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SOCIETY NEWS

FIRM RANKED IN THE TOP 10 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK

The Birmingham office of law firm Mills & Reeve is celebrating after being featured in the top 10 places to work for in the region, part of Best Companies annual list ranking the finest UK and regional employers.

Nationally, the firm also achieved 23rd place in the UK 100 Best Companies to Work For list, a huge rise from 90th place in 2020, and an impressive second place in Law’s 20 best firms to work for 2021.

Mills & Reeve continue to be the only law firm to have been named on a Best Companies list for 18 years in a row. This recognition follows the firm being named as one of the top law firms in the UK for the fifth year running by RollonFriday.

The Best Companies results show that Mills & Reeve improved its scores across all eight workplace factors with the largest increases in leadership, which exceeded Best Companies’ three-star benchmark by six per cent and giving something back, which rose by eight per cent from 2020. The other six factors are wellbeing, fair deal, my manager, personal growth, my company and my team.

Steve Allen, partner and head of the Birmingham office at Mills & Reeve, said: “I’m very proud that we have been listed as one of the top 10 Best Companies to work for in the Midlands. Our culture has always been central to the growth of our Birmingham office particularly during the challenges of COVID-19.Creating an innovative, diverse and supportive environment for colleagues to work in translates into first class service for our clients in the sectors and markets in which we operate.”

GLOBAL POSITIONS FOR BIRMINGHAM PARTNERS

DWF has announced the appointment of two of its Birmingham-based partners to senior global positions, effective from 1 May 2021.

Jon Stevens, managing partner of the Birmingham office and leading tax law specialist has been appointed Deputy Global Head of Tax and Private Capital. This role will see Jon oversee a global team of more than 100 people, comprising of over 60 in Spain and 20 in the UK and Ireland.

Jon has worked in Birmingham for over 20 years and has experience of advising clients on a wide range of tax issues including corporate and property tax matters, group reorganisations and tax disputes.

Toby Askin, equally experienced in property development, investment and portfolio management, has been appointed Global Head of Real Estate. Toby, who is currently UK Head of Real Estate, will lead and implement a strategy to grow the global Real Estate Team. The team comprises of 200 talented and experienced lawyers, across 17 offices and 10 jurisdictions and has worked on some of the industry's largest transactions.

These appointments complement the ongoing support from Birmingham based Melanie Williams as Head of DWF's Real Estate Sector and Hospitality Group. In addition to her role at DWF Melanie also sits on the Board of Directors of the Colmore Business District (BID) and the Board of Citysave Credit Union. These appointments form part of DWF's new internal operating structure which it announced in January.

FIRM REVEALS RECORD RESULTS

Anthony Collins Solicitors has released its annual results for 2020/2021 recording an annual (1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021) turnover of £22.3m, with profits of £5.38m - up 15% on the previous year.

To mark its resilient performance, the nationally recognised law firm, which operates offices in Birmingham and Manchester, is also announcing that 240 staff will receive a 5% of salary profit share bonus.

Peter Hubbard, senior partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors, said “It has been a landmark year for the firm. We want to build on this, moving forward with our colleagues and client partners to continue delivering a positive social impact across the UK. In recognition of the extraordinary commitment of everybody working at ACS during the pandemic, I am delighted we are awarding a 5% of salary profit share bonus to all staff so we all share in the firm’s success. ACS colleagues have been extremely flexible in their approaches to work and we want to recognise and reward them for this.”

The new structure is an important step forward in DWF’s strategy, which will help it to fulfil its aim of becoming the leading global provider of integrated legal and business services. It will see the Group move into three more streamlined and efficient global divisions of Legal Advisory, Mindcrest and Connected Services.

CYBER CRIME IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO ALL

Linetime and InfoTrack have announced productivity enhancements to their two-way integration, enabling conveyancing departments to achieve end-to-end conveyancing, digitally.

InfoTrack’s File Importer enables users to select files held within the matter to be accessed, removing the hassle of saving to desktop, renaming, and uploading. Preventing the risk of misplaced or misfiled documents, all results are returned directly to the matter in Linetime.

Further enhancement ensures posting slips can be generated with the full transaction-related order information and posted directly to the client ledger on order or await approval on a line-byline basis, reducing manual errors and missed disbursements. Built to optimise conveyancing workflows, the integration is already being embraced by Catteralls and Rogers and Norton Solicitors. Kerry Ridley, Practice Manager at Catteralls comments, “This integration makes life so much easier. It provides us with access to a suite of products that address the issue of time and resource. The Land Registry integration is particularly valuable. We were wary initially of promises relating to an integration, but the process was simple, and the results have been very positive for our firm. The smooth delivery was achieved by efficient communication with our case management provider. We have immediate access to property reports, Land Registry and SDLT services which is already saving us lots of time, and all costs returned to the ledger within Linetime reduces errors and missed disbursements.”

Bruce Faulkner, Director at Rogers and Norton Solicitors adds, “I wish this integration had been available years ago. Conveyancing continues to be very busy, but the integration is saving our conveyancing and accounts teams huge amounts of time. We’re not having to re-enter information and with costs coming back to the ledger automatically it ensures we don’t miss any payments when billing, which will save us writing off expenditure going forwards. It’s a fantastic enhancement to the software, and between Linetime and InfoTrack, we can clearly see the benefits of performing endto-end conveyancing processes digitally.”

Speaking about the importance of integrations to firms, Scott Bozinis, CEO of InfoTrack says, “Firms working within a CMS must look to integrate, especially with the shift toward flexible working arrangements. More firms now operate early in the morning and late into the evening. Integrations by InfoTrack ensure activities by individual users are simple and accessible, but also recorded using automation, ultimately reducing errors and increasing productivity. These enhancements are fantastic for all parties progressing through a conveyancing transaction.”

Adam Bullion, General Manager of Marketing at Linetime says, “Firms using the integration are experiencing the benefits across all aspects of the conveyancing journey from instruction to post-completion. We have been particularly impressed with InfoTrack’s Property Report and eCOS; products which both solve a lot of challenges that firms have been facing for some time. These enhancements apply real value to InfoTrack’s offering within an integration, full of digital conveyancing products, meaning firms are focused on managing the business and not the software.”

To find out more, visit

www.infotrack.co.uk/integration/

Globally companies and organisations are being hit with cyber-attacks with devastating consequences. The majority of these attacks begin with a phishing email. By working together we can ensure that organisations stays protected say the West Midlands regional Cyber Crime Unit.

WHAT IS PHISHING?

Phishing is when attackers attempt to trick users into doing ‘the wrong thing’, such as clicking a bad link that will download malware, or direct them to a dodgy website.

Phishing can be conducted via text message, social media or in person by phone. However the term ‘phishing’ is mainly used to describe attacks that arrive by email. Attacks can install malware (such as ransomware), sabotage systems, or steal intellectual property and money.

WHAT WILL EMAILS CONTAIN – C.A.U.S.E?

• Current events – Are you expecting to see a message like this? Criminals often exploit current news stories, big events or specific times of year (like tax reporting) to make their scam seem more relevant to you.

• Authority – Is the message claiming to be from someone official? For example, your bank, doctor, a solicitor, or a government department. Criminals often pretend to be important people or organisations to trick you into doing what they want.

• Urgency – Are you told you have a limited time to respond (such as ‘within 24 hours’ or ‘immediately’)? Criminals often threaten you with fines or other negative consequences. • Scarcity – Is the message offering something in short supply, like concert tickets, money or a cure for medical conditions? Fear of missing out on a good deal or opportunity can make you respond quickly.

• Emotion – Does the message make you panic, fearful, hopeful or curious? Criminals often use threatening language, make false claims of support, or tease you into wanting to find out more.

SOCIETY NEWS

HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY IN A MILLENNIAL HOME BUYER MARKET

Centred amidst the biggest property industry boom in more than a decade the industry is fraught with pressure from every angle. Increased transaction volumes fuelled by the SDLT holiday, changing social restrictions and an ever-increasing millennial home buyer market are all reshaping the landscape. Across the UK, first-time buyers average 32.2 years, in the capital this rises to 34.5 years. With more than 50% of firsthome buyers now part of the millennial generation, there’s good cause to understand these consumers better writes Bronwyn Townsend, Senior Marketing Manager, InfoTrack.

The journey to secure a place on the housing ladder has been riddled with difficulties for millennials. From housing market bubbles and a widening income-to-deposit disparity to the withdrawal of 95% mortgages in 2020, it’s proven challenging. Though, changing circumstances over recent months including the emergence of ‘accidental savers’ and savings made on property tax breaks, more millennials are diving into the property market than originally forecast.

This is a generation that grew up on the cusp of technological change. A hybrid period where analogue technology overlapped the inception of the internet, the transition from CD to MP3 and the advent of smart phones. The first generation of digital natives, the way millennials engage with businesses and services comes with changing expectations. This rings true within the legal industry too.

Access anywhere, from any device is expected as standard. Paper and printing are symbols of a bygone era with digital now reigning supreme, and speed is a top priority. While this is common among the millennial market, it would be wrong to assume those in older generations aren’t switching to a similar mindset. Albeit at a more leisurely pace. This was recently evidenced when a firm told us their 90-yearold client was thrilled to be using InfoTrack’s digital verification of identity tool during their onboarding.

So, how can firms embrace these new client expectations? Technology is the obvious choice. Streamlining processes, increasing accessibility and making services easier are all benefits of adopting a digital conveyancing process.

Connectivity, regular updates and smart apps are cornerstones of the millennial experience. So, by addressing this generation with technology you not only meet but exceed expectations of the changing landscape.

The adoption of electronic client onboarding solutions and digital signatures, all possible with already-available technology, will have a monumental impact. The best part is, it’s not only your clients that will receive an exceptional experience, so too will the users in your firm.

Find out more at infotrack.co.uk

FIRM SUPPORTS BRITISH ROWERS

Irwin Mitchell has been announced as the Official Legal Partner to British Rowing which will see the firm support British Rowing with the full portfolio of legal work, encompassing IP and data protection, commercial advisory, risk management and disputes, employment, safeguarding and sponsorship.

The last 35 years has continued to see British Rowing thrive, with rowing one of GB’s most successful Olympic sports. As the new Official Legal Partner, Irwin Mitchell will be working alongside British Rowing to ensure this success continues, with the firm enjoying a strong track record of support for sporting bodies.

News of the partnership follows Irwin Mitchell becoming the official legal partner of England Rugby in 2019, which has already seen the introduction of a Legal and Tax Helpline to support member clubs and the development of a new mentoring programme.