North West Law Celebrating legal April 2013 News New arrivals at Neil Myerson LLP excellence page 6 Hill Dickinson welcomes two The Midland Hotel once again played host to the 4th annual Manchester pensions heavyweights Legal Awards, where almost 600 guests and sponsors celebrated the page 7 cream of Manchester’s legal community. Julia Baskerville reports on the Roberts Jackson expands their new highlight of the Manchester legal calendar... Clinical Negligence Department page 9 Once again, lawyers in Manchester turned out in News from Manchester Law Society large number for the 4th Annual Manchester Legal Civil Litigation Committee page 12 Awards. A sell out event, as almost 600 solicitors, bar- risters, guests and spon- sors joined Manchester Features Law Society at the Midland Hotel to celebrate the suc- cess of the city’s legal pro- The Manchester Legal Awards 2013 fession. page 15 Guests began their evening with a champagne reception in the lobby of the Midland Hotel before moving into Regulars the Alexandra Suite for Din- ner and the Awards cere- mony. News from Bridge Street Fran Eccles-Bech, the Execu- tive Director started the pro- page 4 ceedings by welcoming the guests and introducing Such Regulatory Update page 5 Amin, the President of Man- chester Law Society, Adam Jupp, Head of Business at the Manchester Evening Key for the City - offers for Members News and Nigel Wright of MLS Advantage, the event ‘s page 21 main sponsor. Such Amin said that the evening was all about cele- Management Matters page 28 brating the success, the quality of service and inno- vation of Manchester Monthly Competition lawyers. He said that judging the entries had been an ex- Win a three course meal with a bottle of selected tremely difficult process and wine for 2 people in The River Bar and Restaurant at that everyone shortlisted should be very proud of The Lowry Hotel. page 32 their achievements. Representing the Manches- ter Evening News, the Awards’ media partner, Adam Jupp said that legal services were of critical im- Meet the winners of the Manchester portance to the Greater Manchester economy and these awards confirmed that Legal Awards, more news and more Manchester lawyers were the nation’s finest. photographs on pages 15-18 Nigel Wright of MLS Advan- tage, the main sponsors for Single issue £3.50, 12 month subscription £54.00 The Monthly Publication of the Manchester Law Society free to members Manchester Law Society President’s Column 3 President’s Column It is going to be very diffi- went to JMW Solicitors with and challenging as clearly there were difficul- cult to talk about much small firm of the year going industry….and more about ties anyway but I expect that else other than the Man- to Quality Solicitors Abney the challenges shortly. the Government’s decision chester Legal Awards 2013. Garsden. will have been the final nail I am writing this only a The feedback I received from in the coffin to their model. handful of days after the With the results now public, several colleagues was that sensational event at the I can talk about my personal the night was another suc- It will be interesting to see Midland Hotel on 7th March experience of the judging cess…I’ve even had requests which other firms are af- and I expect that the buzz day in a little more detail. The for tickets to be reserved for fected by the changes but may have settled by the highlight for me was Trainee next year to avoid the wait- one thing is for sure, any per- time the April edition of of the Year. I was judging ing list which seems to be sonal injury business that the Messenger hits your with Edward Smethurst (Out- growing each year! does not adapt is likely to desk. I hope that these few standing Achievement find it very difficult to remain paragraphs will stir good Award Winner 2012) and we For me, the evening was the profitable. Manchester Law feelings from the evening. had a great day with all the fi- highlight of my year so Society will be looking to nalist. When it came to the far…and I don’t know hold a forum before a panel As I have said many times be- Trainees, we were blown whether anything will top it! where an open debate can fore, a huge congratulations away by the quality of all the be held to help and support to all the finalists. It is a great finalists. Their passion for As many of you in the per- members. Details will be an- In the last few weeks, my wife side and we went to see the achievement to reach the their work, enthusiasm and sonal injury field will know, nounced as soon as the and I looked at what solu- former customer – great shortlist and a certainly creativity blended with com- the Government is pushing event is organised. tions were on offer. The ex- feedback and full of praise worth shouting about. To the mercial awareness was sim- full steam ahead with pro- pensive option was to for the company. Good winners, you are very worthy ply breath-taking and based posals to cut costs dramati- Such’s Life replace the whole thing (to- enough for me. The business of the Award for which you on their interviews, I would cally. The changes will have a tally unaffordable); or we was a family business, were chosen. The Awards are hire any one of them in a sec- huge impact on the prof- At home, we have a great could just replace the roof seemed well organised and well recognised in our region ond to work at my firm. Ed itability of many firms and conservatory. It was built (just as unaffordable); and run with patent certificates and even further afield – I am and I honestly couldn’t split departments and there will sometime ago, well before then we came across a com- for the insulation confident that it will aid you between them and we spent be redundancies and even we moved in and stretches pany that insulates the exist- material…so I looked at the and your departments/firms a long time discussing who closures. Calibre Solicitors in round one of the back cor- ing roof and then plasters contract. to new heights and success. was a worthy winner. Whilst Manchester closed in the first ners of the house. In summer over to create a ceiling. The all the Trainee finalists should week of March and Blake- it is brilliant. Loads of light website was very informative It jumped out at me that Later on in this edition you be very proud, Leila Bridgett mores based in Midlands was and space for the kids. The so we had the salesman there was no Notice of Right will find more details about of Roberts Jackson Solicitors intervened in the second problem is that when the come over (sorry, he’s called to Cancel as required under the winners with photos was deserving of the title. week of March. These clo- summer ends, we have to a “surveyor”). Anyway, good the Cancellation of Contracts from the evening. A special sures have resulted in 14 and close it all up as it just doesn’t pitch, not pushy and left a (etc) Regulations 2008. Now mention to Eversheds which The quality of the trainees 250 redundancies respec- retain any heat – in fact, for price and contract with me. I’m no expert on contract law won five Awards in total, in- and other junior lawyers reaf- tively. Whether these busi- about 9 months of the year it Even agreed to arrange for and there are exceptions that cluding Large firm of the firmed my aim as President nesses failed as a direct result is unused, other than for me to visit a former customer don’t require a Notice but if Year. The medium firm prize to support them in a difficult of the changes is unknown keeping my bottles of beer local to me as a testimonial. we as lawyers do and the chilled. Regulations were designed So, I put the contract to one continued on page 5 4 Manchester Law Society News News from Bridge Street CPD Programme Solicitors' Assistance Scheme Welcome to the web site of the Solicitors' Assistance Scheme: ACCOUNTING FOR LAWYERS * "it saved my sanity" The accounting for lawyers update will cover a brief overview * "the SAS helped me turn my business round" of financial statements. The talk will consider their purpose, and how they can be of use in a * "the scheme member was wonderfully helpful and supportive" dispute or investigation. * "I don't think I would have coped without the support the SAS provided" The talk will also cover basic accounting concepts and address some of the common pitfalls in understanding financial statements as an introduction to accounting matters. Interested, intrigued and maybe sceptical about such glowing testimonials. Following the one hour seminar the Deloitte Forensic team would like to invite you to join These quotes, all received from solicitors, are referring to a scheme about which every solicitor them for a drink at the Oast House. should know - the Solicitors' Assistance Scheme or SAS. DATE: Thursday 4th April 2013 The SAS helps all solicitors in England and Wales, and their family and staff, to deal with the CPD: 1 kind of problems that can occur at any time. We offer a lifeline to solicitors with problems by VENUE: Deloitte LLP, 2 Hardman Street, Manchester, M3 3HF providing a fellow practitioner who will listen and help.