Ramsdens Law Firm of the Year

Ramsdens Solicitors have a lot to shout about at the minute having scooped the prestigious Law Firm of the Year (11-30 partners category) Award at the recent Yorkshire Lawyer Awards.

Paul Joyce Managing Partner at Ramsdens commented: “Winning Law Firm of the Year puts our regional practice on the map and is a real tribute to the hard work and determination of our entire team across our eight offices throughout Kirklees and Calderdale.

Our firm will continue to focus on delivering value and stellar service to clients, and on attracting and retaining talented and ambitious individuals to help us achieve our goal of making Ramsdens as strong as it can be.

A huge thank you to our clients and colleagues for helping us win Law Firm of the Year 2011.”

Joyce has led two mergers in the last three years, firstly Rice Jones in 2009 and more recently in November 2010 with law firm Whitfield Hallam Goodall and the firm now boosts 8 office locations across Kirklees and Calderdale and over 140 staff and 18 partners.

The firm is well-respected in the market having also been recognised as a ‘Leading Firm’ in the  Legal 500 2011 recognising excellent practice in seven key areas.  The Legal 500 assesses firms on size, resources and also client recommendations in a particular field.

The recognition Ramsdens has received in the 2011 Edition is an independent confirmation of the increasing strength of the firm.

The practice areas recognised are as follows:

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER

- Corporate and commercial – Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire

- Dispute resolution – Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire

- Human resources – Employment: West Yorkshire

- Insurance – Personal injury: claimant

- Private client – Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire – Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire:

- Private client – Personal tax, trusts and probate

- Real estate – Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire

The Legal 500 Series, now in its 25th year, is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. This year, more than 180,000 in-house counsel and lawyers have been surveyed and interviewed globally. The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit.

Stay connected with Ramsdens and follow them on twitter @ramsdens and Like them on Facebook.

In the picture (L-R) – Neil Clark (Restore – category sponsor), Paul Joyce (Managing Partner at Ramsdens), Gaynor Barnes (ITV & Calendar News) and John Fryer (Senior Partner at Ramsdens).

Laura goes for the double…..

Laura Smith, Associate in Ramsdens Commercial Property team has been shortlisted for two awards.

She has been shortlisted in the Forward Ladies Young Business Women’s Award in their annual Women in Business Awards.  Laura commented: “I am so  delighted to have been nominated.  Forward Ladies is such a valuable networking group and I am honoured to have been recognised in this category.”

Winners will be announced at a glittering lunch ceremony at the New Century Pavilion at Elland Road in Leeds on Friday, October 14, where one successful entrepreneur will also find out if they have won the overall 2011 Forward Ladies Businesswoman of the Year title.

Laura has also been recognised and shortlisted in the Law Society Excellence Awards 2011 in the Junior Lawyer of the Year category.

Winners will be announced on the 18th October at an awards dinner in London.

Paul Joyce, Managing Partner comments: “Good luck to Laura who is flying the flag regionally and nationally for Ramsdens.  This recognition is well deserved and everyone at Ramsdens will be rooting for her over the next few weeks.”

Top local businesswomen in running for Forward Ladies awards

From marketing to millinery, food to finance, the shortlist for this year’s Women in Business Awards includes entrepreneurs from an eclectic mix of industries across Yorkshire.

Now in their second year, the awards, organised by women’s networking organisation Forward Ladies, celebrate the region’s brightest female entrepreneurs.

There are 25 business leaders shortlisted in nine categories.

Winners will be announced at a glittering lunch ceremony at the New Century Pavilion at Elland Road in Leeds on Friday, October 14, where one successful entrepreneur will also find out if they have won the overall 2011 Forward Ladies Businesswoman of the Year title.

Sarah Dunwell chief executive of social enterprise catering company Create, who won the Not For Profit Business Woman category in 2010, beat off competition from eight other regional businesswomen to take the overall title at the inaugural event last year.

Etta Cohen, founder of Forward Ladies, said: “The quality of the entries this year has been outstanding, and we would like to thank our sponsors. We are also thrilled with the response from professional women taking part. It’s a pity they can’t all be winners.”

Good luck to Laura Smith an Associate in Ramsdens Solicitors Commercial Property team who has been shortlisted in the Young Business Women’s award.  Laura commented: “I am so delighted to have been nominated.  Forward Ladies is such a valuable networking group and I am honoured to have been recognised in this category.”

Mrs Cohen added: “We’ve seen last year’s winners go from strength to strength, which highlights the importance of their success in helping their businesses to develop.

“Forward Ladies is here to encourage women to be more enterprising and to encourage them to start and grown their businesses, and support them on their professional journeys in their chosen careers.”

Ramsdens are delighted to be shortlisted as finalists in the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards 2011

Ramsdens Solicitors LLP are delighted to announce that they have been shortlisted in the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards 2011 for the ‘Law Firm 11-30 Partners’ category.

Being shortlisted as a finalist is a real accolade as the number of entries this year has been the highest ever and reflects what  a successful year Ramsdens has had, in spite of the tough economic climate.

Paul Joyce, Managing Partner at Ramsdens comments: “This recognition puts our regional practice on the map and is a real tribute to the hard work and determination of our entire team across our eight offices throughout Kirklees and Calderdale.”

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at The Queens Hotel, Leeds on Wednesday 5th October 2011.

To see all the finalists click here.

Employers enforce social media ban

While social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter enjoy unparalleled popularity, almost half of UK businesses have banned employees from accessing certain networking sites during office hours within the last year.

According to a new survey of 2,500 employers by Lewis Communications and HCL Technologies, 45% of employers are concerned about the effect comments made on social media sites could have on their business reputation.

“It is quite remarkable that in this day and age, many employers are still putting their employees’ interests as a low priority by not allowing them to use sites like Facebook,” said Vineet Nayar, Chief Executive at HCL Technologies.

 ”While we always advocate responsible use of social networks in the office, banning them outright will impact employees’ approach to work in a negative way, having a detrimental effect on the business as a whole.”

His thoughts have been echoed by Gareth Dando, Head of Employment at Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, who says that employers should do all they can to prevent social networking sites being used during office hours.

“I can understand employers being concerned. You have the risk that employees will waste time on social media, or worse the employee says something that reflects badly on the employer,” he said.

“Whilst some types of social media can be beneficial to a business, these risks make it imperative that each employer has a written social media employee policy in place. A complete ban will unnecessarily stifle the potential commercial benefits, might be perceived as unreasonable by the employee and may mean the employer actually has less control of their online presence as employees become more secretive.”

If you need advice on any employment issues contact Gareth on 01484 558 060 or email gareth.dando@ramsdens.co.uk.

Hope everyone enjoyed their bonfire weekend

Huddersfield Examiner – News – Local West Yorkshire News – Mother of murdered Ryan Hawkins to divorce killer Christopher Hawins

Helen Thewlis, Head of Family at Ramsdens Solicitors helps local women divorce killer.

via Huddersfield Examiner – News – Local West Yorkshire News – Mother of murdered Ryan Hawkins to divorce killer Christopher Hawins.

UK divorce undergoes landmark ruling

Protections previously awarded to thousands of divorce proceedings across the country have been lifted following a landmark Court of Appeal ruling.

Yorkshire Lawyer Leadership Group Update

Following the taster session in June we have used attendee feedback to shape the programme we are starting in September. Attendees valued the facilitated peer group discussion; in other words an action learning set.  Our programme will be led by Denis Kaye and Lisa Lister will work alongside him.

Discussions will focus on: 

• Strategy – What type of firm doing what types of work and for whom
• Structure – Finance/Succession/Outsourcing/Profitability
• Business development – Growth of ‘right’ work streams/Online/New competitors/How do clients buy
• Client service – What is it/How to deliver excellence/How do you measure it
• Leadership and management – conflict with fee earning for managing partners/Non-lawyers

We have already signed up ten participants for the programme of five meetings that will commence in September and a number of others considering joining. Members will include both larger and smaller firms.

We believe the group should be limited to 15 members, so please do act swiftly to participate. As long as you have fewer than 250 staff and have not already been funded by the Leadership and Management Advisory Service you should be eligible for a grant of £1,000. Simply request a copy of the funding form from leadership@yorkshirelawyer.co.uk – this is then submitted to Exemplas who arrange a brief meeting with you and then approve the grant of £1,000. This funding is deducted from the full programme cost of £1,750 (this includes 5 half day sessions from September-May plus 12 months membership of Club LS1 for the participant).

The first session will take place at Club LS1 (3 Albion Place, Leeds) on 8^th September 2010 from 9.00am until 12.30pm

To register or for further information please contact Lisa Lister on 0844 736 1496 or email: leadership@yorkshirelawyer.co.uk

What an amazing day!

 

Nigel Priestley, Senior Partner Ridley & Hall Solicitors Huddersfield

– and I don’t mean that at last we now have a government! A firestorm of interest in my Kent grandmother case – perhaps this is the power of the Daily Mail! Big feature in the Mail, snippets in The Times and Telegraph. Huddersfield Examiner even devoted an Editorial to me under the heading “Big Help” – I never got such support when I was playing politics!!

And then the BBC discovered me – Radio Kent, Vanessa Feltz and the ultimate accolade – Radio 5 Live. Victoria Derbyshire beckoned then played hard to get because the Government was about to be formed. Or so they thought! So it was off to today’s Breakfast Show…until Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg’s love in. So I was discarded into the wastepaper basket of radio.

My consolation (!) is the number of local government magazines wanting to cover the story – you never know some LA’s might actually change their policy!

And I’m going to have to hone up my literary skills as I’m now being invited to write articles on the implications of the judgement. Amazing how many people want to know the finer details of the conflict between s23(2) and s23(6) Children Act! Not the easiest and most captivating issue to explain to my daughters as to why for a fleeting 24 hours I have my own tiny, oh so tiny moment in the media spotlight!

The most moving moment was my client grandmother’s response. She was simply tearful that the judge had found in her favour and very angry with Kent. The news that Kent want to appeal made her determined to tell others of what had happened to her. The downside of Radio 5’s disappearance over the horizon was that she lost the chance to tell her story – but we have now been approached by an agent that covers women’s mags who wants her to sell her story. We’ll see! Not sure what my negotiating skills are for this! Who knows where all this will end!

Time to go back to normality!”