Category Archives: Law

Employee Engagement, Law, News, North of England

Law Firm Launches Dedicated Employee Ownership Service

One of Yorkshire’s leading law firms has launched a dedicated employee ownership advisory service.

Employee Ownership Advisor is a new service from Ison Harrison designed to provide business owners with the ultimate resource for navigating the world of Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).

 

With its own dedicated website, the service aims to help business owners looking to explore the benefits of an EOT for their business. Having experienced the advantages of employee ownership themselves, the firm’s team of expert lawyers is well placed to answer questions and provide no-obligation advice to business owners looking to make the switch.

The service covers everything from the basic principles of employee ownership, the process of transitioning to an EOT, trust management, employee engagement, company governance and rewards and benefits.

 

Employee ownership is becoming an increasingly popular model for British businesses. According to figures compiled by the Employee Ownership Association, 332 businesses transitioned to employee ownership in 2022. As of June 2023, the total number of companies owned partially or fully by their employees had reached a record 1,418, marking a 37% growth in just 12 months.

Ison Harrison was the UK’s first law firm to become a 100% employee-owned business in January 2022 after the three main shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust.

270 qualifying team members at the firm recently received a profit distribution payout marking the second anniversary of becoming employee-owned. As a result of the firm’s strong financial performance, individual profit distributions approved by Ison Harrison’s Board of Trustees saw all eligible employees receive a tax-free distribution of £4,000 each, an increase of £400 on the £3,600 payment paid the previous year.

The firm, which employs more than 270 staff across the region, posted a record turnover of over £22 million last year, up 16% from £19 million in 2022.

 

Employee Ownership Advisor is the brainchild of Richard Coulthard, director and head of commercial services. Since launching the service, the firm has received a significant number of preliminary enquiries from business owners across the region and beyond, and is already helping several local businesses through the transitionary stages.

He commented: “The move to employee ownership has been hugely positive and advantageous for Ison Harrison. This success is the inspiration for the Employee Ownership Adviser as we want to share our experience of the process and use our expertise to help other business owners by transitioning from traditional business ownership to the EOT model.

“As a firm, we have taken a unique approach to set ourselves apart from our competitors. We are proud to be an EOT, which helps distinguish us from other firms. In embracing employee ownership, we have fostered a culture of collaboration, incentivised performance, and ensured our clients receive exceptional service. This experience and knowledge is now being passed on to business owners so that they and their workforce can enjoy the many benefits of employee ownership. Our service website is dedicated to providing practical insights, expert advice, and invaluable tips to ensure a smooth and successful transition. We fully understand the challenges that may arise and we are well equipped to provide the knowledge and strategies needed to overcome them.”

 

Ison Harrison employs more than 270 staff across Yorkshire, offering the broadest range of legal services in the region. The firm’s commercial division now advises businesses from across all sectors in transitioning to an employee-owned business.

The firm has over 10 Law Society accreditations including Lexcel, Clinical Negligence, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, Conveyancing Quality and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

Business owners interested in finding out more should visit: https://www.employeeownershipadvisor.co.uk or call the Employee Ownership Advisor team on 0800 232 1620

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Pictured (above): Richard Coulthard, director and head of commercial services.

Employment Law, HR News, Law, News

Leadership behaviour change is crucial following Nicola Hinds discrimination case

A leading provider of HR solutions and leadership and development coaching is underscoring the need for companies to prioritise good leadership and management behaviour following the recent discrimination in the workplace ruling in favour of Nicola Hinds.

A judge upheld Nicola Hinds’ claims of pregnancy discrimination and constructive dismissal, stating that her male boss had unfairly stereotyped her as ‘an emotional, hormonal pregnant woman’, leading to her resignation upon returning from maternity leave.

According to Aspiring, the ruling serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of discrimination and the need for transformative action within organisations.

Liz Beck, Founder and CEO of Aspiring, remarked on the significance of this case. She commented:

“The treatment Nicola Hinds endured is sadly reflective of a broader issue within workplaces. Discrimination, particularly concerning women, pregnancy, and stereotypes, is unacceptable. It is evident that merely having HR policies in place is insufficient; organisations must actively cultivate a culture of respect and inclusion, starting from the top down.

“True change begins with leaders setting the tone and demonstrating inclusive practices. We cannot underestimate the impact of leadership behaviour on employee experiences. Leaders must actively champion fairness, equality, and respect, and serve as exemplary role models, setting high standards for both managers and colleagues to follow. They have the ability to shine a light or cast a shadow – they need to lead the way.

“We are urging organisations to prioritise good management behaviour and equip their leaders with the skills and awareness to uphold ethical standards.”

Aspiring remains committed to supporting organisations in developing positive workplace cultures through tailored leadership development programmes, coaching, and HR solutions.

Appointments, Law, News, Yorkshire

Law Firm’s Booming Litigation Division Registers Further Success

A Yorkshire law firm’s litigation division is on course for a record year following significant revenue growth, increasing client numbers and the appointment of a new Head of Department.

The litigation division of Leeds headquartered law firm Ison Harrison’s turnover for the year to date is currently over 67% higher than it was 12 months ago with the client count increasing by over 40%.

After joining the firm in August 2023 as a partner, commercial litigation specialist Lindsay Dixon has been appointed as the new Head of Department and has spearheaded the impressive growth in the team, which continues to go from strength to strength.

The litigation team sits alongside the firm’s property, company and commercial and employment teams in the corporate and commercial division, which have all grown exponentially over the past 12 months, making it the firm’s second largest collective team.

Last year the firm experienced a 32% growth in revenue from commercial services as for the same period in 2022, recording its most profitable year to date. Transaction values have also increased across the division.

In 2022, Ison Harrison switched to become a 100% employee-owned business after the three shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust. The firm is one of only a handful of law firms in the UK to become exclusively employee-owned.

Over the past two years, the firm has experienced significant client growth, opening its 19th regional office in Queensbury earlier this year, after taking on over 20,000 new clients during 2023.

Richard Coulthard, Director and Head of Corporate, said: “Our commercial litigation department has extensive experience in representing different types of business clients in various disputes. We have developed close relationships with many commercial clients over the years, and always view ourselves as a trusted partner. The team provides advice tailored to each client in relation to the issue they face, providing pre-emptive guidance to address any potential issues that may arise in the future. We are focused on helping clients to future-proof their business operations.

“Our approach, based on fostering strong relationships, has helped us to continue to grow our commercial offering, strengthening our position as leaders in legal professional advisory work to the SME market. The success and growth we have experienced to date is the driving force behind the further development of this important area of the business.”

Ison Harrison was founded in 1978. With an annual turnover of over £22 million, the firm has become a well-known regional practice offering the broadest range of legal services to thousands of people and businesses.

Ison Harrison currently holds 13 Law Society accreditations including Conveyancing Quality, Clinical Negligence, Children Law, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

For more information, visit www.isonharrison.co.uk

Charity, Charity & CSR, Law, News

Charities Missing Out on Millions in Historic Legacy Bequests

INHERITANCE RECOVERY SPECIALIST PERANE’S INNOVATIVE NEW SEARCH ENGINE IDENTIFIES DORMANT LEGACIES MISSED BY ORIGINAL EXECUTORS

 

Inheritance recovery specialists, Perane, have warned that charities are missing out on millions of pounds in legacy bequests which were overlooked by the original executors.

In the past 18 months alone, two well known UK charities have received £125,000 each through the repatriation of legacy gifts, thanks to the detailed work of sector specialists Perane.

Dozens of other charitable organisations have received smaller amounts in recent months, with more than £700,000 repatriated.

The total so far identified for charities by Perane is £1,816,647 which, it is almost certain, would never have been located by the organisations themselves.

You can see a full breakdown of the funds so far located and repatriated to charities on Perane’s website.

 

The company is urgently seeking to work with all of the organisations for whom funds have been identified to recover the money rightly owed to charities, large and small.

Perane works to identify and trace historic legacies that may have been missed by the original executors.

Through a newly developed in-house search engine, and as part of the process of searching for unclaimed assets, Perane has already repatriated £743,581 that has been left to charities as part of the residual funds in wills.

 

Perane CEO Bruce Cane says: “Many charities are unaware that these funds have been left to them and without Perane’s search engine it is doubtful that the money would ever be repatriated.

“Residual estates can be very valuable as they have not been subject to inflationary pressures. In these cash-straitened days, the value of such legacies can make a real difference to the ongoing work of every charity.”

 

Through its proprietary search engine, developed over the past two years, Perane has exclusive access to previously inaccessible databases and carries out searches into historic probates to locate dormant assets and repatriate the funds.

Cane adds: “Many charities rely upon the executor getting in touch with them and are concerned that a more proactive approach would create a predatory perception. For Perane to repatriate the funds, however, the charities have to legally work with us to do so. Those that do are literally quids in, financially.

“While no-one wants to see the harassment of the recently bereaved, these are all historic cases where the executor has missed a legacy and we are repatriating disbursements, which are currently dormant, to the charities to whom they were bequeathed.”

 

A new legal opinion for Perane by Stephen Hackett of 3 Hare Court concludes that the role of the executor continues for life and that he/she may be personally liable if they fail to fulfil their obligations to disburse the estate in line with the expressed wishes of the deceased.” You can read the full opinion here.

 

Cane concludes: “Many people leave residual amounts to charity in their wills and professional executors have a legal obligation to disburse the estate funds according to the expressed wishes of the deceased.

“However, where shares make up a proportion of the value of the estate, it may be the case that the original share certificates have been lost or those that held them moved residence and the executor has incorrect contact details, or the organisation or individual is unaware they are a beneficiary, making it difficult to complete a full picture of the estate.

“Perane is very proud of being able to repatriate these funds to the rightful owners and to enable charities to continue their great work.”

 

If your organisation would like to work with Perane to legally repatriate legacy funds, please contact: 01603 673260 or email info@perane.co.uk.

AI, Law, News, Technology

South Korea’s LG Chem Adopts Luminance’s AI to Transform Legal Team

20 FEB 2024 | Luminance, the pioneer in ‘legal-grade’ AI, today announced that LG Chem has become the first Korean company to adopt its flagship product, ‘Luminance Corporate’, bringing AI to every touchpoint the business has with its contracts. 

With 50,000 patents, 20,000 employees and 58 locations worldwide, LG Chem is one of the largest science and chemical companies in the world. The rapidly growing company, which is headquartered in Seoul, has been dealing with high volumes of contracts – including Sales Agreements and Non-Disclosure Agreements – which require quick turnaround times. In line with LG Chem’s wider push towards AI integration, the firm’s 50-person legal team sought a next-generation technology that could enhance the negotiation, generation, and analysis of these high-volume contracts, whilst centralising institutional knowledge as the company grows.  

After a thorough analysis of the market, LG Chem ultimately chose Luminance’s cutting-edge AI for its ability to expedite and enhance every stage of the contract lifecycle. For instance, the company now utilises Luminance’s Traffic Light Analysis functionality which acts like a legal “spellchecker”, automatically highlighting risky or non-standard clauses in any incoming contract. This has allowed the legal team to significantly reduce the time spent negotiating documents such as Supply and Purchase Agreements, instead focusing on business-critical areas of the contract. Where proposed clauses are not compliant with LG Chem’s internal standards, Luminance’s AI suggests fallback language which is configured from approximately 25 of LG Chem’s uniquely built Knowledge Banks. With Luminance at their fingertips, the team has achieved at least 30% reduction on average time spent on a single contract. 

LG Chem has also been taking advantage of Luminance’s award-winning chatbot, Ask Lumi, which allows the legal team to open any contract in Word and receive instant responses to any question in any language, including Korean. Furthermore, the team can simply ‘Ask Lumi’ to redraft clauses on-the-fly or draft an executive summary of any contract, which has proved crucial when answering questions from the wider business. 

 Looking ahead, LG Chem will continue to roll out Luminance’s AI across their European and American partners, creating a centralised system to ensure consistency across their global legal team. 

Sue Yang, Vice President/Head of Department of LG Chem’s Global Legal Department, said: “We are proud to be a company driven by innovation, and it’s clear that Luminance is a best-in-class AI technology for in-house legal teams. Luminance helps us drive efficiency across the entire business. By automating the routine yet time-consuming tasks associated with contract generation and negotiation, our legal team is empowered to focus their time on high-value work that will maximise revenue generation and provide business-wide value. With Luminance, our legal team now has a partner in our growth journey.” 

“Luminance is a game-changing technology for any in-house legal team looking to automate routine tasks, turn crucial contract data into digital assets and future proof their business,” said Eleanor Lightbody, CEO of Luminance. “I am particularly excited to welcome LG Chem to the rapidly growing list of companies turning to Luminance’s AI as the first Korean customer to adopt our “co-pilot” product. Our partnership marks an exciting time for the legal sector and is a testament to the power of Luminance’s technology to deliver value to organisations of any size working in any language. I very much look forward to seeing the efficiency gains Luminance will deliver to LG Chem’s legal team and the wider business.” 

—

About LG Chem 

LG Chem is a leading global chemical company with a diversified business portfolio in the key areas of petrochemicals, advanced materials, and life sciences. The company manufactures a wide range of products from high-value added petrochemicals to renewable plastics, specializing in cutting-edge electronic and battery materials such as cathodes, as well as drugs and vaccines to deliver differentiated solutions for its customers. LG Chem is committed to reaching carbon-neutral growth by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050 by managing the impacts of climate change and making positive contributions to society through renewable energy and responsible supply chains. 

About Luminance 

Built on a proprietary legal Large Language Model (LLM), Luminance’s specialised legal co-pilot uses next-generation AI to automate the generation, negotiation and analysis of contracts. Developed by world-leading AI experts, validated by leading lawyers, and in use by over 600 customers in 60 countries, Luminance’s ‘legal-grade’ AI is a key component of any legal team. 

Employee Engagement, Law, News, Yorkshire

Leading Law Firm Marks Second Anniversary Of Employee Ownership With Increased Annual Profit Distribution Payment To Staff

One of Yorkshire’s leading law firms has marked the second anniversary of becoming employee-owned by awarding all qualifying 270 team members a £4,000 profit distribution.

The firm also posted its most successful trading period ever for October last year, making 2023 its most successful and profitable year in its 46-year history.

Ison Harrison became one of the first regional law firms to become a 100% employee-owned business in January 2022 after the three main shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust.

The firm, which employs more than 250 staff across the region, posted a record turnover of over £22 million last year, up 16% from £19 million in 2022, as well as achieving numerous other business milestones. The firm’s commercial division’s turnover increased from £1.35m to £2.7m, the legal aid team secured the prestigious Legal Aid CAPA contract helping double department turnover to more than £2.5m for the year, and the property division saw turnover increase to over £6m despite the volatile housing market.

The firm experienced a healthy level of growth in the number of new clients that it acted for with over 20,000 new clients instructing the firm throughout 2023. The firm has also once again achieved Lexcel accreditation, the approved legal industry quality mark for client care, compliance and practice management.

2023 saw the opening of the firm’s 18th office, in Doncaster, the firm’s second in South Yorkshire, with plans for further expansion across the region in the first quarter of 2024.  The firm’s 19th office, located in Queensbury, Bradford is due to open to the public in February.

As a result of the firm’s strong financial performance, individual profit distributions approved by Ison Harrison’s Board of Trustees saw all eligible employees receive a tax-free distribution of £4,000 each, an increase of £400 on the £3,600 payment last January.

Managing director Jonathan Wearing, commented: “2023 was our second year operating as an employee-owned business and what a year we’ve had in terms of achievements and overall performance. Distributing an increased bonus to our employees beyond year one’s payment reflects the drive and dedication shown by everyone throughout the year and is a true demonstration of the motivation that employee ownership can bring. Everyone contributed to delivering a record year for the firm last year which has put us in a great position to ensure that the coming year will be equally, if not more, successful and eventful.

“The move to employee ownership has been hugely positive for the firm and it’s encouraging to see such investment in making the initiative so successful. As the firm continues to expand and underpin its significant presence across Yorkshire, the flexible structure that employee ownership provides offers the perfect platform for future growth, attracting fresh talent as well as providing stability for existing staff.

“Switching to employee ownership has had a big impact on the way we do business and how we engage with our staff which in turn has boosted financial performance.  The switch has been a resoundingly positive move for every single employee of the firm.  Everyone now has a tangible stake in the success of the business and can share in future success and profits, just as they did last year.”

Ison Harrison employs more than 270 staff across Yorkshire, offering the broadest range of legal services in the region. The firm’s commercial division now advises businesses from across all sectors in transitioning to an employee-owned business.

The firm has over 10 Law Society accreditations including Lexcel, Clinical Negligence, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, Conveyancing Quality and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

Employee Engagement, Law, News, Yorkshire

Leading Law Firm Marks Second Anniversary Of Employee Ownership With Increased Annual Profit Distribution Payment To Staff

One of Yorkshire’s leading law firms has marked the second anniversary of becoming employee-owned by awarding all qualifying 270 team members a £4,000 profit distribution.

The firm also posted its most successful trading period ever for October last year, making 2023 its most successful and profitable year in its 46-year history.

Ison Harrison became one of the first regional law firms to become a 100% employee-owned business in January 2022 after the three main shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust.

The firm, which employs more than 250 staff across the region, posted a record turnover of over £22 million last year, up 16% from £19 million in 2022, as well as achieving numerous other business milestones. The firm’s commercial division’s turnover increased from £1.35m to £2.7m, the legal aid team secured the prestigious Legal Aid CAPA contract helping double department turnover to more than £2.5m for the year, and the property division saw turnover increase to over £6m despite the volatile housing market.

The firm experienced a healthy level of growth in the number of new clients that it acted for with over 20,000 new clients instructing the firm throughout 2023. The firm has also once again achieved Lexcel accreditation, the approved legal industry quality mark for client care, compliance and practice management.

2023 saw the opening of the firm’s 18th office, in Doncaster, the firm’s second in South Yorkshire, with plans for further expansion across the region in the first quarter of 2024.  The firm’s 19th office, located in Queensbury, Bradford is due to open to the public in February.

As a result of the firm’s strong financial performance, individual profit distributions approved by Ison Harrison’s Board of Trustees saw all eligible employees receive a tax-free distribution of £4,000 each, an increase of £400 on the £3,600 payment last January.

Managing director Jonathan Wearing, commented: “2023 was our second year operating as an employee-owned business and what a year we’ve had in terms of achievements and overall performance. Distributing an increased bonus to our employees beyond year one’s payment reflects the drive and dedication shown by everyone throughout the year and is a true demonstration of the motivation that employee ownership can bring. Everyone contributed to delivering a record year for the firm last year which has put us in a great position to ensure that the coming year will be equally, if not more, successful and eventful.

“The move to employee ownership has been hugely positive for the firm and it’s encouraging to see such investment in making the initiative so successful. As the firm continues to expand and underpin its significant presence across Yorkshire, the flexible structure that employee ownership provides offers the perfect platform for future growth, attracting fresh talent as well as providing stability for existing staff.

“Switching to employee ownership has had a big impact on the way we do business and how we engage with our staff which in turn has boosted financial performance.  The switch has been a resoundingly positive move for every single employee of the firm.  Everyone now has a tangible stake in the success of the business and can share in future success and profits, just as they did last year.”

Ison Harrison employs more than 270 staff across Yorkshire, offering the broadest range of legal services in the region. The firm’s commercial division now advises businesses from across all sectors in transitioning to an employee-owned business.

The firm has over 10 Law Society accreditations including Lexcel, Clinical Negligence, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, Conveyancing Quality and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

Family, Family Law, Law, News

Separating parents urged to avoid courtroom conflict as Family Mediation Week kicks off

Parents living throughout the UK who have decided to separate or divorce in 2024 are being urged to find out how to avoid courtroom confrontation to settle money and parenting arrangements, with the launch of Family Mediation Week, 22 – 26 January.

January usually sees a dramatic rise in the number of parents deciding to live apart as the various pressures that go hand-in-hand with the Christmas period act as a final straw for relationships.

 

Sarah Manning, Chair of Family Mediation Week and Partner at Hall Brown Family Law comments: “The purpose of Family Mediation Week is to raise awareness of mediation and its benefits to separating families. Our aim is to encourage separating couples to think about family mediation as a way of helping them take control, make decisions together and build a positive future for their family.

“Many parents emerge from the festive period feeling defeated by the pressures on relationships and finances that have been highlighted during the holiday period.

“Throughout the UK, and here in Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester, we find that parents in this position simply don’t know which way to turn. Their life-changing decision to separate brings with it so many tough questions:

  • Who lives where?
  • Where will the children live, and how will we make sure we each spend time with them?
  • How will we sort money?
  • What about debts and pensions?
  • And even the family dog?

“Family Mediation Week shines a helpful spotlight on these tricky issues, offering separating parents information about their options as they look to make arrangements for parenting, property and finance.”

Hall Brown have made a pledge this year to ‘spread awareness of the benefits of mediation to teachers in local schools’ by issuing copies of ‘Split Survival Kit, 10 Steps for coping with your parents’ separation’ book to local schools.

The book is an essential 10-step guide for children whose parents are splitting up, containing expert insight and practical tips from child psychologist, Angharad Rudkin, and co-written by children’s author Ruth Fitzgerald.

This fantastic book will now be available on many library shelves within schools for children and teachers to access.

 

Sarah added: “We hope to support and provide information to teachers, parents and children locally, and that this pledge goes some way in doing so.

“Teachers are regularly in contact with parents and many of those parents will have separated and will need to make arrangements for their children, such as where they will live or when/how often they will see different family members; parents may also need to discuss property and finances. Making these arrangements isn’t easy, and parents often do not know where to turn to help them sort things out.”

 

Family Mediation Week have put on several FREE webinars available for families when facing separation. Family Mediation Week takes place on Monday 22nd January through to Friday 26th January. www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/fmw/all-events/

 

Law

New Partner Promotions Set the Scene for Year of Success at Yorkshire Law Firm

Leading law firm Ison Harrison has announced nine promotions across its network of Yorkshire offices.

Among the promotions from solicitor to partner are Ami Law, Gemma Vine, Magda Dakowicz, Tim Wilson, Simon Helliwell, Jessica Haigh, James Pascoe, Katrina Stapleton and Georgina Pogge-Von Strandman.

This latest round of promotions follows Ison Harrison’s successful transition to becoming entirely employee-owned at the beginning of 2022. 

Gemma Vine joined the firm as an experienced specialist inquest lawyer in 2020. She has played a key role in helping the firm develop a national reputation for inquest and civil liberties work and due to her profile and expertise, was instrumental in securing the firm’s recent Claims Against Public Authorities (CAPA) legal aid contract. Last year saw Gemma named in the Chambers Directory for her expertise as an inquest lawyer, further enhancing the firm’s reputation in this field.

Magda Dakowicz joined the new build team as a conveyancing assistant in 2016 and quickly rose through the ranks at several regional offices until taking on the responsibility of running the new build team based at the firm’s Leeds head office. Magda is a partner who deals with all aspects of residential sales, purchases and part-exchange matters, is fluent in Polish and committed to excellent client care.

Tim Wilson joined the firm in 1997 in what was then the firm’s largest team; the Road Traffic Accident team. In 2012, Tim changed direction to become a private client lawyer. Not only a well-established wills and probate fee-earner at the Crossgates office, he is respected and well-known across the firm having worked at various offices and teams throughout his career including head office and Morley. Tim’s promotion to partner is richly deserved after more than 25 years of dedication and commitment.

Simon Helliwell has been at the firm for over two decades, originally joining in 1999. He joined the personal injury team in 2004 and his approach to catastrophic injury and brain injury cases is second to none, consistently delivering the best results for his clients.  In 2021, he secured compensation in excess of £3 million for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a road traffic accident. Simon accepted the case when it was close to the limitation date, after other firms had rejected the case as it was deemed too risky or complex.

Jessica Haigh joined the firm in August 2021 as an assistant solicitor working out of the Pontefract and Barnsley offices. Specialising in wills and probate, she is now based permanently in Barnsley. Having developed a very strong caseload since her arrival, Jess is one of the firm’s leading wills and probate lawyers who is helping raise the profile of the firm across the region by delivering first-class client service and a consistently strong financial performance.  

James Pascoe joined as a residential property lawyer in August 2017 and was the first person to start working from the Harrogate office when it opened in 2021. Already one of the firm’s ‘go to’ property lawyers within the residential conveyancing team, James’ key strength is the relationships he has forged with estate agents and mortgage advisers with whom he has worked for many years, establishing a solid reputation for both himself and the firm in Harrogate and beyond. 

Katrina Stapleton has been instrumental in supporting the clinical negligence team. Since joining in 2017, the performance of the division has gone from strength to strength and Katrina has played a key part in the department’s growth and success over the last seven years. She is also a standard bearer for wellbeing initiatives at the firm. The only non-lawyer promotion to partner in this latest round, this reflects her importance to the clinical negligence team and the firm as a whole.

Georgina Pogge-Von Strandman joined the residential property team in 2015 bringing several years of local and national experience into her role. Now branch manager of the Harrogate office, she quickly established the firm’s presence in the town and has grown the office into one of the firm’s best-performing regional branches.  

Ami Law joined the firm’s clinical negligence division in 2015. Ami has grown to become one of the most able litigators and clinical negligence lawyers on the team and was promoted to Associate last year. Ami has also taken the lead on successful business development on behalf of the Snappy Trust.

Ison Harrison, which has a network of eighteen offices throughout the region, was founded in 1978. Forty-six years later it now employs more than 250 staff across Yorkshire and offers the broadest suite of legal services in the region.

Commenting on the promotions, Jonathan Wearing, managing director said: “As we did last year, we’ve got off to a flying start for 2024 with a big round of strategic promotions that will give a huge boost to the continued growth of the business, exactly two years after becoming entirely employee owned. The past 12 months have seen an ongoing focus on the expansion of our commercial offering and specialist services for an ever-growing client base. Under our innovative employee-owned structure, the next 12 months should prove to be even more successful and eventful than the previous year. 

“These latest promotions follow the most successful year we’ve ever had. The contributions to the firm from the promoted individuals, some of whom have been with us over twenty years, are all well deserved. To begin the new year with nine partner promotions and strengthening our financial backbone demonstrates how the employee ownership model is truly benefiting the team as well as our clients.” 

For more information, visit www.isonharrison.co.uk

Business & Property News, Law

Did the Post Office commit perjury? Compliance expert answers vital questions regarding the Horizon scandal

The ITV drama series, based on a true story: “Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office,” has forced action on one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.

Ongoing developments have prompted a compliance expert from the compliance training service, Skillcast to provide insights into the intricacies of the case.

With the situation intensifying, Vivek Dodd, CEO of Skillcast, has offered his expert opinion and answered a few compliance-related questions regarding the case:

  1. What violations did Fujitsu’s unauthorised access and manipulation of financial data breach?

Upon legal confirmation, these actions could be deemed clear violations of existing laws and regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Vivek says, “The revelation during the trials that Fujitsu could access and manipulate financial figures on sub-postmasters’ local systems without their knowledge or consent raises grave concerns regarding breaches of data privacy and security regulations.”

  1. How does the deceptive information provided to sub-postmasters by Fujitsu elicit concerns regarding trust and potential violations?

“The deliberate misinformation provided to sub-postmasters, assuring them that no one had access to their systems, is a clear breach of trust,” Vivek states. “From a compliance standpoint, this deceptive practice violates employment and professional standards, which often prohibit false or misleading information provided to individuals in the workplace.

He continues, “If substantiated, charges related to perverting the course of justice and committing perjury must be pursued against the Post Office for providing false information during the trial and throughout mediation. This case exposes systemic flaws in the justice system, requiring immediate action to rectify injustices and hold those responsible accountable.”

  1. What potential concerns arise from the Post Office’s financial conduct?

Vivek asserts, “If the Post Office acquired funds from postmasters through deceptive means, it raises significant concerns of fraudulent activity. In the event of proven misconduct, the associated funds may be deemed proceeds of crime, potentially leading to money laundering charges against those involved in such facilitation.”

Moreover, he emphasises, “This situation highlights the immediate need to thoroughly examine all financial practices involved to preserve the public’s trust in institutional integrity.”

  1. What are the implications for the and possible legal consequences?

No disciplinary action has been initiated against senior Post Office staff to date. While the exact responsible parties remain unclear, this matter is anticipated to be subject to extensive investigation.

Vivek expresses, “These allegations pose a significant threat to the reputation and integrity of the Post Office, and if substantiated, may result in severe legal and financial repercussions for the involved parties.”

He adds, “If prosecuted, the involved parties, including staff who misled sub-postmasters, could face serious legal consequences, potentially leading to imprisonment, substantial financial penalties, and enduring damage to their professional reputations.”