Pictured above: Marie Walls
Five years on from joining the UK's leading legal referral and
support network as a 'hub' firm for the East Midlands, Nelsons has
signed up 172 of the region's law firms as members of
Connect2Law.
The news, says Nelsons, shows that many smaller firms, generally
of 10 partners or less, are seeking mutually beneficial
partnerships which will make them stronger and fitter in the face
of imminent change to the legal profession.
Founded a decade ago by Manchester based Pannone LLP,
Connect2Law is a free service which helps law firms across the UK
offer their clients a full service proposition by referring work
they cannot undertake themselves to specialist solicitors in larger
firms. Without the risk of losing their client, member firms
introduce work to one of 20 hub firms, like Nelsons, that each
manages and delivers the Connect2Law service in an agreed
geographic location.
Marie Walls, business development director and head of
Connect2Law services at Nelsons says: "Connect2Law is not only the
largest and most successful legal referral network run by lawyers
for lawyers, it has been one of the best-kept secrets in the legal
profession.
"It's not about taking firms' money and trying to do their
marketing, which is the sum of many legal networks. It's designed
so that we support other law firms to maintain their independence
and provide them with additional tools to operate as independent
and successful businesses in their own right."
Benefits to joining Connect2Law includes free membership,
written non-poaching and fee sharing agreements, a bespoke
accreditation scheme and Lexcel packages, discounted continuing
professional development courses and free in-house training, as
well as access to a wide range of consultancy services. Members
also have access to a buying group, CostController, which saves on
average 20% on core overheads for the purchase of paper to
photocopiers and mobile phones to utility bills.
Nelsons organises and hosts 20 free CPD accredited seminars for
its Connect2Law members throughout the year, attracting over 700
delegates at 12 seminars so far this year. The firm is also hosting
a series of seminars for managing partners, firstly in Nottingham
and then in Leicester during July, and will be hosting its first
annual conference for all member firms in October.
"More than 2,000 law firms across the UK and over 170 firms in
our hub region are already reaping the benefits," says Marie. "We
believe it is a model of how law firms can work together in the
future in an increasingly competitive market that, from October,
will be opened up to businesses not traditionally associated with
the law."
For more information about Nelsons, please visit their website
here: www.nelsonslaw.co.uk