Birmingham Law Society Bulletin July August 2019

BULLETIN

THE MAGAZINE OF THE BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARALEGAL COURSE FOR YOU

SUMMERTIME WINES

FLOOD RISK DUE DILIGENCE TRANSPARENCY RULES 2018 – COMPLIANCE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

CLASSIC WALLCOVERINGS

100 YEARS OF WOMEN IN LAW JULY / AUGUST 2019

ONE PROFESSION... ONE REGION... ONE VOICE

THIS ISSUE

ADVERTISE HERE THE BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY BULLETIN IS PUBLISHED BY FRASER URQUHART MEDIA. To advertise your business to Birmingham Law Society members call Fraser Urquhart Media on 0116 2533445 or email carey@fu-media.co.uk or kevin@fu-media.co.uk Editorial enquiries to info@fu-media.co.uk and editorial@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

Disclaimer: Copyright Fraser Urquhart Media. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy in compiling this publication, the Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, omissions, breach of copyright or otherwise since compilation. The Publisher cannot be held responsible for any material submitted to the publication, not excluding advertisements. The views expressed within this title are not necessarily the views of the Publisher. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the Publisher. © Fraser Urquhart Media 2019

CONTACT US Birmingham Law Society Suite 101, Cheltenham House 14-16 Temple Street Birmingham B2 5BG

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 4.

President's Letter. Reflecting on 100 Years of Women in Law.

Tel 0121 227 8700

6.

News. A round up of what's been happening at the Society and members' news.

info@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk @birminghamlawsociety

14.

Regulation Report. Jayne Willetts on Transparency Rules 2018 – Compliance Under The Microscope

15.

Best Practice. Flood Risk Due Diligence.

17.

Best Practice. What To Look Out For When Choosing The Right Paralegal Course For You

Officers April 2019 - April 2020 President – Linden Thomas – University of Birmingham Vice President – Inez Brown – Harrison Clark Rickerbys Deputy Vice President – Stephanie Perraton Squire Patton Boggs Hon. Secretaries – Chaitali Desai – Eversheds Sutherland & Sophie Samani – Shakespeare Martineau The Board 2019/2020 Chair: Regan Peggs Director: Karen Bailey Director: Caroline Coates Director: Laura Daly Director: Catherine Edwards Director: PJ Ellis Vice Chair: Professor Bernardette Griffin Finance Director: Ben Henry Director: Dee Kundi Director: Tony McDaid Ex Officio: Linden Thomas Ex Officio: James Turner Contact c/o Birmingham Law Society

of Hours. The sun is out so it's time to start 20. Out barbecueing!

22. Out of Hours. Summertime Wines Of Hours. Sing Your Heart Out At Brindley This 24. Out Summer

26. Last Word. Quill’s Costs, Functionality And Longevity Win. www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 3

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

WHAT IF MARY COULD SEE US NOW? REFLECTING ON 100 YEARS OF WOMEN IN LAW Therefore, as well as rightfully celebrating the progress that has been made in the last 100 years, I am committed to doing what we can to engage our legal community, through Birmingham Law Society, in order to ensure that we move forwards in partnership towards greater equality in the future.

Hence, on 13th June, I announced the launch of three exciting Birminghamfocussed initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality within our profession: •

the #ThankYou100 campaign, which encourages our members to reflect on the people who made a difference to their career and offers an opportunity to say thank you;

•

an inter-organisational mentoring scheme for women; and

•

a research project in collaboration with The University of Birmingham, which will explore the reasons that women leave the legal profession and what might be done to address this.

Further details about each of these initiatives, along with highlights from our celebratory event can be found in the pages of this month’s Bulletin. I do hope you will find this to be a timely and worthwhile agenda and that you will be inspired to get involved.

In 1922, a woman called Mary Elizabeth Pickup was one of four women permitted to take the Law Society’s final examinations for the first time.

The following year, Mary went on to be admitted as a solicitor and became Birmingham Law Society’s first female member, just four years after the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 had come into force, enabling some women to practise law.

I suspect that it is nigh on impossible for most of us practising today to even begin to imagine the working world that Mary would have found herself in. Just six years before she joined Birmingham Law Society, the Society’s President had written to an MP, entreating him to oppose a Bill which would permit women to become solicitors. I mention that, not to seek to cast my predecessor in a negative light, but to paint a picture of the commonly held view at that time and to give a sense of the environment in which Mary and her peers began their working lives.

Flash forward around 100 years. We have a female President of the Supreme Court. The current President of the Law Society of England and Wales is a woman. The President, Vice President and Deputy Vice President of Birmingham 4 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

Law Society are all women. 63.9% of those admitted as solicitors here in the West Midlands in 2017-18 identified as female and in the same year, 51.7% of pupil barristers nationally were women.

It is thanks to women like Mary and the thousands who followed in her footsteps that unlimited possibilities lie before women entering our profession today.

On 13th June this year, Birmingham Law Society members turned out in force to celebrate that progress and what a happy evening it was.

Yet, whilst the possibilities that are now extended to women in our profession are plenty, there remain many challenges. We know that women in leadership positions in the law remain in the minority, despite more women than ever before entering the profession. As I wrote in my inaugural column for this magazine, 63.9% of those admitted as solicitors in the West Midlands last year identified as female, yet only 30.4% of partners (or equivalent) in our region were women. Similarly, although 51.7% of pupil barristers last year were female, only 15.8% of Queen’s Council are women. There are plenty of women entering our profession, but they are not progressing in tandem with their male counterparts. Not even close.

Before I conclude, I would highlight that although the initiatives addressed in this month’s magazine are focussed on women in law, Birmingham Law Society is committed to equality in all forms and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee members and Board of Directors are working hard to promote equality across all of the protected characteristics and in relation to social mobility.

I would like to bring this month’s column to a close by expressing my grateful thanks to all those women who have come before us and to all the men and women who have, and continue, to support and champion progression of women in law.

Here’s to the next 100 years!

Linden

Birmingham Law Society is proud to work in partnership with our sponsors:

BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY CELEBRATES

100 YEARS OF WOMEN IN LAW On Thursday 13th June 2019, Birmingham Law Society celebrated the 100th anniversary of women being permitted to practise law with a networking reception hosted at Marco Pierre White’s in The Cube.

The sell-out event celebrated the progress that has been made towards gender equality in the last 100 years and recognised those who have been part of the story so far. It also saw the launch of a number of exciting Birminghamfocused initiatives, aimed at ensuring that we continue to move forwards together towards greater equality. More details of these initiatives can be found elsewhere in this month’s Bulletin.

Guests enjoyed Prosseco, canapes and incredible views of the city’s skyline as they networked. We are extremely grateful to our headline sponsors Benussi & Co and Bygott Biggs and to No5 Chambers, The University of Law and Irwin Mitchell LLP for supporting the event.

# T H A N K YO U 1 0 0

To mark the centenary of women in the law, Birmingham Law Society is asking our members to tell us who has inspired and helped them during their career.

Whilst pursuing a career in law takes a great deal of personal commitment and effort, we each benefit from inspiration and advice from

others at pivotal moments; whether that is at the earliest stages of legal education, upon first entering the profession, or in subsequent key moments on our career path.

Earlier this year, we invited a number of our female members at different stages of their careers to say thank you to someone who had made a difference to them and we captured their conversations on film. You can watch a short video with some highlights of those conversations on our website, at www. birminghamlawsociety.co.uk The full versions of the conversations will be made available on the website in due course.

They will also be added to the Birmingham Law Society archive at The Library of Birmingham and will stand as a piece of living

history, giving lawyers of the future an insight into our legal community in 2019.

These discussions highlighted that none of us make it entirely on our own. We progress and flourish in our careers thanks to support and guidance from others. We want to spread that message and encourage a culture of mutual help and support. So now is your chance to get involved! To take part, simply record a video telling us who has inspired or helped you. Your mentor or role model can be any gender. Your video can be as long or as short as you like. Once it’s ready, simply upload it to social media with the hashtag #ThankYou100.

If you want to tag the person you are thanking so that they know about the role they’ve played in your career then please do! www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 5

NEWS

INTER-ORGANISATIONAL MENTORING SCHEME FAQS MENTORING SCHEME FOR WOMEN IN LAW HOW WILL MENTORS AND MENTEES MEET? We propose that your first meeting should be face to face in order to assist the mentor and mentee to develop rapport. Thereafter you should organise to communicate in the manner which best suits you. Contact may be in any format such as in person, by e-mail, telephone, video conference etc.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE MEET? Mentors and mentees are required to meet at least once per quarter. It is for the mentor and mentee to decide on the frequency of meetings which will depend on the needs of the mentee and commitments of both parties.

WHERE SHOULD THE MENTOR AND MENTEE MEET? It is a matter for the professional judgement of the mentor and mentee. We suggest meetings are conducted in a neutral space.

MUST THE MEETINGS BE CONDUCTED IN OR OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS? It is for the mentor and mentee to decide when it will best suit them to communicate. That will differ from practice to practice and depending on the commitments of their work. Some mentors will have an allowance of time to conduct mentoring and may prefer in hours meetings. Consideration will need to be given to the work life balance of both parties and their other family and work commitments.

WHAT CAN I DO IF I ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS WITH MY MENTOR/MENTEE OR WITH THE PROCESS? We suggest that mentors and mentees discuss openly with one another any issues arising, such as a clash of personalities or concern as to the suitability of the pairing.

Alternatively you can raise your concerns with any of the following members of Birmingham Law Society:

In keeping with the spirit of the #ThankYou100 project, Birmingham Law Society is launching an interorganisational mentoring scheme to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women in law.

More women than men are now entering the legal profession, yet women continue to be under-represented at partnership level (and equivalent). We believe that one of the most effective ways of supporting women in our profession and to address the attrition of women before they reach their full potential is through mentoring.

Birmingham Law Society is uniquely placed within the region to provide our female members with access to an impartial and confidential mentoring scheme. There are some conversations that can be difficult to have with even the most supportive colleague from within one’s own organisation. Such conversations might be around returning from a period of maternity leave, or seeking a flexible working arrangement. They may be about asserting oneself effectively in a particular context, or they may be about how to approach discussions regarding pay, to give just a few examples.

It is our aim for the scheme to improve the retention of female talent within the profession in our city and assist individuals with career progression.

One of the key benefits of the scheme will be access to mentors from a broad range of organisations that employ lawyers in the West Midlands. Inter-organisational mentoring will allow for a mentoring experience unlike any other presently available to lawyers in our region.

The scheme is open to mentors at all stages of their careers who feel that they have relevant insight to offer.

If you would like to apply to become a mentor or to be mentored either: scan the QR code on this page and complete and submit our online application form

Karen Bailey – Director of Equality and Diversity, Board of Birmingham Law Society; Linden Thomas – President; Catherine Edwards – Director of Learning and Development ; Rupi Chandla – EDI committee member; Alice Kinder – EDI committee member; Council member, James Turner – EDI committee member; Council member.

Please select one of the above individuals rather than sending your contact to all. The Gender subcommittee of the Equality and Diversity Committee of Birmingham Law Society has oversight of the mentoring project and will discuss issues raised with members before providing guidance.

Issues will be dealt with confidentially however we reserve the right to treat the wellbeing and safety of mentors and mentees as a priority, to consider professional conduct issues and take action as is deemed appropriate. There will be instances when it is not appropriate for confidentiality to override those concerns.

HOW DO I ARRANGE MY FIRST MEETING WITH MY MENTOR/MENTEE? We propose that the mentee will make first contact with the mentor either by e-mail or telephone in order to arrange the first face to face meeting.

CAN WE CONTINUE AFTER THE YEAR ALLOCATED TO THE MENTORING SCHEME? Yes, it will be a matter for the mentor and mentee to decide if they wish the relationship to proceed beyond the first year. The Society has indicated the scheme will be evaluated at the end of the year but does not prescribe that the relationship must cease at that point.

HOW WILL YOU MATCH MENTORS TO MENTEES? We have developed an online confidential questionnaire for completion by proposed mentors and mentees. The form asks you to identify specific areas of interest which will assist us in the matching process. However, despite our best efforts we cannot of course guarantee that every mentor and mentee will be a perfect match.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE A PERSONALITY CLASH WITH MY MENTOR/MENTEE OR DO NOT FEEL WE ARE A PRODUCTIVE MATCH? Please contact one of the members indicated above and let us know. We will aim to re-assign you to another mentor/mentee if that is possible. Please understand that in the first year of the scheme we expect to have a limited number of mentors available.

WHAT WORK DO I HAVE TO DO AS PART OF THIS SCHEME? Our expectation is that both parties will prepare for meetings to enable a meaningful mentoring process. Mentees and mentors will be expected to complete reasonable action points agreed during meetings.

The parties will be expected to do so in a timely fashion prior to the next meeting. Mentees are asked to provide mentors with notice in advance of meeting of specific issues to enable mentors to prepare and consider their advice. Parties are asked to give consideration to the timing of requests for input, being realistic as to one another’s commitments.

WILL ALL THE MENTORS BE FEMALE OR CAN MALE MENTORS APPLY? Male mentors are encouraged to apply. The expectation is that the mentoring group will be diverse and reflective of the legal community. Mentees have indicated the value of both male and female mentors during the course of their careers.

WILL ALL MENTEES BE FEMALE? Yes. The proposed scheme is a pilot to be evaluated

by Birmingham Law Society before additional schemes are launched. We hope the scheme will prove a success and that the Society will extend mentoring more broadly in future years. In 2019 the President of Birmingham Law Society has focused on a number of themes, one of which is celebration of 100 years of women in law. The mentoring of female lawyers has been selected as a starting point for the Society’s scheme.

IS A MALE IDENTIFYING AS FEMALE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO BE A MENTEE? Yes. DOES THE SCHEME ONLY APPLY TO EMPLOYEES OF LAW FIRMS/SOLICITORS? No. The scheme envisages inter-organisational mentoring of lawyers. With that in mind mentors and mentees in firms, chambers, in-house and within Universities are welcomed as applicants.

ARE STUDENT MEMBERS OF BLS ABLE TO APPLY TO BE MENTORS OR MENTEES? No. However, each of the Universities within the West Midlands region has a mentoring schemes which is suitable to students. We encourage students to enquire and engage with the mentoring offered in Higher Education.

WILL I HAVE TO PAY BLS ANY FEES FOR TAKING PART AS A MENTOR OR MENTEE? No, Birmingham Law Society seeks to engage mentors and mentees as volunteers. The Society does not charge any administration or training fees for engagement.

Or you can request a copy application form from mentoring@ birminghamlawsociety.co.uk, complete and return it to the same email address.

6 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

MUST I BE A MEMBER OF BLS TO BE A MENTOR OR MENTEE? The mentoring scheme is a member benefit provided by the Society. It follows that mentees must be members of the Society. Mentors are not required to be members as we seek involvement from the broadest range of lawyers with the widest skill set possible. Mentors are of course encouraged to join and support the work undertaken by Birmingham Law Society.

We have the experience to help you successfully secure and enhance your financial future by offering specialist advice in a wide range of areas including: INVESTMENT PLANNING | RETIREMENT PLANNING TAX & ESTATE PLANNING For further information, or to request your complimentary guide to wealth management, contact Jan Bloomer on:

TEL: 0121 215 0926 W E B S I T E : www.andrewwhiting.co.uk St. James’s Place House, Central Boulevard, Blythe Valley Business Park, Solihull, B90 8AR

Andrew Whiting Wealth Consultancy LLP is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

H2SJP31554 03/19

NEWS

BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY TO CHIEF CROWN PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF PROSECUTOR BIRMINGHAM ON WOMEN ‘LOST TO AWARDED CBE THE LAW’ RESEARCH PROJECT Birmingham One of the reasons for fewer women at partnership level or equivalent is that many leave legal practice somewhere around the mid-point of their careers. These women are ‘lost to the law’.

In order to address this issue, Birmingham Law Society will be partnering with world-leading academics from The University of Birmingham Law School on a research project that will explore the factors that cause women to leave the profession. The project will consider what these women go on to do and what, if anything, might have led to them choosing to stay in the profession.

We hope that knowledge garnered as a result of rigorous and independent academic research will prove to be a tool for change. It has the potential to enable employers to make informed decisions about how they can reduce the rate of attrition and the policies and practices they can implement to support and enable women to remain in the profession.

The researchers will be looking to interview women who have left legal practice. The outcomes of those interviews will be anonymised and analysed and the findings will form a report which will be fed back to Birmingham Law Society’s member firms and chambers.

If you know of any women who have left the legal profession and might be willing to take part in this study, Birmingham Law Society would love to hear from you. Please email ceplerresearch@contacts.bham.ac.uk for more information.

Law Society is delighted to confirm that the region’s Chief Crown Prosecutor has been awarded the CBE in the recent honours list announced by the Queen. Grace Ononiwu was awarded the OBE in 2008 and now adds a CBE in recognition of her work within the Criminal Justice System. Grace Ononiwu CBE took up position as Chief Crown Prosecutor for the West Midlands Region in June 2014, having previously held that role in the East of England and Northamptonshire. She qualified as a Solicitor in 1991 and joined a private firm in High Wycombe before joining the CPS. Grace has made a phenomenal contribution towards issues of equality and diversity in her career and is the former Chair of the National Black Crown Prosecution Association.

UPCOMING EVENTS Conveyancing Law Update

10th July 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Clarke Willmott 138 Edmund Street Birmingham, B3 2ES Lunch Club with Nick Eastwood, CEO Wasps 12th July 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Revolution De Cuba 8 Temple Street Birmingham, B2 5BN It's a Knockout

19th July 3:30 AM - 7:00 PM Bassetts Pole Sutton Coldfield Birmingham, Netball Tournament 4th September 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Action Sports 76 Marsh Hill Erdington Birmingham, B23 7EY Birmingham Law Society Golf Day 19th September 1:30 PM - 9:00 PM Ladbrook Park Golf Club Poolhead Lane Tanworth in Arden Solihull, B94 5ED Key Issues Affecting Easements

24th September 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Clarke Willmott 138 Edmund Street Birmingham, B3 2ES LinkedIn for Solicitors, Fee Earners and Teams within Law Firms 25th September 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM Clarke Willmott 138 Edmund Street Birmingham, B3 2ES Advocacy Training 26 September *** Limited Spaces 26th September 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM St Philips Chambers 55 Temple Row Birmingham, B2 5LS Bi-annual Family Law Conference

18th October 1:30 PM - 6:00 PM 3PB The Colmore Building 20 Colmore Circus, Queensway Birmingham, B4 6AT Advocacy Training 19 November *** Limited Spaces 19th November 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM No5 Chambers Fountain Court Steelhouse Lane Birmingham, B4 6DR

To book: www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk or email: events@birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 8 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

Birmingham Law Society

HOW TO REDEEM YOUR OFFER.

Present this voucher in store or enter code ””BCBLS19”” at the online checkout.

T’s & C’s: Discount will only be given on presentation of this voucher in-store in the UK & Ireland. Discount cannot be redeemed against previous purchases, used in conjunction with any other offer, voucher, discount code or gift card purchases.

Valid Monday 17th June – Sunday 14th July 2019 inclusive.

NEWS

BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY CHOIR PERFORM AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

On the morning of 11 May, a group of chorists of varying musical competence and twelve months experience together, arrived at the stage door of the Royal Albert Hall. Cue excited photograph taking!

After a day’s rehearsal the choir changed into Birmingham Law Society choir finery and got into position. It is the most amazing feeling being in the choir stalls and watching 4,000 people take their seats to look at and listen to you.

Nick Knowles was the compare and Finn the Police Dog was the star guest.

Rod Stewart (yes, THE Rod Stewart!) amongst the audience.

The memories will last forever; 400 choir

singing “Danny Boy” in sweet harmony, the bagpipes and drums in “Highland Cathedral”; the Police fanfare brass, the 5,000 flashing blue lights set off by the audience and us during Rick Wakeman’s “Dance of 1,000 lights”…it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

It was a perfect storm- Eileen Schofield’s initial idea for the choir, our wonderful choir mistress Sophie Louise Kearns and Jenny Shone’s contacts that allowed us the opportunity in the first place.

am just a non- music person who kind of liked singing (I couldn’t read a note, although I have to say that is improving under Sophie’s expert tutelage) I have been pushed, improved and entertained.

Above all, though, I have made some lovely friends and magnificent memories."

Choir member Cathy Price, a Solicitor at Glaisyers said "I am hugely proud to be part of this wonderful group. We have plans for a Christmas spectacular, and beyond. If you think it may be something that you would enjoy- come along. I

MEMBERS SPECIAL SUMMER OFFER

10 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

Go Mobile WORK FROM ANYWHERE, ANYTIME FROM ANY DEVICE

digital dictation and voice recognition workflow solution.

Dictate, review, edit and approve on the go using iOS, Android or your desktop

EMAIL US AT:

360@speechwrite.com

OPINION

THE WINDRUSH COMPENSATION SCHEME – IS IT SUFFICIENT?

We all came to know of the Windrush scandal that hit the spotlight at the end of 2018. However, it is only as of April this year that the Government have opened up the compensation scheme for all those affected, to try and go some way to recompense individuals for the losses they incurred.

The Windrush scandal, named after MV Empire Windrush, the passenger ship that docked in Essex in 1948 bringing workers from Commonwealth countries as a result of labour shortages in the UK in the aftermath of WWII, incorrectly identified individuals and denied them the legal right to reside in the UK. Many people actually believed themselves to be British, as they never had a need to think otherwise.

Not only were individuals denied the right to actually reside in the UK, the residual effect meant they lost their jobs, were denied access to housing, to NHS treatment and to benefits - completely affecting, and in some cases destroying, their lives. People who came to help the UK and to contribute to a damaged society, were treated as illegal immigrants with some even being removed back to their country of birth.

The issues regarding the Windrush generation began to emerge mainly after the introduction of new immigration rules in 2012 meaning the further tightening of the requirements on paperwork proving an individual’s right to live and work in the UK. As a result, the Home Office placed an obligation on employers and landlords to check the documents of anyone not a British Citizen. Individuals, who had arrived in the UK, some as young children and lived here for decades, were suddenly asked to prove they were entitled to live and work in the UK. Finally, with the recent introduction of the compensation scheme those affected may see some financial redress for the years of difficulty they endured, but is it sufficient?

These individuals have struggled for years just to get on with their daily lives as a result of government failings. Examples are people who have been denied treatment under the NHS unless they pay thousands of pounds, individuals losing their jobs and careers despite coming to the UK at just a few years old and some threatened with removal to a country of which they had no recollection and no ties whatsoever.

A compensation scheme is of course welcomed, however can a price really be put on these losses and suffering endured?

The Home Office state that the aim of the scheme is to ‘right the wrongs suffered by the Windrush Generation.’ Compensation claims can be made in relation to various types of losses such as for loss 12 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

of employment, the cost of immigration fees, housing, health, the loss of access to benefits such as Child Benefit, and the impact on normal, everyday life.

For each type of claim, evidence must be provided and in some categories set awards can be made. Case worker guidance states: ‘The maximum general award you can make for loss of access to employment is £13,764. This is because the maximum period of loss is 12 months and the maximum monthly tariff is £1147.’

For the loss of access to a bank account the Home Office will make a one-off payment of £200. No award will be made for successful immigration applications despite the fact they may have actually been unnecessary.

In terms of compensation for the effect on daily life, a table sets out six levels of prospective financial rewards and in order to be considered for an award at one of the higher levels, relevant evidence is required. Matters such as injury to feelings, deterioration in physical or mental health and family separation are to be considered within this category.

For example, the Home Office suggest a remedy of £3000 if a ‘claimant [may have] experienced symptoms such as sleepless nights, fear of going out, inability to concentrate and there may have been an impact on the claimant’s relationships with others.’

An award of compensation will be accompanied by a formal, personalised apology from the Home Office. Surely a small consolation for being made homeless, unemployed and having to beg and borrow to find fees for applications and lawyers, just to apply to stay in a

country which is actually your home.

The scheme is open to Commonwealth Citizens themselves who arrived in the UK before 1st January 1973 and those who are now British citizens, settled or with right of abode and who arrived before 31st December 1988. It can also be accessed by their children and grandchildren on their behalf, as well as close family members, if there has been a ‘significant impact on their life or where there is evidence of certain direct financial costs’. The estates of deceased individuals can also apply if the deceased would have been eligible to make an application under the scheme.

Claims must be submitted to the Home Office by 2nd April 2021 unless there are exceptional circumstances. Once a decision has been made, claimants have two months to request a review of the decision if their claim was unsuccessful either completely or in part.

It is estimated that well over 50,000 people may have been affected by the scandal and we would urge anyone who may have been directly impacted or family members of those affected, to make an application.

Sydney Mitchell recently launched a new Immigration Department with the appointment of Andre Minnaar, Senior Associate, and Melissa Southall, Associate, who together have over 25 years of experience within immigration law. Melissa has already been successful in a number of Windrush applications and the team can assist with these or with compensation applications.

Melissa Southall, Sydney Mitchell

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

IF YOU CHANGE NOTHING THEN NOTHING WILL CHANGE Written by Beulah Allaway, Associate at Anthony Collins Solicitors In 1888, Eliza Orme was the first woman to gain a law degree, but it wasn’t until 1919 that women were legally allowed to practice.

Given that much of the suffrage battle was still to be fought in those intervening decades, the professional legal environment must have been quite hostile to Orme establishing her own legal drafting office in Chancery Lane. Given the lack of appetite for women in the profession at the time, studying that law degree in 1888 must have felt a near-futile exercise for Orme in her battle to be called to the bar. So why did she bother?

It may have been 100 years since the first woman practised law, but we’re still witnessing the daily silent triumph of “firsts”, whether the first in your family to gain a profession, the first in your school to achieve partnership or the first of your faith in your team. Whilst each of these may be a unique personal triumph, no doubt all have been enabled by conscious or unconscious support from families, friends, workplaces and society at large. Orme’s two steps forward and one step back in her own legal career remind us that whilst we may not achieve the ultimate goal for ourselves, by giving it a go anyway, we sow the seeds for a cultural shift that will enable others to do so later.

I felt deflated, then, when talking to a partner of a law firm over drinks, he recounted his disappointment at his firm’s failure to recruit a woman into a senior leadership vacancy

despite its every effort to remove unconscious bias throughout the recruitment process. “They just didn’t apply,” he said of the women he had hoped to attract. “If they don’t apply, then there’s nothing that we can do.”

Of course, he’s right; if no women apply, a woman won’t be recruited. His experience wasn’t unique. Recent research shows that women of equal ability and experience are less likely than male counterparts to put themselves forward for the top job. Where recruiting from a narrow field of experience, the number of women will be less again and, if women continue to undervalue themselves, the chance of gender diversity in leadership recruitment is pretty slim.

So does that mean that to balance executive boards around the country, there is no point in firms making those positive recruitment steps until the average woman learns how to value herself as the average man does? Of course not. Orme’s achievements show us that the premise of “there’s nothing we can do” is as ridiculous as it sounds. Her academic and career success in spite of the hostile environment in which she worked, demonstrates that even when the steps needed for progress appear futile, actively striving for change creates a new workplace culture that over time fosters diverse applications and, in turn, reaps the rewards of a diverse workforce. Conversely, if we give up striving for change because we can’t see immediate benefits, then nothing will

change, and we will contribute to slowing the progress for future generations of lawyers.

I’m a member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) Group at Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP. As a values-driven business, we see it as particularly critical that our internal approach goes beyond mere legal and regulatory compliance. With this in mind, we recently undertook a benchmarking exercise where we reviewed the findings in the SRA’s “Unlocking the Benefits of Diversity” and used it as the foundation of an ED&I strategy launching in this centenary year. The difference between the strategy as opposed to our corporate policy on the same subject is that it identifies active steps we are going to take to engender a workplace that better supports diversity. These initiatives won’t level the playing field overnight, and we can’t be certain we’ll achieve the desired outcomes. However, those doubts won’t stop us striving forward with the understanding that activity is needed to make an impact. After all, if you change nothing, nothing will change.

Beulah Allaway is an Associate at Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP and a member of the firm’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Group. The Group will be hosting an event on 11 September 2019 to celebrate the centenary through a drinks reception and panel discussion open to the whole of the Birmingham legal community.

For further information, please email event.booking@anthonycollins.com. You can sign up to news, ebriefings and events at www.anthonycollins.com.

www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 13

REGULATION REPORT

must include what services are included in the quoted price, what is not included, key stages, typical timescales and the qualifications and experience of the people providing the service.

Complaints handling procedures must also be displayed including details of how and when a complaint can be made to the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA. The main findings of the SRA sweep were that the most common areas of non-compliance were a failure to: •

publish the required complaints information;

• specify the amount of VAT

applied to costs and disbursements; • display information on key

stages and/or timescales; and •

provide a description of or the amount of likely disbursements.

Immigration work was the subject area which had the lowest level of compliance.

The SRA has announced its intention to target firms that provide immigration services in future sweeps. The SRA was particularly disturbed by this finding as immigration work often involves people at their most vulnerable.

TRANSPARENCY RULES 2018 – COMPLIANCE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Jayne Willetts, Solictor Advocate at Jayne Willetts & Co Solicitors The SRA has recently done a sweep of 500 firms’ websites to check compliance with the Transparency Rules which came into effect in December 2018.

The results were a mixed bag with 17% of firms showing no attempt to comply at all. A further 58% were partially compliant meaning that only 25% were found to be fully compliant.

Further sweeps are promised every 6 months in which the SRA will look at 600 websites, so it is worth a quick recap on the requirements of the rules and a look at the areas where the SRA found firms were falling short.

It would be a good time for firms to review their websites so as not to be caught out in future.

The rules were produced following criticism from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) about the lack of information in the legal profession as to the services offered and the cost of those services. The CMA claimed that this was hindering the public and 14 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

small businesses from making informed decisions about the purchase of legal services. The SRA’s first big decision was to identify which services to capture in its new rules. It initially decided to target the following but indicated that these areas could well be expanded: •

Conveyancing (residential)

•

Probate (uncontested)

• Motoring offences (summary offences) • Immigration (excluding asylum) •

Employment tribunals (unfair/ wrongful dismissal)

• Debt recovery (up to £100,000) •

Websites are a cheap and easy disciplinary target for the SRA. They are accessible remotely, so investigation officers need not conduct an onsite inspection. They do not require mountains of documentary evidence or unreliable oral evidence to secure a disciplinary finding. Whilst a breach in relation to these rules would not be the most serious example of professional misconduct, a disciplinary finding against your firm is best avoided because of the detrimental effect upon reputation, insurance and tendering for new work.

In terms of action to be taken, the SRA is writing to all the non-compliant firms giving them 2 months to make sure their websites are compliant. After that, if no progress towards compliance has been made enforcement action will be considered. For those partially compliant, the SRA is to tell them what steps they need to take to become compliant. In future sweeps, where noncompliance is found, it is likely that the SRA will be slightly less forgiving.

Licensing applications (business premises)

Price and service information must be provided and must be presented in a clear and easy to understand format.

Price information can be the total cost or an average or range of costs.

Disbursements must be explained, and the quotes must be clear about whether VAT is included. Service information

Jayne is also a director of Infolegal Ltd www.infolegal.co.uk which provides compliance services to law firms

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

From a homebuyers’ perspectives, this is where the due diligence and guidance provided by their trusted legal professional is of paramount importance.

For all involved, the good news is that flood reports have evolved over the years and today present risk data in an extremely easy to understand, visual format that make them far more consumer-friendly than ever before.

The reports are designed to make it very clear what the results mean for the property in question, with many now including access to a mapped visualisation that shows exactly where any risks are present, and in some cases, even include a professional interpretation from a qualified environmental consultant where further guidance is required.

For conveyancers, this should make for a reassuring read, after all, you are not expected to have to calculate or explain the findings of a technical risk model but instead can present a simple report that clearly explains the risks – you are a legal professional not an environmental expert! And, to top it off, such reports give you the PI assurances a busy legal practice today requires.

Looking at the Homecheck Flood report as an example, this combines information from a number of expert sources to deliver a hugely comprehensive and dependable report. It automatically includes a manual risk assessment from a specialist environmental consultant, should significant flood risk be identified within close proximity of the property, delivering extra peace of mind.

FLOOD RISK DUE DILIGENCE Tony Rollason, Regional Manager, Landmark Information www.landmark.co.uk Over the last decade, we have witnessed a great deal of unseasonal weather conditions, which with its arrival has brought devastation to many communities across the country.

Twelve years ago saw the destructive summer floods, which saw thousands of homes and businesses hit by unseasonal flooding and even though more than a decade has since passed, the memories are never far away for those people or communities that were left to deal with the consequences.

Since 2007 there has been many other flood events occur across the country, including those over the Christmas period in 2015 and even more recently in June this year, which saw 10 flood warnings issued in Birmingham alone with particular risks highlighted for the River Blythe in Earlswood and the River Cole in Coleshill.

As such, the issue of flooding is fairly prominent on people’s radars – or so you would think: The findings from a YouGov survey in 2017 looked at how perceptions have changed over the last decade into flood risk and I was

astonished to see that the UK population is still failing to take adequate steps to understand whether their homes are at risk of flooding.

According to this particular survey, more than half (53%) of respondents said that they have never checked whether their home is in an area officially considered to be ‘at risk’ of flooding.

This increased further to 63% when specifically asking people in Scotland and higher still, to 75%, when questioning those in Northern Ireland.

With the Environment Agency suggesting that one in every six homes is considered to be at risk from flooding in the UK, it is important to educate home buyers of the importance of checking a property’s risk posed by flooding, to advise them that such checks are available as part of the conveyancing process.

Interestingly, when the online YouGov survey questioned consumers’ knowledge of how to check whether a property is considered at risk from flooding, at any time, there was a mixed response with an internet search online being the most popular option (39%), or asking the Environment Agency was second most popular (25%). 13% stated that they would not know where to turn for this information at all.

This means that far more reports will be passed first time as any ‘at risk’ sites will be manually assessed by a team of expert environmental consultants.

On top of this, it also provides access to an innovative online viewer that displays risks on an interactive digital map. Such innovations are being widely embraced by today’s digital-savvy clients who are very comfortable with using online mapping tools. By adding a mapped viewer into conveyancing flood reports, it makes the whole process extremely intuitive and consumer-friendly.

Clients can explore the map to see what the data is telling them.

Of course, a wealth of environmental reports are today available that offer insights on many potential hazards – from flooding and subsidence risk through to land contamination.

Researching risks for clients is becoming easier than ever before.

And, with unseasonal and often extreme weather conditions continuing to take place, I would urge everyone to seriously do their homework before a property transaction is complete: don’t leave flooding to chance – even if the property isn’t near a river or sea as groundwater or surface water flood risks may well be present; instead access the wealth of data insights that are available at your fingertips and fully assess any potential risks upfront. After all, forewarned is forearmed. www.landmark.co.uk

www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 15

Your partner for a better financial future We provide comprehensive financial planning for new Partners as they transition into their role. We also assist seasoned Partners who are ready to make advanced decisions about their financial arrangements.

If you’re becoming a Partner

If you’re already a Partner

Your investment in the firm is bound to change your financial position. New opportunities, risks and rewards mean that you’ll be making important decisions that will have a long-term impact on your financial affairs.

In the years following your move to Partner, you may be ready to take on specialist advice.

Our advice can bring clarity at this important stage in your career. We offer guidance that can help you make the transition to Partner confident that you have the right plan in place for a more stable financial journey.

We can offer plans that cultivate and protect your wealth. We can look further into your future with tax-efficient strategies for distributing your money, planning for the next generation, and preparing for the time when you’re ready to step back from your role.

Our financial advice is straightforward and delivered with conviction to help you make confident financial decisions. Ongoing service including annual reviews provide consistent opportunities to accommodate developments in your life and fine-tune your investments in the coming years.

As you would expect, we’re a Chartered firm and have been since 2008, with over 15 years’ experience of working with legal Partners in the Midlands.

Contact us for an initial exploratory meeting without charge or obligation.

Anthony Richards, DipFA Punter Southall Financial Management 1 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BJ Tel 0121 230 1983 or 07765 861 110 Email anthony.richards@psfm.com psfm.com

© 2019 Punter Southall Financial Management is a trading name of PSFM Limited. PSFM Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA registration number: 137684. Registered Office: 11 Strand, London, WC2N 5HR. Registered in England and Wales Number: 2148740.

16 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk VAT Registration Number: 782601821.

BEST PRACTICE

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARALEGAL Amanda Hamilton, CEO, National COURSE FOR YOU ByAssociation of Licenced Paralegals (NALP) that has gained recognition by Ofqual is offering qualifications which are of a very high standard and are ‘fit for purpose’.

4.

Look out for training providers that claim to be ‘approved’ by another body. Any organisation can say that they ‘approve’ a course, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the courses are robust or fit for purpose. It could be that ‘approval’ is expressed because money has changed hands. Undertake due diligence on any training provider by contacting them and asking questions. Ensure that if a course has been ‘approved’ by another organisation, that the organisation itself is well-established, long-standing and not just a fly-by-night unregulated body. Some organisations make claims of being ‘the only such body in England and Wales or the UK’ or ‘the longest established in the UK’. Such claims are easily made, but some research and questioning may establish a different picture.

5.

Be absolutely sure before you part with any fees. Phone or email the training provider and ask relevant questions. You should not only be asking about what body accredits the courses, but also what is included in the course fee cost e.g. are course materials/workbooks included or paid for separately? Does the fee include assignment/exam fees? If not, then how much extra will you have to pay? It’s difficult to assess how much a Paralegal Qualification should cost, since most providers are private training companies and will use their own fee structure.

Organisations charging outrageous fees may ring alarm bells if they don’t appear to be accredited by a recognised body. However, alarm bells may also be ringing if the cost of the courses appears to be too low.

Thinking of taking a paralegal course? With the paralegal profession emerging as the fastest growing in the legal sector, you’re not alone.

There are many providers who see a potential market for offering courses, and it’s becoming something of a minefield. So here are a few tips about what you should be aware of before you take the step to pay for any ‘paralegal’ course: 1.

There are different ways to study: online/distance learning/home study or class attendance. You may need to assess which is the best method for you. For example, not everyone can attend a class because of family/job commitments, and so distance learning/home study may be just the right fit. Others may not be able to manage their time effectively on their own, and therefore, class attendance may be what’s required.

2.

Are the Paralegal Courses expressed to be specifically ‘paralegal’ or are they general legal courses?

This is important because if they are described to be ‘paralegal courses’ in the marketing, but the name of the course does not have the term ‘paralegal’ in the title, then they have probably not been developed specifically for paralegal professionals. It’s most likely that they relate to other general legal studies or are geared towards another profession.

3.

Once you’ve ascertained that courses on offer are specifically aimed at qualifying as a paralegal, you should ascertain whether they are accredited by an official qualification regulator, such as the Office of Qualifications and Examinations (Ofqual). This is the government body that accredits national qualifications in England and has statutory powers under various Acts of Parliament. Because of the strength of regulation behind the qualifications that they recognise, and the reputation of these regulators, qualifications which hold an Ofqual brand are accepted worldwide. Also, you know that an awarding organisation

6.

To secure professional status each year, some professional membership bodies insist that their members keep up with the law through taking CPD (Continuous Professional Development) accredited courses. The CPD accreditation Service was established in 1996 as the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the Continuing Professional Development policies of professional institutions and academic bodies. If applicable, you should ensure that those providers offering CPD have the CPD Badge of Approval by checking the listings on the CPD website.

Training as a paralegal can lead to a rewarding career.

Paralegals are becoming the go-to legal service providers for most organisations. Some paralegals obviously work with solicitors but mostly, these days, prospective employers of paralegals come from outside the conventional legal sector.

Most companies have an element of legality to what they do, and, therefore, require the services of paralegals to fill that role. Furthermore, the prospect of being able to offer legal advice and assistance to the consumer as a licenced paralegal practitioner, offers a worthwhile career option for qualified paralegal professionals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amanda Hamilton is Chief Executive of the National Association of Licenced Paralegals (NALP), a non-profit Membership Body and the only Paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its training arm, NALP Training, trading as National Paralegal College, accredited recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for a career as a paralegal professional.

See: www.nationalparalegals.co.uk and www.nalptraining.co.uk/ Twitter: @NALP_UK Facebook: www.facebook.com/ NationalAssocationsofLicensedParalegals LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ amanda-hamilton-llb-hons-840a6a16/ www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 17

BEST PRACTICE

LAWWORKS SUPPORTING PRO BONO IN BIRMINGHAM celebrating pro bono and the importance of access to justice.

They have over 120 members, including some of the largest City and international firms, national, regional and local firms, and in-house teams, law schools and charities.They support their members in a number of ways, providing information, guidance and advice on setting up or developing new pro bono projects, and facilitating connections through their Not-for-Profits Programme (including an ‘Honorary Counsel’ role for solicitors as a source of ongoing advice and support for a specific charity).

Members have the opportunity to nominate for their annual awards and have access to their training, online resources, newsletters, networking opportunities (including a quarterly bulletin, pro bono forum and regional events), and can also contribute to their growing policy work.

Anne-Marie-Dhillon LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group) is a charity committed to enabling access to justice through free legal advice. They encourage, facilitate, support and celebrate the contribution of pro bono (by solicitors, law schools, law students and others) across England and Wales.

While pro bono is not, and should not become, an alternative to legal aid – it makes an important contribution to accessing legal information, advice and representation. Supported by the Law Society, their members and funders, their work is informed by advice and support needs, developed in collaboration with partners and stakeholders and delivered by a network of committed volunteer lawyers and law students.

LawWorks enable the provision of pro bono through: • Supporting a growing network of over 260 independent pro bono clinics.

Working with lawyers, advice agencies, charities and others to develop new clinics, and provide on-going support, information, training, webinars and legal resources (including LexisNexis research tools) • Their Not-for-Profits Programme facilitates the provision of free legal advice for smaller charities and not-for-profit organisations, supported by volunteer solicitors from among LawWorks members; • They support more in-depth pro bono (‘secondary specialisation’), in 18 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

areas of social welfare law, for example representing at First-tier social security tribunals (for Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independent Payment appeals), progressing unpaid wages claims, and, working with the charity Together for Short Lives, provide legal advice and case-work for the parents and carers of children with life-limiting conditions.

Birmingham is an important legal hub, and LawWorks is keen to engage with the local legal community and develop more opportunities for lawyers and law students to undertake pro bono work.

LawWorks currently support eleven clinics in Birmingham, which dealt with over 2,000 enquiries over the last year, and work with all the Law Schools including Aston University, the University of Birmingham whose Free Legal Advice Group operates a student-led clinic working with local firms, Birmingham City University (due to launch its first pro bono clinic Sept 2019), The University of Law, BPP, University of Wolverhampton and Newman University (due to welcome its first LLB students in Sept 19). In June 2019 they held their first ever Clinics Conference at Aston, and this year have run training courses in Birmingham on housing, employment and consumer law hosted by local law firms.

MEMBERSHIP OF LAWWORKS The support of members is vital to their work. Membership of LawWorks makes an important contribution towards the achievement of their charitable objectives and supporting their work in enabling and

By joining LawWorks you will be supporting their charitable work to encourage, support and celebrate pro bono, and also their work to highlight – and address – barriers to accessing justice. The fee depends upon the size of the firm – with other categories for inhouse teams and organisations.

For more information about membership of LawWorks email membership@lawworks.org.uk or visit www.lawworks.org.uk.

CHALLENGING BARRIERS TO JUSTICE: A ‘POLICY VOICE’ FOR PRO BONO They work to remove barriers to pro bono and use evidence from the work of local clinics, members and others to advocate for positive policy change to better enable access to free legal advice and to justice.

Building a policy voice includes working with the legal services regulators and the professional bodies to encourage a culture of pro bono and to ease restrictions, whilst at the same time advocating for improvements in the way the justice system works and the availability of publicly funded legal support. LawWorks provides the Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pro Bono and Public Legal Education; last year the APPG held an open fringe meeting with Justice Minister Lucy Frazer MP when the Conservative Party Conference came to Birmingham.

GROWING THE PRO BONO NETWORK With the support of their regional clinics team, LawWorks are able to grow and extend the reach of pro bono and its support network; if you would like find out more about their work in Birmingham and the West Midlands please contact AnneMarie.Dhillon@lawworks.org.uk

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

COMPANY FOCUS: ORTUS GROUP We talk to company founder Colin White about how the company started, how it stays true to its core values, facing up to challenges and what it takes to succeed in today's business world.

have learned that being systematic (as long as it’s a tried and tested system!) means success is much more likely than winging it. Equally, the sort of deals I get involved with are emotionally charged and people vacillate from one moment to the next so constantly reminding people the reasons why we agreed change is the right thing to do and the implications of ‘business as usual’ is very important. Being impatient is also incredibly useful in the professional services world because time kills deals and my involvement mitigates the risks of deals falling over due to the perceived (and often incorrect) implications of inaction.

What is the most important asset for your business?

People. Without them, nothing happens and with the wrong ones, nothing happens so it is incredibly important to have a strong and committed team of proactive people who take responsibility for their own successes because only this sort of person can give clients that similar feeling.

What do you love most about your job?

Can you tell me a little about Ortus Group.

When did it start and what were the original values?

I launched the company in 2004 after seven years with the legal office of the world’s largest headhunting firm which provided a fantastic platform and training but as with all things, huge limitations too. I was funded by a large investor who backed me expanding into the M&A market alongside executive search as they agreed with my view at the time that the market would heat up in professional services.

One thing that has always underpinned everything we do is to reflect the values of our clients which are integrity, confidentiality and committing to deliver improvements for our clients.

How did you get into the profession?

By chance really! Post university, I was in a band that was doing pretty well but despite hundreds of gigs and hairstyles, it never quite translated into a sustainable income so I decided to seek a ‘backup plan’. I was introduced to the former company secretary for National Grid who had managed its flotation before buying a franchise in the aforementioned executive search organisation and launched their UK legal specialist office.

He took a chance on me and fortunately, it worked out well for both of us. I still play in a band these days but unfortunately, the occasional wedding, birthday or beer festival does not pay the bills…

When did you first consider yourself to be successful?

That’s an interesting question as success is so personal. Coming from a working class background, it was good to know I

was making a better than average living and financially independent from an early age but I think the first time I was asked to contribute commentary to Legal Business, a respected legal industry magazine made me realise it was more than simply being good at transactions; respected industry figures wanted to know my opinions too.

How do you push through the bad times?

When I consider the low points in my career, they range from my first ever deal falling over at the eleventh hour, having to make several people redundant during the 2008 recession and having to pursue lengthy litigation against someone committing fraud. The thing these all had in common was that they became problems for reasons largely or entirely out of my control and that lack of control is something I find incredibly frustrating. So to push through, one has to find where control and influence can be applied before making sure you do everything in your grasp to make it happen. This tenacity and the knowledge that I have overcome problems much larger than most people will ever experience is helpful to remind myself of when the going gets tough.

A successful deal involves life changing outcomes for many people from enabling retirement, achieving capital sums for business sales or even helping someone critically reassess their current circumstances which results in making change that reinvigorates their professional and personal lives. It is incredibly rewarding being an agent for such significant change.

What challenges does the Ortus Group face for the future?

Currently, we are very busy and working close to capacity which is rewarding but also makes me mindful that we need to keep an eye on growth ourselves but finding good people who ‘get’ what we do is incredibly tricky. We will never take on more work than we can be confident of completing but demand appears to be growing so making sure we are geared up for the future is probably our biggest current challenge.

To find out more about Ortus Group visit www.ortusgroup.com or call 0330 100 5420

What keeps you awake at night?

From time to time, there are so many projects on the go that I struggle to switch off and waking through the night can sometimes cause the mind to go into high alert which frustrates me because I know I’d be better off sleeping through and being more efficient when I’m supposed to get up What are your success habits?

Persistence, systematic approach and impatience. Over the last 20 years or so, I www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 19

OUT OF HOURS

GTECH LEAF BLOWER. *STAR BUY*

CUTTING THE CORD How many times have you cut through the cable when trimming a bush or tidying up the lawn? If you’re anything like us then more than once! And what about getting to that part of the garden where the extension cable just won’t reach or when you’re down at the allotment where the fact that the only power cables are up in the sky doesn’t stop the need for everything to be cut back neat and tidy.

Battery garden tools should solve these problems but are they powerful and long lasting enough to be a practical solution?

We took to the garden to put them to the test!

GTECH HT20 HEDGE TRIMMER

The HT20 Hedge Trimmer makes light work of all sorts of hedges and conifers and its extendable reach means there’s no need to balance on a kitchen chair to get the last wisps off the top of your bush! Well balanced and easy to manoeuvre thanks to its lightweight of 2.3kg, the dual blades will cut through branches up to 15mm in thickness whilst the rotating head lets you decide how and where you cut and the lack of cord means you’re not constantly checking where you’re cutting. The 18v battery seems to go on and on whilst charge time is 4 hours. At £149.99 it’s good value too.

BOSCH FONTUS PORTABLE PRESSURE CLEANER

With its own 15L water tank the Fontus Portable Pressure Cleaner from Bosch could be the answer to those of us that need to clean where access to water and power is compromised.

Pop it in the car and take it anywhere, there’s a choice of 3 pressure modes to suit a wide range of outdoor cleaning tasks 20 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

I didn’t have huge expectations when I read about this leaf blower to be honest thinking that there would be no way a battery powered motor would generate enough power to be effective – how wrong I was.

The 36v battery combined with turbo fan makes short work of clearing leaves and debris blasting through every nook and cranny – we cleared some leaves which i’m convinced were primaeval! We cleared a gravel path strewn with a winter’s worth of ivy clippings and still had charge left to blow away a few stray leaves of the deck. The G Tech Leaf Blower isn’t cheap at £285.99 but by golly it’s good and the battery can be used in G Tech’s Cordless Lawnmower too.

OZITO POWER X CHANGE CORDLESS LAWN MOWER

from washing the dog’s paws after a run in the woods to cleaning the down a muddy mountain bike before the long drive home and whilst the most powerful setting won’t cut through the grime of an old paving slab, the 18v battery’s power is perfect for all of these jobs as well as clearing guttering, washing cars, caravans and bikes. We set about cleaning up some old garden chairs and it brought them up a treat; the battery lasting for four changes of water at its strongest setting. Tough and compact, tools are neatly stored within the unit’s main body and the integrated hose can be neatly stored beneath the adjustable handle. The Fontus is unusual in that it answers a bit of a niche problem but for those that do it’s sure to become indispensable! Priced at £209.99

This cordless lawnmower is the perfect choice for smaller lawns due to its 30cm cutting diameter and its lightweight construction makes it easy to manoeuvre. By using a brushless motor, less friction is created meaning a longer running time per charge from the 18v battery. Triple blade positioning and a 25L grass collector for clippings make it an efficient machine and leaves you with a neat and tidy finish.

More suited to a regular trim than the first cut of the season, the Ozito Power X is good value at £115.

ENJOY A SUMMER IN THE GARDEN when the next ones are – but these one-hour specials include the history and heritage of the Gardens, the Butterfly House, and the herbaceous border and herb garden.

We’re also looking forward to a summer of exciting events, from outdoor plays to movie screenings to those fun summer holiday activities, just for our youngest visitors. We can’t think of a more stunning backdrop than the Gardens to enjoy these!

We’ve no doubt that you’ll be making the most of the longer days to fill your garden with summer colour – from pots full of geraniums to borders bursting with bedding plants. There will be lots to do this summer to keep on top of things.

Here are just some tasks you should do:

Mow the lawn at least once a week Plant out your summer bedding now that the threat of frost is over Hoe borders regularly to keep the weeds at bay It’s not just the burst of colourful bedding plants that reminds us summer is almost here – the opening of The Butterfly House – the only one in Birmingham – is also a welcome indication that those lovely, warm days are here advise the experts at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

It will be open daily until Sunday, September 1, and you’ll be able to see hundreds of tropical butterflies from as far as the Philippines, Central America and tropical parts of Africa. Each week 100 new pupae are placed in the emerging case- we attach them to bamboo canes with glue – so that there are always new butterflies to enjoy.

Like you, we’ll be out in the garden as much as possible over the next few months, making the most of those warm, sunny days and

keeping on top of the pruning, weeding and deadheading.

The beauty of the Gardens is that there is always something new to see, week-in, weekout.

If you love our cacti collection, head to the Terrace, where we will be landscaping our display of cacti and other succulents – some are incredibly heavy and spiky!

The team will also be out in force to ensure all borders and display areas are filled with beautiful summer bedding, and checking the plants regularly to ensure the taller specimens are suitably supported.

If you want to learn more about the Gardens, the horticultural team is leading guided tours. Have a look on our website to see

Check lilies for the scarlet lily beetle – remove by hand if you spot any Remove rose and tree suckers Start thinking about sowing your winter bedding plants, such as ornamental kale and winter pansies Add shading to your greenhouse to prevent soaring temperatures and open windows to increase ventilation.

To find out more and for more tips, follow Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Twitter @ BhamBotanicalGd or visit www. birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk

MAKE A LIVING GARDEN TABLE What you’ll need: • 1 x 1L Cuprinol Garden Shades in your chosen colour • 1 x large, unpainted, wooden garden table • Masking tape • 1 x small roller • 1 x small roller tray • 1 x paint brush for dusting • Sandpaper/flexible sanding pad • 1 x treated but unpainted window box the same width as the table (2 if you wish to have one at each of the table) • 3 x fixing brackets & screws per window box • 1 x screwdriver • Collection of fresh herbs for planting

Step 1: Mask off a strip down the centre of the garden table.

Step 2: Paint in the central strip with a small paint roller and tray and a tin of your favourite Garden Shades colour.

Step 3: Sand off any rough edges and paint the outside and top edge of a wooden window box in corresponding Cuprinol Garden Shades colour.

Step 4: Attach brackets at equal distance apart onto one side of the window box.

Step 5: Screw the window box to underside of table.

Step 6: Add plants/herbs/flowers and enjoy your living garden table. www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk 21

OUT OF HOURS

eighties that the wonderful Albariño grape was considered worthy of a solo effort. Until then it was just a party mixer, commonly blended with other local grapes, but now it is making waves of it’s own. Could it be the next Sauvignon Blanc?

Albariño really is one of Spain’s most distinctive grapes. If you like the citrus punch of a Sauvignon Blanc and the aromatic beauty of a Viognier, you should love Albariño.

The one I’ve chosen is the Martin Codax 2016 Albariño from Majestic. £13.49 per bottle or £11.99 as part of Majestic’s famous mixed six price. Lemon and apple aromas, on the palate citrus with notes of apple, nectarine and apricot. Perfect for that sunny evening .. or afternoon and fantastic with seafood.

SUMMERTIME WINES As Summer beckons with clear blue skies and welcome warmth, just like the change of wardrobe required, we often change what wine we like to drink. Out with the bold heavy reds for supping by the fire and in come fresh, cool wines perfect for basking in the sunshine.m writes Tony Elvin, founder of The Wine Events Company.

My run down on the best wines for Summer will hopefully give you some inspiration to re-discover an old favourite or try something new.

My first two wines are both English and we’re going to begin as any civilised person would, with a glass of bubbles. In 2017 Britain produced almost six million bottles of wine, but after a wonderful Summer last year production soared to 15.6 million bottles ensuring that there will be enough to go around for everyone this year.

One of my favourite English Sparkling wines is from Chapel Down, an elegant sparkling wine with aromas of red apple, lemongrass and freshly baked bread. On the palate hints of 22 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

strawberry and quince with fine persistent bubbles. Made from a quartet of grape varieties, three of which you would typically find in Champagne this wine is made from Chardonnay with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. At just £23 per bottle from Sainsbury’s this is great value for something that tastes as good as Champagne.

Chapel Down have a fantastic range of wines but another that is absolutely perfect for a Summer evening with friends is their Chapel Down English Rosé. Mostly made up of Pinot Noir, this blend of grapes also contains Regent, Pinot Meunier, Bacchus, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. The grapes are picked from across the South of England; Kent, Sussex and Essex. Chapel Down do this to prevent frost damaging the entire crop in one swoop, something that has happened in the past.

With aromas of strawberries and cream and a palate of fresh redcurrants and floral notes, this crisp, refreshing rosé is a real crowd pleaser and at £13.99 from Waitrose, it’s a steal.

Next up, we’re off to Spain. Not the Spain of sandy beaches and sun loungers but the craggy rocky coastline of Galicia. It was only in the mid-

Another white wine next and this is possibly my favourite grape and even if it sounds unfamiliar, it won’t be completely alien to you, Pinot Gris. Exactly the same grape as Pinot Grigio but very different to taste. It’s home is in Alsace, Eastern France but when it’s Gris instead of Grigio, it’s left on the vine a little longer to take on more fruit flavours. There is a terrific Pinot Gris in Aldi at a knockout price.

At just £5.99 per bottle for a super drop of sunshine this is incredible value. It’s the Freeman’s Bay Pinot Gris from Gisbourne in New Zealand.

Aldi are spot on when they say that it’s deliciously off-dry, has rich aromas of honey suckle and mango, with ripe flavours of melon, yellow pear and a twist of spice. I love this wine and it’ll be the perfect match for some Asian inspired Summer dining.

Domaine des Vignes Biches.

I’m not swearing, this is our last wine and that’s what it’s called. It’s red and we’re going to really mix things up here by popping it in the fridge for an hour to catch a little chill. Perfect for a hot Summer’s day this light and fresh Samur Rouge from Majestic is just what you need when it’s too hot for red but you don’t fancy white. You might think chilling red wine is weird but it’s common place in hot wine producing countries. This light Cabernet France has floral and fruity aromas of violets, blackcurrant and summer pudding berries, with an addition of peppery herbs on the palate. I imagine it will go down a treat with the red meat from the BBQ. £11.99 per bottle or an absolute steal at £9.99 when buying a mixed case of six.

Fingers crossed we get another Summer like the last, it’ll mean there’s plenty of English wine for next year too. www.thewineeventscompany.com

EDGBASTON HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES NEW HEADMISTRESS Weeks in the 2019-20 academic year to become the 11th head teacher at Birmingham’s oldest independent school for girls.

With over eight years’ experience as Deputy Head at Tudor Hall, an all-girls independent school near Banbury, Mrs Macro joins EHS with a wealth of relevant and impressive experience in an independent school setting.

Her leadership skills and years of experience of inspiring pupils in a single sex environment will be invaluable as she takes up her position at EHS.

meeting the school’s aim of providing a truly excellent, high quality, holistic education for all pupils. She brings with her a wealth of energy and enthusiasm, and her track record of success at Tudor Hall speaks for itself.”

On her appointment, Mrs Macro said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed Headmistress of Edgbaston High School and I look forward to becoming a part of this very special community.”

After taking a degree in Theology at Exeter College Oxford, Mrs Macro taught at Peterborough and St Margaret’s School, Bedford Modern School and Headington School, Oxford before being appointed Senior Deputy Head at Tudor Hall School.

Edgbaston High School for Girls is the city’s oldest girls’ school and we are happy to celebrate 100 years of Women in Law with the Birmingham Law Society.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Clare Macro to the position of Headmistress from September 2019, succeeding Ruth

Her enthusiasm for education extends into her professional development in her position as Governor of Queensway Primary School, Banbury and Maidwell Hall School where she has responsibility for safeguarding.

Jeremy Payne, Chairman of the Governors of Edgbaston High School, said: “This is a very exciting appointment for Edgbaston High School. Mrs Macro will build upon the exceptional results Dr Weeks has achieved in

An independent school for girls aged 21/2 -18 years

Inspiring girls to reach their full potential

Westbourne . Preparatory . Senior . Sixth Form An independent school for girls aged 21/2 -18 years Transport from Sutton Coldfield, Streetly, Solihull, Stourbridge 0121 454 5831 admissions@edgbastonhigh.co.uk www.edgbastonhigh.co.uk

OUT OF HOURS

SING YOUR HEART OUT AT BRINDLEY THIS SUMMER smashes such as A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody, to Disney favourites The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins Returns, there really is something for everyone.

This year’s Film Festival is being held in partnership with charity Sense, who will be fundraising throughout the week long event, hosting various activities across the estate. Sense supports children and adults who are deafblind or have complex disabilities.

Its Touchbase Centre in Birmingham brings health and social care services together with wider community, arts, sports and wellbeing activities - and helps deafblind people to access employment, volunteering and training opportunities.

The biggest musical blockbusters will be on the big screen at this year’s Brindley Film Festival, as voting is now officially open for the pitch perfect shortlist.

Now in its 8th year, the popular outdoor Film Festival will take place in Central Square from Monday 15th to Sunday 21st July. Voting is now live so it’s up to the public

to choose which of their favourite music-themed movies they want to see.

From classics like Singing in the Rain and West Side Story, recent big screen

Visit www.brindleyplace. com/event/film-festival for listings and showing times.

PUT THE TIP INTO TIPPLE

CLASSIC WALL COVERING In association with Bridgeman Images, made-to-measure wallpaper mural specialists, Wallsauce, has access to an abundance of classic art images. From the ‘Sistine Chapel Ceiling’ by Michelangelo Buonarroti to ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt you can now adorn your entire walls with your favourite art.

Simply select your desired art from the fine art collection at Wallsauce.com, enter your dimensions and choose from a range of wallpaper materials including paste-the-wall wallpapers and a self-adhesive wallpaper for a contemporary take on the feature wall.

Prices start from £32/m2 from www.wallsauce.com/ bridgeman-wall-mural-art-wallpaper 24 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

Asparagus Gin is the latest creation to bring to life the Vale of Evesham's venerable veg. Launched to celebrate this year's British Asparagus Festival, which was in full force in Worcestershire until the end of June, the distillers, Hussingtree Gin, are amongst the first to successfully use asparagus as a botanical. They're certainly the first Worcestershirebased maker to use world famous Vale of Evesham asparagus.

Numerous distillers have attempted to incorporate asparagus into their gins, but with varied success. The team at Hussingtree Gin spent over six months experimenting with the distilling processes and botanical blends to unlock the vegetable's unique flavour.

One question that everyone has been asking is whether asparagus gin has the same effect on the human body as the vegetable itself and the answer is apparently not. The process used to make it seems to knock back those chemicals responsible which will make the hangover more bearable. www.hussingtreegin.co.uk

25 – 28 SEP BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 23 – 25 OCT THEATRE ROYAL, PLYMOUTH CHOREOGRAPHY MARIUS PETIPA, JEAN CORALLI, JULES PERROT, DAVID BINTLEY MUSIC ADOLPHE ADAM PRODUCTION DAVID BINTLEY DESIGNS HAYDEN GRIFFIN LIGHTING MARK JONATHAN LIVE MUSIC ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA

1 & 2 NOV SADLER’S WELLS, LONDON

brb.org.uk/giselle Momoko Hirata as Giselle. © Bella Kotak

LAST WORD

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

"In this marketplace, assistance with compliance is a major benefit because it’s not a straightforward task" legal accounts tools,” continues Ross. “Interactive, however, is very affordably priced. Interestingly, it still comes with all the bells and whistles, such as case and document management capabilities, should you wish to use them. Cost was our key consideration as it’s what instigated our software swap out project in the first place.

Ross Auld, Chief Operating Officer at Burt Brill & Cardens

BURT BRILL & CARDENS

TALK SOFTWARE COSTS, FUNCTIONALITY AND LONGEVITY Burt Brill & Cardens Limited is the latest law firm to sign up to the Interactive legal accounting software from Quill. With a rigid timeframe for implementation, dictated by the end-of-contract date for its legacy legal accounts system, the practice went live in April 2019.

Ross Auld, Chief Operating Officer at Burt Brill & Cardens, describes the speed with which installation of Interactive was executed: “As any manager of a busy law firm can appreciate, deadlines have a tendency to creep up on you. Once we got the ball rolling, we had 6 weeks to contract renewal with our previous supplier which would be on new terms. So we had a very short period to investigate our options, meet with prospective providers, roll out our chosen software, convert data and receive training.

“We used the ILFM Software Suppliers Guide as research, looked at a dozen suppliers and spoke with Jo Poole 26 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk

at Quill as well as making enquiries with other software houses. We were upfront about our tight timescales and speaking with Jo gave us comfort that Quill could accommodate our request for prompt action.

“The Quill team put in the extra effort accordingly. Jo sent over a quote and performed a software demo on the road between client visits. Less than two days later, we’d signed the agreement and scheduled our data transfer. The latter was done over the course of one week. We achieved everything we set out to do within the defined period, due in no small part to Quill’s hard work.”

There are a multitude of reasons why legal practices change their software packages, with decisions mostly being driven by cost, functionality and people. For Burt, Brill & Cardens, all of these factors applied along with longevity.

“Before, we were paying a premium for our software but only using the

“Our second criteria was functionality.

Accounting in the legal profession is so nuanced, it simply can’t be done with generic accounts software.

We did quickly review non-legalspecific solutions but immediately dismissed them. Interactive is brilliant, easy to use and contains warnings to keep money management compliant with industry regulators.

In this marketplace, assistance with compliance is a major benefit because it’s not a straightforward task.

“Finally, we were reassured by Quill’s length of time in business. Quill’s been supplying legal software for over 40 years. There’s a reason the company’s still going strong after all these years. This stability and reliability had a bearing on our decision as we place great importance on this type of status. Understandably so when you consider we’re a 126-year-old business ourselves.”

In his concluding statement, Ross comments: “We have complete trust in Quill, love Interactive, find everyone extremely personable and look forward to a long partnership, beginning now.”

For further information on Interactive, please visit www. quill.co.uk/legal-accountingsoftware, email info@quill.co.uk or call 0161 236 2910.

No Quill | No Growth NEW | FAST | RELIABLE | ANYWHERE

Accounts Documents Time Reports Integrated

0161 236 2910 info@quill.co.uk quill.co.uk/growth

Obtain client signatures anywhere, anytime Secure, simple to use paperless technology from LawConnect allows your clients to digitally sign documents from anywhere in the world. This eliminates delays and drives efficiency.

Share documents securely

Track the progress of your documents

Collaborate in real time

Receive proof of completion in a instant

Impress your clients, improve productivity and future-proof your law firm.

leap.co.uk/lawconnect