Pannone Corporate has strengthened its retail and leisure credentials with a trio of client wins, after recently being appointed by The Lowry, New Balance and Beauty Bay.

The North West law firm will provide legal support to the renowned North West arts centre, The Lowry, while the firm has also recently been appointed to the legal panel for New Balance – a global sports footwear and apparel manufacturer. In addition, Pannone has joined the legal panel for skincare and cosmetics retailer, Beauty Bay.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone Corporate, said: “Retail and leisure remain a core part of our experience, and we are delighted to kick off the first quarter of the year with such positive additions to our expanding client portfolio.

“The Lowry, New Balance, and Beauty Bay, are all prominent brands across key their own retail and leisure sub-sectors, and help to strengthen our industry credentials in the regional market, across a range of teams and specialisms.”

Last year, Pannone was appointed by Costcutter and The Fragrance Shop, as well as being reappointed to the Boohoo Group legal panel. Pannone Corporate works alongside a growing list of retail and wholesale businesses including Bestway and Iceland.

Jonson added: “Retail and leisure are hugely varied and constantly evolving sectors, which continue to demonstrate dynamism in the face of strong economic headwinds and changing consumer dynamics. Whether it’s sports, fashion, arts and culture, or beauty, each has distinct challenges and opportunities. Our team is perfectly placed to support clients as they continue on their growth journey – both domestically and overseas.”

The results of Pannone Corporate’s 2023 Regulatory survey are in!

Earlier this year we invited responses on a number of issues, to gauge the current concerns and anxieties within businesses as to their compliance obligations and worries for the coming year.

Responses continue to be received, although at this early stage a number of clear trends have already started to emerge.

What EHS issues are currently causing the greatest concerns for businesses?

By far and away the most common concern for recipients of the survey is the issue and impact of sustainability, with 75% of respondents highlighting this as an area of current concern for them and their business.

• Much commentary has already been prepared as to the increasing awareness and presence of sustainability as a concept, and we consider that the focus on re-use, recycling and drive towards a circular economy will continue to pervade all aspects of day-to-day business operations, across sectors.
• We have already started to see claims in the UK against Boards regarding the accuracy of their green credentials, and this area only looks set to further dominate business attention over the coming months and years.

Of almost equal concern amongst respondents to our survey (62%) was their ability to attract and retain quality staff.

• This is an issue which may have its roots in Brexit, but which has likely been exacerbated by global events since 2020. In our experience, employees are now more conscious of issues arising within their working environment and less likely to accept conditions that may be prejudicial to them.

However, somewhat surprisingly, less than 40% of respondents ranked employee wellbeing as a current concern for their business.

• Despite recent emphasis on employee wellbeing within the wider media, and an express intention by the Health and Safety Executive in its current Business Strategy to address workplace stress, on a practical level it does not appear that this external pressure has translated into a significant business priority at this time.
• It is only a matter of time before enforcement action is taken in connection with employee wellbeing, and it is hoped that businesses address their mind to this growing area sooner rather than later.

What has had the biggest impact on EHS?

A clear concern amongst respondents to our survey is confusion caused around the introduction of new legislation, the extent to which new regulations will apply to them and the potentially limited guidance available from central Government in respect of discrete issues, with one respondent stating a desire for, “plain and simple,” language to be used.  For regulations and guidance to be effective, they need to be capable of understanding and comprehension by recipients.

Added to this, the still unknown impact of the Retained EU Law Bill is continuing to cause anxiety for many respondents to our survey, with a number highlighting this as a concern for the immediate future.

The draft Bill continues to work its way through Parliament but, if enacted in its current form, risks removing overnight the majority of EU-derived workplace regulations, including the Working Time Directive, Work at Height Regulations and CDM. Were this to occur, it would have a seismic impact on all businesses and would fundamentally change the nature of workplace regulation.

How can businesses prepare?

The world of workplace and business regulation has been evolving over a number of years, and global events since 2020 have accelerated this change. For example, not only has there been an increase in the number of matters subject to regulation, but the manner and methodology by which regulators discharge their functions has also had to be revised.

These changes look set to continue, and what is clear from the survey responses is that businesses appear to be less concerned with traditional compliance issues and physical health and safety and are currently focused instead on novel issues.

No one can predict the future, but the recent shift in the nature of workplace compliance looks set to continue and businesses should take steps to embrace these changes.

As Lord Robens suggested in his 1972 report, which laid the foundation for the Health and Safety at Work etc Act, what he considered was required was a “greater acceptance of shared responsibility, for more reliance on self-inspection and self-regulation and less on state regulation.”

Going forwards, we consider that rather than businesses addressing their mind to specific risk as they arise – as may have been the case in respect of traditional health and safety concerns and risks to physical safety – what the world of workplace compliance increasingly requires now is a holistic approach.

For example, in respect of employee wellbeing, provision of workplace perks is unlikely to be sufficient on its own. Whilst such measures will usually be appreciated by a workforce, what is of increasing importance is the condition of their entire employment relationship, including in respect of management culture, monotony of daily routines and efficiency of IT systems.

Pannone Corporate has announced the promotion of two longstanding members of the team to Partner.

Effective from 3 February, Jonny Scholes has been promoted to Partner in the firm’s Dispute Resolution team. Jonny has been with Pannone since its inception in 2014, having previously worked at Pannone LLP joining in 2005. Jonny has built up a strong reputation in his field, particularly in the area of contentious trusts and probate – a top tier practice area for the firm in the Legal 500 rankings.

He is joined as Partner by Daniel Clarke, who leads the Corporate Recovery and Insolvency practice at Pannone. Like Jonny, Daniel joined Pannone LLP nearly 20 years ago and qualified in 2006. Daniel advises on all aspects of corporate and personal insolvency, including administration, bankruptcy, CVAs/IVAs, and restructuring and re-organisation.

Commenting on his promotion, Dan said: “I’m delighted to have been promoted to Partner alongside Jonny, during what is an exciting period of growth for the firm. The investment we make in talent is integral to our ongoing success – not just for the Corporate Recovery and Insolvency team, but for the firm as a whole.”

Jonny added: “I’m very proud to have been promoted to Partner and I look forward to helping Pannone continue to flourish alongside a group of wonderful and hard-working people.”

The promotions follow a number of recent appointments, as the firm continues to invest in future talent. As part of the recruitment drive, Joshua Dolan joins the firm as a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team; Will Newman has been appointed as a solicitor in the Real Estate team; Ciara Scanlon joins in the Employment team as a solicitor; Natasha Mafunga has been appointed as a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team; Jack Taylor further strengthens the Dispute Resolution team, also joining as a solicitor; with Renée Neophytou completing the raft of appointments, joining the Corporate team as a solicitor.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, commented: “Each promotion and appointment represents Pannone’s commitment to investing in our people and the future of our business.

“The Partner promotions are thoroughly well deserved. Jonny and Dan have both demonstrated true commitment, dedication and passion to the firm, acting as a real example to those rising through the ranks, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”

When Andy Burnham, then MP for Leigh, proposed a statutory duty of candour for public authorities back in 2017, he no doubt hoped that progress might now have been made. His draft Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, prompted by his involvement with the Hillsborough families, would have required public authorities to admit responsibility following adverse and mass casualty incidents, potentially even before court proceedings had been intimated.

That Bill was put on hold following the snap General Election in May 2017, but calls for progress have recently been reinvigorated following the introduction of similar duties within the healthcare sector, as well as a number of high-profile incidents, including the Grenfell Tower fire and, more recently, the inquest touching upon the death of Awaab Ishak.

Statutory duty of candour

During a public discussion held in Manchester last month, Mr Burnham supported calls for the playing field to be levelled between bereaved families on the one hand, and well-resourced public authorities on the other during investigations into mass casualty events. It appears that this objective has been borne out of disquiet that, despite the extent of investigations prior to the second Hillsborough inquest, neither the coronial nor criminal justice system had been able to reveal the cover-ups which subsequently came to light.

The ‘Hillsborough Law’ which is proposed would establish a statutory duty of candour, requiring public authorities, public servants and officials to:

• act at all times in the public interest and with transparency, candour and frankness, and to detail the measures taken to further to these objectives in a published Code of Ethics;
• assist court proceedings, official inquiries and investigations where their own acts or omissions are (or may be) relevant; and
• disclose information which may change the scope of any proceedings, inquiry or investigation.

It is proposed that ‘public authority’ be given the wide-ranging and inclusive definition: “any national or local government department… institution or agency engaged in functions of a public nature… [this] includes entities with a private structure but which are majority owned by public funds.”

To ensure compliance with the proposed duties, it is suggested that new offences be created for failure to discharge the duty, punishable by a fine and/ or custodial sentence.

Offences would also be committed by public servants, if they intentionally or recklessly misled the general public, the media or proceedings. In addition to an organisation’s offending, individuals would also be liable if by their acts or omissions they hindered their authority’s compliance with its the duty.

Parity of funding

Hillsborough Law also suggests that bereaved families and ‘core participants’ at inquiries and inquests be entitled to publicly funded legal assistance and representation at the same level, or in proportion to, the resources available to the public authority, to ensure a parity of arms.

What could this achieve?

When introducing the initial draft of what is now the Hillsborough Law back in 2017, Andy Burnham summarised the motivation as “simple”:

“It [is]…to protect other families from going through what the Hillsborough families went through and from a similar miscarriage of justice. It empowers victims to secure disclosure of crucial information and prevent public authorities from lying to them or hiding the truth by making that an imprisonable offence… it creates a level legal playing field at inquests for bereaved families so that finally inquests become what they should always be – a vehicle to get to the truth.”

When can we expect a change?

First introduced in 2017, the Bill’s progress was thwarted by the dissolution of Parliament for the General Election in May of that year.

The Law Commission has consulted generally on the offence of misconduct in public office, providing its final report in December 2020, which concluded that the offence should not be retained in its current form. Specifically the Commission recommended repeal of the offence and its replacement with two separate offences, being:

• An offence of corruption in public office, applicable when a public office holder knowingly uses, or fails to use, the public position for the purpose of achieving a benefit, where that behaviour would be considered seriously improper; and
• An offence of breach of duty in public office, which would apply where a public office holder is subject to and aware of a duty to prevent death or serious injury that arises only by virtue of the functions of the public office, where there is a breach of that duty and in so doing the person is reckless as to the risk of death or serious injury.

The Government’s response to the Commission’s report is awaited, and it does not therefore appear that there is any current appetite within government to progress the proposals.

By contrast, Labour have publicly stated that the Hillsborough Law will form part of its next election manifesto and it will introduce relevant legislation is if is elected.

Public Advocate Bill

Some progress may have been made towards the general aims of ensuring parity between bereaved families and public authorities with the introduction last summer of the Public Advocate Bill, which has received its first reading in the House of Lords. A date for its second reading is awaited.

The current draft of the Bill proposes the establishment of a Public Advocate office, which would have responsibility for reporting to bereaved families regarding the progress of criminal and inquisitorial investigations into casualty events, to set up a panel to review all documentation relating to the event if requested, and publish a report following its review of such documents. Again, the objective is to minimise the potential for cover-ups and permit full analysis of the facts at the earliest opportunity.

Comment

To date there is little clarity as to what exactly is meant by the term, ‘candour,’ and the precise scope of the proposed Hillsborough Law remains unclear. Certainly we would not expect any duty to require criminal suspects to make admissions prior to appearing before the Court: that would fundamentally undermine the criminal justice system.

A similar proposal in Scotland has recently been rejected by the Scottish Government, on the basis that it considers the existing legal framework to be, “robust,” and has dismissed further specific legislation as, “unnecessary.”

Questions will also arise as to the tension between the requirement for candour and the right to silence in the criminal process. Where someone reasonably asserts that right, they are unlikely to be guilty of lacking candour. However, the idea that any assertion of the right of silence will be subject to third party scrutiny is seismic to say the least.

The proposal to extend legal assistance to bereaved families is likely to receive widespread support. However, the very significant cuts to the legal aid budget in recent years and continuing austerity generally begs the question: where will the money come from?

Interestingly, the 2017 Bill proposed a limit on the legal spend of public authorities in responding to inquests and inquiries – the logic being that the requirement for them to ‘come clean’ at the outset will reduce the length of investigations and thereby ensure costs savings for all. Any such limits may however fetter the ability of public authorities to fully and properly articulate their case when responding to investigations.

Also, it is often extremely difficult at the outset of an inquiry or inquest to estimate the overall costs that may be incurred. Were a cap to be introduced in responding to any such proceedings, the basis for this would need to be carefully considered, to ensure that all parties are capable of achieving full and proper advice and representation.

In addition, of the organisations which have to date voluntarily accepted responsibility in the immediate aftermath of adverse incidents, there has been little acknowledgement of their acceptance or explicit reduction in the fine imposed.

For example, Sentencing Guidelines for health and safety offences are stated to be punitive and designed to send a message to shareholders. To this end they can therefore be seen as a ‘stick’ to encourage early admissions and prompt acceptance of responsibility.

However, there does not appear to be any comparable or tangible ‘carrot.’ In the absence of an acknowledged benefit or (financial) incentive for being candid, a potential defendant to further investigation is likely to consider themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

Conclusion

Despite the suggestions for improvement which have been highlighted by bereaved families over recent years, the enactment of a statutory duty of candour appears low on the Government’s priorities at the current time.

If the proposed Hillsborough Law is to become law then there needs to be careful consideration of the potential, but significant, implications to ensure that there is genuinely fairness to all parties concerned.

Essex-born 26-year-old Joel Costi-Mouyia lives in West Didsbury and is a paralegal in our Dispute Resolution team. 

When he’s not resolving disputes, he’s playing football or making music – keep reading to learn more about his route to working in law and professional aspirations for the future. 

What was your role/experience prior to joining Pannone?

I graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2018 and began working for DWF as part of RSA Manchester’s in-house civil litigation team where I specialised in RTA related cases. 

Although this was my first post-graduation job in law, I also previously completed work in a Citizens Advice Bureau on issues relating to welfare rights, as well as completing a three month placement in Liverpool University’s Legal Aid Clinic, where I worked on matters concerning immigration and asylum seeking. 

While these two experiences are certainly different to my current line of work, they gave me invaluable exposure to the practical application of the law.

What is your role at Pannone?

I’m a paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team, dealing with a wide range of disputes in the fields of debt recovery, commercial contracts, wills and probate, property and intellectual property.

Why did you join Pannone?

Pannone is a young law firm that has grown since it started in 2014 – this success was something that I wanted to be a part of. 

We’re also a firm that really emphasises the importance of a collaborative working environment, which is something that really appeals to me. As a junior member of our team, it’s often I’ll need to pick the brains of some our more senior members of staff and they’re always more than happy to help out. This has been great – not just for my own development, but also in making me feel like a welcomed and well-integrated member of the firm. 

What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications?

I’ve had a relatively standard introduction to the legal and professional world. Not long after graduation, I began working for DWF in November of the same year and then began my LPC full-time in January 2020. 

I completed this in December 2020 and was fortunate enough for DWF to offer me some part-time work whilst I completed my LPC studies, which allowed me to maintain some level of income. 

I then went on to join Pannone in December 2021 and I’m delighted to have recently been offered a training contract which I am due to start in September 2023. 

Why did you choose this route?

Having worked primarily in litigation for the past four years, I felt it was important to follow the training contract route as a means of expanding my knowledge alongside my contentious professional legal experience. 

Pannone has a number of interesting departments dealing with non-litigious client issues such as corporate law that I’m excited to work in as part of my training contract seats and wider legal education.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

Definitely hitting drafting deadlines and securing positive results for our clients. Throughout my time at Pannone, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed building and developing relationships with our clients and to be able to meet their goals and expectations is something I take a lot of pride in.  

What does a typical day look like?

I normally start my day by checking through my emails to make sure that nothing urgent has come in the previous evening requiring my immediate attention. Once I’ve done this, I’ll get into the work that I’ve planned out for the day. 

Organisation is an essential skill for excelling in our work, so at the end of each working day I tend to draft a small to-do list of tasks that I’ll need to tackle the following day.

What are your career ambitions?

Having been offered a training contract, my initial ambition is to qualify as a solicitor at Pannone Corporate. There’s a wealth of experience across the firm, so I’m hoping to soak up as much of this as possible and continue to develop and improve in the right way. 

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do? 

I think I would try and promote some sort of fitness initiative to all employees. I’m a big believer in the ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ approach to life and find that if I’m regularly exercising, it helps me to manage my own workload and deal with any stresses, work-related or not, that get thrown my way. 

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law? 

Maths was probably my long-standing favourite subject at school and was almost the subject I chose to study at university. I did toy with the idea of something more maths related, such as economics or actuarial science, but neither of these were something I ended up going for.

Career wise, it’s difficult to say, but I’ve always tried to blend my love of music and sport with my professional ambitions, so I’d like to think I may have done some sort of work dealing directly with sportspeople and musicians. My master’s dissertation was based on whether current copyright legislation provides scope for streaming platforms to exploit musicians and therefore not adequately remunerate them for their work – so law and music is something I’ve always attempted to fuse. If not this, a professional career as a musician or producer wouldn’t have gone amiss!

What can lawyers / the legal profession do to better support clients? Does anything need to change?

One step I always think is vital is to help our clients understand the litigation process. I’m conscious that from the client’s side, the legal world can be intimidating and often convoluted, so it’s important for us to untangle and simplify this as best as we can. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I currently play football for Village Manchester Football Club in the Lancashire and Cheshire Saturday league. If I’m not playing football, I also enjoy running or going to the gym. 

Do you have any particular skills/talents that your work colleagues may not know about?

I take a lot of pride in my love for music and have been playing piano since around the age of eight. I have also performed as part of an indie-rock band as a singer and guitarist, having received track of the week accolades on BBC Introducing and also supported an NME award-winning artist as part of their UK tour. 

In the past couple of years, I’ve also started DJing and performing in different places around Manchester – not to mention the Pannone Corporate party last Autumn.

North West law firm, Pannone Corporate, has advised on transactions with an aggregate deal value of over £550 million in the first half of 2022.

The corporate team, led by partners Mark Winthorpe, Tom Hall and Tim Hamilton, has continued where it left off in Q4 of 2021, by completing 19 transactions, with an average deal value of £29 million. These were completed between January and June 2022 across M&A, IPO and private equity.

High-profile deals include: the cross-border sale of leading producer and supplier of premium organic superfood products, Go Superfoods Limited, to Swedish food-tech and FMCG listed company, Humble Group; the UK aspects of the IPO of TVS Supply Chain Solutions; NVM-backed nZero Group’s acquisition of Orbital Gas Systems; and the acquisition of UK-based eProcurement software company Market Dojo by global cloud platform Esker.

Mark Winthorpe said: “Despite obvious macroeconomic headwinds, the appetite for M&A – both nationally and internationally – has been very resilient during the first half of 2022.

“We have seen a number of instructions acting for private equity-backed groups looking for bolt on acquisitions to maintain their growth curve and, in certain instances, transform underperforming assets. The appetite for new investments also remains strong as private equity bidders become even more competitive in deal processes, as the valuations attributed to corporate bidders has, in our view, softened to a degree.”

He added: “Other stand out themes include truncated deal processes, with average deal periods being closer to two months (and sometimes much shorter than that) than over three months pre-pandemic. This is in part driven by the irreversible move towards technology in the deal process and the desire of sellers to de-risk with supply chain pressures and inflation having an impact on trading outlooks.”

Recent deals which Pannone has also acted on include: the cross-border sale of a controlling stake in Walker Sime by US-based Otak, part of Hanmi Global Group; Procuritas-backed Polarn O. Pyret’s acquisition of Odin Retail; and Maven Capital’s £4.25 million VCT round into baby care brand, Pura.

Tom Hall commented: “Our international M&A practice has had an incredibly strong first two quarters, with high quality instructions for UK assets from French, Spanish, US, Dutch and Swedish clients, amongst others.

“Technology is definitely ‘one to watch’ as US and European buyers show an unabated appetite for high quality targets, especially when coupled with the depreciation in the value of sterling against the Euro and the Dollar. When you combine that level of interest with strong performances across other key markets, such as financial services, online retail and food production businesses, we are confident for the remainder of 2022, with deals we are aiming to complete by the end of the Summer being circa £250 million in value.”

Pannone Corporate – the North West/Manchester [change for regionals] law firm – has bolstered its  debt recovery team with the appointment of Paul Jagger.

Paul, who joins from Ward Hadaway as Debt Recovery Manager, has 15 years’ experience in the sector, having previously worked at Turner Parkinson. Paul will work alongside Head of Debt Recovery, Karl Williams, in growing the team and its national client base, which includes DHL, L’Oreal and Manchester City Council.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Paul to firm, as we look to strengthen our debt recovery team over the coming months in key sectors, such as the debt collection industry, recruitment and retail, where Paul has significant experience.

“Paul has a fantastic track record of building and implementing industry-leading systems to enhance client services and we’re confident his knowledge of the market and practical experience will lay the foundations for future growth.”

His arrival follows the appointment of a raft of legal professionals to the firm. These include: Dominic Beddow, solicitor in Real Estate; Lauren Whittaker, Foreign Lawyer, Regulatory; and Belinda Cheung, Associate, Corporate.

Paul commented: “The opportunities and potential that exist at Pannone Corporate are very exciting and the prospect of being able to make my mark on the team, in terms of how we work and the technology we utilise, was too good to turn down.”

Commenting on the sector, he said: “The world we live in is constantly changing and the future direction of the debt recovery market is very difficult to predict. Creditors are seeing an increase in collection activity for already stretched credit control teams. It’s our job, with experience and system efficiencies, to provide cost-effective relief for creditors, while ensuring that those struggling businesses that are committed to paying are dealt with fairly.”

North West law firm, Pannone Corporate, has announced the promotion of seven people across its team, including two promotions to Associate Partner.

Effective from 21 July, Bill Dunkerley has been promoted to Associate Partner in the firm’s Regulatory team. Since joining the firm in 2019, Bill has quickly built up a strong reputation in the area of regulatory interventions and prosecutions, including corporate and gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, with extensive experience advising and assisting care providers.

He is joined as Associate Partner by Michael McNally, who joined the Employment team last year as director. He advises employers on all aspects of employment law, including regular representation and advocacy in the Employment Tribunal. He has particular experience working with businesses in the care, manufacturing, transport and logistics, retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.

Commenting on his promotion, Bill said: “I’m delighted to have been promoted to Associate Partner alongside Michael, during an exciting period of growth for Pannone Corporate.

“It’s a real honour to have moved up through the ranks, as we look to build on the momentum achieved across the Regulatory team, and the firm as a whole.”

In total, Pannone has promoted seven people. These include: Arshnoor Amershi, who has been promoted to Director in the Corporate Services team, where she specialises in all aspects of corporate legal work, such as M&A and disposals, reorganisations and restructuring; Andrew Walsh, who joined Pannone as a trainee solicitor seven years ago, rising up the ranks to become Senior Associate in Corporate Services; and James Brandwood, who has been promoted to Senior Associate in the Real Estate team. In addition, Radhika Das, who joined as a Legal Executive in 2018, has become an Associate in the Employment team; together with Lauren Beech, who has been promoted to Associate in Commercial Services.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, commented: “These promotions represent Pannone’s commitment to investing in our people and the future of the firm.

“The Associate Partner promotions are thoroughly well deserved. Bill and Michael have both demonstrated a clear focus on both technical excellence and commercial advice  in a short space of time, to provide a high quality service to clients. Everyone who has been promoted should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”

The promotions follow the recent appointments of Paul Jagger as Debt Recovery Manager, joining from Ward Hadaway, together with Dominic Beddow, solicitor in Real Estate, Lauren Whittaker, Foreign Lawyer, Regulatory, and Belinda Cheung, Associate, Corporate.

Pannone Corporate has advised on the cross-border strategic investment in risk-led intelligent security solutions provider, Amberstone Security.

The Manchester firm acted as legal adviser to Argenbright Group, a leading provider of human capital services headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Through the transaction, the US company will re-establish its UK presence and plans to expand into Europe with Amberstone as its platform company.

The Pannone team was led by Tim Hamilton and included Ashi Amershi, Andy Walsh, Belinda Cheung and Humera Patel.

Tim Hamilton said: “We’re delighted to have acted for Argenbright on this deal and look forward to working with them on the exciting journey that will see them develop as a significant player in the UK and European security sector.

“Argenbright has extensive experience and a strong reputation in the international security market, stretching over four decades. This strategic transaction will extend its global reach and capitalise on the rapid growth Amberstone has experienced in a short space of time.”

Amberstone services key customers in the retail, warehousing, and logistics sectors.

Frank A. Argenbright Jr., Executive Chairman of Argenbright, said: “We are excited to be back in the security business in the UK and I personally look forward to sharing my experiences of providing legendary service and technology-driven solutions to valued clients with the leadership team to help Amberstone take the business to the next level.”

Argenbright intends to invest in growing Amberstone, by adding significant capabilities in account management and sales, as well as selective strategic acquisitions.

Venture Capital is set to underpin the North West deals market in 2023, following a record year of fundraising, as uncertainty and high interest rates in the debt market continue to dampen the volume of leveraged buyouts.

After Venture Capital Trust (VCT) fundraising reached a record high of £1.13 billion in the 2021/22 tax year, VCTs are expected to continue to deploy capital in 2023, which includes investment in small and innovative North West companies. This is aided by the Government’s decision to extend the tax relief scheme beyond its original 2025 sunset clause, which will help maintain the positive momentum achieved over the past few years.

In the final quarter of 2022, a number of standout deals demonstrated the appetite of VCTs to invest in the regional North West market, contrary to what is perceived to be a London-centric investment approach. This included Manchester-based Summize – a contract lifecycle management disruptor – which secured £5 million Series A VCT funding from YFM Equity Partners and Maven Capital. The investment duo also led a £6.5 million Series A round into biomedical data specialist, Biorelate.

According to law firm, Pannone Corporate, which acted on both deals, VCT fundraising could reach new record levels in the tax year 2022/23, particularly given the sector’s ability to offset subscriptions against income tax – an ability to pay tax free dividends, at a time when Government fiscal policy tightens, especially in relation to income tax thresholds.

Mark Winthorpe, corporate partner at Pannone Corporate, said: “As the deals in 2022 demonstrate, venture capital investment is becoming an ever increasing element of the investment landscape, following a record year of fundraising.

“In many cases, VCTs are looking at a longer time horizon of five to seven years and investment rounds are increasingly done on a syndicated basis to increase the level of investment in the round and diversify a VCT’s portfolio. As such, this patient approach is making funds less susceptible to shorter-term economic and political impacts, with deal volumes also potentially benefiting from any softening of valuations.”

In 2022, Pannone acted on 12 VCT-backed deals, a 50% increase on the previous year. Overall, deal volume increased by 24%, with cross-border transactions continuing to feature strongly.

Other publishable high-profile deals in Q4 2022 included, acting for the management team of training and apprenticeships provider Babington on its tertiary buyout, backed by Unigestion; advising digitisation and data storage business, Storetec, on its MBO, backed by Bridges Fund Management; acting for Maven Capital on its investment through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund into British tech-for-good company GWD; advising the shareholders of Inprova Procurement on its MBO backed by NVM Private Equity; as well as acting on the cross-border acquisition of Easyairconditioning.com, advising Beijer Ref AB – a Swedish listed business, which specialises in the wholesale of cooling technology and HVAC.

Tim Hamilton, corporate partner at Pannone Corporate, said: “While uncertainty in the UK economy is putting off some overseas buyers, who have choices about where to invest their funds, there are still those who see a weak pound as an opportunity to acquire businesses in a well regulated market and a mature economy at good value. As such, we expect cross-border deals to remain resilient in the next 12 months.

“In terms of sectors to watch in 2023, big data and data security remain attractive areas for investment, as evidenced by the Biorelate and Storetec deals in Q4. Data security is an area that firms will need to maintain investment in over the course of the next 12 months, given the wider geopolitical landscape, whether that’s in Ukraine, or the growing tension between China and the United States over Taiwan.”

North West law firm, Pannone Corporate, has strengthened its team with a number of appointments, as it continues to invest in future talent.

As part of the latest recruitment drive, Joshua Dolan joins the firm as a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team, where he will provide support across a range of areas, including advising on disputes for international clients. With particular experience in the UK and European transport sector, Joshua previously worked on the first ever collective proceeding case granted by the Competitions Appeals Tribunal on an “opt-in” basis.

He is joined by Will Newman who has been appointed as a solicitor in the Real Estate team. He will work alongside partners James Harris and James Wynne. He will be responsible for advising on a wide range of transactions, including titles, refinance and leases for both landlords and tenants across a range of sectors, including hospitality, industrial and retail.

Ciara Scanlon joins in the Employment team as a solicitor. Having recently qualified as a solicitor, she will support the team in delivering employment law advice, as well assisting in employment tribunal claims.

Ciara is joined by Natasha Mafunga who qualified in 2020. Natasha has been appointed as a solicitor in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, where she will work across the team’s specialisms, including contested trust and probate matters and commercial litigation.

Jack Taylor further strengthens the Dispute Resolution team, also joining as a solicitor. Jack will have a particular focus on Real Estate litigation, providing practical and commercial advice to a range of clients across the team’s key sectors.

Renée Neophytou completes the raft of appointments, joining the Corporate team as a solicitor, working alongside partners, Mark Winthorpe, Tom Hall, and Tim Hamilton. Renée will assist clients on issues including mergers and acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, and shareholder reorganisations.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, said: “We’re delighted to welcome our latest recruits to our growing team.

“As a firm, we’re committed to hiring and investing in young talent. We recognise the value they can bring to the firm and our clients and I’m confident they will all be a real asset across our Dispute Resolution, Corporate, Employment and Real Estate teams.”

Joshua Dolan commented: “Pannone has an excellent reputation for the diversity and quality of its work, as well as its portfolio of clients. I was also attracted by the great team dynamic, not just within Dispute Resolution team, but across the entire firm, and I’m delighted to be joining at such an exciting time, in terms of growth and opportunity.”

For those working in the legal profession, the Legal 500 rankings are an annual fixture in a firm’s calendar. The rankings are based on client feedback about what it’s like to work with lawyers, and which firms excel in particular areas.

As a firm, we rank favourably across the practice areas in which we operate and this is testament to our belief that our talented team is even greater than the sum of its parts.

We also believe in celebrating recognition for an outstanding performance, which is why it’s fantastic to see some of our team named in the Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards shortlist. This shortlist has just been announced to recognise the lawyers, law firms and in-house legal departments setting the pace in the region, providing a platform to celebrate their achievements over the last 18 months.

The shortlists and winners were based on the Legal 500’s independent research for their annual UK Solicitors guide and winners will be selected by a judging panel.

We would like to congratulate our colleagues below on being shortlisted by the Legal 500 and look forward to the awards in March.

• TMT – rising star – Sarah Bazaraa
• Corporate – rising star – Andrew Walsh
• Private client litigation – lawyer of the year – Nicola Marchant
• TMT – firm of the year – Pannone Corporate IP/IT team

Welcome to our latest IP update – insight into the most recent cases and developments in IP law. We’ll uncover the news stories most relevant to you and provide insight into what they mean for your business.

To find out more, click here

If you have any questions about the updates or any IP issues or challenges you’re facing, please contact Melanie McGuirk or Alexandria Winstanley.

For our first profile of 2023, we meet Rebecca Mason, PA in the Litigation and Disputes Resolution team.

Hear all about how 23-year-old Rebecca from Worsley came to work in law, her involvement in the firm’s wider community groups and her athletic talents.

When did you join Pannone Corporate?

I joined Pannone as a PA back in July 2022 and, prior to this, I worked in the financial services industry within the SIPP department for investment platform, AJ Bell.

Why did you join Pannone?

The legal sector has always interested me and, as a recent graduate still somewhat figuring out my career path, I believed that working as a PA offered a brilliant opportunity to gain some on-the-ground insight into the industry. 

The chance to work in the role at one of the North West’s leading law firms has been invaluable for my career development. On a daily basis, I’m able to work alongside a vast number of inspirational people, ranging from junior to senior level.

What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications?

I studied history, psychology and English language and literature at A Level and then went on to study history at the University of Sheffield, where I specialised in the history of the British Empire and humanitarianism throughout the course of the twentieth century.

Why did you take this route?

History has always been a subject close to my heart and I was allured by the prospect of covering untouched, or in some circumstances, neglected areas of history. 

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

Leaving the office knowing that I’ve made someone else’s day that bit easier!

What does a typical day look like?

The best thing about being a PA is that no two days are the same. I work alongside a range of team members with different specialist areas, meaning that my work can be very varied. Predominantly, this involves conducting research, pulling evidence together through bundles, diary management and overseeing administrative duties.

What are your career ambitions?

I want to continue developing my skillset as a PA, whilst deepening my knowledge of the legal sector. There is a plethora of progression opportunities within the legal industry which are not exclusively for those with solicitor qualifications, so I’m hoping to explore these options further in the future.

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do? 

I’d encourage my colleagues to get involved in both the charity and environmental groups within our firm to increase the positive influence that we have in both the local and wider community.

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law? 

I love participating in and watching sport, so perhaps a role in sports journalism.

Do you have any particular skills/talents that your work colleagues may not know about?

I previously competed at national level in both athletics and cross country, with my proudest achievements including a bronze team medal in the Northern cross-country championships, as well as holding an unbeaten age-group record at San Francisco parkrun! 

Although I’m no longer a competitive athlete, I am still very much involved in my local athletics club, Salford Harriers, and I am the senior women’s team manager.

In the latest of our quarterly retail law updates, we look at the news and legal developments affecting the sector.

This month, it covers the pitfalls of email marketing, options for struggling retailers and, one year on, what has the Environment Act achieved, as well as a guest post from Mazars with an update us on the latest developments around the online sales tax.

Read our quarterly update here

If you would like to discuss these topics in more detail, or have any questions, contact partner, Melanie McGuirk on 07790 882567 or email melanie.mcguirk @pannonecorporate-com

In this instalment of My Life in Law, we get to know one of our brilliant PAs who works alongside our fee earners to ensure the firm runs smoothly and that we consistently deliver excellent client services.

Claire Walton tells us what it’s like to support Pannone Corporate’s lawyers on a day-to-day basis, her desire to feed the nation, and her love of Vespas!

What was your role prior to joining Pannone?

I joined in September 2021 and, prior to this, I trained as air cabin crew for six years – a total career change! I’ve also worked within the healthcare sector, business travel and events, and parcel and transport. 

What is your role at Pannone? 

I work within a small team of PAs to support Pannone’s litigation and dispute resolution team.

Why did you join Pannone? 

I was searching for something completely different – wanting to learn something new and to step out of my comfort zone. Corporate law was completely off my radar, but I’d heard great things about Pannone and the people who worked there… it was a leap into the unknown, but a great leap!

What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications?

I didn’t have any experience working as a PA in law, so this sector was totally new to me. The majority of my experience has come from creative agencies, property development and sales – all skills that I’ve transferred over and are serving me well in the legal industry.

Why did you choose this route?

It chose me! 

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job? 

To be able to utilise what comes naturally to me – organisation, a bit of technical know-how and a good sense of people and customer service. It’s appreciated by my peers and that’s job satisfaction to me.

What does a typical day look like? 

Every day is different. I’m an avid list writer, so it always starts with a to-do list but it inevitably all changes once I log on. A good mix of work comes my way, it can be researching, creating e-shots for our monthly social posts, creating e-bundles and finalising letters. I also regularly support with events, meetings, workshops and seminars, which I really enjoy, as it means I get to meet new people. 

What are your career ambitions? 

To grow my skill set and progress to a learning and development role, where I can support others within the team. 

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?  

Pinch myself…!

What would you be doing if you didn’t work in law? 

I’d have a food van and my partner and I would travel the country feeding the nation!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

Tinkering with my 70’s Vespa style scooter and tootling around town. As you can probably guess from my food van dream, I also love cooking and eating.

In the latest in our My Life in Law series, we speak to Paralegal, Humera Patel. Humera joined the firm in September 2021 having cut her teeth in the legal industry at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Forbes Solicitors, where she assisted on a variety of corporate matters.

We hear all about her typical day, career goals and balancing a love of keeping fit with a love of eating out!

Tell us a little about your role at Pannone?

I work as part of the Corporate Services team and assist by drafting, negotiating and reviewing legal documents during corporate transactions.

I have been lucky enough to get involved with a wide range of work – from mergers and acquisitions to company re-organisations, investments and company secretarial work. The list just keeps getting longer, but it’s brilliant to get an insight into the full spectrum of services we offer.

Why did you join Pannone?

Pannone is one the best known innovative and collaborative law firms in the North. I was initially attracted to the firm due to its high calibre of clients, but from my first interview I knew Pannone was the right place for me.

The people and the culture of the firm really enhanced my belief that it would be a positive and inspirational place to work and, having now worked here for over a year, I can confirm my assumptions were correct!

The approachability of the senior members of the firm fosters a collaborative and supportive environment which makes a huge difference.

What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications?

I went down the traditional route: I studied law at the University of Central Lancashire, before undertaking the Legal Practice Course at University of Law.

My aspiration of pursuing a career in commercial law stems from my interest in both business and law – the synergies between these two fields are constantly growing and encompasses various aspects. I was always intrigued with the complexities of the legal system and how legislation constantly evolves, knowing that my job would never be a boring one!

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

Completing a transaction and meeting the clients expectations – definitely. After all the hard work, it’s exciting to get a deal over the line.

What does a typical day look like?

Very busy! I start my day with checking my emails and going through the day’s tasks. I then attend the corporate team catchup meeting where we discuss our workload and capacity.

I always try to deal with the smaller tasks first thing so that I can focus on the larger tasks throughout the day. The smaller jobs usually involve drafting ancillary documentation, data room management, and responding to internal and external emails.

The larger tasks comprise drafting key legal documents such as SPAs, Disclosure letters and Shareholders Agreements.  In between drafting and responding to emails, I normally attend calls with clients and/or other side solicitors to negotiate and discuss legal documents.

Although the processes remain generally the same, the breadth of clients means that each day is very different and things can often crop up unexpectedly, so it pays to be prepared!

What are your career ambitions?

My immediate goals are to work hard and continue to grow my skillset and knowledge of corporate law. In the future, I aspire to train as a solicitor, build an impressive client portfolio and follow in the footsteps of the partners in the corporate team.

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do? 

Give everyone a day off! On a serious note, I would organise a firm-wide social to get to know everyone in the firm better – the power of strong colleague relationships can’t be underestimated.

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law? 

I would have become a primary school teacher; I really enjoy spending time with kids and seeing them develop. Not to mention the holiday perks!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

In my spare time, I enjoy going on long walks and to the gym to keep fit and healthy, this helps me to maintain a healthy work life balance.

I also enjoy socialising with my friends and eating together. I’m a total a foodie; I love trying a variety of different foods from different cuisines. I’d say my favourite is Italian –  I could eat pizza and pasta all day, every day!

Welcome to our latest IP update – insight into the most recent cases and developments in IP law. We’ll uncover the news stories most relevant to you and provide insight into what they mean for your business.

To find out more, click here 

If you have any questions about the updates or any IP issues or challenges you’re facing, please contact Melanie McGuirk or Alexandria Winstanley.

Inspections in the UK’s care sector have fallen dramatically in the last seven years, as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) continues to evolve its regulatory model, accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.

From 2015 to this year, the number of inspections undertaken by the CQC has dropped by around 97 per cent – from a peak of almost 23,000 to just over 8,000 to date in 2022. Understandably, there was a significant reduction across all types of inspections during 2020 as a result of the pandemic, with the CQC temporarily ceasing all physical inspections from 16 March.

The figures obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the CQC – conducted by Pannone Corporate – also shows that announced inspections fell from a peak figure 6,684 in 2019 to 3,593, with unannounced inspections also decreasing, from 19,586 in 2016 to 4,663 to date in 2022.

Bill Dunkerley, regulatory lawyer and associate partner at law firm, Pannone Corporate, commented: “It’s very clear that the coronavirus pandemic had a profound effect on the CQC’s ability to carry out inspections within the care sector, despite a number of inspections taking place by means of its Emergency Support Framework.

“However, what is clear from the figures is that inspections have been progressively declining over a number of years, from their peak in 2016. The reason for this decline is unclear, given that inspections are the primary way the CQC monitors compliance. Anecdotally, there may have been an initial backlog from when the new legislation came into force, with the CQC reviewing every application for re-registration.

“As the Commission continues to capture information and rate providers in accordance with the new standards, there is less need for unannounced inspections, with Inspectors proceeding instead by way of ongoing monitoring and announced follow-up visits in response to specific concerns received. This reflects the CQC’s revised – and evolving – regulatory model, which emphasises targeted inspections in response to specific concerns received. Moving forward, this risk-based approach is likely to continue as part of the Commission’s move towards a ‘single inspection framework’ and programme of rolling multi-point assessments.”

The research also shows that between 11 November 2021 and 15 March 2022, when vaccination was a condition of deployment, the CQC received 13,339 concern, safeguarding and whistle-blowing enquiries. By contrast, the total number of concern enquiries received by the CQC in 2019 as a whole was just over 43,000.

Dunkerley said: “During a short period of time, the number of concern enquiries remained at a high level. However, the annual figures are broadly consistent over a number of years which indicates perhaps that the presence of COVID-19 had little impact on the number of complaints generated.

“What is evident from the CQC figures is that in terms of enforcement, notices remain by far the single most commonly used regulatory action by the Commission, accounting for more than half of its enforcement activity.”

The FOI request shows that more than 69,000 requirement notices have been issued since 2015 (3,099 in 2022 to date), with over 7,000 warning notices during the same period (152 during 2022 to date).

Dunkerley added: “The changing landscape and evolving position of the CQC cannot detract from the fact that the Commission is still eager to impose conditions, cancel registrations and vary conditions of care providers. With the number of legal reviews standing at 132, it’s imperative that service providers review their procedures, systems and address risk areas in anticipation of inspection or intervention. The most effective management, however, is to avoid the initial set of circumstances that bring about regulatory intervention or investigation.”

Pannone Corporate has strengthened its HR and employment law offering for businesses with the launch of a menopause toolkit.

The menopause toolkit will provide employers with a package of materials and legal support to ensure businesses can provide meaningful support to employees managing symptoms of the menopause. 

The launch follows a lengthy inquiry by the House of Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) into menopause and the workplace at which Pannone Corporate gave evidence, providing legal insight from an employer’s perspective to illuminate best practice and shared challenges.

According to the WEC, almost a million women in the UK have left jobs as a result of menopausal symptoms. A recent survey commissioned by the committee also found that nearly a third of women miss work due to menopause symptoms and that the vast majority don’t ask for support, mainly because of concerns about how others may react.

The Pannone Corporate menopause toolkit includes an initial assessment of current relevant policies and procedures, a menopause policy which is tailored to each individual business and their needs, guidance for managers, delivery of staff training alongside the policy launch, and a six-month review meeting.

Chloe Pugh, an employment associate at Pannone Corporate, said: “The menopause is a topic that is being discussed in public arenas more than ever before and the subject is, quite rightly, becoming less of a taboo. As awareness of this issue increases, it is important that employers create a culture where staff feel they can request, and will get, support with any menopause related issues they are facing. A failure to deal with such requests appropriately or at all could result in businesses losing valuable employees and potentially facing tribunal claims for sex, age or disability discrimination.”

If you are interested in getting the menopause toolkit for your business, please get in touch with Fiona Hamor on fiona.hamor@pannonecorporate-com.stackstaging.com or call (0)7717 342049

Pannone Corporate has advised on the cross-border acquisition of Easyairconditioning.com.

The Manchester firm acted as legal adviser to Beijer Ref AB – a Swedish listed business, which specialises in the wholesale of refrigeration and air conditioning products. Through the transaction Beijer Ref will expand its international footprint, strengthening its UK presence through the acquisition of the Midlands-based company.

The Pannone team was led by Tom Hall and included Arshnoor Amershi and Bez Borang.

Tom Hall said: “This is a fantastic acquisition for Beijer Ref, and cements its commitment to the UK market, as the company looks to grow its presence through a proven and highly successful network of 70-plus subsidiaries across Europe, Asia, Pacific and Africa. Easyairconditioning.com is a perfect fit for the business and complements its existing network in the UK.

“This cross-border transaction is yet another demonstration of the increasing appetite of large international businesses that have a strategic focus on the UK, using buy and build as an effective way to enter or expand into an overseas market. This has been a popular theme throughout 2022, with Pannone supporting large international clients on a number of significant cross border acquisitions this year, including acting for global cloud platform Esker on its acquisition of a controlling stake in Market Dojo, advising Dutch flower distributor van Duyvenvoorde on a significant UK acquisition and advising Argenbright on its strategic investment in Amberstone Security.

Easyairconditioning.com was established in 2001 and delivers a range of AC and heat recovery system solutions to business and domestic markets.

Christopher Norbye, CEO Beijer Ref, said: “With over two decades of experience, Easy Air Conditioning has accumulated a well-established customer base. They have a dedicated and committed team and we are pleased to welcome Easy Air Conditioning to the Beijer Ref group.”

Shakespeare Martineau (Michael Stace and Matthew Shephard) advised Easyairconditioning.com on the transaction.

The Legal 500 rankings have been released, with Pannone Corporate once again performing exceptionally well in the annual listings. In total, 26 lawyers feature in Legal 500 UK commentary for their standout contribution to their respective practices. This includes:

• Three ‘Hall of Fame’ lawyers
• Five ‘leading individuals’
• Two ‘next generation’ partners, and
• Three‘rising stars’.

The firm’s practice areas also continue to rank highly amongst those within the profession. Pannone has top tier practice areas in TMT/ media and entertainment and private client litigation. A further 12 practices areas are ranked and recommended in the listings. These cover:

• Corporate and commercial
• Dispute resolutions: commercial litigation
• Dispute resolutions: debt recovery
• Employment
• Employment: health & safety
• Finance: insolvency and corporate recovery
• Insurance: professional negligence
• Real estate: commercial property
• Real estate: construction
• Real estate: property litigation
• TMT: IT and telecoms
• TMT: intellectual property.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone Corporate, commented: “Once again, the firm has demonstrated both strength and depth in key practice areas, by delivering high quality, commercial and practical legal advice to clients across a broad range of sectors and specialisms.

“We’re delighted to be ranked so highly across a large number of core practice areas with 10 practice areas featuring in tiers three and above.

“The team continues to deliver exceptional work for our clients and this is shown in the number of individuals who are recognised by the Legal 500 – whether that’s seasoned professionals, or future talent coming through the ranks. What’s always particularly pleasing is the number of positive comments that are made by clients, which feature so prominently in this year’s research.”

Standout comments include:

‘This company really does work together to get the best advice and knowledge to give the client the best service and outcome.’

‘Pannone are highly professional, committed and thorough. Very personable and highly experienced, they cleverly see around corners and help protect concepts, IP and business projects for the future. Good to have alongside any venture.’

‘This practice exceeds all expectations and always meets our needs in full. There are a range of specialists available who always deliver exactly what we need.’

‘They know what we do, how we operate and have made themselves indispensable. They see risks, opportunities and weaknesses that we don’t; they go over and above the brief.’

‘The team’s strength lies in efficiently making complex matters understandable and providing practical tools to achieve the desired goal.’

‘Pannone Corporate strikes nicely the fine balance between the big law firm capacity to handle a complex case without losing the small law firm responsiveness and personal touch. They work and communicate well as a team. High-profile commercial litigators.’

‘Pannone Corporate is a firm with an extremely strong presence in property litigation. They have an excellent client base in the North West of England and are strong enough to take on a wide range of clients from around the country. The firm has achieved prominence through building in-depth expertise in its chosen fields.’

The Legal 500 analyses the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions.

Georgina Bligh-Smith is a paralegal in our insolvency and restructuring team. But, outside of work, she’s an avid hiker, spending much of her free time climbing some of the UK’s best-known mountains, racking up the miles and reaching new heights, in terms of elevation!

You can follow her climbing exploits on her Instagram page, @hikewithg_, where in the last 10 days she has posted about her greatest challenge yet – Tour du Mont Blanc. Along with her cousin, Danielle, Georgina has taken on the 170km trek, including 10,000m cumulative ascent and descent, with only one backpack and staying in mountain huts along the way.

In preparation for her epic adventure, Georgina has packed in several training hikes, including the Coledale 10 Peak Challenge in the Lake District (10 mountains, 13 miles, and 1700m elevation); Snowdon via Moel Elilio (14 miles, 1600m+ elevation); as well as a 20-mile trek in the Peak District. But nothing compares to the triumph of completing the Tour du Mont Blanc – all in aid of The Ella Dawson Foundation set up in memory of the 24-year-old who sadly passed away from a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer in July 2021.

Georgina’s 10-day journey began on 21 August at Les Houches, before arriving at the first refuge point in Auberge le Truc via Col du Tricot, with further stops in de la Balme; des Mottets (which included a well-deserved dip in fresh glacier water after tackling Tete des Nord Fours (2756m high); a celebratory Aperol Spritz at Maision Viellle, after crossing the border between France and Italy on day four; a big hike across Grand Col Ferret on day six, taking the duo out of Italy and into Switzerland; before finishing back at Les Houches after 15+ miles on 30 August.

After completing the Tour du Mont Blanc challenge, Georgina said: “This was a trip of a lifetime, not just because of the unbelievable mountain scenery throughout, but because we had the chance to connect with likeminded people from across the world on the same journey as us. Hiking six to eight hours a day for 10 days straight was tough, but the views were worth it!

“My cousin is close friends with Ella’s family, so it feels particularly special to us to have been able to raise awareness of the Foundation in the process.”

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone Corporate, added: “Huge congratulations to Georgina on completing this epic adventure! We knew Georgina had a love of hiking, but to take on such a long distance hike in the Alps is extremely impressive. It’s a fantastic achievement for a wonderful cause and Georgina should be incredibly proud of her feat.”

If you would like to donate to the Ella Dawson Foundation and support Georgina’s charity challenge, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/ella-dawson-foundaton

Welcome to our new look IP update – the latest insight into the cases and developments in IP law. We’ll uncover the news stories most relevant to you and provide insight into what they mean for your business.

To find out more, click here 

If you have any questions about the updates or any IP issues or challenges you’re facing, please contact Melanie McGuirk or Alexandria Winstanley.

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success,” said Alexander Graham Bell. Sometimes as HR leaders, it can feel that you have to prepare for every eventuality as you can never predict what the next call or issue may be. But how can you prepare for you or any of your colleagues giving evidence at an employment tribunal?

Our mock employment tribunal training session gives managers and HR teams the opportunity to experience what could happen at this type of hearing and to take part as witnesses! Based on a fictional scripted scenario, we explain the set up and procedure of an employment tribunal hearing and provide you and your colleagues with the experience of giving witness evidence and being cross examined by a legal professional. You will have the opportunity to consider and discuss whether the claimant will win or lose, before hearing the final judgment.

This preparation can make a world of difference to future outcomes because participants will better understand the importance of following fair processes, documenting decisions and the potential consequences of failing to do so. It also gives you the opportunity to see how an employment tribunal operates and what sort of factors make the difference between winning and losing, as well as being quite good fun!

Here’s what some of our participants said:

John Wrigglesworth, Operations Manager, Rail Gourmet

“I found the mock tribunal very useful. Certainly, in how the judge rules, and the rationale behind it. Understanding the legal rationale more than I did and then the emphasis on witnesses coming across as credible were my main takeaways.

“Prior to that I thought the written evidence/bundle held far more sway but your credibility on the stand counts for a lot.”

 James Turner, Head of People Services, SSP

“A fantastic event which prompted really good participation and discussion throughout from the audience. Essential training for any leader who hosts any type of ER meeting with colleagues. Relevant case studies from outside of the business really helped bring alive the need to manage cases thoroughly, applying fair judgement, not just policy and process.”

Kerry Rodgers, Operations Manager, SSP

“It was a fantastic day and certainly an eye opener. It certainly will make me think more when doing grievances and appeals.”

To find out more about how we can support your business through training and development opportunities like these, take a look at the Pannone Academy website.

In the latest of our quarterly retail law updates, we look at the news and legal developments affecting the sector.

It covers the hot topic of user generated content and the legal implications for brands. We also look at the IP case which will have a far-reaching impact on 3D original product and garment designs, as well as a guest post from Mazars on the online sales tax.

Read our quarterly update here

If you would like to discuss these topics in more detail, or have any questions, contact partner, Melanie McGuirk on 07790 882567 or email melanie.mcguirk @pannonecorporate-com.stackstaging.com

James Harris joined Pannone in April 2022, having worked as a real estate partner at Knights plc and, prior to that, managing partner at Jolliffe and Co LLP.

As someone who knew from an early age that he wanted to go into law, James chose the traditional route into the profession to reach his goal, before eventually finding a home in real estate, where he specialises in residential and commercial property development, as well as licensing for restaurants and public houses. We caught up with James three months on from joining the firm, to find out more about the real estate partner and Ironman competitor!

What attracted you to Pannone?

Pannone is highly regarded as a forward-thinking firm, which is developing in a sustainable manner and sets out to put clients at the centre of everything it does. That really appealed to me and aligned very much with my own management and leadership style.

Tell us what a typical day looks like?

I’m sure everyone says the same that no day ever looks the same, but typically the day kicks off with staff supervision each morning. I enjoy aspects of what I do, but I especially enjoy the supervision of junior members of staff. The rest of the day is a mixture of departmental management, which can include performance and staff-related issues; working on client matters; and also the all-important job of business development.

As someone who always wanted to go into law, what are your career ambitions?

I want to build the most respected Real Estate Group in the North West and be part of the development of Pannone Corporate over the coming years.

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do? 

I’d probably have to say, apply what I learned last time I was managing partner at Jolliffe and Co LLP and do it better this time! However, on a serious note, having that level of management and leadership experience hopefully adds another level to what I can bring to the firm and it’s something I’m very passionate about imparting on the team.

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law? 

Given the area of law I’ve ended up specialising in, I would have to say property development. It’s a fantastic sector and one that’s always been central to the success of the North West.

Thinking more widely, what can the legal profession do to better support clients?

For me, client feedback drives development and clients need to know they can approach you on any matter. Everything then follows from there.

Pannone Corporate has advised on the cross-border sale of a controlling stake in North West company, Walker Sime.

The Manchester firm acted as legal adviser to the shareholders of Walker Sime, of which shares were acquired by Oregon-based Otak, part of the HanmiGlobal Group. The US company has taken a majority stake in Walker Sime, as part of the deal.

The Pannone team was led by Tim Hamilton (corporate Partner), Miranda Foy and Behzad Borang.

Walker Sime is a multi-disciplinary construction consultancy, which specialises in quantity surveying and project management. It has worked on a number of high-profile projects, including Network Space’s 200,000 sq ft industrial scheme in Altrincham and the £54 million Glass Futures in St Helens.

Tim Hamilton said: “We have worked with Walker Sime for a number of years and have followed the company’s impressive expansion, establishing itself as a leading player in the North West construction market.

“The sale to Otak is a perfect culmination of years of hard work and dedication by the team and a significant milestone in its ongoing growth journey. We were delighted to have acted for the company on this transaction and look forward to watching the next phase of its development, in particular in advanced manufacturing and the low carbon economy.”

The Walker Sime deal comes three years after Otak, a design and project management firm, acquired a majority stake in London-based consultancy K2. As part of the deal, Walker Sime and K2 will merge operations under the Walker Sime name, creating a team of around 130 with a national focus.

The financial advisors to the shareholders of Walker Sime were James Jennings and Chris Bentley of the Strategy Exchange.

Huge congratulations to Pannone’s Corporate team who were highly commended at this year’s Manchester Legal Awards. Partners, Mark Winthorpe and Tom Hall, were joined by the rest of the team to collect their award in the Team of the Year – Corporate/Commercial category. The MLA recognise and reward the wide range of skills and talent from across the regional legal sector.

PLG International Lawyers firms, Lamy Lexel and Pannone Corporate, have advised on the cross-border acquisition of UK-based eProcurement software company, Market Dojo.

The two firms were legal advisers to global cloud platform Esker, which has acquired a majority stake in Market Dojo. Esker, which is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris, has purchased 50.1% of the shares and voting rights in Market Dojo, with an option to acquire the remainder of the shares after a period of four years.

The Pannone team, led by Tom Hall (corporate Partner), Andrew Walsh and Behzad Borang, worked alongside Lamy Lexel, its PLG partner in Lyon, who provided French law support to Esker on the transaction. Frédéric Dupont (corporate Partner), Typhanie Le Gall and Pauline Philippon led the corporate team at Lamy Lexel.

Esker, which is headquartered in Lyon, France, is a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for finance and customer service functions.

Tom Hall said: “Esker is a world leader in cloud and AI-driven technology, with a significant footprint across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

“This strategic acquisition will undoubtedly strengthen Esker’s presence in the UK, while offering significant international development opportunities. It will also build on the company’s capabilities in traditional markets by enabling Esker to bring eSourcing into its platform proposition. It is, as ever, a pleasure to work alongside Lamy Lexel on another successful transaction.

Frédéric Dupont said: ”Lamy Lexel is delighted to be able to support Esker and its teams, for which we handle the day-to-day market regulation aspects, in a strategic international acquisition. It is a renewed pleasure to collaborate with the Pannone team on sensitive operations in a friendly environment.”

Market Dojo’s eSourcing cloud solution was created to address the need for structured and digitised processes in procurement. Designed by procurement professionals, Market Dojo’s unique on-demand solution enables users to centralise information, negotiate the best value for goods and services, and select the right suppliers.

Jean-Michel Bérard, CEO at Esker, said: “We are pleased to welcome Market Dojo to the Esker family. This acquisition provides new growth opportunities in a developing market and strengthens Esker’s positioning in the global Procure-to-Pay (P2P) arena. Additionally, Market Dojo is an excellent illustration of Esker’s strategy to invest in organic growth combined with targeted acquisitions that offer a high potential for growth.”

Mazars provided financial due diligence and tax support to Esker. Advisors to the shareholders of Market Dojo were: Ryecroft Glenton (corporate finance and tax) and Simon Muirhead Burton (legal).

In the latest in our series, My Life in Law, we speak to Associate Partner, Jonny Scholes, who has been with the firm since its inception on Valentine’s Day 2014, having worked at the previous incarnation of Pannone, joining as a paralegal in 2005. Having risen through the ranks to become a key member of the dispute resolution team, Jonny talks about his love affair with Pannone Corporate, the ‘speed date’ with partners which made him realise the firm was the one, his long-held ambition to be a professional rugby player, and his side-line in writing children’s picture books!

Tell us a little bit about when you joined Pannone Corporate?

I moved across as part of the management buy-out of the old Pannone LLP (with the remaining team joining Slater & Gordon). I started at the old Pannone as a paralegal for eight months or so in 2005. I’d been offered a training contract and arranged to do some work whilst I was waiting for it to begin. I started life in the travel team in personal injury, dealing with bulk claims involving sickness bugs abroad! I then had a few months off when I travelled across the West and East coasts of America with my brother, before starting my training contract in September 2006.

What did you do before joining?

My only other jobs before working at Pannone were working in my local pub – The Crown in Heaton Mersey – and working as a theatre porter at the Alexander Hospital in Cheadle. I enjoyed both jobs and they gave me some useful transferable skills, particularly in dealing with people, including some who could be a little nervous or wary and others who were a little more difficult! I also did a vacation scheme placement at the old Pannone too.

What’s your role at Pannone?

I’m currently an Associate Partner, having worked my way up through the ranks from my trainee days. I’m in the dispute resolution team and deal with general commercial litigation disputes, with a particular specialism in contentious trust and probate matters.

What drew you to Pannone?

I applied for a training contract with six Manchester firms. Pannone was one of them and stood out as being a full-service law firm, which was good for me as I didn’t know which area of law I wanted to specialise in at that time. In the end, it was the feel of the firm and the people that really attracted me. Pannone was the first of my second interviews for a training contract (a kind of ‘speed date the partners’ over lunch event, which sounds horrendous, but wasn’t too bad!) and I was offered a training contract.  I said I wanted to do a few more interviews before deciding, but after an assessment centre at a large Manchester firm, where it was clear to me the people weren’t as in tune with me as those at Pannone, I came outside, rang Pannone to accept their offer and cancelled my other interviews. I’m pleased to say it’s still the people that make the firm to this day.

What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications?

After my A-levels in English Literature, History and Politics, I didn’t want to do any of those as a degree on their own, so I opted for law, which encompassed elements of them all. However, I wasn’t actually planning on going into law as a profession at that time! I did my law degree at Oxford and then had a year out, where I was supposed to be playing rugby in France. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out due to a knee injury. In the end, I went back to Oxford and did a Masters in Criminology – in part to bide me some time to decide what I wanted to do for a career and also to try and get a rugby union blue (but an early season arm break put paid to that!). I applied for training contracts whilst doing my Masters and was offered one at Pannone just before I started my LPC back up in Manchester at Manchester Met. After that I did a stint as a paralegal at Pannone and then began my training contract.

Why did you choose this route?

I guess it was a case of finding my way as I went along. It just took me a bit of time to decide that being a solicitor was a decent fit for me. All in all, the slightly longer approach into the profession has probably made me more well-rounded. 

What’s the most satisfying aspect of your job?

I enjoy working with people and particularly the people at Pannone. It’s nice to see more junior fee earners progress and grow in confidence. In a more, pure work capacity, I’m lucky that my contentious probate cases often give me an opportunity to make a real tangible difference to people’s lives, often in very sad or distressing circumstances for them. That can be very rewarding.

What does a typical day look like?

A typical day can often be hectic and is often changeable! My ‘to do’ list alters three or four times a day, most days. I’ll try and get some smaller jobs out of the way first thing and may need to set some time aside for a chunkier piece of work such as drafting a long letter of claim, or preparing instructions to counsel. There’ll normally be an element of supervision in there too: reviewing work done by junior lawyers in the team. Some of my time will be spent on business development issues and no doubt I’ll have a few phone calls and multiple emails in the day as well. Perhaps less frequently I may have a client meeting, conference with counsel, a mediation or even a court hearing and, if I’m lucky, the odd client lunch as well!

What are your career ambitions?

I’ve always had the philosophy of just getting my head down, working hard, and trying to be a good employee to have in the firm! By doing that I’ve always trusted that I would be rewarded at the right time with progression. Thankfully that’s tended to be the case and I’ve progressed each time I’ve felt ready to. Where I’m at now is a good place to be and if I keep on progressing as I am, then one day I’d hope to join the partnership.

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do? 

I’d look to set up some kind of fun team building event. Being from a sporting background (rugby), I think building team spirit is essential to a positive and productive environment and building relationships within the workplace only leads to a better culture and then better service delivery. I’d also allow everyone a Friday afternoon in the sun at Dukes (the pub) – also important for team building!

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law? 

If you’d asked me this when I was younger I’d have said a professional rugby player, but now with three children of my own, it would probably be some form of teaching, or writing children’s books! As it is, I’m limited to coaching the ‘Tiny Tacklers’ at my local rugby club, Burnage, on Sunday mornings in the rugby season.

What can lawyers / the legal profession do to better support clients? Does anything need to change?

The one thing I’ve learned to improve on over time, which I know clients appreciate, is the provision of information. Clients just want to know where things are up to and to be kept informed and updated. Clearly there will be times when you’re busy and you take longer to return pieces of work to clients. I’ll regularly try to send a few short emails at the end of a day if my timescales have slipped to let the client know. They’re generally okay with that and are grateful to be kept informed rather than having to chase. I think this is an area of client service a lot of solicitors can improve on.

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

I lead a busy life with my wife Karen and our three children: Tessa (10), Tilly (7) and Toby (4). I love spending time with them and they’re a lot of fun, but it’s non-stop running around after them! Aside from that, spending time with our friends is also important to me, as is exercise. I’ve just finished playing rugby regularly with my club’s third team and am getting into CrossFit, cycling, and dabbling at golf! If you know anyone who could clone me to free up some more time to do all the above that’d be good!

Do you have any particular skills/talents that your work colleagues may not know about?

I read a good bedtime story… and have also written a few children’s picture book texts over the years as a bit of a hobby, some examples being: ‘Nacho Newt and his Parachute’, ‘Flamingo Joe’, ‘The Gnome that Left Home’ and ‘When a Fisherman Caught an Astronaut’! I’ve not written any for a while though, so maybe I need to get back into it! Then I just need to find a good illustrator to bring them to life!

Where do you live?

I live in Heaton Chapel in South Manchester near Stockport. There are quite a few from the office who live in the Heatons and it’s a great place to live – only 10 minutes on the train to Manchester, close to the airport, lots of bars and restaurants, the Savoy cinema, my rugby club and a great community spirit!

Pannone Corporate – the North West law firm – has strengthened its commercial and real estate teams with the appointment of Andrew West and James Harris as partners.

Andrew, who set up his own commercial law firm Rushmoor Law 11 years ago, following more than a decade as partner at law firm Squire Patton Boggs, brings more than 30 years’ experience in advising a range of clients on IP/IT, data and commercial issues. Andrew will work alongside partner Amy Chandler in one of the region’s most prominent commercial teams.

James joins from Knights plc, where he was a commercial property partner for more than three years. He was previously the Managing Partner of Chester-based commercial law firm, Jollife & Co LLP, for 12 years. James brings considerable experience in residential and commercial property development, as well as licensing for restaurants and public houses.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Andrew and James to the firm – two senior hires who will add significant strength and depth to our commercial and real estate offering. Both markets have huge potential for us and Andrew and James will complement our existing teams in capitalising on the opportunities for growth.”

Their arrival follows the news that Pannone has been appointed onto the legal framework for the Canal & River Trust. The firm will provide construction and property litigation support, as part of a five-year agreement.

Andrew commented: “Having worked alongside Pannone for a number of years in a consultancy role, I have built up a strong relationship with both the team and clients. When the opportunity arose to join such a well-established firm on a more permanent basis it was an easy decision to make and a seamless move. It’s very much business as usual for me.”

Commenting on the sector, he said: “There is a real opportunity in the technology services space, as corporate customers continue their digital transformation across all areas of operation. This is underpinned by the proliferation of cloud services, which enables businesses to test and adopt new technologies at a quicker rate.  This trend has been accelerated as a result of COVID-19, and currently shows no sign of a slowdown,  despite the obvious economic headwinds.”

James added: “There is also considerable market opportunity in commercial development, which remains buoyant, with licensing continuing to recover following an extremely challenging two years. I’m delighted to be joining such a dynamic and experienced team, and hope to bring both sector and management expertise to the role.”

Pannone Corporate and Carbon Corporate Finance have advised on the cross-border sale of leading producer and supplier of premium organic superfood products, Go Superfoods Limited.

The Manchester firms acted as legal and financial advisers respectively to the shareholders of Go Superfoods, which was acquired by Swedish food-tech and FMCG listed company, Humble Group. The Pannone team was led by Tom Hall (corporate Partner), Arshnoor Amershi and Humera Patel. The Carbon team was led by partners Tom Johnson and David Kandola.

Go Superfoods, which was founded by CEO Harry Singh in 2008, offers a wide range of superfoods to retail customers and distributors under its own brands Green Origins, Rainforest Foods, and Piura.

Tom Johnson said: “We’re delighted to have advised the shareholders of Go Superfoods on this transaction. Harry and his team have built a leading superfoods business, which will flourish as part of the Humble Group.

“Achieving results such as this for Harry demonstrates Carbon’s commitment to helping business owners realise significant value through strategic sales.”

Tom Hall said: “Go Superfoods is an exciting business that’s really made its mark in the rapidly-growing organic superfoods sector – building strong brand loyalty amongst both consumers and distributors.

“With the vast potential that exists in the marketplace, combined with an ambitious and profitable business in Go Superfoods, this cross-border deal made perfect sense for Humble Group. It allows the business to enter a new niche market segment, while using its own scale and purchasing power to enhance the offering and reach of the multi-channel supplier. We’re delighted for Harry and the team and wish them every success as they embark on the next phase of their growth journey.”

Go Superfoods has established itself as a competitive superfoods supplier with a broad customer base, including specialist and nutrition retailers, distributors, food manufacturers and consumers.

Singh commented: “At Go Superfoods we’ve always strived to be a bridge connecting growers of superfoods in the developing world with European consumers looking to improve their health and wellbeing. Humble is the perfect partner for us to continue our journey with and we look forward to working with Simon Petrén and his team at Humble to accomplish our shared vision.” 

Advisors to Humble were Knight Transaction Services (UK Financial DD), Shoosmiths (UK legal) and Rämsell Advokatbyrå AB (Swedish legal).

Pannone Corporate has advised nZero Group on the multi-million pound acquisition of Orbital Gas Systems to create an industry leader in the UK’s low carbon industry.

The Manchester law firm acted as legal adviser to nZero Group, which acquired Orbital Gas Systems from its NYSE-listed parent company, Orbital Energy Group (OEG) for an undisclosed sum. The deal was backed by NVM Private Equity, nZero Group’s institutional backer.

Cheshire-based nZero Group aims to become the UK’s leading measurement and control partner across the natural gas, petrochemical, biomethane and decarbonisation sectors. It said the acquisition would ensure the necessary skills and capacity are ready and aligned to help the country’s ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Tim Hamilton, corporate partner at Pannone Corporate, led the deal alongside Andy Walsh, Rosie Korcz and Amy Chandler. He said: “nZero Group is an innovative and exciting business, which has perfectly positioned itself in a fast-growth sector driven by the UK’s net zero ambitions. The acquisition of Orbital Gas Systems perfectly complements nZero Group’s strategic aims and bolsters its position, not only in the domestic market, but also internationally.

“We’re delighted to have supported the team in achieving this exciting milestone and look forward to working alongside the company during the next stage of its growth journey.”

The deal will see the enlarged group employ over 150 people with combined turnover in the region of £16million. Over the next three to five years, the company expects to create more than 50 highly-skilled jobs, whilst investing in creating its own engineers for the future through apprenticeship and graduate programmes to address the skills shortage in the UK.

Both companies, which will retain their existing names as part of the deal, will be led by nZero Group managing director, Matt Allen.

Allen commented: “This deal represents a significant step forward in our strategy to become a key contributor in the UK net zero energy transition by bringing under common ownership two of the UK’s leading measurement and control partners across the natural gas, low carbon hydrogen, petrochemical, and waste to energy sectors.

“The UK and many other countries are making significant commitments to tackle the climate crisis. This is creating a growing demand for companies, like Orbital and Thyson Technology – a subsidiary of nZero Group – to provide a blend of existing technologies and innovative solutions to decarbonise, while supporting customers’ commercial and technological challenges to meet the targets they have set themselves or have been set by government.”

Located in Stone, Staffordshire, Orbital Gas Systems specialises in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of industrial gas sampling, measurement, and delivery systems. It has nearly 40 years’ expertise in the manufacture of a broad range of innovative technologies for the energy, power, and processing markets.

Pannone Corporate has expanded its client base, after being appointed onto the legal framework for the Canal & River Trust. 

The North West law firm will provide construction and property litigation support, as part of a five-year agreement. Pannone is one of a number of law firms to be appointed by the Canal & River Trust.  

The Trust works with communities to transform their local canal or river, creating places and spaces for everyone. Together with volunteers and supporters, the Trust plays an important local role in addressing global issues, such as climate change and biodiversity decline. 

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone Corporate, said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed onto the national legal framework for the Canal & River Trust, following a rigorous and competitive procurement process. 

“The charity plays a vital role in enhancing our waterways, transforming places and enriching lives. Our team will be working closely with the Trust to ensure that their purpose and vision is not compromised.”

Gemma Staples, associate partner in the property litigation team, added: “The Canal & River Trust is making a significant contribution to protect and nurture the natural environment that sits right on our doorstep. The events of the last two years have shown how important that environment is to our health and wellbeing andI, amongst thousands of others, have found solace in time spent in woodlands and by our local waterways. I’m thrilled to be able to work with such an organisation.”

The Canal & River Trust covers six English regions, including the North West, East and West Midlands, London and the South East, the South West, and Yorkshire and the North East, as well as Wales. Teams cover water management, sustainability, restoration, community engagement, design and planning, ecology andengineering. 

Culture is everything and it was one of the key drivers in Kenneth Tang choosing to join Pannone in October 2021.

“The firm’s culture is centred around approachability, both for clients and for its staff,” explains Kenneth. “Before joining, I read that the firm was considered a leading alternative to national practices. This really came through during my interview for the role.”

The quality of work and the team structure were also important factors for Kenneth. “Pannone offered me the chance to work within a firm that carried out high quality commercial work,” says Kenneth. “The team’s structure promotes collaborative working, where partners are directly involved in cases – which is really beneficial for junior members of the team.”

Six months into the role, we caught up with Kenneth as part of our series ‘My Life in Law’, and talked about his role as a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team, specialising in real estate litigation.

Tell us a little bit about your background, before joining Pannone?

“Prior to qualifying, I worked as a Court Advocate, before becoming a paralegal,” Kenneth explains. “I was a trainee at Stephensons Solicitors, where I had seats in the commercial litigation and discrimination departments.”

“In that role, I advised on a number of matters, including general commercial contracts, restrictive covenants, property disputes, and professional negligence. I was heavily involved in a case that went to the Court of Appeal, which became one of the leading authorities on seeking interim relief against public bodies.”

Kenneth graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Ancient History. He then went on to study the GDL at the University of Law before going on to do the LPC at BPP University.

Now as a fully-fledged solicitor, Kenneth is getting stuck into the role in the Dispute Resolution team. The most satisfying aspect of Kenneth’s role is tackling ‘new and interesting issues’ every day.

“So far, I’ve been involved in a wide range of disputes, including lease termination and renewal, adverse possession, easements, forfeiture, breach of covenant, as well as residential and commercial possession,” he says. “Other areas of work include breach of contract, breach of warranty, debt recovery and unjust enrichment.”

The role is vast and varied, and when asked what a typical day looked like, Kenneth responded saying “emails, emails and emails.”

Looking forward, what are your career ambitions?

“My immediate goal is to become an integral part of the very talented team at Pannone Corporate. I want my practice to be built on being more frank and open with clients. Clients need lawyers to be their advisers, not their friends.”

Outside work, Kenneth enjoys films and sport. “My favourite film is Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and my favourite football team is Liverpool FC (my dad named me after Kenny Dalglish!),” says Kenneth.

While Kenneth is building a reputation in Dispute Resolution, there is one particular skill that his work colleagues may not know about him. “I grew up near Blackpool’s promenade and became very good at arcade games,” admits Kenneth. “Time Crisis is a game I am particularly adept at!” As one of the most celebrated arcade shoot-em-up franchises ever made, that’s not a bad game to excel at!

In this article we look at why an employer may decide to instruct an external investigator to conduct a workplace investigation and how this process works.

The challenges faced by employers in the last two years have been significant and far-reaching. The Coronavirus pandemic has stretched resources, exposed employers to unexpected risks, and posed unprecedented problems in the workplace. Some sectors have really suffered during the pandemic, inevitably leading to more workplace disputes and grievances. On the flip side, some sectors have been incredibly busy and at times found their resources stretched.

As a result, we have seen an increase in the number of instructions we have received to conduct workplace investigations. In this blog we take a closer look at why this is and how our investigations team can assist.

Why instruct independent external investigators?

A common reason for instructing an external investigator is because the issues involve senior employees or board members. Instructing an external investigator can ensure a more rigorous and impartial investigation, politically it can also be easier to have an external law firm conduct the investigation. Employers may also instruct external investigators because there is a need to ensure the investigation is seen to be impartial, and to reduce the risk of litigation. Alternatively, it could simply be the case that the employer lacks the internal resources to conduct the investigation.

An added benefit of instructing a law firm to conduct the investigation is that it may be possible to ensure the investigation has the benefit of professional legal privilege.

So, how can we help?

We are regularly instructed by boards, HR teams, and in-house counsel to conduct investigations or to support and advise on an investigation. In the rest of this blog we take a brief look at how we can support workplace investigations and our team’s experience in this area.

Independent investigations – our approach

When we are instructed to carry out an internal investigation, we first take time to understand any relevant background and the nature of the issue being investigated. Once we have done this, we agree the terms of reference for the investigation with the client and, as appropriate, other interested parties. Whilst instructing us will certainly reduce the workload for a client’s internal teams, we will usually need some practical assistance in gathering evidence and arranging meetings with witnesses. However, other than that we can liaise directly with witnesses to conduct investigation meetings. Once we have concluded our investigation, we will prepare an investigation report and deliver that report to the client and any other interested parties.

Each matter is led by a senior lawyer with experience of contentious legal matters, advising in relation to investigations, and of conducting internal investigations.

Law firms and other professional advisers

In certain circumstances it may not be appropriate for an employer to instruct its usual external professional advisers to conduct an investigation. For example, the adviser may not be able to independently investigate the issue, or in doing so, there may be potential for a conflict. Our internal investigations team can be instructed by other professional advisers on an independent basis to carry out an investigation as a discrete, one-off instruction.

Our experience

Our team has decades of experience advising and supporting clients on workplace disputes and investigations. Examples of work undertaken by the team includes:

• Carrying out an internal investigation and review of our RSL client’s employment practices and procedures and reporting arrangements, following the death of a resident.
• Supporting an investigation into allegations of serious sexual harassment made by a junior female employee against two senior male managers. We reviewed documentation and CCTV footage, interviewed the complainant, a number of witnesses and the two male managers concerned, and assisted in the preparation of a comprehensive investigation report.
• Providing investigation support to a multi-national company’s internal compliance team. This involved supporting the company’s own internal investigators in gathering, reviewing, reporting on evidence, and providing support during investigation meetings.
• Undertaking an investigation in relation to allegations of sexual harassment in a local town council.
• Investigating grievances raised by two senior directors against each other.

Well planned, thorough, and impartial investigations are such an important first step in dealing with many workplace issues. In this blog we have hopefully given you an insight into when it may be appropriate to instruct an external investigator and the potential benefits of taking this approach.  If you would like to know more about our investigations experience or how we could help your organisation (or your client’s) please contact Michael McNally.

Pannone Corporate has advised on the sale of Bury FC’s stadium, paving the way for the return of football to Gigg Lane.

Richard Wolff (insolvency & restructuring partner), James Wynne (real estate partner) and Oliver Moore (insolvency & restructuring), advised Inquesta Corporate Recovery & Insolvency – the administrator of The Bury Football Club Company Ltd.

The ground, along with other assets including club memorabilia, goodwill and intellectual property, and the Bury FC name, have been acquired by newly-formed Gigg Lane Stadium Limited – a company limited by guarantee whose members are the Gigg Lane Propco Limited and Bury Football Club Supporters Society Limited.

Richard Wolff said: “Today’s announcement is not only a positive result for the parties involved, but also for football, Bury and its local community. As a firm, we’ve been able to bring together our expertise across restructuring and real estate to support the process over the past few months and achieve the best possible outcome for stakeholders.”

Inquesta announced in May 2021 that the 12,000-capacity stadium was being put up for sale. Gigg Lane is one of the world’s oldest professional football stadiums and has been home to Bury FC since the club was founded in 1885.

Steven Wiseglass, a director at Inquesta, said: “We are delighted that this transaction has been successfully completed. It is a fantastic outcome for the fans, the club and the whole town, as it will hopefully bring football back to Gigg Lane. My hope all along has always been that Bury FC could be rescued.”

The Bury Football Club Company Ltd remains in administration and Inquesta is continuing with investigations into the company.

Georgina Bligh-Smith joined the insolvency and restructuring team at Pannone Corporate in April 2021, after completing her Legal Practice Course.

Despite joining at a time when many people were still working from home, Georgina says she was made to feel “right at home” very quickly by a team full of legal professionals who have been at the firm for many years.

Nearly one year on, Georgina talks to us about ‘My Life in Law’, her own career ambitions, and her aim to help improve social mobility in a sector where more work still needs to be done.

Tell us a little bit about what you did before joining Pannone Corporate in April 2021?

Before joining the insolvency and restructuring team last year, I worked as a cost litigation assistant, which is a very niche area of law that many graduates don’t even realise exists! It really goes to show how varied the legal profession is and the range of opportunities out there.

While studying at university I also worked as a Topshop sales assistant for three years – I like to think that every experience has made me into who I am today!

As a paralegal in the insolvency and restructuring team, what does your role consist of?

I assist on a wide range of matters relating to both corporate and personal insolvency and restructuring scenarios. This includes administrations, liquidations and bankruptcies – in each case predominantly acting for insolvency practitioners.

What attracted you to the role at Pannone Corporate?

I was first drawn to Pannone Corporate because of its impressive array of clients and the firm’s specialist approach and focus on commercial law, providing business legal services. This really aligned with my interests and meant that my training would be completely tailored to an area I wanted to progress in.

Most importantly, I was looking to join a firm that had a collaborative culture that would nurture me into a great solicitor – something just felt right at the interview and I knew I’d found the place!

What route did you go down, in terms of training and qualifications?

I very much went down the traditional route: I studied law at the University of Manchester, before undertaking the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School. I start my training contract with Pannone Corporate next year – something which I am really looking forward to. Once completed, I will finally be a qualified solicitor.

Increasingly, there are more and more avenues for people to choose from when it comes to entering the legal profession.  Why did you choose the traditional route?

If I’m honest, at the time it seemed as though this was the only route to a professional career in law. The sector has become so much more diverse in recent years, in that respect.

If I was starting that journey today I would give some serious thought to undertaking a legal apprenticeship. However, despite the hefty price tag, I really don’t know if I would give up that university experience!

Tell us what does a typical day looks like?

It might sound a bit clichéd, but no two days are ever really the same and this is what I love about the job.

I get to assist different team members with caseloads, covering contentious and non-contentious matters for a range of clients which involve both personal and corporate insolvency scenarios.

Typical tasks include conducting investigations into the conduct of directors of insolvent companies relating to antecedent transactions and misfeasance claims or dealing with possession and sale proceedings in bankruptcy matters and generally assisting with hearing preparations.

One thing that is consistent though is a good cup (or two) of coffee!

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

Aside from the variety, I would probably say the intellectual challenge. I joined Pannone Corporate right in the middle of the pandemic – something that has had a profound effect on the insolvency sector, in particular.

Not only have companies come under extreme pressure and struggled over the last two years, but insolvency law has continued to evolve in response to the pandemic.

No more so than with the introduction of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, which has introduced both permanent and temporary measures which we have also seen various extensions to.

As such, it’s been really important to keep abreast of all those changes, adapt and continue to find innovative solutions to the issues faced by clients in the current unusual circumstances.

What are you career ambitions?

Apart from the obvious one of qualifying as a solicitor and successfully making my way through the ranks, I really hope to be able to make a difference in improving social mobility within the legal profession.

As someone who was state school educated and the first generation in my family to go to university, I, like many others, have found navigating the legal profession particularly difficult at times.

I want to help level the playing field for younger people from disadvantaged backgrounds, whether that’s by mentoring students or supporting charities/groups that have this kind of aim in mind – for example, The 93% Foundation.

Whilst work is being done to raise awareness and increase diversity within the profession, in my view more must be done.

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?

I would go out and invest in employee fitness in some way shape or form, because participating in regular exercise has had such a positive impact on my own lifestyle and mental health.

Perhaps by partnering with a local gym, to arrange weekly group classes that are private to employees of the firm, with maybe with some light-hearted competition thrown in between different teams/departments!

This would help maintain a healthy, happy and productive workforce, whilst increasing camaraderie between employees at the same time (sounds like a great return on my investment!).

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law?

I almost picked psychology for a degree, so it would probably be something in this field.

Why people do things in the way they do, why they feel and react in a certain way, as well as exploring different personality types, really fascinates me.

In fact, there’s a link with both psychology and the law – psychology seeks to understand and explain human behaviour and the law seeks to regulate it.

Understanding how emotions can complicate decisions taken by clients/opponents or having the ability to anticipate your opponent’s reaction, while being able to use effective tools of persuasion, can be really helpful in law too.

What can lawyers / the legal profession do to better support clients and does anything need to change?

I’d say improving client responsiveness remains an important aim, as this is something clients really value and, whilst it sounds simple, it’s also easy to get wrong and fall short sometimes.

By responsiveness, I don’t mean dealing with everything there and then, but making sure you acknowledge it and manage your clients’ expectations appropriately. This involves being more than just reactive but also proactive, such as updating the client before having to be asked. This is something we are very conscious of as a team and as a firm.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

I love hiking, particularly with a good scramble included to make it that bit more adventurous! The highlight of last year was scrambling along a knife-edged ridge called Crib Goch in Snowdonia.

I love escaping from busy city life into the hills with a packed lunch in my rucksack – there is literally nothing better.

This summer I am completing Tour du Mont Blanc – an 11-day hike through Switzerland, France and Italy, covering 170km. The combined elevation of this route (over 10,000m) is higher than Mount Everest is tall.

I always document and post route information/inspiration on my hiking Instagram page @hikewithg_

Pannone Corporate has strengthened its position in the retail sector, after recently being appointed by Costcutter and The Fragrance Shop. The North West law firm has also been reappointed to the BooHoo Group legal panel.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone Corporate, said: “Retail is a vast, dynamic and ever-changing sector and one that has formed a core part of our growth strategy in recent years. Across a range of teams and specialisms we have built up strong sector credentials over recent years and we’re delighted to be extending that retail footprint through our work with prominent brands, such as Costcutter and The Fragrance Shop.

“Our reappointment to the BooHoo legal panel is also testament to the hard work and sector expertise that the team has shown over the last 15 years, in supporting the global fashion brand on an impressive growth journey since it started trading.

“We look forward to working alongside our new clients and also our many longstanding retail clients, as they expand their presence in the UK and overseas, whether that’s through bricks and mortar growth, or by capitalising on the continued rise of ecommerce.”

Pannone Corporate works alongside a growing list of retail and wholesale businesses including Bestway and Iceland.

In our last update of 2021, we look at the IP stories and case updates making headlines across the UK and around the world.

In December’s edition of our monthly IP round-up, we delve into a Stormtrooper helmet NFT dispute between artists and a curator, the high-profile Supreme Court decision of Lloyd v Google, and Walmart’s issue with Kanye West’s Yeezy LLC. In a more festive theme, we also look at why John Lewis is being urged to donate the proceeds of its Christmas advert to charity, and the importance of clear wording of online promotions as shoppers hit the sales.

Read our monthly IP round up here.

If you would like to discuss these topics in more detail, have any questions or would like to receive our IP round-up directly to your inbox by email each month, contact Melanie or Amy:

Melanie McGuirk on 07790 882567 or email melanie.mcguirk@pannonecorporate-com.stackstaging.com

Amy Chandler on 07920 237674 or email amy.chandler@pannonecorporate-com.stackstaging.com

Pannone Corporate has advised on the USD $8 million investment into games studio and developer of virtual worlds, Dubit. The multi-million dollar deal will fund the world’s first live esports league in the metaverse, starting in Roblox.

The Manchester law firm acted as legal adviser to Metaventures founder and French investor Jean-Charles Capelli, who led the funding round. The Pannone team was led by Tom Hall (Corporate Partner), Andrew Walsh and Behzad Borang.

The capital funding values Dubit at USD $55 million and will enable the Yorkshire-based company to expand its existing metaverse activity, with the launch of the inaugural Metaverse Gaming League (MGL) – branded gaming events and esports tournaments. Following its launch on Roblox, the company intends to expand into other leading metaverse gaming platforms, such as Minecraft and Core.

Tom Hall commented: “We’re delighted to have worked alongside Metaventures and Jean-Charles in what is a hugely exciting deal in a rapidly growing technology space.

“The metaverse is grabbing both headlines and people’s imaginations, as major players commit to the virtual world. With a strong reputation amongst global brands for its development capabilities, the multi-million investment will undoubtedly provide Dubit with further momentum as it continues to expand its presence in the virtual world.”

Established in 1999, Dubit works with companies such as Disney, Facebook and Lego, and is already taking brands into Roblox. As part of its ambitious growth strategy, Metaventures and Dubit also plan to create consumer lifestyle experiences such as concerts and fashion shows for the metaverse.

Jean-Charles Capelli said: “Dubit is in the perfect position to take advantage of the new opportunities in the metaverse. No other company has 20 years’ experience in developing and launching virtual worlds, combined with a great network of brands and organisations that it works with around the world. As an entrepreneur and musician, I’m proud to invest in Dubit, and I’m excited to help scale up the incredible experiences it creates for users of Roblox and other metaverses.”

Dr Patricia Jones is a data protection lawyer at law firm Pannone Corporate: 

This case was brought by consumer rights activist Richard Lloyd alleging that Google had breached its data protection obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) by using the browser generated information of more than four million Apple iPhone users.

Mr Lloyd had brought the case as a representative action on behalf of all the affected iPhone users arguing that they had the same interest.  The Supreme Court disagreed.  It considered that individual assessments of the entitlement to damages of each user would be required. The Court considered it necessary to establish what, if any, unlawful use Google had made of each user’s personal data and what damage had been suffered by the user as a result. The Court did not consider that damages can be awarded for a breach of the DPA 1998, where the individual doesn’t suffer any material loss or distress as Mr Lloyd had argued.

“Although the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of Google was made under Data Protection Act 1998 which is no longer in force, it will make it more difficult for people to seek compensation for a data protection breach when they have suffered no material loss or distress. The decision will have implications for the bulk compensation claims that can typically follow a data breach affecting a large number of individuals and impact on the burgeoning data protection claims industry that has grown up. There are a number of data protection representative actions which were on hold pending the Supreme Court decision and it will be interesting to see what happens to them.

“Despite the judgement going in favour of the internet giant, it should act as a strong reminder to businesses – both large and small – about the importance of complying with the data protection legislation when collecting and using customer data. If businesses get it wrong, they could potentially face sanction from the Information Commissioner’s Office as well as compensation claims.

The results of Chambers 2022 have been announced with impressive results for individual lawyers and teams at Pannone Corporate.

Chambers and Partners identifies the best law firms globally, from multi-nationals to boutiques, based on independent research and analysis of feedback from clients, peers and the wider market.

Chambers produces annual rankings of teams and individuals according to their area of specialism. They take into account: client service; technical legal ability; depth of team; commercial vision and business understanding; diligence and value for money.

Commenting on this year’s results, senior partner Paul Jonson said: “We’re delighted that so many individuals and teams have been acknowledged in this year’s Chambers rankings, with particular note to our Intellectual Property team, which has moved up to tier two.

“It’s excellent to see such positive feedback from clients, highlighting our strong and client-orientated approach, robust and highly professional advice, ability to translate complex legal matters, and a clear commercial awareness – all important and consistent qualities across the firm.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone who’s been included in this year’s rankings for their continued hard work and commitment to delivering a first-class service to clients across all specialisms.”

The rankings 

Pannone Corporate has advised the founder of streetwear brand, HERA London, on the sale to Gymshark director and former chairman, Paul Richardson.

The Manchester law firm acted as legal adviser to Ashley White, founder of the fashion company, which aims to grow into a £100 million label over the next three to five years. The Pannone team was led by Tom Hall (Corporate Partner), Andrew Walsh and Behzad Borang.

Launched in 2015 by Ashley White, HERA London has become known for its iconic skinny jeans, oversized sweatshirts and loungewear, with the brand attracting celebrities including Hailey Bieber, Brooklyn Beckham and Sofia Richie.

Tom Hall said: “We’ve worked alongside the founder of HERA London for the last few years, during which time the company has achieved exponential growth, established a loyal customer base, and built an impressive reputation amongst brand ambassadors.

“We’re delighted to have advised Ashley on a significant deal, which marks an exciting new chapter for the fashion brand as it looks to scale up and build on its success to date.”

Richardson, who was previously joint owner and director of All Saints, has purchased a majority stake in HERA London and will become executive chairman at the online retailer. He will oversee company strategy, create significant growth and improve brand equity.

Ashley White commented: “I would like to thank Tom, Andrew, Behzad and the whole Pannone Corporate team for their hard work and commercial advice. Their expertise is second-to-none and they made the process an enjoyable one.”

The Legal 500 is positioned as the ‘client’s guide to the best law firms’ because it is underpinned by client feedback and insight about how a firm and its lawyers work. It’s an important benchmark, which celebrates our team, allows us to build on success and strive for continuous improvement.

The Legal 500 rankings for 2022 – highlighting the practice area teams who are providing the highest quality legal advice – feature Pannone Corporate in 15 areas of law, moving up in two corporate & commercial, and commercial property.

The rankings include Tier 1 listings for our contentious trusts and probate, media and entertainment, and debt recovery teams. As well as the teams’ success, three people were named in the Hall of Fame, the firm had six namechecks for ‘leading individuals’, two ‘next generation partners’ and four mentions for ‘rising stars.’

Beyond the numbers and fantastic recognition in the rankings, we’re proud to see all the feedback from clients. Here’s what they said:

Contentious trusts & probate

“What sets them apart is their ability to combine their knowledge of the law, the softer skills of client care and an ability to be direct. The clients I have referred to them are by the nature of the specialism in a highly emotional state and every one of them has been gushing in their praise of the work done by this team.”

Debt recovery 

“An engaging, tenacious team who are practical and efficient in what they do. They have worked with us and our functions to provide a seamless recovery service to suit our business needs.”

Media & entertainment

“Liaison with clients takes on a personal form and the relevant legal staff do not need reminding about issues. They keep in touch.”

Employment 

“Responsive, accessible and commercial practitioners who work with us, as the client, to arrive at the right outcomes for our business.”

Health & safety

“A new team but one with excellent experience and technical expertise with a dynamic can-do approach and a personable demeanour.”

Intellectual property

“…amazing from our first meeting right to the conclusion of my case, our first meeting gave me hope in a situation which I had long since deemed a lost cause… extremely empathetic to my situation and secured a settlement against a formidable adversary.”

IT & telecoms

“Attentive, personal and always available for advice and guidance.”  

Professional negligence

“Highly specialised firm with a strong track record in claimant professional negligence work.”’

Commercial litigation

“Pannone Corporate has lawyers at the top of their respective disciplines and a client base to match. Customer service is a key ethos at the firm with a high degree of partner involvement ensuring the client gets the service it needs. Electronic document management and searching ensures that key documents are identified early in the case.”

Corporate & commercial

“…adaptive and pragmatic in their guidance and advice. We completed three transactions with them and found them to be sensibly priced and adaptive in their approach to the size and scale of due diligence required.”

Property litigation

“Pannone Corporate strikes an excellent balance: they have the big-firm capacity to handle large and complex cases, but the small-firm responsiveness and personal touch. They have the flexibility and skills to manage cases that cross between different fields, for example real estate litigation that raises company law, insolvency or property damage issues.”

Commercial property

“The approach of Pannone and their staff is very much aligned to our values, what is important to us and the way we like to operate, Pannone recognise this and it’s reflected in the service they provide. It’s important when dealing with legal matters that a firm has the ability to tailor its service to work in partnership with its clients, take time to understand our objectives, the way we operate and therefore offer a more bespoke service to deliver the right outcomes. I feel that this is a specific strength of Pannone.”

Insolvency & corporate recovery 

“The team are always ready to help and have found innovative solutions to technical problems.”

Construction 

“All of the partners feel like extended members of the in-house team. They are flexible and accommodating.”

In our latest IP round-up, our team shares the latest IP headlines and legal developments from the UK and around the world.

This month we cover the rise of social media copyright infringement claims, the news that Superdry sues Asos for ‘flagrantly’ copying its designs and ASA and CAP’s launch of guidance on advertising in-game purchases.

Read our monthly IP round up here: https://mailchi.mp/pannonecorporate/ip-round-up-october-2021

If you would like to discuss these topics in more detail or have any questions, contact Melanie or Amy:

Melanie McGuirk on 07790 882567 or email melanie.mcguirk @pannonecorporate-com.stackstaging.com

Amy Chandler 07920 237674 or email amy.chandler@pannonecorporate-com.stackstaging.com

As part of the launch of our annual Care Report, barrister, Jonathan Landau, looks in more detail at the CQC’s new strategy and the likely consequences. 

The care sector is an integral part of the UK’s societal landscape – both in economic terms and the number of vulnerable people it services. With an ageing population – with estimates suggesting a 36% growth in the number of people aged over 85 by 2025 – it’s clear that the sector will only grow in prominence over the coming years. 

The regulatory structure that sits around the sector has been governed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 2009 when the external body was created to regulate and monitor health and social care services in England, taking over the roles and responsibilities of the Healthcare Commission, Commission for Social Care Inspection and Mental Health Act Commission. In bringing together these three predecessor organisations it was (and remains) the CQC’s stated aim to ensure that, “health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.”

Initially the CQC inspected and monitored registered care providers in accordance with 16 ‘essential standards’ of quality and safety. However in the years that followed its creation there was, both within the CQC and the wider industry, a perceived lack of understanding as to how the essential standards were applied and interpreted in practice, prompting new ‘fundamental standards of care’ in 2015. To assist in enforcing the required standards, the CQC was given new powers, transforming it from an inspection and monitoring organisation into a regulator with teeth, including not only civil enforcement powers, but also the ability to prosecute those who had failed to meet those required standards.

Roll on six years and the role of the CQC remains a great source of debate. A global pandemic has made a seismic change to the way in which the CQC has pursued its objectives, and earlier this year it introduced a new strategy ‘for the changing world of health and social care’. The aim of the strategy, published in May 2021, is to strengthen the CQC’s commitment to deliver its purpose.

The CQC claims that its aims and role as a regulator won’t change – but how it works will be different. The strategy is based on four themes:

People and communities

Regulation that’s driven by people’s needs and experiences, focusing on

what’s important to people and communities when they access, use and move between services.

Smarter regulation

Smarter, more dynamic and flexible regulation that provides up-to-date and high-quality information and ratings, easier ways of working with the CQC and a more proportionate response.

Safety through learning

Regulating for stronger safety cultures across health and care, prioritising

learning and improvement and collaborating to value everyone’s perspectives.

Accelerating improvement

Enabling health and care services and local systems to access support to help improve the quality of care where it’s needed most.

The ‘smarter regulation’ theme is likely to have the biggest impact on providers, in terms of how they are inspected and rated. There will be a move away from relying chiefly on comprehensive on-site inspections. Instead, the CQC will develop continuous insight and monitoring methodologies. It anticipates that this will enable inspectors to spend more time speaking with people when on site rather than looking at paperwork.

The CQC also plans to develop innovative ways of analysing data and using AI to make decisions. Ratings will be more dynamic and won’t require an inspection for a change in rating.

All of this presents both risks and opportunities. In terms of risks, the validity of the CQC’s judgements will only be as robust as the systems it uses and the data it obtains. Providers, their advisors, and representative bodies will need to scrutinise the methodologies as they develop and quickly raise concerns. It’s likely that AI, for example, will pose some difficulties, with the potential for some very uncomfortable – even discriminatory – decisions for the CQC. Providers will also need to advocate for a fair system of challenging any decisions, as it seems unlikely that the factual accuracy correction procedure will not be available for such a dynamic regulatory scheme. That is particularly important if the CQC is obtaining information from sources it cannot itself verify and if it is making decisions on an AI (read automated) basis.

In terms of opportunities, providers that develop good relationships with stakeholders, and who invest time in understanding the CQC’s methodologies, will be well-placed to achieve good ratings and may benefit from lighter touch regulation. The more developed the CQC’s methodologies are, the easier it will be for providers to ensure that they can provide the evidence to satisfy the independent regulator.  

Currently, the CQC is targeting services with which it has concerns. In many cases, it does not have concerns about homes with lower ratings because of the improvements they have made. That leaves them stuck on lower ratings, because the CQC is not re-inspecting them. The ability for ratings to improve quickly is therefore very welcome.  

The themes of the new strategy are laudable, but it is inevitable that there will be unintended consequences and teething problems as the methodologies develop. Case associations and providers’ trusted advisors will be well-placed to keep them informed as the detail emerges.

Jonathan Landau is a barrister at 5 Essex Court. He has particular expertise in inquests and healthcare regulation. Joanthan is regularly instructed in relation to high profile Article 2 and jury inquests, often in the context of media coverage or regulatory investigations. He advises in respect of a broad range of healthcare regulatory matters including all levels of CQC and Ofsted enforcement, safeguarding investigations, commissioning disputes, contract monitoring, and mental capacity.

In our latest My Life in Law, we speak to new recruit, Emma Hafez, who joined Pannone in April 2021 as part of our Real Estate team. 28-year-old Emma talks about her career so far and why she decided to join the firm earlier this year after taking a career break to have children.

Tell us a little bit about your career, before joining Pannone.

My route into law was the traditional route. In all honesty, this was the only one I really knew about. At college we had to lay out our career paths and this was the route I chose and stuck to.

I did a three-year degree in law, followed by the Legal Practice Course and then entered into a training contract with brief stints of working as a paralegal in between.

Prior to joining Pannone, I qualified and worked as an immigration and human rights solicitor, before taking a career break to have to have my two children, Ella and Oliver. It was during this time that I decided to pursue a career in commercial law.

Why did you decide to join the firm?

My partner is the managing director of a property development company in Liverpool. He’s genuinely passionate about his work and we often discuss it together in the evenings. As a result of this interest, I felt it was the logical step for me to pursue a career in Real Estate law.

What does a typical day look like?

Every day is completely different, as the work that we do is so varied. However, a typical day usually starts with a call with my supervisor to go through the day’s tasks, followed by liaising with clients and the other side’s solicitors in relation to large developments, leases, residential investment transactions and a whole variety of work.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?

I really enjoy getting positive feedback from satisfied clients which I get a great sense of achievement from.

What can lawyers / the legal profession do to better support clients?

I believe solicitors could always be more empathetic to clients, as I have the benefit and perspective of seeing the client’s point of view first hand and can appreciate the challenges faced from both sides.

Looking forward, what are your career ambitions?
I hope to be able to stay at Pannone and grow an impressive client portfolio.

If you were managing partner for the day, what’s the first thing you would do?

I would take all of the teams on a city centre canal party cruise!

What would you be doing if you didn’t have a career in law?

I’ve always said I would have enjoyed being a dentist.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy taking my children on days out to the zoo or farms, anything which is outdoors.

A six-strong Pannone team took part in the annual Manchester Legal Walk earlier this week, to raise money for the North West Legal Support Trust – the local arm of the Access to Justice Foundation, which funds local advice services.

Money raised from the 10km walk, which started at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, before heading out to Chorlton-on-Medlock and finishing at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, will be used to help local agencies keep operating and provide access to justice to as many people as possible.

The event, which involves both legal professionals and justice advocates, takes place each year in 27 cities across the UK, including Liverpool, Leeds, London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Ben Blatch-Hanlon, a solicitor in the dispute resolution team, has taken part in a number of walks in three previous locations. He was responsible for organising the team’s involvement in this year’s event. Walkers included Lorna Shuttleworth, James Brandwood, Georgina Bligh-Smith, Heather Morris, and Emma Hafez.

Ben said: “The Legal Walk is a fantastic industry event to be involved in, raising much-needed funds and awareness of a vital service that has been severely affected by the pandemic.

“Through the charitable efforts of the legal and justice profession, we can play a small part in helping to fund a service that offers free advice to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society – making a huge difference to their lives.”

The Legal Advice agencies work to help prevent homelessness, resolving debt problems, gaining care for the elderly and disabled and fighting exploitation.

If you would like to support the team and make a donation, simply visit:  https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/PannoneCorporateLLP