December 2008

I do hope you are enjoying reading my diary as much as I am enjoying sharing my experiences with you. Life continues to be very busy - talking with fellow professionals, speaking at seminars, campaigning for initiatives to help kick start the UK housing market, meeting Government Ministers and also attending international conferences  
 
I have recently returned from back to back trips to the International Bar Association Conference in Buenos Aires and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference in Jamaica. Both trips were extremely interesting for different reasons, particularly the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference For some of us it was a “back to basics” experience and re-established the reasons why we became solicitors in the first place. 
 
As a society, and speaking as a Solicitor, we are very fortunate in the UK that we don’t have to contend with the death penalty as a punishment for people who commit serious crimes. However, many Commonwealth lawyers have to deal with clients who could, ultimately, face the death penalty or have represented clients who have been found guilty of a serious crime and subsequently been put to death.  Having spoken with fellow professionals who find themselves in this unenviable position reaffirms my belief in the need to maintain good order in our society through a fair and proper judicial system that doesn’t advocate the death penalty as a solution. 
 
On a lighter note, I have been travelling up and down the country talking with Solicitors from a number of different legal practices. My travels have taken me to Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Worthing and Cornwall and I continue to be amazed by the number of people who actually know of Downs. Having said that, I shouldn’t really be surprised as they have been around since 1835!  
 
Historically, the legal profession is seen as a reactive service – normally we wait until someone comes to us for advice. However, the well established practices who take a proactive approach to managing their client relationships are well positioned to help them through these very difficult times and are more likely to retain their loyalty and thrive as a result.  They do this in a variety of ways, whether it is reviewing their client’s commercial property portfolios, updating them on changes to legislation and the likely impact of such changes, talking to them about their needs and listening to their concerns, suggesting ways to safeguard investments, how to finance their business to help weather the economic storm or simply offering good, solid employment advice. They also understand the need to help protect smaller businesses who do not understand the financial markets as well as the major corporations and, therefore, are particularly vulnerable when the economy is so volatile. By going that extra mile now will help practices reap the longer term benefits.
 
On the subject of employment advice, many employers don’t always recognise how pivotal this is to the survival of their business or that the wrong advice can have catastrophic consequences. Whether you are a small business or a major employer, if you employ people then you are likely to face the same challenges and issues. Many employers make the mistake of waiting until an issue becomes a major problem before seeking legal advice.  Very often it can be too late. In today’s constantly changing economic climate, it is important to maintain a happy and healthy workforce and one of the best investments you can make in achieving this goal is through the services of a good employment Solicitor who will keep you on the right path and ensure you are kept up-to-date with changes in employment legislation.
 
It is just over a year since Home Information Packs (HIPs) were introduced by the Government and there have been many parties campaigning, including me, to get them abolished or at least changed so they offer greater benefit to the consumer and the property market generally. However, it looks like HIPs are here to stay until the next General Election - a message that was reinforced recently when I met with Margaret Beckett, MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning.  There is a clear commitment from the Conservative Party that under their Government they would abolish HIPs completely.
 
It has been difficult not to constantly refer to the current economic downturn in this diary entry because it has such a major impact on all of our lives, whether we are a private individual or a business.  However, the legal profession faces additional challenges in 2009 through the introduction of the new Legal Services Act and I will talk about that in more detail in a future diary.
 
Coming next……. In the coming weeks I will be attending the opening ceremony of the French legal year.  It will be interesting to find out more about the regulation of French lawyers and how this could impact on UK residents who already have homes in France or those who are looking to purchase a home in France.
 
I will also be meeting with the UK Government and other stakeholders to discuss a variety of topics, including the availability of legal aid, litigation costs, HIPs and the property market generally.