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Latest newsMerger Announcment Creates Kirby SheppardAugust 16th 2010 The Partners of Kirby Simcox Solicitors and Sheppards Solicitors have announced the intended merger of the two practices on 1 October 2010, to form the new firm of Kirby Sheppard. The new firm will operate from Kirby Simcox's existing offices in Queen's Square, Kingswood and Thornbury with Sheppards relocating from its existing office in Kingswood, into Kirby Simcox’s Regent Street Kingswood office, which is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment in preparation for the move.
Kirby Simcox and Sheppards share similar business values and are committed to providing a high quality and friendly legal service for the private client and for business. Both firms have teams of specialists in a range of legal services including residential and commercial conveyancing, wills and probate, personal injury, employment, civil litigation debt collection and family law. Kirby Simcox is already recognised as having one of the largest family departments in the region.
Commenting on the merger, Kirby Simcox’s Managing Partner Amanda Firth said, “We are delighted with the merger which we believe will result in a much larger, stronger and more profitable organisation which is committed to expanding further to provide a dedicated private client service.”
Sheppard’s Senior Partner Stuart Grant said, “This is a positive move for both firms which will strengthen their position in what is still a difficult market. It will give us a solid platform for growth and expansion and it will help secure the future for as many of staff as possible”
ENDS
New Agricultural ConveyancerJune 21st 2010 Kirby Simcox has appointed specialist property lawyer Liz Haydon-Turner to help develop its agricultural and commercial property practice in its Thornbury Office. Kirby Simcox, already has a successful private residential sales team but is keen to provide a specialist agricultural and business service, particularly for the South Gloucestershire region. Liz has extensive experience in the property sector. After qualifying, she specialised in commercial property within the Planning and Development team at TLT Solicitors.
She went on to work as part of the Agricultural Property team at Burges Salmon undertaking freehold and leasehold work for public bodies, private clients and public companies in connection with agri-business and small residential developments, rural conveyancing and carrying out property security reviews for major institutional lenders.
Liz joins Kirby Simcox from her most recent roles at AMD Solicitors and Peter Browne Solicitors in Bristol where she dealt with residential conveyancing, commercial property transactions and advised on the property aspects of small business sales and start ups.
Commenting on her appointment Liz said, “I am delighted to be joining the conveyancing team at Kirby Simcox which has an excellent reputation for high quality service in the region. We are keen to develop a rural/agricultural business particularly in the Thornbury area where clients will benefit from our specialist agricultural property expertise.”
Photocaption: Liz Haydon-Turner, Conveyancing Specialist at Kirby Simcox Solicitors
Kirby Simcox Team Run Bristol 10K for Tall ShipsMay 14th 2010 Six members of Kirby Simcox’s team took part in the Bristol 10K recently and raised over £350 to boost the firm’s corporate charity fundraising this year, for The Tall Ships Youth Trust. Pictured from Left to right - Jim Gridley, Jeremy Johnson, Kim Pratt, James Bell, Joelle Allen and Tom Sharkey all met up before at the start of the race for a team talk, before setting off at their different paces. The team had varying degrees of training under their belts. For example, Jim Gridley is a seasoned runner where as Tom Sharkey describes his previous running experience as gained whilst running for a bus!
All six completed the race successfully and they all thoroughly enjoyed the run which took place over a 10K circuit around Bristol City centre. Commenting Tom Sharkey said, “Although I am probably the most inexperienced of our team, I thoroughly enjoyed it. With over 8,500 runners it was a really inspiring event and I have totally caught the bug now. I have given up smoking and I am determined to continue to run.”
“Collectively we have raised approx £350 which will go into the pot for our 2010 Corporate Charity, The Tall Ships Youth Trust. It will certainly help us in our aim to raise enough funds to enable one disadvantaged youngster from Bristol, possibly one of the region’s many young carers, to take part in a life changing voyage with the Trust.
The Tall Ships Youth Trust is the world’s oldest and largest sail training charity dedicated to the education and personal development of young people through the crewing of ocean-going sail training vessels.
Accreditation for KirstenApril 30th 2010 Following a stringent test of her legal expertise, Kirby Simcox’s family lawyer Kirsten Hale is celebrating Kirsten, who qualified in 2003, has worked as part of Kirby Simcox’s large family law team since she joined the firm in 2007. She achieved the specialist accreditation status with particular specialisms in Advance Financial Provision, Private Children Law and Domestic Abuse.
To gain the accreditation Kirsten had to provide two summaries of cases she had conducted in each of her specialist areas, as well as answering detailed questions on a fictional case study for each of her specialist areas. The second stage of the assessment required Kirsten to answer detailed questions on four additional fictional case studies covering any area of family law. This examination section is made harder as it has to be completed over a weekend period with the question papers arriving with the candidate on a Friday and the completed answers having to be handed in on the following Monday.
Commenting Kirsten said, “I am delighted to have gained this Resolution Accreditation status. It was very hard work trying to combine studies with a busy full time job but is has been worth it. We now have five Resolution Accreditated Lawyers in our family team, which is one of the largest specialist family departments in the region.”
Celebrating Shakespeare's BirthdayApril 23rd 2010 Kirby Simcox Solicitors are celebrating Shakespeare’s Birthday this Friday 23 April with a Big Book Sale in the firm’s three offices in Bristol, Thornbury and Kingswood and all proceeds will go to help support their chosen charity for 2010, The Tall Ships Youth Trust. Staff across Kirby Simcox’s offices have been raiding their shelves to find books to donate which will
 go on sale to colleagues and visiting clients on Friday for just £1 each. All the proceeds will help support the firms’ year long fundraising campaign to raise enough money to help a disadvantaged youngster from Bristol take part in a voyage of a lifetime with The Tall Ships Youth Trust next year.The Tall Ships Youth Trust is the world’s oldest and largest sail training charity dedicated to the education and personal development of young people through the crewing of ocean-going sail training vessels.
Partner Tom Sharkey who came up with the idea of the book sale said, “It’s almost summer and people will be going on their holidays very soon and most people like to take a couple of books away with them. We all have unwanted novels at home, so we thought it would be a good fundraising idea for staff to donate theirs for this worthy cause. We have collected hundreds of books from a diverse range of authors, so there is hopefully a book to suit most tastes. Shakespeare’s birthday on Friday 23 April, seemed like a great day to launch the Big Book Sale.”
Pictured: From left to right: Samantha Williams, Sharlie Sollars, Jeremy Johnson and Kirsten Hale
New Tax Year UpdateApril 12th 2010 The new tax year is a good time to make sure your HR policies and procedures are up to date. Kirby Simcox’s James Bell highlights some recent changes for Employers to be aware of: Right to Train
From 6 April 2010 new Regulations come into force for employers who have over 250 employees and in 2011, they will apply to all employers. They give a new right for employees to request time off from work for training or study. Think of them operating in a similar way to the current flexible working rules.
Fit Note Scheme
Quite a big one, this: from 6 April 2010, GPs will produce “fit notes” which will focus on the work that an ill person is able to do, rather than what they are unable to do. As an employer, you will need to know how to respond to it. Adjust your procedures so that you give due consideration to any recommendations by a GP. As with flexible working and the new right to train, don’t forget to keep proper records.
Allowances
From 4 April 2010, although the period of statutory maternity pay remains the same, the rate of statutory maternity pay, paternity pay, adoption pay and maternity pay is going up. SSP stays the same.
Paternity Leave
New rules from 6 April this year, apply to families with babies due on or after 3 April 2011. They allow fathers who satisfy certain conditions up to six months’ paternity leave. Employers will be pleased to know that mother & father cannot take the maternity leave at the same time. The mother must take leave first and then the father can take time off if the mother goes back to work. Even though the right can’t be exercised until 2011, now is a good time to dust off your existing maternity leave policy.
Equality
Hot off the press is the new Equality Act. This is due to take effect in October 2010. This is such a big one that we’re doing a whole separate article on it and James Bell will be organising training courses over the next few months. Watch this space for details.
For more information, contact James Bell at www.KirbySimcox.co.uk.
Welcoming the Equality BillApril 12th 2010 Employment specialists at Kirby Simcox Solicitors are welcoming the new Equality Bill, which contrary to expectations has made it through before the dissolution of Parliament and was passed by both houses on 7 April 2010. The Bill will shortly receive Royal Assent and is expected to come into force in October 2010.
The new Equality Act consolidates the many pieces of discrimination legislation passed over the last 4 decades into one single Act of Parliament. A person’s age, sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or the fact that they have undergone gender reassignment are now defined as ‘protected characteristics’. To treat someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic will be regarded as unlawful discrimination.
Following the news that the Bill had been passed, James Bell, an Employment Solicitor at Kirby Simcox Solicitors said “Discrimination Law has been developing on a piecemeal basis for the last 40 years, so to have one piece of legislation dealing with all types of discrimination and one definition of discrimination is to be broadly welcomed. It’s fair to say that what would amount to discrimination now will probably still amount to discrimination in October. However, there are some small but potentially important differences in the new legislation and the effects remain to be seen.”
“For example under the new legislation a person is discriminated against on the grounds of their disability if he or she is treated less favourably because of their disability. Under the old legislation a person was discriminated against if he or she was treated less favourably for a reason related to their disability. Although it is not certain whether Tribunals will now interpret this as a change in the law or if this was Parliament’s intention, it is clear that the wording is now different. We could just be getting carried away in the detail or it could entail a real shift in what it means to discriminate against somebody.”
The new law also includes wide ranging changes which will also include caste discrimination in the definition of race discrimination and will remove the prohibition towards civil partnership ceremonies in religious premises. Interestingly the act will also require public bodies to note their obligation to reduce or eliminate socio-economic inequalities when formulating and implementing policy.
James concluded, “All employees and employers would be well advised to get to grips with this new legislation which may prove to be the most important piece of employment legislation so far this century.”
If you would like to discuss the details of this release in more detail please contact: James Bell j.bell@kirbysimcox.co.uk
New PartnerApril 8th 2010 Family law specialist Hanni Pennelegion has been made a partner at Kirby Simcox Solicitors. Hanni, who joined Kirby Simcox in 1996 as trainee solicitor, is a Collaborative Lawyer an
 d Resolution Accredited Specialist and she has become the firms’ 7th partner. Hanni is a key player in Kirby Simcox’s highly regarded Family Law Department which is acknowledged as one of the largest and most successful in Bristol.
She said, “Becoming a partner means that I have the opportunity to play a part in the continuing expansion of the Firm which has reached a crucial stage in its development. My aim is to help steer the Family Department in the Queens Square office which is one of the fastest expanding and innovative teams in the region.”
“I am passionate about family law and I am keen to promote relatively new legal initiatives such as Collaborative Law, working alongside my colleagues who are some the most experienced family lawyers in Bristol. Kirby Simcox feels like home to me and I am thrilled to be able to take on a more constructive role in what is an exciting and challenging time for family law practice.”
Budget ResponseMarch 29th 2010 Partner Bill Willcocks summarises news from the BudgetIn the last Budget of the current Parliament, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a number of measures which may affect workers. In particular he confirmed an increase in the headline rate of the National Minimum Wage by 2.2 per cent to £5.93 from October 2010 To the surprise of many he did not detail plans to scrap the default retirement age, with the Chancellor simply saying that reforms to employers' rights to make people retire at 65 were "under consultation". In another widely forecast move he announced a two year suspension on Stamp Duty for first time buyers of properties worth £250,000 or less. In summary the rules for qualification are:
In addition he announced that from April 2011 stamp duty on houses worth more than £1 million will increase from 4 per cent to 5 per cent.
This is good news for first time buyers and should help to boost the housing market at the lower end. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch and the Chancellor's generosity will have to be paid for by someone. The additional tax on a house worth £1,000,000.01 would be £10,000 so you can expect a large number of properties to be reduced to £999,995 before next April."
This is a summary only and if you have any queries about the operation of the scheme you should contact us for further advice.
Kirby Simcox Offer free Advice to UsdawFebruary 16th 2010 As part of the Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW’s) Membership week recently, two employment law specialists James Bell and Samantha Williams from Kirby Simcox Solicitors joined the Union at a number of its Bristol events to provide free legal advice to members. Kirby Simcox has been Usdaw’s exclusive panel solicitors in Bristol, North Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and parts of Berkshire for over 25 years. Usdaw Members have the benefit of union backed personal injury and accident claims and are eligible for discounted legal services from Kirby Simcox, which provides a full range of legal advice to Usdaw members via the Union’s Legal Plus Scheme.
This includes a latest offer from Kirby Simcox of 10% off any online conveyancing quotes to Usdaw members.
Usdaw is delighted with the success of its membership week as it gained 350 new members in Bristol alone. Commenting Usdaw Area Organiser Milan Pavlik said, “It is a very difficult economic climate we are in. Consequently we have seen an increase in the number of retail employees wanting to join us as they recognise the benefits, support and great services they will receive from us. This includes our very successful Legal Plus Service which is supported by Kirby Simcox. Having James and Sam supporting our events to offer legal advice and support to members has been much appreciated by everyone and I am sure contributed to many new members joining. We are very pleased the partnership with Kirby Simcox continues to flourish.”
Photo Caption: James Bell back row 2nd from right and Samantha Williams front row 1st from right - with members of Usdaw at the recent membership events in Bristol.
Charity Support for Tall Ships Youth TrustFebruary 8th 2010  The employees at Kirby Simcox Solicitors have voted to dedicate a year of fund raising activity to help support a disadvantaged youngsters from Bristol take part in a voyage of a lifetime with The Tall Ships Youth Trust.The Tall Ships Youth Trust is the world’s oldest and largest sail training charity dedicated to the education and personal development of young people through the crewing of ocean-going sail training vessels.
Since the charity was formed in 1956, over 85,000 trainees have sailed 1.5 million nautical miles on the Trust’s fleet which now includes one 60m Brig and four 22m ocean going Challenger yachts. Around 43% of the 4,000, young people who are given the chance to sail the seas with the Trust each year are disadvantaged or disabled and aged between 14 and 25 years old.
Kirby Simcox asks its staff to nominate a charity for the firm to support every year. This year the staff chose to support The Tall Ships Youth Trust with the target of raising enough funds to give one deserving youngster a chance to join a voyage with the Trust in 2010.
One of Kirby Simcox’s specialist Family Lawyers, Partner Tom Sharkey is a regular volunteer for the Tall Ships Youth Trust, he said, “We are delighted the employees across our three offices chose the Trust for their fund raising support this year. Obviously Bristol has a very strong maritime history and the employees felt it would be a wonderful idea to raise enough funds to enable one disadvantaged youngster from Bristol, possibly one of the region’s many young carers, to take part in a life changing voyage with the Trust. We will be carrying out a variety of fund raising activities throughout 2010 from dress down days to marathon runs - with the aim of raising over £800 to fund a trip.”
Commenting, Bosun Ben Wheatley from The Tall Ships Youth Trust said, “We are thrilled to have the support of Kirby Simcox’s this year. Our aim is enable young people to develop their potential, increase their self esteem and confidence and to improve their life skills. When they become a part of the crew the work is hard and they have to become part of a disciplined team. They learn a wide range of communication and physical skills whilst also enjoying seeing the world from one of these spectacular ships. It is an incredible adventure for all those who take part.”
Photocaption: From left to right: Kirby Simcox with Bosun Ben Wheatley.
From left to right: Charmaine Moger, Tom Sharkey, Sam Williams, Bosun Ben Wheatley, James Bell, Amanda Firth and Georgia Hobbs
Free Employment Seminar 3 Feb, 2010January 27th 2010 Free Employment seminar “The Employment Tribunal: The View From Both Sides of the Tribunal Bench”
Date: 3rd February 2010 4.30pm- 6.00pm
Venue: 49/50 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4LW
Claims to the Employment Tribunal are reaching record levels. The most recent statistics to come from the Tribunal confirm that there has been at least a 30% increase in the number of claims being dealt with by the Tribunal since last year.
For this reason, Kirby Simcox Solicitor’s Employment Department is holding a free seminar at their Queen Square Office entitled: “The Employment Tribunal: The View from Both Sides of the Tribunal Bench”. The seminar speakers will be employment specialist solicitors, James Bell and Bill Owen.
The seminar will provide an insight into the working of the Tribunal from the perspective of an employment advocate and employment judge. Topics that will be covered in the seminar will include:-
There will also be an open session following the talk when you will be able to raise questions on the subject of employment law.
Commenting James Bell said, “This rise comes at a time when employers are having to make difficult decisions regarding their staffing levels and when employees are becoming increasingly aware of their rights. It is therefore of particular importance in the current climate that businesses are fully aware of all their legal duties so as to avoid ending up in the Employment Tribunal. “
To book your place on this seminar please email j.bell@kirbysimcox.co.uk. Or call the Queen Square Office on 0845 840 0045
Supporting Young Artists in BristolDecember 21st 2009 Kirby Simcox turned their offices in Queen Square, Bristol into a gallery this week, to display artwork produced by 2nd and 3rd year students from Drawing and Applied Arts at UWE. Kirby Simcox invited clients for a special Christmas drinks evening so they could enjoy the many drawings, prints and textiles which were displayed around their office walls.
Commenting Managing Partner Amanda Firth said, “We wanted to do something a little different for our clients this Christmas and decided we’d like to invite them to join us in celebrating our young artistic talent in Bristol. The standard of the work is excellent and our clients and staff have been delighted to view the work and even buy a few pieces for Christmas presents!”
Junior Fellows Hayley Russ and Amanda Hazell who have curated the exhibition from UWE said, “This has been a valuable experience for both us and the students. It’s a great opportunity for them to show their work within a commercial market, and we were really pleased with the volume of work the students prepared for the event. We are grateful to Kirby Simcox for suggesting this idea, as it has been good experience to be able to display work in a completely different setting.”
photo caption from left to right: UWE Curator Amanda Hazell , Managing Partner KIrby Simcox Amanda Firth and UWE Curator Hayley Russ.
Supporting SurviveDecember 1st 2009 To highlight its support for national Domestic Violence Awareness Week (23-27 November) Kirby Simcox handed o Kirby Simcox has spent the last year raising funds for Survive which was selected by its staff as the firms corporate the charity for 2009. Kirby Simcox’s team has held a variety of fund raising activities throughout the year from dress down days and tombolas to entering a team of five staff in the Bristol Half Marathon.
Commenting Managing Partner Amanda Firth said, “Our staff were extremely keen to support the work of Survive which has been based in Kingswood for over 34 years and which helps 100s of women and children every year.
We have one of the largest specialist family teams in Bristol and South Gloucestershire and our team has worked closely with Survive for many years. Domestic violence accounts for up to a quarter of all violent crimes and it has more repeat victims that any other crime. As Survive is a local provider serving South Gloucestershire and Bristol, our staff across our 3 offices, felt it is a very worthy cause.”
Survive’s Outreach Support Worker Sue Jefferies said, “We are absolutely delighted Kirby Simcox has been able to raise this for us during a difficult economic year. It is important to note in this national week of awareness, that domestic violence and abuse occurs across society and happens in all communities and on every street. Services such as ours together with other statutory and voluntary agencies are vital in helping women, children and young people breakaway from the cycle of abuse and violence.
We want to thank Kirby Simcox for their wonderful support which will help us to continue our important support for families throughout the region.”
ENDS
Photocaption: “Kirby Simcox hands over a cheque for £800 to Survive following a year of fundraising activity. Pictured From left to right, Family lawyer, Hanni Pennelegion, Sue Jefferies from Survive and Jeremy Johnson and Charmaine Moger from Kirby Simcox
Lawyers for LegaciesSeptember 16th 2009 Kirby Simcox Wants to Ask the Charity QuestionKirby Simcox Solicitors showed their support today for a nationwide campaign to e Nationally, only 7% of people who have written a will currently include a gift to charity. This is despite 74% of people regularly supporting a charity in their lifetime. Yet charitable donations in wills are the foundation of many of Britain’s charities, raising £1.9 billion each year – the equivalent of over 23 Red Nose Days. Without this income most charities’ services would suffer; others would simply not exist. Amanda Firth, Partner and Head of Wills and Probate Team (pictured far right) commented “We are delighted to be supporting Remember A Charity’s ‘Forget Me Knot Week’. Leaving a gift to charity in a will, no matter how small, helps to support the work of many good causes. Making a will is a straightforward process and for those who want to leave a gift to charity, they should ask their solicitor for advice.” Stephen George, Chair of Remember A Charity and Development Director of Legacies for the NSPCC, said: “Many people in the UK don’t realise that they can give money to charities in this way. But the truth is, after looking after family and friends, a small share of whatever is left can make a real difference to charities and the invaluable work they do.“ Remember A Charity’s ‘Forget Me Knot Week’ runs from the 14th to the 20th Spetember. Margaret Mountford, former lawyer and adviser to Lord Sugar on his popular TV show ‘The Apprentice’, is the face of ‘Forget Me Knot Week’. For more information visit www.rememberacharity.org.uk Photo caoption: Wearing the Yellow of the Forget me Knot campaign - Kirby Simcox's team New Family Law Surgeries LaunchedAugust 25th 2009 Family Law Specialists from Kirby Simcox Solicitor are launching a new surgery in Brislington for clients needing advice on a full range of family legal issues. Kirby Simcox, which has one of the largest dedicated family teams in the region, will hold the twice weekly surgeries in the offices of Fussell Wright Solicitors in 105,
The team will be on hand to help people who have family issues including, divorce and relationship breakdowns, civil partnerships, adoption, domestic violence and a full range of children issues. Legal aid will be available for those clients who are eligible. Commenting on the new service Partner and head of Kirby Simcox’s family team Jim Gridley said, “People in Brislington currently have limited access to family law specialists and therefore we felt it was important to provide a legal surgery in their area. Our team will be able to provide advice and support to people on the complete range of family issues.” Anyone wishing to take advantage of the new family law surgery should book an appointment by telephoning 0117 9192410 or calling into the offices of Fussell Wright.
New AssociatesMay 11th 2009
James joined Kirby Simcox’s Queen Square Office in December 2006 having previously worked for Beviss & Beckingsale in Honiton and Cross and Crosse in Exeter. Since joining Kirby Simcox, James has worked within its commercial team providing employment law, civil litigation and personal injury services.
Jeremy Johnson joined Kirby Simcox in March 2007 as part of its commercial conveyancing team. He had previously worked at Metcalfes Solicitors. Having lived and worked in the South West all his life, Jeremy has extensive knowledge of the region’s commercial property market.
Commenting on the two promotions Kirby Simcox’s Managing Partner Amanda Firth said, “The current climate is obviously difficult, so to ensure we continue to develop strongly as a business it is important to have a team of young talented lawyers within the firm. We are therefore delighted that Jeremy and James have joined our Associate team.”
Kirby Simcox has been based in Bristol since the 1960s. The firm employs approximately 65 people and has offices in Queen Square, Kingswood and Thornbury.
Photocaption: Civil litigation and employment solicitor James Bell (left) and commercial conveyancing Solicitor Jeremy Johnson have been promoted to Associates at Kirby Simcox Solicitors.
Senior Partner RetiresApril 8th 2009  After 43 years in the legal profession, Bill Owen of Kirby Simcox Solicitors is retiring as Senior Partner but is to continue to work with the firm as a Consultant. After qualifying in London, Bill, came to Bristol in 1968 to join Sinnott Wood near College Green, where he went on to became partner in 1969. Later he amalgamated with Peter Wilkinson’s firm and they practiced as Watson Sinnott until 1995 when they merged with Kirby Simcox. Bill Owen was made Senior Partner of Kirby Simcox in 2005. The firm now has 60 employees based in its three offices in Queen Square in Bristol, Kingswood and Thornbury.
Bill specialises in Employment and Property work and has sat on the Employment Tribunal as a part-time chairman for the last 15 years.
In the run up to his retirement Bill has taken time to reflect on the many changes he has witnessed in the legal profession during his career. He said, “In the 43 years since I began my career there have been some incredible changes in the profession. In particular the growth in size of firms in Bristol has been amazing. At Kirby Simcox we currently have 60 employees but there were no firms in Bristol in the 1960s who were anywhere near that size. When I started out there were 20,000 Solicitors in England and Wales. Now there are more than 100,000 Solicitors and legal practices have become huge organisations.”
“Another big change is that 40 years ago the law was a completely male dominated profession. In most firms the only women were secretaries and support staff. Now, many practices, Kirby Simcox included, have more female Solicitors than male and I’m delighted to say women are now Silks, High Court Judges and of course Managing Partners, such as Amanda Firth here.
“The third great transformation has come through IT. Instead of dictating work to a “Stenographer” as we used to do, we now dictate straight into a computer. Firms are far more productive now in so many ways. The downside is that we are all working much harder. If you sent a letter in 1966 you wouldn’t get a reply for at least three days. Now, a response to an email can come in minutes. Some files never seem to leave your desk! “
Concluding Bill said, “I have been extremely lucky throughout my legal career. Although I retire at the end of April as Senior Partner, I will still be working with many of my old clients as a Consultant for Kirby Simcox for some time to come. I will continue also as an ET Judge. I am extremely pleased that after stopping full time work I will still be organising and playing cricket with the W.H. Owen XI. I also hope to watch England recover the Ashes this summer .Yes; I am still an optimist…”
Bill and his wife Sue moved to a cottage near Shaftesbury in Dorset in December 2008 where they can be contacted on: Bill-and-sue@hotmail.co.uk
New Corporate Charity for 2009March 13th 2009  Kirby Simcox Solicitors in Bristol, has launched a year of fund raising activity for Survive, the South Gloucestershire and Bristol charity which provides services for women and children suffering from domestic violence and abuse.Kirby Simcox, which has offices in Queen Square in Bristol, Kingswood and Thornbury, asks its staff to nominate a charity for the firm to support every year. This year the unanimous winner was Survive which has been based in Kingswood for over 34 years and which helped over 400 women and children in 2007/8.
Kirby Simcox which has one of the largest specialist family teams in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, has worked closely with Survive for many years. Partner and Head of the Family Team, Jim Gridley (pictured) helped launch the firm’s year of support. He said, “Domestic violence accounts for up to a quarter of all violent crimes and it has more repeat victims that any other crime. Survive is not a huge national charity and consequently our staff across our three offices, felt it is a very worthy local cause. We will aim to raise over £800 through a range of fund raising activities and fun events throughout the year.”
Survive Refuge and Outreach Services Manager Terry Jones (pictured left) said, “We are thrilled that Kirby Simcox has chosen us as their corporate charity for 2009. Sadly, domestic violence and abuse occurs across society and happens in all communities and on every street. Services such as ours together with other statutory and voluntary agencies are vital in helping women, children and young people breakaway from the cycle of abuse and violence. Charitable support such as this is from Kirby Simcox is vital in helping us provide this valuable support in the region.”
Photocaption: “We will Survive” – Kirby Simcox launches its year of support for Survive. Pictured From left to right, Survive Refuge and Outreach Service’s Manager Terry Jones, Kirby Simcox’s Partner and Head of the Family Team Jim Gridley and family lawyers Kirsten Hale and Victoria Williams.
Notes to editors: Survive is a registered charity based in Kingswood, providing services for women and children suffering from domestic violence and abuse. They can be contacted on 0117 961 2999.
Major Office Move In Record TimeJanuary 29th 2009
Kirby Simcox has been based in Bristol since the 1960s. The firm employs approximately 60 people and has additional offices in Kingswood and Thornbury. The lease on the firm’s city centre office, also in Queen Square, was coming to an end. In the first week in December, it became apparent that a move was the only option and a more suitable double fronted property on the other side of Queen Square was found. To secure the move to the new premises meant the whole deal and the move had to be completed by the end of the month. The move involved the relocation of 27 lawyers and administrative staff from the three floors of the old office, the transfer of the legal library, the removal and reinstallation of all office equipment, computer systems and phone lines – and all without too much disruption for clients. “At first we just thought it couldn’t be done, especially as it was so close to Christmas,” said Managing Partner, Amanda Firth. “However, our Facilities Manager, Stuart Ashpole, took a sharp intake of breath and then said, ‘Yes we can do it’. He took over all the arrangements and we all worked together as a team and we were in-situ at 49/50 Queen Square by our end of the month deadline.” She continued, “The success of the move was a testament to the hard work or Stuart and the support of all our staff. However, another key feature, of which we are very proud, was the level of trust Kirby Simcox has clearly generated in its 40+ years operating in Bristol. All our suppliers, from the Property Agents and the Landlord, through to BT and Telewest, trusted our word that the move would happen and they helped to ensure it did. We’d like to say particular thanks to Colliers CRE and Burston Cook for their support.”
She concluded, “The new offices at 49/50 Queen Square offer us a more efficient space as the two, three storey adjacent buildings are fully linked on each floor. We have larger open plan office space for our staff. Our clients also benefit from the larger reception and the additional conference and meeting room areas. What’s more, the space still offers us the potential for expansion
Stephen Lipfriend, head of Colliers CRE Bristol office said: “This was certainly one of the fastest moves I have ever known. In just two weeks the new property was found, inspected and the deal completed and it was just another two weeks before the office was moved and fully working.” Photo caption: Outside the new double fronted Queen Square offices (from left) Facilities Manager Stuart Ashpole, Managing Partner Amanda Firth and Senior Partner Bill Owen.
Pro Bono Hero HonouredNovember 25th 2008
Sara Francis, and nine other solicitors from around the country, were acknowledged as ‘pro bono heroes’ for having freely devoted time and energy to assist people who cannot afford to pay for legal help. New Out of Hours Family Law ClinicNovember 19th 2008
New Collaborative Law specialist joins the teamOctober 7th 2008
Peter, who joins Kirby Simcox from Charles Lucas and Marshall, has over 20 year’s specialist experience in family law. He is a Member of the Law Society Family Panel and is a Resolution Accredited Collaborative Lawyer. Peter has also undertaken advanced collaborative law training through the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Peter will be based in Kirby Simcox’s, Queens Square, Bristol office and will focus on providing a high quality service for clients across the South West. Following Peter’s appointment, Kirby Simcox now has three experienced collaborative practitioners in its family team. Peter believes that the use of Collaborative Law to resolve marital breakdown in a family run business is becoming increasingly popular. He said, “The impact of divorce or separation for any family is immense, but for those who own or manage a family business the situation can become very complex. By using the collaborative process our clients retain control over what happens and can sort out a settlement quickly that suits their specific needs. Increasingly both individuals and business owners are seeking specialist collaborative support to find a non-confrontational solution to family difficulties.” He continued, “I am delighted to be joining Kirby Simcox which has one of the largest family teams in the South West. The firm has an excellent reputation for the high quality service it provides to its business and private clients. I am very impressed by the energy and enterprise of the partners and I am looking forward to supporting them in their plans to expand and develop the business further.” Peter Berry can be contacted for further information, radio and other media interviews on 0117 9221524 Trainee qualifies to join expanding teamAugust 18th 2008
After completing a two year training contract with Kirby Simcox Solicitors, Samantha Williams is having a double celebration, as not only has she just qualified as a lawyer, but she has also been given a permanent role within the firm’s expanding Personal Injury department. Sam, who is from Bristol, attended Colston Collegiate School until 2002 before she went on to complete a law and politics degree at Swansea University. She then returned to her home town to take a Legal Practice Course at University of the West of England. Sam was then lucky enough to be selected from the many hopeful candidates, to join Kirby Simcox’s training scheme in 2006. Sam’s training involved working in most departments within the firm in each of its three offices in Queen Square, Kingswood and Thornbury, but in particular she worked closely within the firm’s Personal Injury and Family departments. Sam, is delighted with her new role, she said, “Now having qualified I will be working on a permanent basis within Kirby Simcox and in particular focusing on Personal Injury and Civil Litigation. It has been a great experience taking part in the training scheme and I have learnt an enormous amount from my colleagues and I have made many friends here. I am now really looking forward to being able to stay with the firm and to work as part of our specialist Personal Injury team and in assisting with the department’s continued expansion plans.” Client Newsletter - Legal BusinessMay 6th 2008 Our latest Client newsletter 'Legal Business' can be downloaded by clicking here. It's A Fair 'Cop' for Charity!May 6th 2008
Kirby Simcox asked all its staff and visiting clients to empty their pockets of unwanted coppers and change and donate it to charity. The money raised will be given directly to Cancer Research Cancer Research Partner David Curwen (pictured left) said, “It was surprising just how much you can raise from collecting unwanted coppers. No-one likes to have a purse or pocket full of heavy change, so people were happy to give it up to such a good cause. We are hoping to raise at least a £1,000 for Cancer Research Photocaption: “Hand over yours coppers!” - Pictured (from left), David Curwen, Rebecca Richardson and Jeremy Johnson launching the “Take your coppers to work day” fundraising event.
Kirby Simcox Staff newsletter Issue 5/08April 11th 2008 Our latest staff newsletter can be downloaded by clicking here. Celebrating 150 Successful AdoptionsApril 3rd 2008
The specialist family law team at Kirby Simcox is celebrating having advised on its 150th successful adoption case. Kirby Simcox, which has offices in Bristol, Kingswood and Thornbury, has one of the largest dedicated Family Teams in the South West. The firm has gained a strong reputation for its family work over the last 20 years and all of its adoption team are members of the Law Society’s Children Panel - a specialist panel set up to deal with the complex issues surrounding adoption. Partner Tom Sharkey (pictured) is the only Resolution accredited specialist in adoption in Bristol. Commenting on the achievement, Tom Sharkey said, “It is quite a landmark to have completed so many successful adoptions. Many people are nervous of considering adoption as it is a complex process, but our role is to offer our extensive experience to help them through it.” “Although there are many issues surrounding adoption, many clients worry about the financial implications. However, for many cases we can help clients gain financial support from their local authority to assist with their legal fees. Although I can’t pretend adoption is a simple process, it’s certainly worth it, when so many children are able to start a new life and join a loving family.” Photo caption: Some of Kirby Simcox’s Family Team celebrate completing the firm’s 150th successful Adoption case. Tom Sharkey centre, pictured with from left to right Victoria Williams, Samantha Williams and Jude Morgan.
New Family Department in BristolFebruary 6th 2008
Kirby Simcox Solicitors has opened a new family department in its central Bristol Office. Kirby Simcox, which has one of the largest dedicated Family Teams in the South West, has for over 20 years run much of its family work from its Kingswood and Thornbury Offices. Now, Resolution Accredited Specialist family solicitor Hanni Pennelegion (right), who has been with the firm for over 10 years, has moved from the Kingswood office to set up the dedicated family department in Kirby Simcox’s Queen Square office in central Bristol. She will be supported by Partner and Head of the Family Team Jim Gridley who will share his time between Bristol and Kingswood.
Commenting on the move, Hanni Pennelegion said, “We felt it was important to introduce a new central Bristol focus for our family department. We have an expert family team throughout all our offices that can provide a complete range of advice on family issues from divorce through to adoption. In the Bristol office we will be providing a particular focus on complex divorce and separation cases. This can be a very difficult time for people and they need specialist support and advice to help them through it.”
She continued, “Within our team we also have a trained Collaborative Law practitioner who can offer families a court-free solution to divorce, children issues and separation.”
New member of the family for Kirby SimcoxOctober 15th 2007
Kirsten, who qualified in 2003, has relocated to Kirby Simcox, which has offices in Commenting on her appointment Kirsten said, “I am delighted to have joined Kirby Simcox’s Family Team. They have an excellent reputation for the quality of the service they provide and for their constructive approach to resolving family problems. “ A flexible approach to workSeptember 3rd 2007
The Employment Rights Act 1996 states that “carers” (parents, adopters, guardians and foster parents) who have children under six years old, have the right to request flexible working. The change in the law has been in force since 6 April 2003, but it is still very much under used and also misunderstood. The actual statutory right requires an employee to request flexible working in a written application, indicating if he or she wants to work either reduced hours, differently organised hours, or at a different place of work (including home working). They may also request other changes, but must explain what effect these may have on their employer’s business. When an employer is faced with a request for flexible working, their statutory duty is to give it proper consideration and to follow a carefully set of procedure. The employer must hold a meeting with the employee to discuss the request and this must take place within 28 days of when the application was received. A decision on the proposal must be made within 14 days and has to be issued in writing. Where the employer is refusing the request, then they have to do so with a written explanation of the grounds for refusal. It is often thought that if an employer refuses to agree flexible working, then the employee has the right to bring Employment Tribunal proceedings to challenge the decision. Sadly, this overstates the position. An employer is permitted to refuse flexible working on any of no less than eight grounds:
An employee can challenge a refusal to allow flexible working. However, a Tribunal can only make a finding in the staff members favour if either the employer has failed to comply with the statutory procedure or has rejected the application “on incorrect facts”. However, women seeking flexible working should not despair as it has been the law for over thirty years that an employer must treat woman equally to men. If they wish to work part-time and can show that a male colleague is or has worked part-time, then you could consider bringing a claim for indirect discrimination under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The advantage of bringing a claim under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 is that the Tribunal has much greater powers to award compensation and also to make binding recommendations on the employer. Like matrimony, neither an application for flexible working, nor a claim for sex discrimination should be embarked upon without great thought and good advice from an employment lawyer. HIP advice for Home OwnersJune 1st 2007
There has been much speculation in the press recently and also a good deal of confusion, surrounding the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) from 1 June 2007. Linda Donoghue, conveyancing specialist at Kirby Simcox Solicitors in Thornbury, highlights the key elements of the new regulations.The Government has proposed the introduction of HIPs (or sellers packs), from the 1 June 2007 in an attempt to speed up the home buying and selling process. The new regulations require a residential property seller to provide a pack of the legal documents at the start of the process when the property is put on the market, and non provision of a pack can result in penalties. Properties marketed before 31 May 2007 will not need a HIP as yet. It is fair to say that at the time of writing there is still some confusion as to the final details of the pack requirements. However, the current details are as follows. What does a HIP have to contain? The documents which must be included in each HIP are:-
A Home Condition Report is currently voluntary, Fixtures and Fittings Form and replies to the Property Information Form can be included, but currently they are not mandatory within the Pack. The Energy Performance certificate requires a survey of a property by an “Energy Assessor” and the certificate may have to be attached to the Sales Details for your property. However, it is not certain that there will be sufficient Assessors available by June, so the rules may still change. How much will a HIP cost? The cost of producing a HIP depends where the property is situated, as different Councils charge different search fees. Current expectations are for a HIP on freehold property in Getting Help! HIPs are not intended to confuse the home owner, but they do contain a large amount of complex legal information and you should seek professional advice to ensure you are fully compliant. Solicitors with specialist conveyancing departments are best placed to prepare and interpret these packs and can guarantee correct compliance. Many will offer the Law Society approved on-line HIP, to reduce the possibility of delays and ensure that the packs are prepared as quickly as possible. Lawyers in the Pink for Charity!May 12th 2007 Kirby Simcox's has three offices in Bristol, Thornbury and Kingswood and all their 60 employees paid for the privilege to dress up in pink for the day. This is the second year the firm has held the pink event which was the idea of Financial Assistant Zoe Gilbraith and Conveyancing Assistant Jenny Johnson. The Pink Day marks the start of a week of fund raising activity for Zoe and Jenny, who on 20 May will be donning decorated bras and joining thousands of others in the 26.2 mile 'Moon Walk' for Breast Cancer, which takes place overnight starting in Hyde Park, London. Commenting on the event Zoe said, "Everyone in the firm really enjoyed taking part in our Pink Day on Friday which was great fun for both staff and clients. Last year we raised over £300 for Breast Cancer charities and this year we are hoping we have raised even more. As well as staff wearing pink clothes and costumes, we offered cakes – pink of course – to staff and clients and all of our offices were decorated with pink ribbons and balloons. Although we appreciate the law is generally a serious business, it is great to see all our staff and clients having some light hearted fun in support of such a really worthy cause." Kirby Simcox's solicitors volunteer time for Will Aid 2006October 23rd 2006 During November, Bristol Solicitors Kirby Simcox are giving up their time free of charge as part of Will Aid 2006 which offers clients a chance to put their affairs in order and support charities at the same. Kirby Simcox which has offices in Bristol, Kingswood and Thornbury has regularly taken part in the biennial Will Aid Scheme. The scheme enables someone to have a basic Will professionally drawn up by a solicitor, but instead of paying the solicitors a fee, clients can choose to make a donation to Will Aid. Will Aid, is a registered charity which raises funds for people in need in the UK and around the world. The scheme is run by nine leading charities including Save The Children UK, Action Aid and the Red Cross and is supported by a number of legal firms throughout the UK. The last time the scheme was run in 2004 Kirby Simcox raised £2,585 in donations for the Charity. Kirby Simcox Managing Partner Amanda Firth said, “We are delighted to support this excellent scheme. This is a fantastic way for someone to ensure all their affairs are in order and at the same time help many thousands of people in need.” She continued, “Making a Will is a simple and an important way of protecting the future for family and loved ones but it is surprising how few people make one. Each year in England and Wales, people without a Will leave over £2 billion which is then distributed according to the laws of intestacy – a detailed impersonal set of rules that dictate where the money goes. It can take years to sort out someone's estate if they die without a Will, leaving their nearest and dearest in great distress. We therefore encourage people to make a Will this month and also help others in need.” Lawyer completes Tall Ship voyageAugust 30th 2006
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having achieved Resolution Accreditation as a Specialist Family Lawyer.
ver a cheque for £800 to Survive, the South Gloucestershire and Bristol charity which provides services for women and children suffering from domestic violence and abuse.
ncourage more people to leave gifts to charities in their wills. According to research released by Remember A Charity, the charity consortium behind the ‘Forget Me Knot’ campaign, 71% of people in Bristol wouldn’t mind being asked to consider leaving a gift to charity in their will by a solicitor.
Kirby Simcox Solicitors has announced the promotion of specialist civil litigation and employment solicitor James Bell and commercial conveyancing expert Jeremy Johnson to Associates.
A family lawyer from Kirby Simcox Solicitors has been named as one of the country’s ‘pro bono heroes,’ at a parliamentary reception held at the House of Commons recently.
One of the most successful collaborative lawyers in the South West, Peter Berry has joined the specialist family law team at Kirby Simcox Solicitors, to support the growing needs of business clients across the region.
Clients arriving at the Bristol office of Kirby Simcox Solicitors today were certainly in for a surprise as its entire staff - even the men - put their suits to one side and proudly wore pink for the day, to raise funds for Breast Cancer charities. 
Family Law expert in Bristol, volunteered his time recently to help youngsters take part in a voyage of a life-time in the 50th Anniversary Tall Ships Race from Torbay to Lisbon.