Sector Focus


Legal Historic role brought to the city By Jon Griffin


Lawyer Jonathan Coutts is making legal history in Birmingham – as the city’s first scrivener notary. The title might invoke images of a character


straight out of The Pickwick Papers or Great Expectations, but Jonathan’s role is helping bring 21st Century legal expertise to the West Midlands. He is currently the man behind the move by


London-based John Venn and Sons, scrivener notaries and translators, to Birmingham, offering a new range of legal skills which have their origins in Roman times. Jonathan said: “A notary is a lawyer who


specialises in certifying documents for use in other countries. The role has its historical origins in an era when few people could write. “I am like a professional witness, if you go


and see a notary and he certifies your signature, others will know that the document is genuine. At a basic level, the key function to verify that the person is who they say they are. “We can get involved with Powers of


Attorney where you are giving your authority to a representative to do something on your behalf. Last week, for example, we had a couple in here from Castle Vale who were signing a Spanish-language Power of Attorney to sell their property in the Canary Islands.” Jonathan said there were a total of 800


notaries in the UK and just 30 scrivener notaries, a role which requires additional qualifications covering foreign language skills. “The qualification is a bit like a driving licence


– sometimes you get people who pass their advanced driving tests. The chance to use languages appealed to me,” said Jonathan, who


A Dickens of a job: Jonathan Coutts


is fluent in French and Polish, has a good knowledge of Spanish and German and a reading knowledge of Portuguese, Italian and Romanian. “We can save people having to go to travel


abroad and sit in meetings with lawyers, with all the time and costs that this entails. It is a niche sector of the legal services market, we focus on foreign law.” John Venn and Sons, one of just four firms


of its kind in the UK, also offers a range of translation skills for clients. “One of our big selling points is translation - Spanish is really valuable because Latin America is a key market, with the likes of Argentina, Peru, Mexico.” The firm set up in offices in Corporation


Street at the end of 2015 and Jonathan, who has worked for John Venn for 21 years, has been encouraged by progress so far. “This is an attempt to offer in the West Midlands the service we have hitherto offered in London. “We have preferred to start small, not to


overreach ourselves and build things up. This is a good location for us, we are very pleased with the suite of rooms we have here. There is a market outside London – not everybody wants to go to London to get things done. If we didn’t think there was a market outside London, we would not be here.” He said he was unsure what effect Brexit


would have on his sector. “On the one hand, there is a risk of an economic downturn which might mean less work but on the other hand there might be an increase because there will be less standardisation – there will be more trade deals negotiated outside the EU, for example.” Jonathan, 45, said his role involved meeting


a wide cross-section of society. “You meet people who are extremely pleasant and those who are not – those who are wealthy and those who are not – we serve a wide range of humanity. “Knowing your client is key to the job – are


they who they say they are? What is their role? What are they doing? What does the law require in the country where they are looking to do business?”


Acquisition aids Tracscare expansion


Law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys has advised Tracscare, which provides therapeutic residential and supported living services, in its acquisition of six supported living services and a specialist Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) service from Embrace. Tracscare, which provides


therapeutic residential and supported living services, throughout England and Wales, were advised by Harrison Clark Rickerbys partners Charlotte Thornton-Smith, Rebecca Leask and Louise Crook. Ms Thornton-Smith, head of the


firm’s health and social care team, said: “Our experience in the sector meant that we were able to offer Tracscare the level of detailed attention they needed for this important deal – I am delighted that we were able to support them in their development and we look forward to working with them again.” The deal is the latest


56 CHAMBERLINK March 2017


development in Tracscare’s expansion programme, following their acquisition of Brookdale Care, which supported people with autism, in 2015 and of ABI specialists New Bridges in 2016. Peter Battle, Tracscare’s CEO,


said: “This is a very exciting acquisition for Tracscare and Harrison Clark Rickerbys gave us,


as ever, excellent sector-specific advice and support throughout – their efficiency, attention to detail and professionalism make them a pleasure to work with.” Harrison Clark Rickerbys has 420


staff and partners based at offices in Cheltenham, the Wye Valley, Hereford, Worcester, Birmingham and the Thames Valley.


Deal done: Rebecca Leask, Peter Battle and Charlotte Thornton-Smith


Law Society reveals finalists


The finalists in this year’s Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards have been revealed. Mills & Reeve, Eversheds, Veale


Wasbrough Vizards, Gateley Plc and Pinsent Masons will be going head-to- head in the Law Firm of the Year (16 partners plus) category. In the five to 15 partners group,


the finalists include Jonas Roy Bloom, The Community Law Partnership, Thursfields Legal Limited, Sydney Mitchell and Quality Solicitors Davisons, while in the sole practitioner to four partners category ASR Legal Services, Neil Davies & Partners, Averta Employment Lawyers, Greens Solicitors Limited and Fountain Solicitors will be hoping to take home the spoils. The finalists for Barrister of the


Year include Leisha Bond, Edward Pepperall QC and Tariq Sadiq from St Philips Barristers, Gemma Bowes and Jason Hadden from St Ives Chambers, and Sarah Clover from Kings Chambers.


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