Member News

Our Franchising team spends considerable time and energy being involved in the Franchising industry in the UK (and indeed internationally). This month, Ed Savory and Vicki Mitman attended various British Franchise Association (bfa) forums covering the Midlands and London and the South East.

The purpose of the forums is for franchisors (and now franchisees) together with advisers and experts in franchising to meet and discuss current market trends, debate issues affecting franchising and to promote franchising and the role of the bfa. The forums are held quarterly and during this round the following issues arose:

• Methods for franchise recruitment and how to find good franchisees • International expansion • Engaging in early discussions in order to avoid franchise disputes • Using mystery shoppers • Keeping up to date with the latest technology including, in particular, social media • Increasing the profile of franchising

Ed Savory also attends the Affiliate Forums which is a coming together of industry experts to share ideas, consider changes to law regulation and promote franchising and the role of the bfa. The UK’s franchising industry is surprisingly collaborative and with lawyers, bankers, consultants and other experts all working together the result is a strengthening industry offering a contemporary approach.

Recently, there has been a rise of a new generation of lawyers as several of the older generation near retirement. At the same time, there has been a change at the centre of bfa compliance with Kelly Blackmore-Lee taking over as the Head of Compliance.

Ed comments: “At a time when there appears to be an economic recovery underway, and although the statistics tell us that the [franchising] industry has been immune from the recession, it is exciting to see a fresh look to the UK’s franchising legal and compliance players. The rise of young and energetic advisers is a positive sign for the industry, especially with many of the newer franchises being driven by the entrepreneurial generation in their 20s and 30s.”

At this months Affiliate forum, the following issues were discussed:

• Update on bfa progress • Presentation on the results of this year’s Natwest bfa survey • Looking at brands which have recently become insolvent and considering what (if anything) can be learnt • Franchise exhibitions and trying to restrict non-exhibiting businesses from promoting themselves

If you are interested in finding out more about any of the above please contact any member of our Franchising team.

If you are searching for a job you needto make sure your CV is working for you.

Did you know applicant tracking systems[ATS] are commonly used by big companies?This means its more important than everfor your CV to be ATS compatible.

Follow the link to read more;https://www.prs.uk.com/news-events/blog/2014/beat-the-robots-get-the-job….

Baggage handling system to be updated at Norwich International Airport Work has begun that will see significant improvement in baggage handling operations at Norwich International Airport. The improvements are being carried out in a live environment to ensure no interruption occurs to passenger services and completion is expected before half term in May. Major benefits for Norwich International Airport and its passengers will be a minimisation of the risk of failure and improvement of the overall system’s reliability. Vanderlande Industries, the UK subsidiary of the world’s leading baggage handling systems provider, was awarded the contract to carry out the work following an extensive site survey that revealed the need for an update of the current system to improve its performance. As a result, Vanderlande used its extensive knowledge and experience to provide a tailored solution that will expand the life of the system currently in operation at Norwich International Airport. Work will include the installation of a new make-up carousel that has a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years. It will be one of several steps taken to improve the overall system’s performance. Vanderlande, as a company committed to innovation in baggage handling, sees this contract as an opportunity to expand its contribution to the improvement of UK regional airports. The company believes that the update of the current baggage handling system will further improve the passenger experience at Norwich International Airport. Commenting on awarding Vanderlande the contract, Richard Pace, operations director at Norwich Airport said: “Vanderlande Industries was able to provide us with solutions that specifically addressed our needs. The company is helping us improve the operations of our baggage handling system so that we are able to provide a more efficient service to our passengers”.

ENDS

Increase in new business as recovery strengthens in region’s commercial property market

Leading commercial law firm Howes Percival has expanded its property practice with three new appointments in response to a significant increase in new instructions from both local and national clients. Kirsteen Durrant and Kate Evans have been appointed associate solicitors in the property litigation and commercial property teams and solicitor, Katharine Danks has joined the firm’s estates team.

Howes Percival’s property experts act for major retailers, construction companies, farmers and landowners, housing associations, developers and public authorities as well as private individuals and businesses and cover everything from land promotion and planning through to plot sales and dispute resolution.

Kirsteen Durrant has joined Howes Percival’s property litigation team as an associate solicitor working with Jamie Kidd, the firm’s property litigation partner in the East of England. Kirsteen is an expert in property and agricultural litigation and landlord and tenant work – advising both commercial and public sector clients. Kirsteen has particular expertise in dealing with the termination and renewal of commercial leases and is experienced in all aspects of commercial and agricultural property disputes. She was previously a solicitor in Eversheds’ real estate litigation group, based in Cambridge.

Kate Evans has extensive experience in a range of commercial property matters acting for corporate entities, charitable organisations and individuals on the sale and acquisition of freehold and leasehold property. She is experienced in acting for both landlords and tenants on the negotiation of leases and licences and can offer expert advice on property management issues. Kate has joined Howes Percival’s commercial property team as an associate solicitor from Northampton based firm, Wilson Browne LLP.

Katharine Danks has been appointed solicitor in Howes Percival’s estates department. Katharine has experience in acting for both residential and commercial developers and landowners including regeneration bodies, transport providers and developers in various projects and has a particular interest in agriculture and rural matters. She trained and qualified into the real estates development team at Eversheds LLP.

Jamie Kidd, property litigation partner, commented, “I am delighted to welcome Kirsteen, Kate and Katharine to the firm, their appointments increase our capacity to respond to market developments and client requirements. In recent years we have built on our established reputation for property work by bringing in some of the best property experts in the region. As a result, we are able to offer a dedicated one-stop legal service for landowners and the development industry, providing unrivalled expertise to the sector in an efficient and cost effective way.

“The strategy has worked well and, in spite of very challenging market conditions, the team has continued to receive a strong flow of instructions from both local and national companies. Confidence in the property market is starting to grow and we are seeing some very encouraging signs of recovery. With the team we have in place now we are well placed to benefit as the market picks up and as a result, we are expecting 2014 to be an even busier year.”

Howes Percival’s comprehensive commercial property service covers planning and environmental law, minerals and waste, compulsory purchase, village greens, development including strategic land acquisitions, the management of real estate portfolios, property finance, leases and other landlord and tenant matters, property litigation and construction contracts and disputes. The Estates team advises on a wide range of rural and agricultural property matters with a particular emphasis on tax efficient structuring for agricultural and development land.

The team of specialist property lawyers has a national reputation for the quality of their work:

• The 2013 edition of the Legal 500, widely regarded as the authoritative guide to the UK’s leading law firms, awarded the firm top tier rankings for commercial property, property litigation and planning work. • The 2014 Chambers UK Guide (an annual directory of the best lawyers in the UK) awarded Howes Percival top table rankings for its planning, property litigation and environment work. • The 2014 Corporate INTL Magazine Legal Awards (the monthly magazine for business leaders, professional advisers and providers of finance throughout the world) awarded Howes Percival ‘Planning law – Law Firm of the Year in England’ and ‘Editor’s Choice winner of the Landlord & Tenant Law Firm of the Year in England’.

February Newsletter

Are you prepared to think differently?

Flagship is a housing association with over 22,000 homes across East Anglia. We are a strong business looking for inspirational leaders to help us turn our aspirations into reality.

Director – Legal

c£80k (plus package)

Permanent, Full time

Based in Keswick, Norwich

We are seeking an experienced, highly motivated property lawyer to set up and lead a new in-house legal team, providing property and housing management legal services across our business. As an experienced property lawyer with a strong commercial focus, you will also lead on our ambitious growth plans with our private lettings ans sales portfolios. Working as part of the Senior Management Team, you will have responsibility for the operational direction of the day to day business.

Essential requirements for this role include:

• Being a qualified solicitor with compehensive post-qualification experience in property law.
• Experience of developing strategies and influencing Board decisions.
• Experience of leading, supporting, educating and developing teams.
• Managing and delivering complex operational issues on time with quality and to budget.
• Constantly seeking conntinious improvement.
• Being prepared to question the current way of doing things and taking managed risks in the pursuit of excellence.

If you are interested in this new and exciting opportunity, for more information and to apply, please visit: flagship-housing.co.uk/director-recruitment.

Closing date: Friday 12 September 2014, (14:00)

No agencies

Breakwater IT launch new website.

After a few months of careful planning, designing and building, Breakwater IT are pleased to announce the launch ofour new website.

The new website has been designed to be very informative and visual and with the buy in of our customers we think we have really achieved that. Several of our customers feature on the homepage, this showcases both our diverse client base and the ability we have to support such a wide range of industries.

We are well known for IT support in Norwich but we now also have clients that span the country. We hope our website starts to reach and attract more clients a little further afield and with a fresh look at our SEO this year we are confident in doing that.

If you haven’t yet seen our site please do take a look, especially at our team page, we really had fun making this page in particular.

Breakwater IT offer IT Support, IT consultancy and a full Business Telecoms service to SME’s in the region and beyond. Call us for an initial consultation or contact us via our new website!

Norse subsidiary GYB Services has been tasked with clearing the vast amount of debris left by the recent tidal surge and storms along the shoreline from Scratby to Great Yarmouth.

Local BBC Radio Norfolk were keen to find out more about the operation.

Talking on the station, GYB Services’ Building & Engineering Manager, George Jarvis, told said, “The debris consists of damaged marram grass that has entangled general rubbish, demolition debris from the properties that were lost due to the cliffs giving way at Hemsby and all manner of items that have been in the sea for some time. Telegraph poles, trees and metal tanks are just some examples of what we have had to remove.”

“GYB Services has provided man power to litter pick the grass for debris including glass bottles, wires and hazards to the public. To remove the bulk of the debris to land fill we have contracted local company Sutton Services to supply the plant.”

“I was asked ‘why not Burn the rubbish’,” Jarvis said, “and indeed we had the approval of the Environmental Agency to do this and it was our original plan. However, due to weather conditions and the nature of the debris it just wouldn’t be possible.”

GYBS have provided ten man teams to the project, and Jarvis said that the project is estimated to take over four weeks to complete as they move around 350cubic meters of debris a day.

Norse subsidiary, Devon Norse, has been awarded the contract for the cleaning of five NHS sites in South Devon.

The sites, all in the Torbay area, including two office buildings, two community resource centres and a carers centre.

Steve Jones , Cleaning Operations Manager at Devon Norse said that the contract, which covers internal building cleaning, is a further example of the company’s continuing success in the South-West .

The contract is worth around £40k a year and takes the annual value of Devon Norse’s NHS contracts to over £400k.

The case for more women in leadership roles could not be stronger. Evidence shows that the more gender diverse a company is at director level, the bigger the impact on bottom line. Yet, sadly, in the UK employers still have a lot to do to get more female senior professionals on board.

Vince Cable has started 2014 by getting behind the movement – he’s encouraging the country’s top companies to press on with female recruitment at board level – the link between this and economic recovery is clear to see.

The momentum is building and we at Pure don’t want employers in the East of England to miss out on the benefits. So we’re offering some advice to anyone who wants to ramp up senior female recruitment.

Getting more women into senior roles can be amazingly motivating – not only does it mean they get the opportunity to achieve great things, but younger female employees are inspired to commit to their own careers. Where there’s passion and drive, there’s also loyalty and high standards. This can only be good for business!

But how can your organisation get women into the senior executive positions? We can help with a few valuable pointers…

1. Set up a mentoring programme Asking senior female staff to mentor younger women in your organisation can create huge benefits. Not only does it unlock talent among junior employees, but it can also boost their confidence if they are intimidated by the journey to the top. Advice and a sympathetic ear matched with a professional attitude can be a powerful force in creating our future female business leaders.

2. Get buy-in at senior level Sadly many smart women tend to leave work when they’re at they’re professionally at their most valuable, so it’s essential to get senior-level buy-in to adapt your company’s culture so it accommodates and drives them on, rather than limits their options. Top-level staff must help give women the tools and space to work their way up — so they can expand their experience.

3. Encourage support networks away from work There’s no doubt that even in 2014, staying at work after having children for many women is very tough. Those who choose to return to work find it a constant juggling act. A woman’s family and partner can help out – whether it’s being flexible with childcare or being positive about her career, it’s all fantastic support.

4. Work with the right recruitment consultants If you’re recruiting senior executives in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk or Suffolk, make sure your recruitment agency totally understands your mission. They can help you find more female job seekers – especially in industries known for being mostly made up of men such as technology, science and finance. So ask your recruitment firm for a balanced short list of male and female candidates. We are being asked for this by an increasing number of our clients!

5. Understand the reasons If you don’t know why women leave the workplace or fail to climb the ladder at your organisation, you can’t build a solid action plan. Do they struggle attending important meetings if their child needs to be picked up from school at the same time? Do they lack confidence in getting their ideas heard among more extrovert colleagues? Or are they put off going for promotions if director jobs are mainly occupied by men? Dig out the root causes and find positive solutions.

This is just a taster of the kind of advice Pure has to offer! Look out for more information on our website about our Women in Leadership Programme in partnership with People and Performance which is designed to develop your talented, aspiring women leaders and equip them to evolve your culture and work with you to remove the workplace barriers to gender equality.

To read more about gender diversity at board level, click here:https://www.prs.uk.com/executive/what-we-do/knowledge-insight.aspx

Tots up £9k for Big C in 2013 and selects Nelson’s Journey as staff charity for 2014

Local insurance brokers and financial planners Alan Boswell Group (ABG) have raised a total of £9k for Big C, their 2013 staff nominated charity. Dress-down days and cakes sales as well as audacious sky dives, endurance cycle rides and an entertaining staff bike race in the Gas Hill Gasp have all contributed to the grand total.

Big C community fundraising manager, Diane Northway, said: “What a terrific sum! Alan Boswell Group’s staff got right behind us this year and did some incredible things, all in the name of charity. The Group has a long association with Big C, raising a staggering £47K in the last decade alone.”

Norfolk children’s charity, Nelson’s Journey, has been chosen for 2014. Their charitable pledge to ‘(bring) back smiles to bereaved children’ is something the 220 staff at Alan Boswell Group can’t wait to support during the year ahead.

Nelson’s Journey chief executive, Colin Lang MBE said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been selected by such a pro-active business. We’re a local charity and gaining support from local firms is vital to our fundraising efforts. It means we can continue to support bereaved young people across Norfolk.”

Nelson’s Journey provides support for children and young people living in Norfolk who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. The funds they raise are used to improve the emotional wellbeing of bereaved children by: increasing their confidence and self-belief, providing education about the causes of death and enabling families to talk openly about their bereavement.

Leathes Prior’s Traffic Lawyers, a unique legal service based in East Anglia for motorists and businesses across the UK, has been rebranded and re-launched with a fresh, new look. The website, www.trafficlawyers.co.uk, contains free, detailed advice on many of the most common legal issues encountered by motorists.

Traffic Lawyers was founded in 2004 in order to help motorists and the transport industry in the UK who have fallen foul of the myriad road traffic laws that are in place, and which are always changing.

Tim Cary, Head of Traffic Lawyers, has been featured on BBC’s Watchdog, has been consulted by the Guardian and the Daily Express and is widely regarded as a leading light when it comes to Transport law. The Legal 500 (an independent legal review) 2013 says as follows: At Leathes Prior, ‘outstanding’ regulatory lawyer Tim Cary is a nationally recognised expert on clamping. The firm has a nationwide presence for motoring offences through its ‘Traffic Lawyers’ brand.

The new website features details of fixed fees, potential defences and specific loopholes for UK traffic laws. There is also extensive information for businesses in the transport industry, for example on operator’s licences, regulatory requirements for taxi fleets and HGV fleets and industry specific offences and potential investigations.

Associate Solicitor, Dave Richards, and Trainee Solicitor, Tej Thakkar (due to qualify in April 2014), are both key parts of the new Traffic Lawyers service. Dave Richards himself has already been featured on BBC’s Watchdog, Look East and Radio Norfolk and Tej Thakkar has spent the majority of his training dedicated to regulatory and traffic cases and on qualification is keen to start building up to be the Team’s lead advocate.

Due to overwhelming demand for the Traffic Lawyers service, much of the routine advice which has been provided by the Team over the years is now set out for free on the new website. In this new era of open access to information, the firm feel that a monopoly on knowledge can no longer be maintained by solicitors and other legal advisors. Traffic Lawyers is aimed at motorists looking for expertise and experience in this area for advice and representation that they might be unable to get elsewhere.

Please follow us on Twitter: @TrafficLawyerUK