EXPANSION OF TWO LEGAL TEAMS

Peterborough based firm, Hegarty LLP Solicitors, has recently expanded two of its legal teams with the arrival of solicitors, Alison Lui and Andrea Beesley.  

Photo shows (left to right): Alison Lui, Hugh Nicholls and Andrea Beesley

Alison Lui, who was born in Hong Kong, has joined the Commercial Property Team at the firm.  She gained a distinction from the College of Law and then trained with a firm in East Sussex.  She qualified as a solicitor two years ago and after working at a firm in Suffolk was eager to take up the opportunity of joining the commercial property team at Hegarty LLP.

Alison is a talented linguist speaking Cantonese, Mandarin, French and German.  She is also an accomplished pianist and after recently gaining a distinction in a recital diploma awarded by the Trinity College of Music, she has        been asked to perform at a      prestigious music event at Downing College, Cambridge, next month.

The commercial property team now consists of two partners, two solicitors and a property executive making it one of the largest legal commercial property teams in Peterborough.

The arrival of Andrea Beesley newly qualified solicitor has strengthened the Wills, Trusts and Probate team.  Andrea studied at Huddersfield University  followed by College of Law York and completed her two year training contract at a  firm in North Wales.

Andrea said, “I was always certain that I wanted to specialise in Wills & Trusts.  I’m particularly keen to build my experience of Court of Protection work so I can assist people who do not have the mental capacity to make their own decisions.”

Partner Hugh Nicholls commented, “I am delighted to welcome Alison and Andrea to the firm.  Both are enthusiastic, dedicated and get on well with clients.  Their arrival demonstrates that we are continuing to expand as a firm and are going from strength to strength.”

CHAMBER TALK A SUCCESS

The first networking event of year organised by Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce was a great success, attracting over 30 members of the local business community.

Members of Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce

The event was held at Lady Anne’s Hotel, and included a talk by solicitor Andrew Hornsby from Hegarty LLP Solicitors on the potential dangers of e-commerce.  In his presentation he highlighted some issues concerning emails, websites and e-commerce, and explained how businesses can take steps to protect their interests.

President of the Chamber, Tim Lee, commented, “We were delighted that so many members were able to support this event.  Email, websites and e-commerce give smaller companies fantastic opportunities to work more efficiently and have access to a bigger market but there can be pitfalls.  Andrew’s talk was very interesting and he passed on some tips which I’m sure we all found useful.”

Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce has almost a hundred members and has a schedule of events planned until the Autumn including a Budget Breakfast and a visit to Castle Cement.  Anyone interested in joining the Chamber or attending the events should contact Brian Montgomery, on 01664 474189 or email secretary@stamfordchamber.co.uk

Issued: 01.02.08

GREATER PETERBOROUGH'S BEST NEW BUSINESS IDEA 2008

Hegarty Solicitors are delighted to once again sponsor the Peterborough Enterprise Programme's annual competition to find hidden talent in Greater Peterborough.

The ‘Start Doing Something New Today’ competition is organised by the Peterborough Enterprise Programme and aims to find Greater Peterborough’s best new small business idea.

The winner will win a cash prize of £2,000, free mentoring from one of Peterborough Enterprise Programme’s business advisers and the support and advice of a panel of Peterborough’s leading business figures for a 12 month period.

The best new small business idea might be either:

• an idea for the establishment of a completely new business
• an idea for a new product or service from within an existing small business (with no more than five employees)
• a new business that has been trading for less than six months

The deadline for entries is 18 February and the winner will be announced at a special awards ceremony on 7 March 2008.  The competition is sponsored by Hegarty Solicitors, Athene Communications, HSBC bank, MacIntyre Hudson and the Peterborough Evening Telegraph.

For an entry form and full details about the competition please call Peterborough Enterprise Programme on 01733 426500 or email: businessidea2008@cambsenterprise.co.uk. 

Issued: 11.01.08

TWO NEW LAWYERS AT HEGARTY SOLICITORS

Peterborough law firm, Hegarty LLP, has recently welcomed two new lawyers, Kimberley Pender and Claire Baker, to the firm.

Photograph shows (left to right): Claire Baker, Andrew Heeler and Kimberley Pender

Kimberley Pender has been a fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives since 1997 but has worked in all areas of family law since 1990.  She specialises in divorce, separation, ancillary relief and the Children’s Act matters.  Kimberley has appeared on the BBC programme Newsnight to publicise the plight of parents being prevented from seeing their children, and regularly attends an advice surgery for the charity ‘Families Need Fathers’.

Kimberley said, “I’ve been helping at legal surgeries at local branches of Families Need Fathers for many years.  At the surgeries I can explain the options available to people if they want to separate from their partner or indeed they have separated focussing their concerns regarding the children first and foremost.”

“It’s great to be part of a large team, and I’m looking forward to developing my career at Hegarty LLP.”

Claire Baker originally trained as a nurse, but then decided upon a career change and undertook six years studying to become a solicitor.  She obtained a first in Law from Cambridge University.  After qualifying as a solicitor, she spent several years at a major law firm in Portsmouth before moving back to the Peterborough area.

Claire specialises in company law and has a great deal of expertise regarding smaller businesses.  Claire said, “Clients are often surprised to hear that I changed from nursing to law, but I feel it is a benefit that I’ve gained skills and experience in a different sector.“

“I think it’s important that a company solicitor does not only give legal advice, but can also provide practical assistance to clients to help them drive their businesses forward.  One of the hardest aspects of starting a business is when you lack the experience and knowledge of dealing with other businesses, especially with bigger players.  I can help a company to have the right terms & conditions to protect their business and put them in a stronger position for your business to succeed.”

Partner, and Head of the Company department, Andrew Heeler said, “I am delighted to welcome Claire and Kimberley to the firm.  Their experience and specialist legal knowledge in the fields of company and family law will be a valuable addition to Hegarty LLP.”

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS INCREASE BY 15 PER CENT

Latest statistics from the Employment Tribunal Service released this month showed that the number of claims has increased by 15 per cent says Peterborough law firm Hegarty LLP.

The statistics relate to the period April 2006 to March 2007 and show that the number of cases brought before the tribunal has increased from 115,039 in 2005/6 to 132,577 in 2006/7.

Employment Partner Martin Bloom explained, “I think the 15 per cent increase should be regarded with some caution.  The increase is thought to be largely attributed is to a large number of local authority equal pay claims.”

“However, it still illustrates that many people are still deciding to bring a claim against their employers.  Organisations need to protect themselves by having in place written contacts and being fully up to date with the latest employment legislation.”

According to the statistics unfair dismissal is the most common reason for bringing a claim with the average compensation awarded by a tribunal in an unfair dismissal case being £7,974.

Age discrimination was one the major changes to employment law when it came into effect in October 2006. The report shows that there have been 972 age discrimination claims passed in that period.

Mr Bloom commented, “Complying with the age discrimination legislation meant a great deal of work for those involved in HR. I suspect that many HR professionals were concerned that there might be avalanche of age discrimination claims.  It remains to be seen if that is the case.”

“It should be remembered that as age discrimination came into force in October 2006, and the statistics are from April 06 to March 07, it only includes six months worth of age discrimination claims. I’m sure the number of age discrimination cases will be higher in next year’s statistics.”

Issued: 04/09/07

EASIER TO PROSECUTE COMPANIES FOR MANSLAUGHTER

A new piece of legislation passed this week could make it easier for organisations to be prosecuted for manslaughter.

The long awaited Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill was passed on 25th July and is expected to come into effect from 6 April 2008.  Peterborough law firm Hegarty LLP Solicitors are alerting companies to take heed of this important new law.

Employment Partner Tim Thompson explained, “When we hear the phrase corporate manslaughter people often associate it with disasters such as the Paddington train crash in 1999 where 31 people were killed.  This law is also concerned with workers who are killed in the workplace.”

Latest statistics from the Health and Safety Commission suggest that the provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2006/07 is 241.  The construction sector has the highest total of fatal injuries and accounts for 31% of all fatal injuries to workers.

He continued, “Currently it is difficult to prosecute organisations for being responsible for causing death.  The law requires a specific person at the organisation to be identified as being grossly negligent, which is obviously very hard to prove, especially at larger organisations.  The new legislation no longer requires the identification of a single individual, director or senior manager before the prosecution of a company.”

It will be the company rather than directors who will be held liable for a breach of the duty of care by the firm. 

Mr Thompson commented, “Some people feel directors have almost been let off the hook.  They think that if directors are not liable then they may feel less committed to promoting a good safety culture at work.”

To convict a company the prosecution must prove that the failure came substantially from ‘senior management’.  Senior managers are defined as people who have a key role in the management of the whole or a substantial part of the organisation’s performance.

There was much debate about whether the new law could apply to the death of someone in custody resulting from gross negligence in the prison service or from those controlling police cells.  A clause has been included in the Bill so that this part may become operational at a later date.

The new law can impose unlimited fines and can order an organisation to take action to remedy their management failure that led to the death.  Also, it can impose a publicity order where the convicted organisation must publicise the details of its conviction and the amount of the fine.

“It should be stressed that the new law does not impose any new obligations on organisations. Those organisations that have a good safety record, and have the relevant procedures in place to comply with their health and safety obligations, should not be overly worried.  The new law is not meant to catch companies out, it’s aim is to protect people against organisations that recklessly ignore health and safety regulations,” said Mr Thompson. 

“I think it would be wise for all organisations to use the time before April 2008 as an opportunity to review their health and safety procedures, and make any necessary improvements.  Let’s hope that by this time next year we shall see an overall rise in safety standards in the workplace, and a reduction in the number of workers fatally injured.”

Issued: 27.07.07

NEW SOLICITOR JOINS HEGARTY LEGAL TEAM

The legal team at Hegarty Solicitors has been strengthened with the appointment of a new solicitor.

Litigation Solicitor Andrew Hornsby has joined the firm after 13 years with a Peterborough based firm of solicitors.

Andrew, who is based at the Stamford office, will deal primarily with substantial commercial litigation matters, but will also handle Inheritance Act Claims, personal injury and negligence issues.

Andrew commented, “I feel this is a superb opportunity to develop my career at a firm that has an excellent reputation locally.  My previous experience and understanding of the region will I hope be an asset to Hegarty Solicitors.”

Andrew attended Kings School in Peterborough, then studied law at De montfort University and qualified as a solicitor in 1996. 

He is a member of many organisations including the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel, College of Personal Injury Law, Spinal Injuries Association and Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Andrew has been involved with a number of High Court matters that were reported in the legal press.  One of these cases is still the current precedent for the assessment of damages where the loss occurred overseas.

Away from work Andrew was until recently been appointed a governor of the Peterborough College of Adult Education.  He is also a keen cricketer and has recently taken up golf.

Partner Matthew Sidebottom, head of Litigation, said, “We are delighted that Andrew, who is already highly regarded locally, has decided to join Hegarty Solicitors. I am certain that with his enthusiasm, experience and specialist litigation knowledge he will make a valuable contribution to the firm.”

INHERITANCE TAX CONCERN OVER RECENT RULING

The ruling in a recent case is causing concern for many couples that have set up Nil-Rate Band Discretionary Trusts in their Wills to help minimise inheritance tax on their estate. Couples are being recommended to take professional legal advice to check whether their tax planning steps need to be modified in light of the case.

Inheritance tax is payable at 40 per cent on chargeable estates worth more than £300,000.  As property prices continue to rise, more estates are becoming liable so couples often look into tax-planning options to minimise inheritance tax.

In this case, Dr Phizackerley and his wife had bought their property as joint tenants in 1992 and later changed this to tenants in common so that they could each set up a discretionary trust under their Wills.  When the wife died in 2000, her share of the property, then valued at £150,000, was transferred to Dr Phizackerley subject to him owing £150,000 to the trust.

When Dr Phizackerley died two years later, H.M. Revenue & Customs claimed that the debt owing to the trustees was not a deduction in Dr Phizackerley’s estate thus increasing the tax bill by £60,000 (40 per cent of £150,000).

The Revenue disallowed the debt in Dr Phizackerley’s estate as they claimed that as Mrs Phizackerely had not worked or contributed to the purchase of the property her husband had ‘given’ her a share of the property.  The Revenue considered the arrangement was caught by an  anti avoidance provision.

The Special Commissioners, who handle disputes between the Revenue and taxpayers, found in favour of the Revenue.

Greg Baker, a partner at city firm Hegarty Solicitors, has received many enquiries from clients anxious that the ruling will threaten their tax planning measures. 

Mr Baker commented, “If you have already set up a Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust in your Will and it is planned to use the debt arrangement then, if there has been a substantial gift to or from your spouse or civil partner, you should review your Wills to see if there are any revisions needed.”

“However, in our view where married couples or civil partners want to minimise the burden of Inheritance Tax and the major asset is the home it is likely that the creation of a Nil-Rate Band Discretionary Trust with a debt facility will remain the preferred option.  It is, however, important that the arrangements are both set up and administered correctly.”

“The ruling highlights that H.M. Revenue & Customs are actively targeting inheritance tax planning methods. When considering tax-planning, appropriate professional advice should always be sought and arrangements made should be reviewed regularly. The cost of a review may be a couple of hundred pounds, but could save your estate thousands.”

RECORD ATTENDANCE AT ANNUAL PLANNING CONFERENCE

Over 120 delegates recently attended the 5th annual planning conference organised jointly by Hegarty LLP Solicitors and John Martin & Associates at The Haycock in Wansford to hear two eminent speakers talk on issues relating to planning and the release of land for housing development.

Keith George, Divisional Planning Director of Persimmon Homes Plc, spoke on Planning Gain Supplement (PGS) a proposal for a fixed levy on the enhanced land value after it receives planning permission. He advised that it was the Government’s intention to move forward with this new land tax if, after further consultation, it continues to be deemed workable and effective and PGS will then come into force in 2009.  Mr George, who sits on various house building task forces and committees, said that the industry was moving firmly against the implementation of PGS and there was qualified support for an extended role of S106 Agreements

The second speaker was barrister Peter Goatley from No 5 Chambers in Birmingham, who spoke on the change in emphasis in planning for new housing arising from Planning Policy Statement 3 which will come into force on the 1 April 2007.  He said that there was much of interest within PPS3 and the emphasis was on “delivery”, in providing sufficient deliverable land, meeting housing need and demand and improving affordability.

Senior Partner Richard Hegarty from Hegarty Solicitors commented, “The PSG will have a major influence on the land supply available for development.  I think some landowners may decide to act very quickly before PSG comes into force to avoid paying, but many landowners who have thought about selling will simply keep their land and hope for a change in policy in the future.”

DECLAN CURRY DISHES UP A TREAT

Last Friday a packed audience of local business people listened to celebrity business journalist Declan Curry talk about the impact  that low carbon economy and climate change will have on Cambridgeshire's commercial sector.

Picure shows from left to right: Dylan Ashpole & Martin Guilford (Clydesdale Bank), Katie Hart (Huntingdonshire Enterprise Agency), Andrew Heeler (Hegarty LLP) and Declan Curry

Hegarty LLP Solicitors were one of the sponsors of the event along with Clydesdale Bank and the Huntingdonshire Enterprise Agency, the event itself had been organised by the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce.

Company Partner Andrew Heeler who was the compere at the lunch said," Declan was an excellent speaker, and several people have told me how impressed they were by him.  He illustrated the importance of climate change, and that global businesses like Walmart and BP have already taken action in light of environmental concerns as they recognise the economic advantages it can offer."

Andrew continued," It's very fitting that Declan spoke about environmental issues as Peterborough is one of limited number of environmental clusters in the UK, and is currently pushing itself as the environmental capital of the country."

After his talk Declan took questions from the audience, many of whom raised issues over transport and the impact it has upon enviroment.

"Declan was really quizzed by the audience, and each time he gave well thought out and eloquent answers.  I hope this encourages the Chamber to organise more lunches with high calibre speakers in the future as they are obviously very popular," concluded Andrew.  

DISCOUNTED WILL SCHEME

Hegarty LLP and another local law firm has teamed up with Sue Ryder Care Thorpe Hall to offer supporters the opportunity of making a Will at a discounted cost and helping to raise funds for the charity.

Registering for a voucher

To take advantage of the scheme you must contact the Thorpe Hall Fundraising Team before 20th October 2006 for a voucher.  Telephone 01733 330060 or email: thorpe.fundraising@suerydercare.org

They will then send you a voucher that will entitle you to a standard single Will for the discounted price of £100 + VAT, or to a pair of mirror image standard Wills (this is when two people have very similiar Wills such as married couples) for the discounted price of £150 + VAT.

For every Will made under the scheme the participating solicitors will make a donation of 20% of the fee for the Wills to Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Solicitor Jo Tilley has recently joined the Trusts & Probate team of Hegarty LLP and is based at the Peterborough office.  She has been a solicitor for over 13 years, and specialises in the preparation of Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, probate and Inheritance Tax Planning.

She said, " I am delighted that the firm is participating in this scheme.  So many people think about making a Will, but then never get round to making the appointment.  I hope many people will be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity of making a Will at a discount and help to raise vital funds for Thorpe Hall."

TWICE THE TAX IF A CONTRACTOR IS REALLY AN EMPLOYEE

Employers who have someone working for them as an independent contractor rather than taking them on as an employee should think again warns a Peterborough lawyer at Hegarty LLP Solicitors following a recent ruling where a company had to pay back tax for a person they viewed as 'self-employed' but H M Revenue & Customs judged to be an employee.

The ruling was given over the recent case of Demibourne Ltd and H M Revenue & Customs.   Mr Bone had worked for Demibourne Ltd for ten years as an independent contractor, regularly sending in invoices, completing annual accounts as a self-employed person and paying his own tax liability.   However, an investigation by H M Revenue & Customs (or the Inland Revenue as it then was) determined that Mr Bone was in fact an employee rather than being self-employed and issued a tax statement for the employer to pay the back tax under that employment relationship.  

The matter was appealed to the Special Commissioner who agreed with the decision of H M Revenue & Customs in making the employer liable for the back tax.   Usually it would be expected for Mr Bone to be able to recover his own payments of tax, however in this case the payments dated back too far and Mr Bone lost his right to claim back previous overpayments.   In effect, the case shows that H M Revenue & Customs can now potentially recover tax twice in these situations.

Employment Partner Tim Thompson explained, "There are potential financial advantages for an employer to have someone work for them as an independent contractor rather than taking them on as an employee.   The advantages include   avoiding having to pay national insurance contributions or for benefits such as sick pay or a pension."

He continued, "This ruling will be a wake-up call for some employers, and highlights the risk when employers attempt to argue that someone is self-employed when in reality they are an employee. H M Revenue & Customs are all too aware of this scam, and in their audits of business accounts will query the legal basis of the relationship between the employer and independent contractor."

"If there are any employers out there who are concerned about the subject I would urge them to take legal advice immediately to check whether they are potentially liable, and what action they need to take."

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL CLAIMS CLIMB BY 30 PER CENT

The Employment Tribunal Service (ETS) published its latest Annual Report last week, showing that overall the number of applications made by employees to go to tribunal against their employers increased by over 30 per cent compared to the previous year.   In light of the report, Peterborough law firm Hegarty LLP is urging employers to protect themselves against claims by taking legal advice before taking action.

Employment Partner, Tim Thompson, commented, "The total number of Tribunal applications received by the ETS for 2005-06 increased to 115,039, compared to 86,181 in the year before.   This is a startling headline, but if you look more closely at the report it indicates that the increase is directly related to a rise in multiple claims, that is when a number of employees from the same organisation make a claim against their employee for the same action."

Mr Thompson continued, "Most people involved with employment law would actually expect the number of claims to fall since the Government introduced the Dispute Resolution Regulations in October 2004.   These regulations enforce a statutory disciplinary procedure and grievance procedure which encourage employers and employees to settle disputes rather than going to Tribunal.   Even taking into account the impact of multiple claims, we still have many employees opting for Tribunals."

The report describes that the most common reason why an employee decides to make a claim is unfair dismissal, with the average compensation for such claims being £8,679.

THREE MORE PARTNERS AT HEGARTY

Leading Peterborough-based solicitors Hegarty LLP have announced the appointment of three more partners at the firm.   The new partners are Sean Rowcliffe, Greg Baker and Andrew Heeler.   Their appointment increases the total number of partners at the firm to nine.

From left to right: Andrew Heeler, Tim Thompson, Hugh Nicholls, Greg Baker, Richard Hegarty, Kally Singh, Martin Bloom, Matthew Sidebottom and Sean Rowcliffe.

Sean Rowcliffe specialises in personal injury and litigation and has been with the firm for over 12 years.   His client base includes national high profile companies and he acts on behalf of four police forces in UK.   He is a member of MASS, the Motor Accidents Solicitors Society.   With Sean’s promotion, the firm’s litigation team now has three partners making it one of the strongest in Peterborough.

Greg Baker is Head of the Trusts & Probate department and specialises in the field of Probate, Wills, Trusts, Inheritance Tax planning and Powers of Attorney. He has over twenty-five years experience gained through employment with the private client departments of both a major UK bank and an offshore bank as well as within the legal profession.   Greg qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and is a member of the Law Society’s Probate Section and The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Andrew Heeler has been with the firm since 1997 and deals with company law matters including shareholder & partnership agreements, company formations, terms and conditions, restructures, franchise agreements and partnerships disputes.   He is a board member and Company Secretary of Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) and was recently elected as vice chair of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce Owner Manager Sector.

Senior Partner Richard Hegarty said, “I am delighted to welcome Sean, Greg and Andrew to the partnership.   They have already shown themselves to be a valuable asset to the firm.   I am confident that their contributions will strengthen the practice and steer Hegarty LLP towards even greater success in the future.”

Hegarty LLP was founded in 1974 and has developed a reputation for providing practical first class legal advice for both commercial and private work. The practice is well known throughout the East Midlands and East Anglia, but the calibre of the lawyers has meant they have been highly successful at attracting national clients.   The firm has over 80 employees and has offices in Peterborough and Stamford.

HEGARTY & CO BECOMES AN LLP

Peterborough based law firm Hegarty & Co has recently changed from being a traditional partnership into a limited liability partnership (LLP) known as Hegarty LLP.

Senior partner Richard Hegarty who oversaw the firm’s change in status explained, “Quite simply, it makes good business sense for the firm to become an LLP.   Other accountancy and law firms have made the change and I would expect more firms to follow suit in the future.”

LLPs were created out the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2000 to bring the UK in line with many other countries and specifically aimed at enhancing professional competitiveness.

The firm, which was established in 1974, has built a reputation for providing first-class practical legal advice and the calibre of their lawyers has meant they have been successful at attracting both regional and national clients.

Mr Hegarty said, “Law firms have changed a great deal over the last decade, often I think for the better in that they are focusing on client satisfaction and are more competitive.

“At our firm we been successful by providing a quality legal service delivered by experienced and specialist lawyers.   We know the importance of constantly striving to improve client satisfaction and keeping clients informed as to progress on their matter.”

SEMINAR SUCCESS

Two of the city’s top professional firms jointly presented a breakfast briefing to local business people at the East of England showground.

Hegarty LLP Solicitors and Rawlinsons Chartered Accountants, both based in Peterborough, hosted the seminar which was attended by over 100 people.

The briefing covered the forthcoming changes in respect of age discrimination, the tax implications of working from home, the 2006 Budget, and the proposed overhaul of company law.

The speakers were Tim Thompson and Andrew Heeler from Hegarty LLP Solicitors and Ken Craig from Rawlinsons Chartered Accountants.

Rawlinsons Partner Ken Craig explained:   “Our audience ranges from representatives of multi-national plcs to local sole-traders, so we try to provide a range of talks that are topical and relevant to those who attend.   I was able to provide an update on the recent tax changes for those who work from home, with emphasis on maximising the tax relief on their costs.   I also looked at the 2006 Budget Statement, highlighting the topics Gordon Brown did not mention in his speech!”

Martin Bloom, an employment partner at Peterborough based Hegarty LLP Solicitors, was delighted to see the first copy of his recently published book entitled ‘The Independent Guide to Bullying and Stress in the Workplace’.

The book, which is one of a series commissioned by the newspaper ‘The Independent’, is an up to date guide for both employers and employees to help them understand the legal issues concerning stress and bullying at work, and the steps they need to take when problems arise.

Martin explained, “For several years Hegarty LLP have issued free email bulletins regarding changes in employment law. One of our regular subscribers was responsible for selecting solicitors to be authors for the series and approached me about writing the book”

“As an employment lawyer I have talked to many employers and employees about bullying and stress at work. As these are such personal issues, people frequently fail to take action at the start of the problem and only tackle the matter once the situation has escalated. I hope the book will help people to identify the problems, understand the legal implications and give them guidance in how to deal with the matter.”

The book also contains useful policies on stress, equal opportunities and bullying at work.

Copies of the book, which is published by First Law Limited, can be purchase online at www.independentbooksdirect.co.uk