Member News

Norfolk charity BUILD are looking for a Norwich based meeting room, available on occassional Monday evenings between 6.30pm and 9.30pm for around 15 people attending governance, project planning and training events.

With a limited budget, but able to fund refreshments, we are looking for somewhere that is accessible, and close to parking, and could be seen as a local business contribution to supporting our charity, which we would recognise in publicity materials.

Contact James Kearns, CEO james.kearns@buildcharity.co.uk with any offers.

Alex Butler-Zagni has joined Ashton KCJ’s Agriculture & Estates team in Norwich as an Agricultural Solicitor.

Alex joins us from the National Farmers Union (NFU), where he was the East Anglia Policy Adviser for almost seven years. Alex’s role included representing NFU members on all livestock, poultry and dairy related matters within the region.

Alex was called to Bar in 2002 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2010. Prior to the NFU, Alex worked for the Serious Fraud Office, 2 Paper Buildings, Temple and Russell Cooke Solicitors in London, as well as other firms in the Suffolk area.

Alex’s technical knowledge includes EU policy, CAP reform implications, livestock movement and recording rules, and funding opportunities under the Rural Development Programme for England. He also has a particular interest in renewable energy, rural crime, and the better regulation agenda.

Jonathan Long, Head of Agriculture & Estates at Ashton KCJ, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Alex to the team; his wide experience in agriculture in the region complements the work of the team. Alex joins partner Simon Cunningham in our Norwich office. I would like to wish Alex all the very best in his career at Ashton KCJ.”

Ashton KCJ Solicitors has won the LawNet 2012 award for best website just five months after the website was launched. It was particularly commended by the judges for ease of navigation by users and up-to-date content.

LawNet is a national network of over 60 independent law firms who are committed to rigorous quality standards and best practice. The prestigious LawNet awards are judged not by lawyers but by relevant external specialists. The website award this year was judged by marketing practitioners with a national reputation in the legal sector.

The LawNet 2012 award winners were announced on Friday 9 November at an awards ceremony in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Ashton KCJ also received ‘highly commended’ for our submission for ‘Excellence in Risk Management and Compliance’.

The website www.ashtonkcj.co.uk was launched in July this year and was built to replace an interim site which was put in place following our merger in October 2011. Vicki Clover, Communications Manager at Ashton KCJ, worked closely with Norwich based web design agency, NetMatters to launch the site.

The website has been built to ensure an excellent user experience, with improved navigation, regularly updated content and ensuring that the site is as interactive as possible, through the use of online enquiry forms, event bookings and payments, questionnaires, photos and videos.

We have developed three separate online sites which are accessible from the main website, including an online conveyancing tracking service. A mobile version of the site was also developed, recognising that more and more people browse the web via mobile devises.

As well as the above, the award also recognised that the website has been designed with search engines in mind. We have worked with a local Ipswich based firm, iMarketing, to maximise our Search Engine Optimisation and have increased our presence on social media channels to support this work.

Ashton KCJ CEO, Simon Smith, said: “Congratulations to the Business Development team and to the staff who have supported them with this initiative. Well done also to our Risk and Compliance team for their tireless work. These achievements, together with our recent successes in the Legal 500 and Chambers rankings, demonstrate our commitment to excellence and the positive direction in which the firm is moving, just over a year on from our merger.”

The Chambers and Partners’ UK 2013 independent guide to law firms and individual lawyers has recently been released and, as with the Legal 500 guide, Leathes Prior continues to gain accolades across the board.

The Chambers UK guide is based on extensive qualitative research carried out with clients and lawyers with particular focus on client feedback. This year Leathes Prior has seen an impressive uplift in their rankings with five practice areas increasing their rankings and two new practice areas being recognised for the first time. We believe this is due to an increased commitment on the part of the firm to make Chambers more aware of the scope and quality of our advice but it is also down to our clients, who we would like to thank, for the time they have taken to participate in the research facilitating these results.

The five practice areas that have improved in their rankings are: Corporate/M&A, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Information Technology and Real Estate with Private Client and Real Estate Litigation, both going straight into a ranking at Tier 2 (Tiers are ranked 1 (the best) through to 6). Part of this success is due to the new rankings for Katie Franklin, an Associate in the Employment team, who has increased her ranking to ‘Star Associate’ in the provision of employment advice in both Norwich and East Anglia and Ina Beurich, a solicitor in the Insolvency team, ranked as an ‘Associate to Watch’ – both helping the firm go from strength to strength.

The 2013 edition of Chambers UK also saw several new individual rankings for Leathes Prior’s Partners, including Mike Barlow, Dan Chapman and Darren Bowen.

See below for Leathes Prior’s Rankings in Chambers UK 2013 both in respect of Practice Areas (and their bandings) and the Key Individuals from within those areas that featured:

CORPORATE/M&A

Norwich and Surrounds – Band 3

The “responsive and reliable” team at Leathes Prior is recommended for handling mid-range M&A transactions that span different industries. Clients praise the professionalism and availability of its practitioners. Highlights include advising Norwich City Football Club on the rescheduling of its debt finance arrangements.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Paul Warman – Norwich – Band 3

Paul Warman has a wide range of experience in corporate law, including M&A, MBOs and corporate restructurings. Sources praise him for his “all-round knowledge of the law and ability to focus on what the client requires.”

Peter Sheppard – Norwich – Band 3

Peter Sheppard has particular expertise in the private healthcare, packaging and print industries. Market sources praise him for his professionalism and the added value he brings to clients, noting that “he became part of the team.”

______________________________________

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Norwich and surrounds – Band 2

This team is held in high esteem for its efficient and effective advice to clients on a wide range of commercial disputes. It has notable expertise in property related disputes. Clients praise the “highly professional and personal” service and one source enthused that it “just seems to be quietly getting it right.” Clients include Norse Commercial Services, ChemSource and Rooflite.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Mike Barlow – Norwich – Band 2

Mike Barlow is recommended by sources for his expertise in IP, franchising and professional negligence claims. One client said: “He is highly professional, knowledgeable and aware of our business needs.”

______________________________________

EMPLOYMENT

Norwich and surrounds – Band 1

This “professional and experienced team” offers “a level of client service that is as close to faultless as could be achieved,” say interviewees. The firm has branched out beyond its roots in Norfolk to attract an enviable national client base, demonstrating particularly strong connections among the transport, education, healthcare and insurance sectors. Clients facing tribunal hearings can count on the team’s experienced support, as Ashfords did concerning litigation arising out of the collapse of Connaught. The team has the capacity to represent both companies and senior executives.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Dan Chapman – Norwich – Band 1, East Anglia – Band 2

Clients attest that they have “rarely found someone as commercially aware” as Dan Chapman, who impresses with his “quick,” “pragmatic” and “dynamic approach.” His reputation for advocacy precedes him, as does his work on behalf of recruitment agents.

Katie Franklin – Norwich – Star Associate, East Anglia – Star Associate

“No-nonsense” Katie Franklin is “always black and white” in responding to the needs of clients. Like Chapman, she appears frequently at employment tribunals.

______________________________________

FRANCHISING

UK-wide – Band 2

The highly experienced team at Leathes Prior advises both franchisors and franchisees operating in a range of sectors. The team is also able to draw on the experience of other members of the firm in order to cater to the needs of clients. It has acted for Drain Doctor on a number of matters pertaining to its franchising operations, and also advises the Reptile Franchise Company on all aspects related to the franchising of the business. Other clients include Make Believe Franchising, TaxAssist, Vision Marketing and Sales and Countrywide Signs.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Mike Barlow – UK-wide – Band 2

Mike Barlow is appreciated by clients for his wealth of experience in dealing with contentious and non-contentious franchising matters. He recently led the team advising the Ascertiva Group on the establishment of the Puragen Franchise.

Jonathan Chadd – UK-wide – Band 2

Jonathan Chadd has “years of real experience” and is praised by clients for his high levels of knowledge and approachability. He recently assisted Bathstore.com on amendments to its franchise agreements.

______________________________________

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Norwich and surrounds – Band 1

Leathes Prior is a key presence in the Norwich IT market, advising on software development agreements and software licensing, as well as a range of internet-related matters, such as e-commerce, domain name lease and website development agreements. In recent work highlights the firm has advised agrochemicals company Glo Grow on a privacy policy and e-commerce terms for its website. On the contentious side, the firm acted for Falcon Global in a dispute with an IT maintenance contractor over the alleged accessing of confidential information regarding the client’s Asset Integrity Management System.

______________________________________

PRIVATE CLIENT

Norwich and surrounds – Band 2

This compact team is comprised of three lawyers and advises on the full run of private client matters, acting for executors and affected individuals on trusts, tax, wills and probate matters. The group is also able to advise clients on contentious matters, such as claims brought in relation to inheritance disputes. Sources value the team for being “approachable and down-to-earth.”

______________________________________

REAL ESTATE

Norwich and surrounds – Band 4

The real estate department of Leathes Prior is “diligent” and “very quick to respond,” providing clients with “an excellent service.” The practice is focused particularly on development and portfolio work, with clients drawn from the education, healthcare and sports sectors. The team has been instructed by NatWest, Novus Homes and Trustees of the Great Hospital.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Robert Sibley – Norwich – Band 2

Robert Sibley is head of the real estate team at Leathes Prior. He recently advised Bathstore.com on its retail expansion programme and Black Swan International on a multimillion-pound care home group refinancing.

______________________________________

REAL ESTATE LITIGATION

Norwich and surrounds – Band 2

This firm advises on all aspects of commercial, residential and agricultural property disputes. Sources attest that the four-strong team is “highly professional and very personable,” and that it is adept at providing “accurate information, advice and action delivered in a timely manner.” Clients include Dereham Town Council, and the firm is particularly noted for its strong private client base.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Darren Bowen – Norwich – Band 1

Darren Bowen who heads the property litigation team is described by sources as “very professional and very easy to communicate with, but can also explain issues in a way which a lay person can easily understand.”

______________________________________

RESTRUCTURING/INSOLVENCY

Norwich and surrounds – Band 2

The specialist team at Leathes Prior has a reputation for expertise in corporate insolvencies. It is developing significant experience of acting for financially distressed sports businesses and clubs, and also advises insolvency practitioners on matters relating to their appointments to distressed businesses. Clients include F A Simms & Partners, Smith Aston, Baker Tilly and Ensors.

KEY INDIVIDUALS

Adam McCaw – Norwich – Band 2

Adam McCaw advises on personal insolvency and also displays deep expertise in corporate recovery and turnaround procedures. Interviewees say “he really knows his stuff” and “identifies practical solutions.” Clients praise his professionalism, accessibility and commitment to clients in difficult situations.

Ina Beurich – Norwich – Associate to Watch

Ina Beurich advises and assists clients on all aspects of insolvency law and practice. Sources say they “cannot praise her enough.”

UEA spin-out company, Intelligent Fingerprinting, was named the region’s ‘One to Watch’ business at the EDP’s annual Business Awards ceremony which took place last night at a gala event at the Holiday Inn in Norwich.

The One to Watch category set out to identify a company from within the EDP’s Future 50 family of businesses able to demonstrate a pioneering approach to business and with the potential to flourish and deliver impressive results. The category is about recognising an early stage business which shows the promise to become a success story of tomorrow. Judges were looking for drive, impact, potential and vision.

Intelligent Fingerprinting was one of three finalists competing for the award, which was sponsored by NWES. Professor David Russell received the award from BBC Look East’s Stewart White.

For further information about the Business Awards visit www.edpbusinessawards.co.uk

For more information about Intelligent Fingerprinting visit www.intelligentfingerprinting.com

The chairman of Eastern Airways, which operates scheduled services from Norwich Airport, has urged the UK Government to review the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) reporting process and procedures.

“The Emissions Trading Scheme, implemented by Brussels earlier this year is good in theory but, for Europe’s smaller carriers, is a disaster in practice,” says Eastern Airways chairman, Bryan Huxford. “I find it unbelievable that the scheme results in the cost of administration equalling or exceeding the cost of compliance for smaller airlines,” he continued.

“Eastern Airways, together with every other European airline takes very seriously the need to minimise the impact of its flights on climate change, even though we already have an aircraft fleet that is extremely fuel efficient. However, the Emissions Trading Scheme for aviation, implemented by the European Community is far from being in the interests of Eastern Airways’ customers.” he continued.

The UK regional airline believes that climate protection is a matter of concern for everyone but it is also very much in Eastern Airways’ business interests. Gaseous emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) is generated from the kerosene that is used as the fuel for aircraft engines and today’s fuel price is a strong incentive to find all possible ways (always, of course, maintaining strict adherence to existing safety regulations) to minimise fuel consumption. Less fuel used, results in lower emissions. “The high price of fuel already gives us the strongest possible incentive to be as fuel efficient as possible without the imposition of ETS,” said Bryan.

However, the airline’s real concern is that the ETS legislation goes far beyond what is claimed to be solely an environmental measure. Even though the science of climate change is still inexact, the administration of the fuel usage reporting required by the Scheme is so complex that administrative costs exceed the price of the carbon allowances that Eastern Airways has to buy.

“We do not object to buying the carbon allowances but we see no sense whatsoever in obliging our passengers to pay, through their fares, for complex and precise reporting procedures that contribute nothing to environmental protection,” Bryan added. Eastern Airways’ chairman has written to the Government and Civil Aviation Authority calling for an immediate alleviation of the costs by using simpler and more rationale reporting procedures.

Mike Ambrose, Director General of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) said: “Forcing small airlines to adopt reporting procedures that demand a level of precision many dimensions different from the inexactness of climate change science is absurd. If the European Commission and European Parliament members had listened to the industry when the scheme was drafted, such a ridiculous situation would have been avoided.

“Earlier this month, David Cameron urged the EU to cut its bureaucracy. If the UK government fails to act to cut through this wasteful red tape, it will be passengers who will continue to fund this needless bureaucracy,” Mr Ambrose concluded.

Eastern Airways first started operating scheduled flights from Norwich in 1999 and provides three services each weekday, plus a Sunday service to Aberdeen.

As part of the Transport for Norwich (Norwich Area Transport) strategy we are proposing improvements to the St Stephens, Surrey Streetand Chapel Field North area. We are confident that the proposals will:

• make the area a better place for shopping • make journeys into and around Norwich easier • create a safer and more accessible environment for cyclists and pedestrians • promote quicker and more reliable bus services.

The changes proposed would mean traffic is managed differently in the following streets: Bethel Street, Chapel Field North, Cleveland Road, Convent Road, Grapes Hill roundabout, Little Bethel Street, Rampant Horse Street, Red Lion Street, St Stephens Street, Surrey Street and Westlegate.

The total project cost is estimated to be around £1.45m. The funding is from the Department for Transport Better Bus Area fund, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, the Greater Norwich Development Partnership and developers.

To find out more and have your say visit:

https://www.norwich.gov.uk/transportfornorwich

Proserv, a leading global provider of production technology services, has secured a £1.2million contract to supply topside control equipment at a major southern North Sea development.

The company was awarded the deal on the Cygnus field by operator GDF SUEZ through its design contractor AMEC. As part of the agreement Proserv will supply the design, engineering and build of wellhead control panels and accompanying topside umbilical termination units for the Alpha and Bravo platforms.

Six of the 10 development wells for both platforms will be controlled by the initial panel design and includes the commissioning of spares and specialist tools.

Proserv’s team of controls experts based at the company’s dedicated engineering and manufacturing facility in Great Yarmouth will play a key role in carrying out the work.

The production platform will use an umbilical to provide fibre optic communication and utilities to the Bravo wellhead platform and Proserv will also supply the topside termination panels for the utilities. The subsea export pipeline has a subsea isolation valve (SSIV) fitted, which is controlled from the production platform, with Proserv providing the topside umbilical termination unit.

Design and engineering work is currently underway, with equipment due for delivery in 2013/14.

This latest deal follows the announcement in August of two contracts worth a combined £6million. The first project involves the provision of electro-hydraulic multiplex subsea control systems at the Maersk Oil operated Talisman Clyde-platform over 12 months. Topside and subsea manifold control systems support is being provided on a development in the Southern North Sea for the second.

Commenting on the project win, David Lamont, Proserv’s chief executive officer, said: “The award of this contract is further evidence of the great reputation the team in Great Yarmouth and indeed Proserv has built, and continues to build with our customers globally.

“Our values combined with marketing-leading technologies and great people allows us to deliver world-class products and services from our Great Yarmouth facility on time and within budget consistently. These elements have been crucial in supporting our expansion to date and will stay at our core as our reputation and business continues to grow.”

Over recent months you may have noted that we have been quickly expanding. Several new clients have joined us, some of our existing customers are growing themselves and we have needed to scale the business accordingly.

As our clients rely on us to be their IT Partner we have needed to be sure that we have real technical depth and expertise across a wide range of technology platforms. Finding someone with the technical skill to satisfy our wide and diverse client base is not an easy task. However, we have been lucky enough to bring John Gostling into the business and we welcome him as our new Systems Engineer.

John has been an IT professional for many years and has outsourced IT experience with several other local IT service providers. John is a tremendous asset to us and he will be filling a role working alongside our Service Delivery Manager on the Projects and Consultancy side of the business. Naturally, John’s skills will be utilised throughout the business and new and existing clients will hopefully be quick to feel his presence.

John says ‘I’m delighted to have joined Breakwater IT who I see as being an IT company one cut above the rest. Breakwater have a really interesting mix of clients that have all kinds of demands and pressures, I’m looking forward to meeting those clients and working with the existing team here.’

At the same time we are pleased to welcome Amy Mansfield to the Team. Amy is our Client Support Agent and her extensive background in customer service makes her an excellent person to be on the end of the phone for our clients. Amy’s customer focus is already being felt around the office and with our existing clients.

Surrey operator picks up ‘Best Tour Operator to Italy’ at BTAs

Surrey-based tour operator Newmarket Holidays was “absolutely delighted” in picking up the ‘Best Tour Operator to Italy’ accolade at this week’s British Travel Awards in London.

Speaking immediately after the award of the ‘Best Tour Operator to Italy’ title, Newmarket’s Andy Jones, Air Product Director who has overseen the company’s holiday programme throughout the Mediterranean for the past 15 years, said he was delighted that the work of the team at Newmarket and especially ‘on the ground’ in Italy had been rewarded in such a way. “Our staff and agents in Italy can feel justly proud of this achievement, which is well deserved”, said Mr Jones. “It is especially gratifying to know that this award was voted for by the travelling public, who have shown their support and appreciation for our holidays over many years.”

The BTA award comes as Newmarket – whose Italian range includes resort-based stays and escorted tours throughout the Italian peninsular – looks towards yet more celebrations marking the company’s 30th Anniversary in 2013.

For 2013 Newmarket Holidays will be offering a range of European resort-based and escorted touring holidays flying from Norwich International, these will include the ever popular Italian lakes, escorted tours to discover Portugal’s Silver coastline, Rome, Venice, Verona and more and relaxing stays in the popular Dubrovnik Riviera. Newmarket Holidays have also added two holidays to the French Riviera and the stunning scenery of Provence to their 2013 Norwich programme.

For further details please visit www.newmarketholidays.co.uk

This year Norwich based website design & development company, 101 has decided to embrace the Mo and join the growing number of people who sprout moustaches with the aim of spreading awareness and raising funds for Mens Health. Movember as it is known has been running for over half a decade, raising money to help combat prostate and testicular cancer.

They are aiming to raise as much as they can to help this worthy cause. 101 have created their own Mo Team Page where you can keep track of their team’s Mo growth.

If you would like to help this worthwhile cause, you can donate as much or as little as you want by visiting the 101 Team Page.

Norvic are pleased to be running two free courses on 19th December:

Gastrostomy Care and Tracheostomy Care

Gastrostomy Care 09:00 – 12:00

• What is a Percutaneous Gastrostomy (PEG)?
• When is a PEG used?
• Common reasons
• Benefits of PEG feeding
• Care of PEG tube
• Feeding by Nasogastric tubes
• Procedure prior to a Nasogastric feed
• Preparation and storage of feeds
• Administration of feeds
• Troubleshooting

Tracheostomy Care 12:30 – 15:30

• What is a Tracheostomy?
• Why Tracheostomy?
• Types of Tracheostomy tubes
• Care of the Tracheostomy patient/tube
• Humidification
• Why humidification?
• Heat-moisture exchange unit
• Changing inner cannula (tube) – Why and when – Equipment & procedure
• Changing Tracheostomy Dressing – Why and when – Equipment & procedure
• Suction of Tracheostomy tube – Why and when – Equipment & procedure
• Resuscitation for Neck-breathing Patients

Places are free but limited – Call 01603 861612 or emailus to book