin. Formulated by chartered chemist, chartered scientist and fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry Bruce Green, this unique range of advanced formulations brings relief to problematic skin.

The brand was also awarded 2020’s Most Innovative Skin Care Brand – UK in the GHP Global Excellence Awards –another accolade it is proud of.

The range uses pharmaceutical quality ingredients and is vegan, cruelty-free, artificial ingredient free and is made in Northamptonshire. Other products in the range include its SOS Serum which received the Free From Skincare Award in 2020, SOS SPF 50 Sun Cream and SOS Protect Hand Sanitiser. The brand also launched its new SOS Cleanse in May.

The brand is proud to support the Bruce Green Foundation, which helps improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in Northamptonshire.

Howes Percival has been ranked ninth in Planning Magazine’s 2021 Planning Law Survey. The prestigious survey of the UK’s leading planning law firms and barristers also places Howes Percival’s Jay Mehta as the UK’s sixth highest rated planning solicitor.

HIGH SURVEY RANKING FOR HOWES PERCIVAL

Jay Mehta

The results of the survey are based on responses from consultants, developers and local authorities that were asked to identify individuals and firms they regard as exemplifying best practice in planning law.

Howes Percival, which has offices in Leicester, Northampton and Milton Keynes, has seen its ranking rise seven places from its 2020 position of 16th and 21 places from its 2019 position of 30th.

The team acts for major housebuilders, land promoters, developers and local authorities. In the past year its work included advising Code Students about a 40storey student scheme; acting for Hampton Brook in relation to a 2m sq ft strategic employment site south of Milton Keynes; advising Breckland District Council on an application for a 4,000 dwelling mixed use urban extension in Norfolk and advising Turnstone Estates on two £50m leisure developments in Colchester and Southend respectively.

Paul Wootton, partner and head of Howes Percival’s Planning Team, said: “We’re delighted to be recognised as one of the top 10 planning law firms in the UK. The fact the rankings are based on peer-led interviews and feedback makes our ninth place ranking especially pleasing. We’re also thrilled Jay’s skills and expertise have been acknowledged with his ranking as one of the UK's highest rated planning solicitors.”

Howes Percival is also ranked as a top-tier firm for Planning and Environment in the UK's leading guide to law firms, the Legal 500.

‘WE’RE DELIGHTED TO BE RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 PLANNING

LAW FIRMS’ Visit: www.howespercival.com/services/planning/

AWARD WIN FOR HR SOLUTIONS

HR Solutions, of Kettering, is celebrating after scooping the Professional Services Award at the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards.

For the first time, the awards took place online this year after the original November 2020 ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Professional Services Award category celebrated organisations which had modernised and adapted their services and product offerings and demonstrated a commitment to training and development and stand-out customer service.

Despite incredibly stiff competition, HR Solutions was crowned the winner.

The company, which supplies outsourced HR support to small to medium-sized businesses, impressed judges with its three recent mergers and acquisitions and a year-on-year growth of 20%. HR Solutions also moved quickly during the pandemic to learn new legislation and rules around furlough and other Covid-19 related measures.

Chief executive officer Greg Guilford said: “This award means a lot to all of us. Our team has gone above and beyond over the last year to support our clients during what’s been an incredibly tough year for a lot of businesses. We’ve also managed to grow the business through organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, which has been tricky to manage at times given the lockdowns and restrictions brought about by remote working.”

HR Solutions, which celebrates 20 years in business this year, supplies outsourced HR support to clients from small care agencies to multi-national technology firms, and boasts over 400 clients in a wide range of industries including financial services, charitable, medical and hospitality sectors. Services available include HR health checks, bespoke documentation, employment advice and more.

Greg Guilford with the award