Modern Law ABS supplement

“Schillings have always been known for putting out fires quickly and with the ABS, we are even more equipped to do that. The world has sped up; social media is borderless and does not respect jurisdictions and we need to ensure we keep up with the pace of that change�

Christopher Mills, Schillings

ABS: WHERE ARE WE NOW? The legal world is constantly changing and, over two years on since the first Alternative Business Structure (ABS) was licensed, Modern Law speaks to a range of individuals in this ever-growing section of the legal market to find out about the part they have played in making history for the legal sector and predictions for the future.

ABS Supplement 2014

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03

THE EDITOR’S OVERVIEW W

elcome to the second of Modern Law’s special supplements, dedicated specifically to Alternative Business Structures (ABSs), just over two years since the first new entity was licensed. Whilst the initial uptake of firms applying to become ABSs was slower than expected, intrigue into potential new opportunties is now beginning to gather pace. Most recently, the ICAEW have been granted the authority to license probate ABSs, which they predict will be a game changer for the legal sector (see the full article from page 48 of Modern Law Magazine).

We have gathered together those on the ground, those who have experienced the (often time consuming and sometimes stressful) process becoming an ABS, to impart their knowledge and experience to our readers. I would like to thank all our contributors for their honesty and for sharing tips on how to smooth out the licensing process,

what they would have done differently, working with regulators and the benefits and challenges of becoming an ABS. Our contributors really have helped make this supplement your go-to-guide for everything ABS! If you have any comments or suggestions on this supplement or anything Modern Law, get in touch! Drop me a line on 01765 600909 or e-mail me via: charlotte.parkinson@charltongrant.co.uk

Charlotte

Charlotte Parkinson, Group Editor, Modern Law Magazine.

CONTENTS 05-14 THE INTERVIEWS

15-32 THE FEATURES

06 Interview with... Christopher Mills The advent and rise of social media has meant that individual and commercial reputational threats are on the rise. Charlotte Parkinson, Modern Law spoke to the COO of Schillings about how to protect clients in light of change and how obtaining an ABS licence has supported the firm through its own unique transformation.

16 ABS Roundtable 2014 Modern Law gathered together legal thought-leaders on these new business models, to find out their reasons for wanting to obtain their firm’s licence, whether the new structures present an attractive proposition to young people and new market entrants and future predictions on market share for ABS law firms.

10 Interview with... Lloyd Davies Charlotte Parkinson, Modern Law, spoke to the Managing Director of Convey Law to find out why the firm became an ABS, their future plans for growth and how the firm is striding ahead in a market that has been given a new lease of life.

20 Strategies for online success Despite some predictions, ABSs are yet to revolutionise high street legal services. But the prospect of a new breed of commercially-savvy, well-branded, consumer-friendly competitors is increasingly causing law firms to self-reflect.

FindLaw UK, a legal solution from Thomson Reuters, takes the opportunity to share some key strategies for online success.

22 Directory of ABS firms licensed by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) 23 Directory of ABS firms licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

Modern Law Magazine Project Director Kate McKittrick kate@charltongrant.co.uk Contact 01765 600909

Group Editor Charlotte Parkinson charlotte.parkinson@charltongrant.co.uk Design Matthew Phillis

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

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www.charltongrant.co.uk 01765 600909 Publishing | Events | Design | PR | Marketing

The Interviews

05

05-14

THE INTERVIEWS

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

Interview with... Christopher Mills

07

Interview with...

CHRISTOPHER MILLS The advent and rise of social media has meant that individual and commercial reputational threats are on the rise. Charlotte Parkinson, Modern Law spoke to the COO of Schillings about how to protect clients in light of change and how obtaining an ABS licence has supported the firm through its own unique transformation.

Q A

Why was the ABS path right for Schillings and how did you find the overall licensing process?

We had already bought another business by the point we decided to become an ABS. We were very aware that our current strategy was moving towards a multi-disciplinary approach (by multi-disciplinary, I mean legal and non-legal services). The ABS certainly facilitated this, as previously we were not able to have legal and nonlegal services as part of the same business offering. The fact that we had to have separate businesses meant ‘Chinese walls’ were present, which is never an ideal operating position. The overall licensing process was absolutely fine.

We applied for our licence and the whole process fitted within our allocated timeframe. The licence was actually obtained on Valentine’s Day 2013, which was well in advance of the date we were going live, which was 1st May.

Q A

What have Schillings gained from obtaining the ABS licence that a traditional business model did not offer?

In the run up to the ABS we had already transformed ourselves into a more corporately run business with an efficient decision making process and an executive management board. So although we are more corporately run, our business model hasn’t changed. We have a licence to provide our regulated legal services, alongside our non-regulated services such as risk consulting and information security.

Q A

How has the day-to-day, operational running of the business changed since the licence was granted?

It is a much smoother process, because previously we were duplicating our IT and accounting systems and were unable to discuss clients across the cyber business and the legal business. From day one of operating with the ABS licence all of that red tape was removed which

made a dramatic difference straight away. It allowed us to create a single team; within that team we have people who deal with reputation and defence issues, risk consultants, cyber experts, leading reputation and data protection lawyers. That is the biggest difference for us as they can all discuss client issues; our clients don’t care how we solve their issues, ultimately, they just want them solved.

Q A

To date, has becoming an ABS been more or less beneficial than you expected?

Becoming an ABS has certainly been very beneficial for Schillings, in many ways, it has been business as usual but we are now able to do all the things we wanted to do. Looking back to 2010, we noticed that our market was changing which is why we wanted to evolve our offering and our clients wanted solutions to deal with the reputation threats of the modern world. We are meeting a real demand when it comes to protecting privacy and reputations. The way our new reputation consultancy offering works is something that, right now, no one else in the world is doing so yes, the licence has been extremely beneficial.

Q A

Have you noticed a change in dealing with regulators now that you have become an ABS - has the regulatory process become more difficult or

easier?

Following our ABS licence, we did find elements of the regulatory process difficult and the regulatory aspect was one of our biggest problem areas. This was due to the fact that the accounts rules did not offer any specific guidance on how to handle a non-regulated service, alongside a regulated one. We run the non-regulated services in exactly the same way as we run the regulated services, to the same professional standards. The accounts rules are slightly confusing because firms are not allowed to hold money for non-regulated services in a client account, although this may change in the future. It is important to

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

08

Interview with... Christopher Mills

‘The changes within our market were fundamental to why we changed our offering.

In 2010, social media was becoming more popular, legislation was changing and the threat of hostile media attention was rising. The Rumour Mill is constantly churning and has been turbo-charged by social media’ ensure that Schillings are meeting outcomes-focussed regulation and so we raise the standard of our nonregulated areas to the same levels as our regulated services. Our insurers really understood and embraced our business plan and they have created a unique PI insurance, which covers regulated and non-regulated services, as opposed to separating the two.

They could see that in the event of a claim, there is no way that one could separate where the legal advice stopped and where the consulting began. We have been extremely impressed with our insurers and brokers on that side.

Q A

Did Schillings take on any external investment following/ prior to the ABS licensing, if not, does the firm have any plans to do so?

We haven’t taken on any external investment yet but we always want to ensure the door is very much open on investment terms. We have always been able to invest in everything ourselves but it is certainly nice to have the option.

We are developing a number of new products and services at the moment and are concentrating on how we will be investing in more over the next few years, whether that investment comes from internal or external investment remains to be seen.

Q

How has the rise of social media and changes to legislation complicated reputational threats and how are Schillings working to overcome this?

Has your ABS licence helped in this regard from an internal or external perspective?

A

The changes within our market were fundamental to why we changed our offering. In 2010, social media was becoming more popular, legislation was changing and the threat of hostile media attention was rising. The Rumour Mill is constantly churning and has been turbo-charged by social media. These changes represented a clear-cut pivot

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

point for Schillings and they have allowed us to move way beyond where we were and offer a much greater range of services. Our ABS licence has certainly helped us in this regard as we wouldn’t be able to offer risk consulting and information security without it. We are also about to launch a number of new services, one of which is ‘Reputation Radar’, which is essentially strategic risk forecasting. Although this doesn’t necessarily sound like something a law firm would offer, it fits nicely as it helps clients understand potential threats to their reputation tomorrow, by understanding factors that are shaping public opinion today. We

many years ago that the law alone is not enough to deal with media and reputational issues and no one else has quite caught up with that yet.

Q

Over the last 2 years, Schillings has undergone significant changes in terms of branding and structure; during this time, where was the biggest investment made?

A

Time was definitely the biggest area of investment for us. We have been on the internal change programme for 3, almost 4 years now but the rest of the market weren’t aware of it because we wanted to ensure that everything was in place

‘Rather than acting in a reactive manner, we can now look forward and help clients mitigate issues before they even flare up’ have consultants who work with our reputation lawyers and rather than acting in a reactive manner, we can now look forward and help clients mitigate issues before they even flare up.

Q A

What are the biggest current/ emerging reputational risks; for example cyber/social

media?

The presence of social media is now a fact of the modern world and when ‘hack-attacks’ come into the public domain, it is clear to see how quickly a reputation crisis can unfold. 10 years ago, if a potentially damaging story was going to be printed tomorrow, the individual still had time to try and put a stop to that story being published. Nowadays, with the advent and rise of social media, these stories can spread so quickly. Schillings have always been known for putting out fires quickly and with the ABS, we are even more equipped to do that. The world has sped up; social media is borderless and does not respect jurisdictions and we need to ensure we keep up with the pace of that change. We identified

before launching our revised service model. Our rebrand went live a year ago but that was very much a case of changing the wrapper on the tin so people could understand what we are now offering, although we have actually been offering the new services for some time. The time it took to change internally and the time it took to ensure staff and clients understood the new values we developed was certainly the biggest investment. Every member of the firm was involved in creating those values and they were an essential guide when looking at our external branding. The time we invested in ensuring our branding was right has certainly paid dividends as we have already won awards for it. We even managed to deliver the re-brand within the existing marketing budget.

In the same year we managed to reduce expenditure, increase profit and our revenue went up by a third too.

Q A

What’s next for Schillings?

We are launching a series of new products and services over the autumn, which is very

Interview with... Christopher Mills

09

‘Schillings have always been known for putting out fires quickly and with the ABS, we are even more equipped to do that. The world has sped up; social media is borderless and does not respect jurisdictions and we need to ensure we keep up with the pace of that change’ exciting for us. Our branding and tone is bold and has a strong personality and whereas a traditional law firm might just talk about what they can do, we are discussing clients’ problems and how we can help them overcome them. We are launching a service called ‘Encased’, which is a reputation litigation support service to ensure disputes don’t end in disrepute. In a nutshell, we work alongside other lawyers who are running a litigation case and Schillings then manage the reputational side to mitigate any reputation fallout. Another particularly exciting service is ‘Counter Strike’, which is a service to guard against reputation sabotage by unscrupulous competitors and opponents. We are always planning and are currently in the middle of our strategic planning review. Four years ago we created our 2020 vision. Now we are working on what comes next and have extended our view to 2025. It’s a very exciting time for us. All I can really say is watch this space.

Christopher Mills For the past three years, Christopher Mills has been the COO of Schillings, previously holding the post of Commercial Director. He has led the process by which, over the last four years, Schillings has transformed itself from a market leading niche law firm in the field of privacy and defamation law, into a growing multidisciplinary practice that provides a service to corporates and individuals who wish to build and protect their reputation. This has entailed him working closely with key stakeholders to develop a robust strategic growth plan and in delivering the expansion and improvement of all supporting business activities. As a skilled leader and mentor, as well as an expert in client service issues and relationship management, Christopher has focused on working with the Schillings leadership team, and through them with the whole firm, so as to ensure that they make ‘decisions that stick’ – ones which people are willing and able to follow through even when this means substantial change.

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

Interview with... Lloyd Davies

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Interview with...

LLOYD DAVIES Charlotte Parkinson, Modern Law, spoke to the Managing Director of Convey Law to find out why the firm became an Alternative Business Structure (ABS), their future plans for growth and how the firm is striding ahead in a market that has been given a new lease of life.

Q A

Why did Convey Law become an ABS and how did you find the overall licensing process?

The business has been established for 10 years as of 4th December and we were previously a Limited Company. We had to become an ABS because being a Limited Company meant it became a Council for Licensed Conveyancers’ (CLC) requirement. The licensing process was well worthwhile from our point of view and we learnt a lot from it in terms of what procedures the firm didn’t have in place and what we could do better. It was certainly a learning curve and the firm is better for having gone through the process.

Q A

What have Convey Law gained from obtaining the ABS licence that a traditional business model did not offer?

We were already slightly different to traditional firms, as, having been a Limited Company, we were could seek external investment prior to obtaining the ABS licence. Something that Convey Law gained from the process is the public and wider sector perception that, because we are an ABS, we are a modern law firm. While it is not necessarily the case that we weren’t before, the ABS status acts as a Kitemark as it verifies the fact that the business has all the correct systems and processes in place.

Q A

How has the day-to-day, operational running of the business changed since the licence was granted?

We operate with a board of directors but prior to and after gaining the licence, we looked more in depth at the day-to-day running of the firm and at how to engage others with the practice. Since we have become an ABS, we have appointed a Sales and Marketing Director, who isn’t a licensed conveyancer. We have also appointed a Head of Legal Practice and a Head of Finance and Administration. In that sense obtaining the licence has

‘The licensing process was well worthwhile from our point of view and we learnt a lot from it in terms of what procedures the firm didn’t have in place and what we could do better’

had a fundamental impact on the operational running of the business, in terms of how we have looked at the structure and considered risk management.

‘The ABS status acts as a Kitemark as it verifies the fact that the business has all the correct systems and processes in place’

Q A

To date, has becoming an ABS been more or less beneficial than you expected?

It has been enormously beneficial in light of the great changes in the industry, the way people look at us as a business entity is certainly enhanced as an ABS. It also makes us a more attractive proposition to potential investors, for example, if an estate agent or building society were interested in investing, they would look for an ABS over a high street practice.

Q A

Have you noticed a change in dealing with regulators now that you have become an ABS has the regulatory process become more difficult or easier?

The licensing process allowed us to work with our regulator for a prolonged period of time, as the whole process took over twelve months. It gave us the opportunity to build a relationship with our regulator, meaning they now have an in-depth understanding of our culture and how we operate as a firm, making the regulatory process much easier. The Regulator is also now more light-touch as they understand how vigilant we are with our day-to-day operations and general running of the business.

Q A

Did Convey Law take on any external investment following/prior to the ABS licensing, if not, does the firm have any plans to do so?

We didn’t take on any external investment when we became an ABS. We would certainly look at taking on investment in the future as we have plans to expand our case management system and a training arm.

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

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Q A

Interview with... Lloyd Davies What are the biggest current/emerging risks for those in the conveyancing market at the moment?

Fraud is certainly one of the biggest current risks, in terms of mortgage fraud and people impersonating solicitors. In terms of business risks, being on mortgage lender panels is an enormous risk, because if we are not on the panels, we will not be able to operate as a firm. Investors and large scale operations coming into the market are also a risk but we have been well aware of these for some time. We have already seen large scale entrants enter the legal industry with large scale investments but they seem to realise fairly quickly that it is actually not that easy to make money in our industry. Personally, I wouldn’t say that large scale investors are a huge threat to us.

Q A

What are your views on lender panels?

There is a lot of consolidation at the moment in terms of how lenders vet their panels.

Understandably, lenders want to ensure that they have the right firms on their panels. As long as we have the correct systems in place and our business is structured correctly, then lender panels shouldn’t present too much of a problem.

Lloyd Davies

Q A

How is Convey Law managing the exponential growth in the conveyancing market; has the ABS licence helped the business cope with the upturn in the sector?

Yes, the ABS licence shows us to be a progressive practice which is what new recruits want to see.

We have recruited around 30 individuals since the start of this year, 6 of which are conveyancers. We introduced our own staff news letter, which was designed to help us with the recruitment process and which has proved very effective. We were also awarded the Legal Eye Conveyancing Standard accreditation which was something we publicised as it shows we are transparent and have the correct risk management processes in place. It is a great help to the firm when we receive badges as they act as a benchmark for clients and show we are a well run business.

We are very much investors in people and we do a huge amount of internal training with the best facilities we could possibly ask for, which has enabled us to recruit new people, alongside maintaining the 90 or so staff who are with Convey Law already.

Q A

What’s next for Convey Law?

More of the same, we will continue to approach our business by thinking about what our clients need.

The conveyancing world is changing, there have been enormous changes brought about by technology. We have been keen to embrace these new systems and improve the overall client experience and one of the big things for us in the future is to continue to develop our IT systems and case management systems. In terms of our marketing, we have one of the best direct conveyancer facilities in the UK and have upwards of 300-400 instructions per month directly through the website. Training will also continue to stay top of the agenda as well as the charity work the firm is doing, which has raised almost £250,000 in 4 years.

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

Lloyd Davies is Managing Director of Convey Law and joined the Board of Directors of The Society of Licensed Conveyancers in November 2012. The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) is the professional body that represents the Licensed Conveyancer profession.

Lloyd qualified as a Solicitor in 1995, specialising immediately in residential conveyancing. Lloyd has been involved with various government steering committees in relation to conveyancing related legislation. Lloyd established Convey Law in 2007 and has developed the company into one of the largest conveyancing companies in the UK.

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The Features

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15-32

THE FEATURES

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

16

The Features

ABS ROUNDTABLE The introduction of Alternative Business Structures (ABSs) has been a huge talking point in the legal sector over the last two years. Modern Law gathered together legal thought-leaders on these new business models, to find out their reasons for wanting to obtain their firm’s licence, whether the new structures present an attractive proposition to young people and new market entrants and future predictions on market share for ABS law firms.

Atendees Andrew Darke (AD)

Partner

Irwin Mitchell

Charlotte Parkinson (CP)

Group Editor

Modern Law Magazine

David Bott (DB)

Founding Partner

Bott & Co

Lesley Morgan (LM)

Principal Lawyer and Head of Legal Services

AAG Legal

Michelle Garlick (MG)

Partner

Weightmans

Sarah Giddens (SG)

Management Partner

Richmond Chambers

Steve Arundale (SA) - Chair

Head of Professional Sectors & Financial NatWest/RBS Institutions, Sectors & Specialist Business

Tim Oliver (TO)

Chairman

Parabis

Tony Rand (TR)

Managing Director

Kingsley Law Ltd

SA: What are the main reasons why your firm chose to become or launch as an ABS?

AD: From the Irwin Mitchell perspective, there were two key drivers.

Firstly, so we could appoint non-lawyers to positions of leadership and secondly, it offered the opportunity for external investment in the future (should we require it). The chance to become an ABS gave us the chance to operate more flexibly as a business.

LM: Our reasoning at AAG Legal was slightly different as I am essentially a sole practitioner and was a ‘startup’ practice. We never intended to become an ABS but we had no choice in the matter because we share our office buildings with a wealth management business, making it an SRA requirement to become an ABS. Although we didn’t choose to become an ABS, we have seized the opportunity and appointed a number of non-lawyers to the management

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

board. This has been a useful exercise as it has enabled us to bring external talent and expertise into the business at a level we would not have been able to do without the ABS licence.

TR: Our experience at Kingsley Law was different again. We underwent

a Management By-In (MBI). Prior to becoming an ABS, we had serious problems co-ordinating our own work with that of external solicitors handling injury-related aspects of claims. By managing all heads of claim under one roof, we are now able to offer a more unified service capability to our clients.

The Features

‘It seems endemic within the SRA that they never meet deadlines themselves, yet they expect people applying for ABS licences to reply to any correspondence within, often unreasonable, arbitrary deadlines of 7 or 14 days, or risk having the application thrown out, which seems unjust.’ Michelle Garlick, Weightmans TO: The Parabis motive was largely

the same as Irwin Mitchell; we wanted to retain the tight ownership structure as well as a corporate structure and culture. We thought, in the late 2000’s, that becoming an ABS would be an easy process but we struggled initially with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). With our position as a Limited Company, the firm has a strong infrastructure and senior management are provided with a clear exit strategy.

AD: I agree; a corporate structure definitely helps with growth.

DB: At Bott & Co, we have a Financial

Director and Operations Manager/ Managing Director who are nonlawyers, so in order to ensure they could be on an equal ownership footing to me, we had to become an ABS.

SG: Richmond Chambers is the first

Barrister-owned law firm. With the advent of public and direct access, we quickly realised that the traditional Chambers model would not work for us in the long term. Becoming an ABS is currently the only way Barristers alone can own a law firm.

We have a non-lawyer Financial Director and the licence allows us to run as a business. Our licence was granted by the SRA but we are still each personally regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Although we are currently a Partnership (LLP) structure, we are actively considering becoming a Limited Company to facilitate growth and ensure a strong leadership structure going forward.

process of becoming a licensed entity. Often, where firms fall down is in thinking they can complete the process themselves, whereas new entrant firms do value the help and support we offer. Thorough forward planning is essential in order to avoid deep-probing by the SRA, which can eat into valuable time. Some firms can be put off as they feel they are not prepared enough to undertake the licensing process but it should be seen as a great opportunity for these firms to put their house in order, including things such as getting their business plans and risk management processes in shape.

TO: There is a wider point here though.

A large part of the legal profession is not aware of what is going on in the rest of the market. Many high street firms, offering services such as conveyancing, wills, probate, employment and family law are not aware that the vast majority of people do not have a ‘family solicitor’ anymore.

There are also a number of traditional, mid-sized firms who are stuck with no main differentiator; they are yet

17

to wake up to the need to change.

Lawyers need to be aware of the fact that buying legal services is a grudge purchase and ABSs facilitate growth into commercial areas of business.

SA: Could sub-£5 million law firms exploit becoming an ABS by using share holding positions as a currency to secure business expertise?

TR: There is absolutely no point even thinking about becoming an ABS unless you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and how an ABS will facilitate achieving your objectives.

DB: Ultimately, becoming an ABS is the vehicle which allows law firms to be run in a much better way. Yes, a sub-£5 million firm could benefit but so could any firm; ABSs provide a mechanism for change.

SA: Why would new entrants want to enter the legal market; is it still an attractive and lucrative proposition?

MG: Debt recovery businesses are

very interested in becoming ABSs, as they will then have the opportunity to provide legal services in line with the services they already offer.

LM: Insurance companies have already begun testing the water when it comes to launching legal arms, as have a number of councils.

AD: Something which still surprises me is that we have not seen the

SA: Changing economic headwinds have challenged firm’s business models but are there still a good number of firms looking to become ABSs? MG: We are certainly seeing an

increase in the number of firms and/ or new businesses looking to become ABSs. I help firms by offering guidance when they are looking to start the

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

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The Features

‘Our bank has been incredibly supportive of the decision to become an ABS and they are pleased with the fact we are running as a business that supplies law’ Sarah Giddens, Richmond Chambers supermarkets enter the legal profession in the way that was first anticipated, the infamous ‘Tesco Law’, for example. The real threat to the legal profession is new entrants which have access to large customer bases.

TO: Absolutely, while we haven’t yet seen supermarkets enter into legal services, there have been a number of insurance companies and larger accountants branching out into offering legal services. The biggest threat to the legal profession going forward will certainly be from accountants.

SA: During the ABS licensing process, is there anything that you would have done differently?

DB: We didn’t have a pre-application meeting with the SRA and in hindsight, if we had had a meeting prior to applying for the licence, it would have helped. It is also important to obtain confirmation that the clock has started ticking on the licensing process as we thought the process had been going on for months, only for the SRA to confirm that the clock had only just started on the 6 month licensing target.

A positive to come out of the process was that we have now been designated a relationship manager which has been extremely beneficial.

AD: Irwin Mitchell has obtained a number of ABS licences

and with our most recent venture (the ABS with Esure), we frontloaded our application and the licence was granted in 6 weeks. This is due to a number of reasons; firstly the SRA had already licensed a number of our other ABS ventures and secondly, they have now seen a more diverse range of ABSs coming into the market so had fewer questions to ask about our legal/insurance venture.

DB: Initially, the SRA were tentative as they were conscious

of licensing a high-profile casualty. Despite what has happened with the Co-Op, this concern now seems to have dissipated.

TR: We had a huge number of issues during the licensing period; it cost our business over £150,000 and I have nothing positive to say about the process.

LM: I can echo Tony’s sentiment.

TO: Parabis also did not have a positive experience during the licensing process, at the time we were going through it, the SRA did not have enough experienced staff to deal with the initial surge in applications. Having said that, the Legal Services Board (LSB) did a good job of keeping the SRA in check and the process is now much improved.

MG: The application process has certainly been made much

simpler as it has moved from the 3 stage process to a one stage process – and the SRA’s approach is much improved from what it was at the start (although there is still room

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

for further improvement). For example, it seems endemic within the SRA that they never meet deadlines themselves, yet they expect people applying for ABS licences to reply to any correspondence within, often unreasonable, arbitrary deadlines of 7 or 14 days, or risk having the application thrown out, which seems unjust.

SA: The overarching purpose of the Clementi reforms was to increase consumer choice and experience. Has the introduction of ABSs provided any benefits to consumers and does it matter to consumers either way if firms are ABSs, traditional partnerships or other?

LM: The business structure of a law firm doesn’t make a difference to the consumer. People choose to instruct solicitors based on trust.

SG: Although ABSs certainly facilitate consumer choice.

DB: The structure of the firm doesn’t necessarily matter; it is all to do with culture and a change in mentality. The chances are that ABSs will be more forward thinking, modern law firms and this could be to the ultimate benefit of the consumer.

AD: The introduction of new and alternative business

models has certainly helped with the demystification of legal services. Lawyers and law firms are becoming more approachable but equally, consumers have become more aware and demanding. Regardless of structure, customer service tools such as legal advice help lines are becoming increasingly important as a culture of immediate, 24/7 access has been established.

SA: How have others within the legal sector and suppliers reacted to your firm becoming an ABS? TR: We have always operated as a Limited Company and I don’t think our ABS licence has changed anything in that regard. I am not even sure our bank knows what an ABS is; to the outside world it is more an object of curiosity than anything else.

LM: Interestingly, I have been approached by a number of international law firms, wanting to find out more about the licensing process and what it means to become an ABS. SG: One concern was that we would lose our professional clients and initially, there was drop off of solicitor instructions. Once this subsided, we experienced a surge in instructions from solicitors, although our main clients remain members of the public. Our bank has been incredibly positive about the decision to become an ABS and they are pleased with the fact we are running as a business that supplies law, as opposed to a collection of self-employed individuals.

TO: We have a number of ABS licences and it has made no difference whatsoever to our suppliers.

MG: It is also important to consider the perspective of

professional indemnity insurers, if an ABS enters the market as a new entity, PI insurers may be more wary than if the ABS had converted from a traditional partnership, where there is some history to draw on. Either way, they are insuring a business regardless of structure.

The Features

19

‘ABSs have not been as ‘groundbreaking’ as was initially first thought, they were intended to professionalise the profession and increase competition and this has not happened in its full capacity yet’ Tim Oliver, Parabis SA: Is the value of a law firm less transparent in a Limited Company structure and are ABSs attractive to young people?

DB: Young partners of the future are looking for a greater

work/life balance and ABSs can certainly provide this.

Partnerships were an attractive proposition in the Victorian era but are not nowadays for the younger generation.

TO: The younger generation have no expectation of staying with the same firm. In terms of succession planning, ABSs create acquisitive, commercial entities.

SA: Will the consolidation in the market (as has already been seen in the personal injury market) continue?

TO & AD: Yes. TO: Certainly, volume transactions for defendant firms will decrease each year. By and large there is a drive towards fewer, bigger firms. There are only currently around 10 full scale defendant firms in the market and this will continue to reduce.

DB: I wouldn’t be surprised if the claimant side of the market went this way over the next few years too but having said that, there will still be room for niche firms in amongst the bigger players.

trading model in other jurisdictions, such as the United States and Australia.

SA: Is there a possibility that retailers will joint venture into legal services?

MG: Watch this space. Although it has been talked about

for 3 years and nothing has happened yet. It is essential to achieve a level playing field.

TO: This is a possibility but perhaps the reason it has not happened yet is that the Legal Services Act (2007) was launched at the same time as a world recession and businesses were probably focussing on their core businesses, rather than looking at speculative investment.

This would explain why the uptake for change in the sector has been so slow. If there is no more to come in the sector in terms of change then the reforms have failed.

DB: I think the sector will witness more change in the next 3 years than we have done in the last 3. ABSs are here to stay, regardless of their formation and business make-up.

If I were starting a new business in the legal sector, I would start an ABS. Modern Law would like to thank all those who attended.

SA: What has been the most surprising outcome since ABSs were introduced?

TR: Over the last 19 months, I have, for the first time, been involved in the management of a law firm. I have been surprised at the intense focus on process, almost to the exclusion of anything else. The biggest surprise for me has been the apparent lack of recognition of the importance of business management in general within the legal profession.

‘ABSs are here to stay, regardless of their formation and business make-up. If I were starting a new business in the legal sector, I would start an ABS’ David Bott, Bott & Co TO: The biggest surprise in my eyes has been the lack of uptake from new entrants. ABSs have not been as ‘groundbreaking’ as was initially first thought, they were intended to professionalise the profession and increase competition and this has not happened in its full capacity yet. One of the only problems with the international expansion of ABSs is the fact that they are not a recognised

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

20

The Features

LEGAL MARKETING: STRATEGIES FOR ONLINE SUCCESS Despite some predictions, ABSs are yet to revolutionise high street legal services. But the prospect of a new breed of commercially-savvy, wellbranded, consumer-friendly competitors is increasingly causing law firms to self-reflect. What is their external face? How can they best differentiate themselves? As most consumers now go online to find legal help, a firm’s website is often at the heart of legal marketing strategies. FindLaw UK, a legal solution from Thomson Reuters, takes the opportunity to share some key strategies for online success.

What’s at the heart of your marketing Regardless of how they hear about you, most legal prospects will visit your website to collect information before they contact you. Think of your website like a funnel where traffic from all your marketing efforts eventually arrives. An optimised, content-rich site is a key resource for establishing your brand, educating site visitors and converting them to clients. There are three components of a successful, high-impact website: Visibility Can the prospects who need your expertise easily find you on search engines? Achieving good online visibility is key to having your choice of the best cases, particularly now that most lawyers have an online presence of some type. Factors that can enhance your visibility include: • Site optimisation, having a high percentage of keywords and phrases targeted at your practice area and location will mean that you are more likely to reflect how your potential clients are searching • Links from other relevant, law-related websites that direct users to your site.

The more quality links you build from trusted, authoritative sites, the more popular and visible your site becomes.

Design Effective site design engages people and projects a strong, persuasive image that reflects your brand. This can include: • Photos and other visual elements that reflect your geographic location and key practice areas • Headlines, section heads and other prominent blocks of copy that stress unique capabilities

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

• A consistent colour palette and tone that appeal to your target audience.

Content Site content can include everything from lawyer profiles and FAQs to online videos and blogs — all the compelling information that defines your unique value proposition. It serves two purposes: • To bring search engines to your site.

For that reason it should be clear and concise, optimised for search indexing and updated frequently, so that it’s fresh for search engines and site visitors alike • To highlight your areas of expertise in a persuasive way. Practice centre pages, articles you’ve written, a blog devoted to your area of the law … all are great ways to position yourself as an authority that consumers can trust.

What are the key online marketing trends to support your website?

Legal directories, video and social media are key areas for lawyers who want to engage more deeply with prospects and convert them at a higher rate.

Legal Directories The growth of the internet and the decline of print directories have led to

another trend in legal marketing: more people using online legal directories — which pool lawyer biographies and legal information in a central online location — to research legal issues and find lawyers in a specific geographic location or practice area.

Online directories benefit lawyers by linking you to prospects that have come online specifically to solve a legal problem. They need answers and, more often than not, a lawyer. The fact that they’re motivated, and can easily search by location or legal need, often means that they’re better-qualified leads.

Legal directories are an opportunity to disseminate links to your website, location maps, contact information and other details about your firm — to make a strong impression, in other words, with people who are likely to be serious about taking the next step.

So which online directory is right for your firm? A key factor, of course, is popularity — you want to be seen by as many prospects as possible. One way to analyse traffic statistics is via free, third-party sites. You may also want to focus on directories that offer both lawyer listings and comprehensive legal information for consumers.

That’s because about 90 percent of

The Features

‘Treat every mention as an enquiry and every re-tweet as a social referral, and respond to them just as you would to a potential client who leaves you a voicemail’ the time, a person will first research their legal need online before deciding to hire a lawyer. Also, keep in mind that it’s important to cast a wide net. To ensure that search engines and prospects can find you, take advantage of legal directories, sites like findlaw.co.uk, and other opportunities.

Video The power of video to both engage and inform — to promote a business in a warm, personal way while still providing useful information — makes it ideally suited for law firm marketing. Placing videos on your website and other popular sites can enhance brand awareness, give you high-impact exposure points across the internet and help prospects verify that “this is someone I want to work with.”

For law firms, clips that feature you and your colleagues describing your practice — the unique strengths that set it apart, what prospects can expect, next steps should they decide to move forward — can go a long way toward minimising the intimidation factor and encouraging viewers to follow up. Additionally, creating a video that addresses a specific legal issue or topic with practical next steps further establishes your expertise in the area. It also provides indexable content for search engines, so that consumers searching for legal help on that particular topic will be able to find your firm.

Creating a compelling video that people respond to is important. To ensure it makes an impact, however, distribution is critical. The goal is to be seen by as many people as possible, on your website but also on legal directories and third-party sites like YouTube, generating increased traffic to your website and enhancing search engine optimisation.

Social media An effective social media presence helps educate people about your firm, build relationships and generate wordof-mouth recommendations. A blog, a Twitter feed, your presence on Facebook; they’re all tools that enable you to proactively manage your reputation, build credibility and generate search hits (since search engines like Google “read” Facebook, Twitter and blogs).

To extend your firm’s reach on social media, it’s important to build an audience by establishing “friends”, “connections” and “followers”. Connect to the businesses, people and pages relevant to the firm and its practice areas. A few creative ways to build your audience include: • Connecting with members of your local associations and peers at legal conferences and seminars • Joining online conferences legal professional or practicearea-specific networking groups • Commenting on other people’s blogs, posts and tweets, to show that you are an active part of the online legal community.

21

How do I drive engagement?

Here are a few general rules to help you establish your authority across all social media channels: Listen Whether you set up a Google alert for a particular topic or simply devote a small amount of time each day to scanning Twitter updates, active listening will inform you about others’ interests and give you insights into new opportunities for your firm.

Invest time Social media is a conversation. By setting aside time on a regular basis to post updates and respond to comments, you’ll help ensure that your information is engaging and that users who want to connect with you don’t feel ignored.

Devoting even five minutes per day to social media can generate real value for your law firm. Keep your profiles up to date and ensure they reflect any new accomplishments or changes at your firm.

Don’t be afraid to have fun It’s important to stay professional, but most consumers of social media will react positively if you take the periodic opportunity to lighten the mood and put a relatable, human face on your firm. Step back occasionally and ask yourself a few questions. Are my updates “push” only, meaning that I’m only sharing information and never asking questions or sharing at a human level? Do my updates give the impression that I’m overly serious? Rely on your natural conversational skills to guide you.

Given the nature of the legal industry, you may not experience an overwhelming amount of audience engagement through social media. However, every time a follower does mention your firm or re-tweets a message, you are presented with an opportunity. Treat every mention as an enquiry and every re-tweet as a social referral, and respond to them just as you would to a potential client who leaves you a voicemail. Likewise, just as you would thank a colleague or client for a referral or endorsement, thank the social media users who go out of their way to promote your firm and its online content.

Done well, social media can help you build a positive, authoritative presence online — one that drives referrals, generates traffic to your website and brings new clients through the front door.

FindLaw UK from Thomson Reuters offers trusted law firm marketing solutions from website builds, design and content writing, to blogging services and more, helping to drive the kind of traffic you want. To request a free audit of your current website today, please contact the Thomson Reuters FindLaw UK team: Call: 020 7542 3725 Email: findlawuk.info@thomsonreuters.com Visit: findlaw.co.uk/law-firm-marketing

ML // ABS Supplement 2014

22

ABS Directory

ABS LAW FIRMS - LICENSED BY THE COUNCIL FOR LICENSED CONVEYANCERS (CLC) Company Name

Head Of Legal

Licence Date

Licence No

Advantage Property Lawyers Limited

Julie A. Sheldon

17/10/2012

505654

Andrew Jacobs Conveyancing Limited

Andrew Jacobs

28/02/2013

504800

Bernadette Kearns Limited

Caroline Rooks

01/11/2013

500014

Bespoke Law Services (UK) Limited

T.A. Horne

13/01/2014

511394

Bradley Walker Haynes Limited

Andrew Bradley

01/08/2014

511707

Brogan Property Lawyers Ltd

Matthew Brogan

09/04/2013

505886

Chartahouse Ltd

K. N. Hawkins

11/01/2013

500099

Christopher G Mowat LLP

Christopher Mowat

28/02/2013

505697

Convey Law Ltd

Gareth W C Richards

20/06/2013

504014

Conveyancing Direct Limited

Karen Dunn

15/10/2012

502437

Conveyancing Expert Limited

Gavin Wall

22/04/2013

506016

Countrywide Property Lawyers Limited

Alison Roberts

13/02/2013

500260

Dezrezlegal Ltd

L Burkinshaw

15/03/2013

505695

Dorling Cottrell Limited

S. Law

12/11/2013

504483

Dyer and Crowe Ltd

Colin Crowe

28/03/2013

500077

Enact Conveyancing Limited

Alexander A. Clark

23/08/2012

500556

Goddard Dunbar & Associates Limited

Sharon Plane

02/01/2014

511330

Independent Property Lawyers Limited

Gordon Drawbridge

28/03/2013

505530

Integrated Legal Services (IPW) Ltd

S L Brown

01/09/2014

511659

K L Property Lawyers Ltd

Kathryn Heathfield

10/04/2013

503615

Kennan Kay Kerr Legal Services LLP

L. Doyle

20/11/2012

506017

Key Legal (North East) Limited

Janet Ford

10/02/2014

511618

Key Property Lawyers Limited

Tobias Richmond

15/04/2013

505584

Kings Court Trust Limited

Andrea Pierce

13/08/2012

511314

KR Conveyancing Services Ltd

K Reynolds

15/03/2013

504461

LDN Conveyancing Limited

Kuljit Ghalan

17/04/2013

505431

Legal Business Property Lawyers Ltd

Seigha Onyeka

05/11/2012

505827

LMS Direct Conveyancing Limited

John Jones

24/08/2012

504474

Midland Property Lawyers Ltd

R Dhunna

01/03/2013

505938

NFL Legal Ltd

Brenda Morgan

01/04/2014

511666

Northwood Banks & Co

Kevin Parsons

01/07/2012

511333

Ocean Property Lawyers Ltd

Jonathan V. A. Aldous

12/05/2014

501278

PDR Property Lawyers Ltd

M Rickard

27/01/2014

505356

Pirie Palmann Ltd

Marion Palmann

18/04/2013

500492

Premier Property Lawyers Limited

Mr R. S. Gurney

06/10/2011

502450

Property Law Partners Ltd

D Sledge

15/03/2013

504208

Right Choice Conveyancing Limited

Martin S. Crighton

16/10/2012

505685

Seymour Luke Limited

P Luke

22/08/2014

505693

Simply Conveyancing Property Lawyers Limited

Samantha Kelly

11/04/2013

505744

Stratega Law Ltd

James Marshall

28/04/2014

505923

The Conveyancing Shop Limited

tbc

28/08/2012

511331

The Legal House Limited

Sarah Wayman

10/04/2013

505700

The Partnership (2009) Ltd

Ian A Edwards

26/11/2012

505790

Valentine Conveyancers Ltd

Karen Capes

02/05/2013

500277

Vickery Conveyancing Limited

Karina Hudson

07/11/2012

505778

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

ABS Directory

23

ABS LAW FIRMS - LICENSED BY SOLICITORS REGULATION AUTHORITY (SRA) Company Name

Head Of Legal

Licence Date

Licence No

3HR Legal Limited

Phillps Green

01/07/2013

597935

AA Law Limited

Jasbir Sangha

01/12/2013

606959

AACH Legal Services LLP

Anthony Wilson

01/11/2013

599458

AAG Legal Services Limited

Lesley Karen Morgan

12/10/2012

572779

Aaron & Partners LLP

Stuart James Scott-Goldstone

07/01/2013

401104

Abbey Protection Group Limited

Murray Fairclough

01/01/2013

590960

Abbiss Cadres LLP

David Widdowson

01/10/2012

571596

ABC Food Law Limited

Sharon Bowles

02/04/2013

596682

Accident Advice Solicitors Limited

Tamara Downes

10/09/2012

571053

Accidently Injured Legal Services

Anthony Wilson

01/11/2013

599202

Acorn Law Northwest Limited

Alexandra Mutter

07/01/2013

591428

Active Legal Ltd

Kerry Kirkbride

01/03/2013

519806

Admiral Law Limited

Caroline Blake

01/05/2013

596862

Advantage Solicitors

Fidan Osoy

01/04/2013

596620

AFH Legal Limited

Thomas James Joseph Baxter

23/07/2013

598373

AGEAS Law LLP

Adele Jones

01/04/2013

596712

Alan Hodge Law Limited

Christopher McGrail

01/09/2013

599103

Allsquare Legal Limited

Thomas CrownÂ

17/12/2012

591055

ALP Law LLP

Timothy Walters

17/03/2014

591666

Alps legal Practice Limited

Michelle Field

01/04/2013

592327

Altion Law Limited

Rebecca Hudson

13/03/2013

596634

Amanda Cunliffe Solicitors

Amanda Jane Cunliffe

01/03/2013

520188

Amelans

Andrew Twambley

31/07/2012

570220

Anderson Longmore & Higham with Bevis Rowntree

Christopher Dickinson

02/01/2013

46146

Anthony Gold Solicitors

David Thomas Marshall

01/11/2014

48050

Ascent Performance Group Limited

Laurence Michael Gavin

20/08/2012

570670

Ashley Taylors Legal Limited

Gemma Hargrave

01/07/2013

598249

Ashton Boulevard Limited

Simon Daw

04/07/2014

606724

Ashton KCJ

Thomas Evan Cook

25/06/2014

45826

Aspen Law Limited

Uzma Ali

31/01/2013

591168

Astons Legal Limited

Edward Aston

20/02/2013

538039

Autonet Law LLP

Angela Price

28/03/2013

596704

Avantis Solicitors Limited

Allan Stewart

11/04/2014

606575

Baker Chase LLP

Mohammed Javid Shafi

01/10/2013

605127

Barwells Legal Limited

David Trevor Johnson George

01/08/2014

612008

Bates Wells & Braithwate London LLP

Anthony Charles George Cartmell

11/06/2014

465497

BBH (Legal Services) LTD

David Ian Stothard

01/01/2013

561550

BD Solicitors Limited

Bal Dhaliwal

04/01/2013

545910

BDE Law Limited

Julian Lewis

01/05/2013

596863

Belmores Limited

David Foulkes

02/12/2013

525368

Berlad Graham LLP

Raanan Berlad

01/04/2013

563203

Bernard Chill & Axtell

Jonathan Coppen

01/07/2013

44982

Betteridges Solicitors Limited

Mark Betteridge

31/03/2013

558683

Blackstar Legal Limited

David Birchall

01/07/2013

597843

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

24

ABS Directory

Blue Trinity LTD

Jonathan Etuk

14/01/2013

591243

Bobby Dhanjal Legal Services Ltd

Hardeep Kaur Mann

01/03/2013

591966

Born Legal LLP

Sadhana Soni

06/02/2014

611474

Bott & Co Solicitors Limited

David Bott

24/09/2013

605593

Boyle Leonard Willden Limited

William Robert Willden

01/09/2013

570168

BPIF Legal Limited

Anne Copley

01/10/2014

 606597

Bretherton Law Ltd

Sandra Bradley

01/07/2014

612461

Brilliant Law Limited

David Mandell

01/01/2013

591109

Bristows LLP

Charles Pugh

01/05/2013

591711

Brookson Legal Services Limited

Carl Henning

08/07/2013

598572

BT Law Limited

Miles Howard Jobling

01/03/2013

591827

Buckinghamshire Law + Limited

Mabel Davies

24/11/2014

611457

BW Legal Services Limited

Jonathan Cracknell

09/09/2013

569773

Bywaters Topham Phillips LLP

Leslie Tuck

07/11/2013

525191

Cantavat Consulting Limited

Simon Portman

01/11/2014

612432

Canter Levin & Berg

Martin Malone

25/02/2013

44668

Carbrooke Accident Management

Christopher Moore

01/03/2013

592183

Caro Taylor Solictors Limited

Carolyn Taylor

20/02/2013

562606

Carole Nash Legal Services LLP

Adele Jones

15/11/2013

606960

Castle Keep Law Limited

Dominic Gerard Timmons

31/01/2014

607880

Castle Park Solicitors Community Interest Company

Christine Ann Palmer

28/03/2013

597000

Caytons Law

John Leathley

13/11/2013

510667

Cenpro Legal Ltd

Andrew Bowen

15/09/2014

614180

Centenary Law Limited

Arthur Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden

14/05/2014

611443

Certus Solicitors LLP

Naheem Anwar

02/08/2013

598558

CGA Legal Services Limited

James Baker

01/11/2013

605259

Charles Cook & Company Limited

Charles Cook

16/08/2013

485529

Chesterton House Legal Services LLP

Rebecca Abraham

17/03/2014

607014

Clark Advisors LLP

Christopher Hill

01/03/2014

606715

Clarke & Son LLP

Ian Kershaw

01/04/2013

462041

Clarus Solicitors Ltd

Edward Reynolds

11/06/2013

598138

Clifford James Consultants Limited

Steward Fairhurst

01/04/2013

596586

Cognitive Law LLP

Ms Lucy Jane Tarrant

15/08/2014

614061

Coodes LLP

Jeremy David Harvey

01/05/2014

611627

Co-operative Legal Services Limited

Christopher Munro May

20/04/2013

567391

Cordery Compliance Limited

Robert Michael Sanderson

24/03/2014

608187

Coris UK Limted

Michael Robin Welch Zurbrugg

17/08/2013

570671

Cost Advocates Limited

Phillip Robinson

01/05/2014

343507

Courmacs LLP

Sarah Waugh

07/05/2014

608157

Crabtree Law LLP

James Richard Naylor

01/09/2012

570566

CTW Law Limited

John Goodman

01/05/2014

606304

Cummings Law Limited

Clair Cummings

01/07/2013

597897

DAS Law Limited

Holly Quemper

08/03/2013

423113

Dawson Crowther LLP

Jeremy Crowther

01/09/2014

612894

Denning Legal Limited

Aris Nicolson

21/10/2013

606473

Descartes Solicitors LLP

Evelyn Ofori-Koree

01/10/2012

571256

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

ABS Directory

25

DGB LLP Solicitors

Mark Smith

15/03/2013

566277

Direct Law & Finance Limited

Felix Joesph

01/08/2013

598944

Dixcart Legal Limited

Melanie Ann Katherine Smith

01/05/2014

612167

DKL Professional Services Limited

Doreen Lovett

07/11/2013

599479

DLG Legal Services Limited

Stuart Tait

28/02/2014

611455

DR Solicitors Limited

Daphne Robertson

19/08/2013

522996

Dunn & Baker LLP

Nicholas Penwell

01/01/2014

605696

EAD Solicitors LLP

Steve Cornforth

21/12/2012

487037

Eastgate Chambers Limited

Christopher Andrew Clark

14/02/2013

546074

Edwin Coe LLP

Nicholas Giles

16/05/2014

462112

E-Solicitors Limited

Stephen Mark Butler

01/02/2014

607474

Essential Solicitors LLP

Emma O’Leary

01/03/2013

591644

Everyman Legal

Robert Francois Jonckheer

01/03/2013

465380

Exarchou & Rosenberg International LLP

George Rosenberg

01/03/2014

608167

Excello Law Limited

George Bisnought

09/04/2014

512898

Express Solicitors Limited

James Thomas Maxey

07/04/2014

612741

FC Retail Services Limited

Paul Thorogood

01/02/2014

461828

Ferguson Financial Limited

John Charles Corry Ferguson

01/09/2013

598899

First Choice Solicitors Limited

Benjamin Abu

24/01/2014

606136

Fisher Jones Greenwood

Anthony Fisher

15/05/2013

400131

FMG Legal LLP

Adele Jones

01/04/2013

596711

Focus Solicitors Limited

Abraham Mee

07/05/2014

612132

Foot Anstey LLP

Christopher John Hoar

30/04/2014

558012

Franklins Solicitors LLP

Leonard Franklin

01/10/2012

570602

Freeth Cartwright LLP

Paul Thorogood

01/02/2014

384855

Frisby (Stafford) LLP

Nathan Trevor Cook

31/03/2014

608186

Gateley LLP

Michael Ward

01/01/2014

401265

Gelbergs LLP

Graeme Taylor

02/01/2013

484834

GH Legal Solutions

Kieran Magee

01/07/2013

597679

GPB Solicitors (Intervened)

Jeremy Chaplin

14/02/2013

560888

Greenlight Legal Limited

Suzanne Jervis

01/04/2013

591916

Greenwayslaw LLP

Alan Paul Stephens

06/04/2014

605511

Gunnercooke LLP

Sarah Goulbourne

18/11/2013

546420

H&F Legal Limited

Kelly Anne Walsh

02/04/2014

606165

H&R Legal

Adele Jones

01/04/2013

596685

H.A.S. Jones Limited

Rachel Dobson

14/07/2014

573553

Hannah Solicitors LLP

Joe Hallett

22/05/2013

597796

Hansells

Roger Holden

01/04/2014

50602

Harrison Drury & Co Ltd

John Chesworth

03/09/2014

534326

Haworth Holt Bell Limited

Richard Bell

12/08/2013

401279

Hayes & Storr

Alexander James Findlay

18/12/2012

567421

HB Public Law Limited

Jessica Farmer

01/12/2014

611743

HCC Law Limited

David Horwich

14/10/2013

605219

Heald Solicitors LLP

Simon Daw

17/02/2014

559621

Hiberian Private Client Limited

Patrick Walsh

01/09/2014

611543

Higgs & Sons

Paul Hunt

01/11/2014

51162

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

26

ABS Directory

Hill & Abbott Limited

Jeremy Newson

01/07/2013

559300

Hillary Meredith Solicitors Limited

Hillary Meredith

01/02/2013

561149

Hogarth Law Limited

Donna Christien Prested

09/04/2013

596802

Horwich Farrelly

Anthony Hughes

10/01/2013

61877

Houlden Sweeney Ltd

Roslyn Sweeney

01/04/2013

591235

Howell & Co

Bruce Jobling

07/11/2012

573867

Hudson Brothers Limited

Dominic Hudson

01/04/2014

612175

HW Business Law LLP

Victoria Janine Bond

16/12/2013

607761

Ian Henery Solicitors

Ian Henery

01/05/2013

519162

Iliffes Booth Bennett

Joanna DeBiase

01/09/2013

78310

IME Law Limited

Laurence Gavin

11/08/2014

612901

In Your Defence

Geoffrey Wise

01/03/2013

592182

Integrity Legal LLP

Suzanne Jervis

01/04/2013

421479

Irwin Mitchell LLP

Wrighton Simpson

20/08/2012

570654

Irwin Mitchell Trust Corporation

Wrighton Simpson

20/08/2012

570669

Irwin Mitchell Trustees Limited

Wrighton Simpson

20/08/2012

570668

Isadore Goldman

Daniel Moshe Schaffer

01/08/2013

598736

Jeffrey and Powell

Sian Clara Morrie

25/05/2013

597602

JG Poole & Co LLP

Jason Geoffry Poole

23/05/2014

611954

Jigsaw Law

Paul Hurst

07/02/2013

591238

Joelson Wilson LLP

Philippe Hails-Smith

30/09/2013

509649

John Collins & Partners LLP

Kevin Terence O’Brien

31/07/2012

570275

John Welch & Stanners Solicitors

Kerry Joels

06/04/2012

567390

Jordans Corporate Law Limited

Debbie Farman

10/09/2013

605152

Julian Jefferson

Julian Jefferson

28/03/2013

596692

Just Costs Limited

Christopher Murphy

16/01/2013

444013

Kawa Guimares & Associates Limited

Moynul Islam

11/08/2014

613002

Kearns Legal Services Ltd

Robert Kearns

11/09/2014

611679

Keoghs LLP

Mark Whalley

09/11/2012

573546

Keystone Law Limited

William Robins

21/10/2013

400999

Kidwells Law Solicitors Limited

Alan Michael Kidwell-Horne

01/11/2013

535081

Kinetic Law Services Limited

Gina Samuel-Richards

15/10/2013

565383

Kingsley Law

Graham Cade

01/02/2013

591547

Kleyman & Co Solicitors Limited

Stephanie Kleyman

24/03/2014

469549

Knights Solicitors LLP

David Andrew Beech

01/01/2013

591155

Knightsbridge Chase

Sajid Rafik

01/01/2013

591054

Lance Mason Limited

Katijah Ahmed

02/01/2014

524016

Landlord Action Limited

Justin Henry David Selig

01/10/2013

605660

Langley Wellington LLP

Helen Rosemary Stephens

01/10/2012

570335

Larcomes LLP

Richard Hopgood

01/07/2014

362202

Law Limited

Malcolm Alan Gordon

12/05/2014

608106

Law4U Services Ltd

Steven James Hale

07/01/2013

564750

Lawbridge Solicitors

Michael Pope

20/03/2012

567579

Lawvest Limited

Steven Zdolyny

01/06/2014

612745

Leech and Co Solicitors

Louise Leckie

16/01/2013

524329

Legal Clarity Ltd

James Quinn

01/11/2012

573589

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

ABS Directory

27

LEI Legal Services Limited

Nicholas Stokes

09/07/2013

598226

Leo Abse & Cohen

Richard Norman

01/01/2014

45921

Lewis Hymanson Small LLP

Daniel Berke

28/03/2014

459781

Linkfield Claims Service Limited

Matthew Cordall

28/03/2013

596707

Lodders Solicitors LLP

Samantha Haines

07/04/2014

465376

Lyons Davidson Limited

Alexandra Hewitt

30/10/2012

573629

M&R Legal Services LLP

Anthony Wilson

01/11/2013

599459

Maitland Advisory LLP

Iris Harvey

31/01/2014

472089

Mancini Legal Limited

Alessandro Mancini

04/08/2014

591292

Mander Cruickshank Solicitors LLP

Paul Tubb

01/11/2013

462092

Minster Law Limited

Craig Daniel Underwood

29/05/2013

383018

MJ Hudson

Eamon Devlin

30/06/2014

605223

MLP Solicitors LLP

Michael Lister

02/01/2014

570811

Money Plus Legal Limited

Martin Richardson

29/11/2013

428794

Moriarty Law Limited

Khurram Mian

03/12/2013

607528

Morrish Solicitors

Paul Andrew Scholey

20/12/2013

499273

MPH Solicitors Limited

Laurence Michael Gavin

14/11/2013

560743

MSA Law Limited

Bernard Patrick McIlroy

12/02/2014

568891

MSB Law LLP

Paul Bibby

01/09/2013

544585

MTA Solicitors

Michael Taylor

15/02/2013

535071

Mulderrigs Solicitors Ltd

Paul Mulderrig

01/09/2012

570284

Murray Hills Solicitors Limited

Brian Goodall

02/01/2014

607463

Murrays Solicitors

Phillippa Christine Murray

10/02/2014

613163

NAS Legal Limited

Christopher Jonathan Stannard

01/08/2012

569460

Natalie Gamble Associates LLP

Natalie Gamble

02/01/2014

510690

Negligence Direct Limited

Paul Stafford

25/06/2014

612027

New Law Legal

Adele Suzanne Jones

24/04/2012

567578

Newtons Solicitors Limited

Christopher Newton

06/06/2013

512177

Nexus Solicitors Limited

Christopher Charles Pugh

01/03/2014

563473

Nicola Phillips Solicitors

Nicola Phillips

07/09/2012

570169

NLS Solicitors

Louise Fenney

18/12/2013

607199

Norgren Legal Ltd

Nathaniel Norgren

23/11/2012

590582

NVJ Legal LLP

Rebecca Anne Bell

23/09/2014

613150

O’Neill Patient Solicitors LLP

Simon Edward Ashton

28/04/2014

449172

OC Law LLP

Matthew Cordall

28/03/2013

596683

OJM Law LLP

Matthew Cordall

28/03/2013

596684

Omnia Strategy LLP

Julia Hulme

21/01/2013

591237

One Legal Limited

Timothy Edge

15/07/2013

598712

Optima Legal Services Limited

Phillip Robinson

09/05/2014

441547

Osiris Legal Limited

Paul Turner

28/04/2014

607166

Parabis Law LLP

Timothy Gerald Oliver

07/09/2012

570755

Parchment Law Group LLP

Helen Elizabeth Whiteley

25/05/2012

568136

Parkinson Wright LLP

Cyril Edward Arridge

01/03/2013

462047

Parry & Co Solicitors Ltd

Kathryn Parry

01/09/2014

612563

Pellys Solicitors Limited

Stephen Roche

19/12/2012

554552

Perfect North Legal Services LLP

Anthony Wilson

01/11/2013

599460

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

28

ABS Directory

Pickerings Solicitors LLP

Simon Charles King

01/01/2014

462161

Pinkney Grunwells Lawyers

Richard Grudwell

01/07/2013

465469

Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati UK LLP

Vittorio Muschitiello

10/07/2014

554827

PlainLaw LLP

Phillip Jonathan Horn

16/05/2012

568812

Porter Dodson LLP

Robert Charles Millard Fox

01/08/2014

573374

Price Bailey Legal Services

Victoria Marianne Pratley

29/04/2013

596719

Pricewaterhousecoopers Legal LLP

Mark Whitehouse

03/03/2014

422833

Pricewaterhousecoopers Legal Middle East LLP

Waseem Khokhar

03/03/2014

519595

Principia Law Limited

Christopher Perry

22/08/2013

599445

Private Client Solicitors LLP

Paul Crutchley

01/07/2013

565776

Prydis Legal Limited

Andrew Smith

02/12/2013

548039

Pudsey Legal Services

Paul Graham Kaye

01/11/2012

573274

Qdos Legal Services Limited

Jayne Egginton

01/04/2014

611754

Questus Limited

Anthony Walton

29/08/2014

571162

Quindell Legal Services Limited

Robert Mares

21/12/2012

591058

Radiant Law Limited

Alexander Hamilton

01/06/2014

551548

Rapid Response Solicitors Limited

Victoria Fear

31/03/2013

596338

Rathbone Trust Company Limited

Matthew Wakefield

01/05/2014

606221

Rausa Mumford Limited

Peter Beckerley

01/03/2014

558143

Red Bar Law LLP

John Esplen

10/07/2012

569849

Red Square (London) Limited

Tatiana Nevard

06/03/2013

591917

Rex Cowell Solicitors

Rex Cowell

01/10/2014

614071

Richmond Chambers LLP

Sarah Elizabeth Anne Giddens

05/07/2013

596719

Ridouts LLP

Paul Ridout

01/04/2013

465538

Ringley Legal Services LLP

Lee Harle

01/09/2014

548090

Roberts Jackson Limited

Karen Jackson

16/07/2014

512695

Rogers & Norton Limited

Mark Hambling

01/11/2013

598185

Rradar Limited

Gary Gallen

02/06/2014

608114

RSR Law Ltd

Robert Rocker

01/02/2014

607630

Rushton Hinchy LLP

Steven Ruston

01/05/2013

596691

Saga Law Ltd

Mark O’Callaghan

31/12/2013

606958

Sai-Donne Limited

Michael Elson

01/03/2013

591841

Saracens Solicitors Limited

Nishtar Saleem

17/12/2013

486657

SBW Lawyers

Alasdair James Sweeney

01/03/2014

442337

Schillings

Rachel Atkins

30/04/2013

61425

Schillings Corporate Limited

Rachel Atkins

01/05/2013

591918

Scott Moncrieff & Associates

Anne Turnball-Walker

01/06/2013

596379

Scott Rowe Limited

Terence Trott

01/10/2013

599338

SD Wills and Probate Limited

Elizabeth Ward

01/02/2014

607718

Secure Law Limited

Jane Kellaway

31/05/2013

597899

Selachii LLP

Richard Howlett

01/05/2013

597443

SGI Legal LLP

Simon Gibson

01/08/2013

569219

Shakespeares Legal LLP

Simon Astill

24/04/2013

442480

Signet Partner LLP

Louise Hobb

01/03/2013

559648

Simpson Millar LLP

David Harrington

01/02/2013

424940

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

ABS Directory

29

SJB Legal Limited

Joanne Bligh

18/12/2013

606329

Slater & Gordon (UK) LLP

Rebecca Anne Bell

30/04/2012

568143

SLS Solicitors

Brian Quinn

04/03/2013

451154

Smith Jones (Solicitors) Limited

Alexander Graham

23/09/2013

515276

SMQ Legal Services LLP

Suezanne Murray-King

14/07/2014

613092

South East Leasehold Ltd

Giles Maberly

11/07/2013

598379

Spire Solicitors LLP

Roger Patrick Margand

01/04/2014

598026

Spratt Endicott Limited

John Ernest Spratt

01/05/2014

608169

Stanley Tee LLP

David Redfern

22/03/2013

464615

Stephensons Solicitors

Ann Harrison

07/01/2013

449153

Stonehage Law Limited

Nigel Beadsworth

18/07/2014

520972

Strata Solicitors

Paul Davies

11/09/2012

571320

Stuart Hodge Corporate Lawyers

Mark Hodge

02/11/2012

573576

Switalskis Limited

Micheal Joseph Kennedy

01/10/2014

614622

Sydney Mitchell

Divinder Singh

24/05/2013

513895

Talbots Law Limited

Peter Hill

01/05/2013

596234

Tassells

James Matthews

01/01/2013

69834

Thompsons Solicitors LLP

David Stothard

01/01/2013

556695

Thorne Segar

Lestyn Milton-Jenkins

01/02/2013

534305

Tracey Miller Family Law LLP

Sarah MCCarthy

31/08/2013

570909

Trade Union Legal LLP

Matthew Cordall

27/05/2014

608309

Travlaw LLP

Stephen Mason

01/10/2013

507959

Triton Global Limited

John David Simon

01/08/2013

597577

True Solicitors LLP

Kieran Magee

01/06/2013

597679

Ty Arian Ltd

Helen Williams

07/01/2013

499860

Tyndallwoods Solicitors Limited

Judy Dyke

31/07/2013

598368

Ungoed-Thomas & King Limited

Roland Antony James Lewis

01/08/2013

471940

United Lawyers Limited

Martyn Caplan

13/12/2013

607719

Universa Law Limited

Paul Cairaschi

25/01/2013

447077

Vanderpump & Sykes LLP

Keith Thompson

10/12/2013

558595

Vedder Price LLP

Derek Watson

07/05/2014

563788

Virgo Consultancy Services Limited

Lynne Isaac

21/05/2014

533850

Wayman and Long and Tomlinson and Dickinson

Alan Edward Dickinson

23/07/2014

57416

Weightmans LLP

James Holman

20/12/2013

463329

Wellspring Advisory Limited

Simon Mckay

26/07/2013

598877

Wiggin LLP

Adrian Jones

01/11/2013

420659

Winckworth Sherwood LLP

Richard Fitton

31/07/2012

570274

Winn Solicitors Limited

Jeffrey Winn

30/08/2013

400385

Winston Solicitors LLP

Jonathan winston

01/05/2013

495024

Woodwards (Personal Injury) Ltd

Timothy Neal Wood

05/06/2014

596505

Wright & Lord

Lynne Lord

15/11/2013

333083

Wright Hassall LLP

Peter Charles Beddose

05/03/2013

427848

Wykeham-Hurford Sheppard & Son LLP

Malcolm McLean

25/02/2014

492856

Information correct at time of going to print on the 1st October 2014

Targeted Marketing Campaigns

www.charltongrant.co.uk 01765 600909 Publishing | Events | Design | PR | Marketing

Advertorial

31

LEGAL MARKETING: ONLINE SUCCESS STORIES NATH SOLICITORS Shubha Nath is a solicitor with more than 20 years’ experience in international business law; she specialises in advising businesses in all aspects of commercial law which impacts their business activities. Shubha also specialises in agreements for clinical practice. She advises in GP and Dental Partnership agreements.

Prior to setting up Nath Solicitors, Shubha worked as Senior In-house Counsel for a large Japanese trading house which traded internationally and had a large presence in all the continents. Shubha decided to set up her own practice called Nath Solicitors to specialise in providing corporate/ commercial /data protection law and advice for businesses and for clinical practices (in particular on GP Partnership agreements and employment law).

THE CHALLENGE As the face of Nath Solicitors, Shubha Nath was keen to create an online identity that reflected her vision for the future of her firm. As with any start up business, Shubha was fully aware that she would need to wear multiple hats in order to get her business off the ground, however, she did not want to compromise on the quality of her website realising that this would act as a primary vehicle for attracting new business. Further to some research, too many static websites, and peers sharing their failed website war stories, it became apparent that the firm needed to work with a trusted online marketing provider.

THE SOLUTION Earlier in 2014, on the recommendation of a former colleague, Shubha chose FindLaw UK; a solution from Thomson Reuters, to design, build, write and maintain her firm’s website. Shubha chose a website solution to fit her budget, handing over all website maintenance, SEO and copy writing to the experts so she could spend more time dedicating herself to her clients.

Shubha explains: “I was after peace of mind and quality.

Findlaw UK has given me exactly that.”

SCOTT BAILEY LLP Scott Bailey LLP are a close knit team of solicitors based in Lymington, Hampshire, specialising in both Business and Private Client services with a primary focus on Dispute Resolution. Other specialist practice areas include Property, Debt Recovery, Employment, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Commercial work. They also work with Family Law, Wills, Probate and Trusts and undertake commercial and family mediation and family arbitration.

Scott Bailey LLP is heavily client-focused looking to create lasting and lifetime solicitor-client relationships.

THE CHALLENGE Prior to 2011, the firm struggled with a site that was static and old fashioned, and that was difficult to update in any meaningful way. Moreover, Dinshaw Printer, Principal at Scott Bailey LLP, felt that the website did not reflect the firm’s image accurately nor was it attracting any new cases or meaningful leads. He expressed the need for a more modern and enticing website with a look and feel that would attract traffic and interest in their business. A quick competitor search on Google revealed that many similar sized firms were generating new revenue as a result of their FindLaw UK website.

THE SOLUTION In June 2011, Scott Bailey LLP placed their trust FindLaw UK; a solution from Thomson Reuters, to design and build a user friendly website that would make them stand out as specialists in their field of law. With the assistance of a dedicated Account Manager, their site was reviewed and completely overhauled to bring it in line with their business needs at the time. Dinshaw and his team were supported by their Account Manager who ensured they stayed up to date with the changes in the industry and placed themselves competitively to attract the right type of business. Since, Dinshaw has become highly involved in the maintenance of his website adding content, testimonials and news feeds regularly. The firm also added a video to help reach out to and engage with prospective clients.

FindLaw UK from Thomson Reuters offers trusted law firm marketing solutions from website builds, design and content writing, to blogging services and more, helping to drive the kind of traffic you want. To request a free audit of your current website today, please contact the Thomson Reuters FindLaw UK team: Call: 020 7542 3725 Email: findlawuk.info@thomsonreuters.com Visit: findlaw.co.uk/law-firm-marketing

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