Sector spotlight: legal services

Long recognised as a frontrunner in many respects, Bristol’s legal sector continues to thrive and is attracting more top firms than ever before.

The city’s vibrant culture and promise of a better work/life balance have prompted a steady migration from London, adding to a diverse professional melting pot that, on the whole, serves to enhance the industry with talent and business opportunities.

The legal services sector employs 342,000 people, two thirds of whom are outside of London. Bristol employs 7,000, according to Business West’s skills statement 2019.

As the biggest legal hub outside of the capital, Bristol boasts a strong mix of major regional heavyweights, specialist advice services and long-established high street firms.

However, it is far from immune from austerity, with biting legal aid cuts taking their toll.

Government-imposed changes, combined with continued economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit and fast-developing technology means the legal sector is having to innovate and adapt fast in order to keep up.

Nicholas Lee says there is a drive to ensure the sector reflects the diverse city

Nicholas Lee is the current president of Bristol Law Society, the oldest law society in the country, founded in 1770.

He says the sector is forward-thinking and willing to embrace the potential of technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

“Our legal sector has attracted a number of historically London-based law firms, who now have a valuable presence in our city,” he tells Bristol24/7.

“Our profession is complimented by top quality higher education providers ensuring that we attract a fantastic pool of students and law firms can create sustainable succession plans and opportunities which are accessible for all.

“The region as a whole is thriving and our strong legal offering plays an important role in supporting that success. We are a forward-thinking sector that is actively exploring the benefits of technology and AI in law.

“We also strive to ensure that our businesses are ambassadors for promoting equality in the work place and that our profession represents our diverse and inclusive city.”

Gregg Latchams Solicitors is one of the city’s major players with offices on Queen Square, as well as in London.

Richard Gore, director of dispute resolution for the firm, believes the increase in large national law firms moving to the city is an exciting development that produces a more competitive market.

“More generally, the legal sector is facing ongoing challenges in the form of other businesses doing more legal work as part of their core business,” he says.

“Conversely, I see this is as an opportunity for law firms to innovate and pursue opportunities. For instance, Gregg Latchams operates two sister companies: a financial services company and a business consultancy.”

Catherine Gilbert says the sector has seen significant disruption in recent years

Catherine Gilbert, a construction lawyer with Temple Bright, based on St George Street, agrees the last decade has seen significant disruption in the sector.

“I work in a way – supported by mobile technology and a streamlined, tech-enabled business model – that was impossible only a few years ago,” says Gilbert, who is also a mediator, helping resolve disputes without going to court.

“As a city, Bristol’s challenge remains to provide excellent housing, work, social and retail opportunities for all Bristolians. The legal community has a big part to play in supporting this and helping provide valuable and creative business solutions.”

As new innovations change the face of the legal sector, industry insiders largely view this as an opportunity to adapt their offering and provide customers with a more flexible service.

James Bell predicts an increased use of tech in how legal services are delivered

Looking at the future of the industry, James Bell, a partner at Bristol firm Barcan+Kirby, says predictions are difficult in the current political climate.

“There has been a huge change in the last ten years,” says Bell.

“Legal aid has been drastically cut and the way in which personal injury cases are funded has been changed. Employment tribunal fees came and went (and may yet come back again!). The impact of these changes has been a reduction in the availability of legal advice as firms have moved out of these areas.”

He adds: “I think we are going to see increased use of technology in the way in which legal services are delivered. Clients expect a modern law firm to use technology to increase efficiency but still provide a personal service.”

The team behind LegalDefence say it is filling a gap in the market. Photo by @JonCraig_Photos 07778606070

LegalShield is a company striving to meet consumer demand for online services, with a recently-launched app, LegalDefence, that offers subscribers unlimited calls to a team of qualified legal advisors for a subscription fee of £24 a month.

Mike Roberts, managing director of LegalShield, says: “Despite Bristol being a major hub for the legal sector, people in the city are being denied access to justice on a whole range of everyday issues because they don’t find it affordable to have someone there to fight their corner.

“LegalDefence is here to give those people a voice, backed up by a leading national law firm, Slater and Gordon.

“By combining the power of technology with high level legal expertise, we are giving everyone the sort of legal firepower that, until now has only been available to a select few.”

Heledd Wyn says the profession has become more approachable

Aside from technological advances, Heledd Wyn, associate director at Gregg Latchams, says the profession has also changed to become “more approachable and less stuffy”.

“Maintaining relationships with clients and other professionals is key,” she says.

“With increased diversification of legal services, being the ‘go-to’ person for specific work because of their specialist knowledge and skills, will give great value to those who want the best advice and support.”

But despite all the industry is doing to diversify, the impact of cuts has been widespread.

Looking at some of the implications of cuts, Jen Pollock, associate solicitor at Gregg Latchams says: “Ongoing cuts to public services, such as the court services – and the introduction of regional divorce centres, which means that most divorces have to be dealt with in Southampton rather than Bristol – mean that there are increased wait times for hearings and for court documents to be processed or orders approved.”

Adriana Goncalves, Jane Emanuel and Erin Morris of Bristol Law Centre

In 2013, due to cuts in civil legal aid, half a million pounds of annual income was lost to advice agencies in Bristol at a time when the government also imposed changes to the welfare state and reduced local government funding.

Against this backdrop, Bristol Law Centre, which has just moved to new offices on West Street in Old Market, is battling to provide legal advice to those most in need.

While Bristol City Council has continued to fund the specialist advice Bristol Law Centre offers; the funding overall has reduced with no corresponding slowdown in need from residents.

“Many smaller local, private firms struggle with making legal aid contracts work and have abandoned not-for-profit work,” explains Jane Emanuel, pro bono coordinator at Bristol Law Centre.

“For smaller providers and not-for-profit agencies, the future remains unclear as funding formulas for contracts and traditional funding streams for advice remain under pressure.

“The recent review of legal aid by the Ministry of Justice has done very little to alleviate concerns that many Bristol residents are being denied access to early intervention advice and proper support and representation in the courts and tribunals.”

The legal brains of the future:

Bristol’s two universities play a significant role in preparing the next generation of law professionals.

Zainab Khan hopes to see Bristol firms committed to affecting real change. Photo by Nicole Gehle

Zainab Khan is the faculty director of student experience for UWE Bristol Law School and Bristol Business School, as well as director of the UWE Equity Programme.

She says: “Significant changes are afoot in terms of the routes for qualifying as a barrister and solicitor. We are working closely with the professional bodies and regional firms to ensure that our courses are at the cutting edge of future development in legal services.

“We also recognise that there is much work to be done to improve access to legal careers for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

“Through our award-winning UWE Equity Programme, our BME students have access to mentoring, coaching and networking opportunities with local practitioners.

“We have also been working closely with firms, including TLT, to support these students with their career planning through a seminar series designed to demystify commercial practice.”

Khan continues: “The challenge to diversify the face of the professions is well known and many firms express a desire to commit to inclusivity, but this often extends as far as ensuring that their recruitment pages have images of smiling individuals of different genders and ethnicities.”

She says that progress on this issue has been slow, adding: “Many reports, including The Parker Review, highlight the benefits to business profitability through increased gender and ethnic diversity.

“It would be great to see Bristol firms adopting progressive and innovative recruitment practices to affect real change.”

WBD says hiring apprentices has been good for the firm – and sector in general

International firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD), which has offices in Temple Quay, was among the first in the profession to make legal apprenticeships available.

Speaking at the recent launch of the solicitor apprenticeship scheme, Sam Lee, head of recruitment at WBD, said: “Hiring apprentices is absolutely the right thing to do in our sector, creating alternative avenues for people who believe that university isn’t the right path for them.

“As a firm, we’re committed to supporting social mobility, opening up new routes into the legal profession and improving employability for young people. We wanted to create opportunities for people who might not otherwise think that a career in the legal sector is for them – or even possible.”

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