Martin Kaye Solicitors – Telford - Shropshire

Companies using corporate social media accounts must protect themselves and their followers if an employee moves on.

John Mehtam, our employment law specialist, said the issue of who actually owned the contacts and followers associated with these accounts was a difficult one.

“With the vast majority of businesses now taking to sites such as Twitter or LinkedIn to raise their profile, there may well be several employees posting messages about the company. But if one of those employees leaves the company, we have yet to see a trial in the UK to argue whether they can take the contacts with them. So employers should prepare themselves as this is clearly going to be a serious issue going forward, and as an employment lawyer I am already watching the legal developments carefully.”

John said when it came to LinkedIn, the law was likely to separate out ownership of a LinkedIn account from the ownership of the contacts attached to it.

“This is because the account was set up by the employee under a contract with LinkedIn – but any contacts made through a person’s employment are likely to belong to the employer and should be handed back when an employee leaves.

“And when it comes to Twitter, the situation is even more complicated. Companies are struggling to keep up with the pace of ever-changing social media trends, and may well not yet have any provision in their employment policies to protect themselves and prevent employees simply taking their followers with them if they leave.

“As an employer, you need to urgently review your employment contracts to ensure you include confidential information clauses on contacts made through Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts.

“Make sure too that you regularly remind staff of your policy, and if an employee does leave, remind them again that they should delete any relevant contacts and profiles, and ask them to sign to confirm they have done so. Social media is now an integral part of everyday life, and companies must ensure they are adapting their corporate policies day by day to protect their assets and their reputation.”

Staff from Martin-Kaye Solicitors in Telford have put themselves to the test to help raise cash for Hope House Children’s Hospice. We've signed up to the Hospice’s 2013 Corporate Challenge where local firms are given £50 and have 90 days to increase it by as much as possible.

So we have decided to hold a Blockbuster-style quiz at The White Horse, in Wrockwardine Wood, at 6pm tonight.

Clare Pitchford, who has organised the quiz on our behalf, said: “So far we have received excellent support towards our challenge, and this is just the start. We have many other exciting fundraising events in the pipeline including a big breakfast and a cake sale, so we’re hoping to boost our total still further. Our team would like to thank everyone for their generosity so far and hope they will continue to back our efforts so that we can raise as much money as possible for such an incredible cause.”

All the money raised in this year’s Corporate Challenge will be used to deliver vital services for local terminally ill children and their families at Hope House, in Oswestry. The Hospice says fundraising under the scheme can be as simple or as challenging as companies make it, either by organising a one-off event or activity, or by continually fundraising throughout the whole 90 days of the campaign.

Any companies interested in the Corporate Challenge should contact the Hospice Fundraising Office on 01691 671671 or visit www.hopehouse.org.uk

Pic: Launching the Martin-Kaye Solicitors Corporate Challenge are, from left, Lesley Warburton (Martin-Kaye), Lynsey Kilvert (Hope House) and Clare Pitchford (Martin-Kaye)

Overweight employees who are struggling to carry out their job effectively have been warned they do not automatically have the right to claim their weight is a disability.

John Mehtam, our employment law specialist, said an Employment Appeal Tribunal had ruled that obesity itself wasn’t a disability.

“But if the employee’s weight is causing serious health issues, it could be that a tribunal would decide they did have the right to claim disability discrimination, so employers need to handle such a situation very carefully. The best way forward if you face a claim like this, is to always ask a medical specialist if your employee’s symptoms would improve if they lost some weight.

“Of course bringing up a tricky issue like an employee’s weight is difficult enough at the best of times, but if they go on to claim it’s a disability then things become even more uncomfortable.”

John said the ruling followed a claim made by an employee who weighed nearly 22 stone and suffered from a whole host of medical problems including asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression.
“The employee agreed to a health assessment which revealed that despite his symptoms, he had no underlying medical condition that would have caused his problems.

“But the employee disagreed and made a claim for disability discrimination, which was turned down at an employment tribunal. Still not happy with this decision, he took his case to an employment appeal tribunal which overturned the ruling and said he was disabled, even though his symptoms all appeared to have been caused by his weight. They stopped short though of defining obesity as a disability in its own right, but said someone who was overweight may be more likely to be considered to be disabled by a tribunal.

“Employers must tread very carefully as this topic is a minefield and can be a legal nightmare if a case does actually go before a tribunal. It’s vital to take professional advice at the earliest opportunity as such cases are not clear cut and given the sensitive nature of the subject, they can be awkward to handle before, during and after the hearing itself.”

Here's a little something to brighten you day - a few legal funnies to put a smile on your face!

*         Have you looked through her briefs?
*         He is one hard judge
*         Counsel, let’s do it in Chambers
*         His solicitor withdrew at the last minute
*         Is it a penal offence?
*         Better leave the handcuffs on
*         For £200 an hour she’d better be good!
*         Can you get him to drop his suit?
*         The judge gave her the stiffest one he could
*         Think you can get me off

Let us know if you have any more gems like this!

Plans for a radical shake-up of the UK’s courts system have received a cautious welcome from a legal expert in our firm. But Nikki Pickering warned that although the move to privatise the justice system could save up to £1 billion a year, the new arrangements would need to be sensitively handled.

“Officials have been exploring new ways forward after the Justice Secretary Chris Grayling called for an enquiry to make sure the courts and tribunal service provide value for money. And now, within just a few weeks, Mr Grayling will receive their findings and the changes could begin as soon as autumn this year.”

Nikki said under the new system, court buildings and thousands of court staff would no longer be controlled by the Ministry of Justice, and would transfer into the hands of private companies.

“The courts and tribunal system would be a wholly commercial enterprise, and although the move would save money, it would also bring its own challenges too. If the court buildings were transferred into private ownership, it would be vital for the legal system to retain control of opening hours and these should not be dictated by commercial decisions.

“What if a court needed to be opened on a Saturday for an emergency hearing and the commercial providers did not agree? These new proposals would change the very foundations of our legal system which has been in place since Magna Carta.

“And even though we’re all fully aware of the difficult financial climate, and the need to make swingeing cost savings, these must not be achieved to the detriment of keeping our legal system fair for everyone.”

If the new proposals go ahead, the courts and tribunal system would be funded through larger fees from wealthy clients and private sector investment, and by encouraging hedge funds to invest by an attractive rate of return.

Two solicitors have been officially named as Associates at Martin-Kaye Solicitors. Tina Chander and Andrew Oranjuik have been recognised for their dedication and commitment to our company.

Senior partner, Graham Davies, said: “As a company we are keen to encourage staff to continuously develop their skills and it’s always a pleasure to be able to give employees the opportunity to make positive progress in their career.

“Tina and Andrew have made a real impact at Martin-Kaye, and their efforts have really paid off in terms of building strong relationships with both existing and new clients. To be named as an Associate is an honour we reserve for our most promising staff, and they certainly fit into that category very well.”

Tina manages the tribunal division of Martin-Kaye’s employment team, consistently increasing business, and ensures that the company’s profile is as high as possible to attract even more cases.

“I have successfully handled a number of extremely complex cases, and am working to build up a solid client base through our business support service, Alpha. It’s a great opportunity for me to be promoted to the role of Associate, and I’m very proud that my efforts have been recognised in such a way.”

Andrew is responsible for building on the already strong reputation of Martin-Kaye’s dispute resolution team.
“I work with clients across the Midlands and beyond, and have resolved a wide range of commercial disputes. I’m very pleased to have been named as an Associate, and I’m looking forward to playing an increasing role in building the business for such a forward-thinking and progressive firm.”

Pic: New Associates at Martin-Kaye Solicitors, in Telford – Tina Chander and Andrew Oranjuik

Personal injury experts at Martin-Kaye Solicitors are backing a national campaign to warn victims they could be missing out on fair compensation payouts.

Alison Carter, is head of our personal injury team, and she said accident or injury victims should tread very carefully.

“We’re backing The Law Society’s campaign that’s asking victims to think twice before they accept the first payment they are offered from an insurer. They’ve created a new website – www.dontgetmugged.co.uk – that explains how using a solicitor could make a real difference to someone’s claim.

“On average, research by the Financial Services Authority has shown that victims receive between two and three times more compensation if they consult a solicitor. So even though people may assume consulting solicitors is going to be a much more expensive process, it’s clear that you could actually get a far better deal if you take legal advice first.”

Alison said three million people were injured in accidents every year and so became involved in the often lengthy process of registering a claim. “If someone or something else is at fault, you have a right to compensation. The law is complicated, but a solicitor can help you make a claim and make sure you get a fair payout.”

Martin-Kaye’s personal injury team is renowned for its excellent customer service and earlier this year the team was named as the fourth most loved team of their kind in the UK. Leading business directory www.thebestof.co.uk ranked them as part of the website’s annual campaign where clients of UK businesses are given the opportunity to recommend their favourite companies.

As members of the regional branch of the website – www.thebestoftelford.co.uk – all testimonials from Martin-Kaye personal injury clients are regularly submitted and their score is then compared to all other similar teams across the UK.

“We’re particularly proud to be able to show that you don’t have to be city-based to deliver the best customer service and that companies like ours in the regions can compete effectively with the larger more high profile national names,” said Alison.

Companies planning a new website must ensure they have the legal right to use any images they include, our senior partner has warned.

Graham Davies said thanks to the Internet, it was all too easy to find suitable images online but companies needed to take a cautious approach.

“Running an internet search to find the images you need is all well and good, but you need to be sure who owns the rights to them. Don’t just assume that because the image isn’t necessarily attributed to anyone it’s safe to use it – many of the larger photo agencies have powerful software which constantly sweeps the Internet to check if anyone is using their images without permission.

“And if you do get found out, you can expect a call from the agency involved who will track you down in order to demand you pay up for the breach of copyright, which they are perfectly entitled to do.”

Graham said any company considering a new website should make sure they only used images for which they had the legal owner’s permission.

“So there are several options open to you if you want to ensure you don’t get caught out. You could take the photos yourself, or ask one of your staff to do it if they’re keen on photography, or you could hire a professional photographer.

“If you do bring in an expert though, make sure you buy not only the images but their copyright too, or you may find you’re not allowed to automatically use the images anywhere else such as on brochures or other printed marketing material.

“Another suggestion is to source the images from a stock photo agency where you can pay to use them for commercial reasons. You will find some stock photo agencies also give you the option to control who else can use the images you choose and that they will track them for you to ensure no-one uses them without permission.

“This will cost more, but it will mean you can ensure your company’s website images are unique to you and not used all over the Internet by your competitors.”

One of our solicitors has hit back at claims that “ambulance chasing lawyers” are to blame for a huge rise in compensation claims. Alison Carter is a partner in our firm, who leads the personal injury team, and she has almost 20 years’ experience in the sector.

“I cannot believe the number of times lawyers are criticised for encouraging accident victims to take action when in fact it is claims management companies and insurers who contact victims to suggest they make a claim.

“It’s been a great concern to me for many years that insurers and data collection companies take such an aggressive stance to try to pressurise anyone involved in an accident to claim for compensation. It gives a bad and false impression of a profession that has helped genuinely, and often seriously, injured members of the public to seek compensation for their injuries when someone else has been at fault.

“Yes of course there are some bogus claims, but these are few and far between, and they are often caught out as soon as they start talking to an experienced personal injury lawyer.”

Alison said that previously, third parties did not charge a fee for passing on claims and victims approached solicitors directly.

“But a change in the law allowed claims management companies to be created and permitted insurance companies to charge solicitors for passing on personal injury claims. As the solicitors who actually do the work, we would have been more than happy for the old rules to remain in place, and for these ‘middle men’ who make financial gains from passing on details not to exist at all.”

Alison said the insurance industry had lobbied the Government so hard that significant changes to the claims processing system had already been made.

“But these changes have been ill-thought out and will be counter-productive. There was very little consultation with lawyers who handle the work, and this was a real missed opportunity. The new rules will prevent a lot of genuine claimants from pursuing their claims as there will be fewer solicitors offering the service and if the client submits a claim as an individual, they are likely to get much less compensation than they deserve.

“It’s long overdue that the true picture of the compensation claims industry is revealed, and that professional and experienced lawyers are no longer tarnished with a reputation they don’t deserve.”

Christmas is the perfect opportunity for Shropshire employers to save money – by insisting their staff take annual leave.

John Mehtam, our employment law specialist said even if an annual shutdown was not mentioned in their employment contracts, company bosses could enforce the rule.

But he warned that employers must provide as much notice as possible to ensure their workforce still had enough annual leave.

“If you find the days between Christmas and New Year are traditionally very quiet for your business, you may wonder what the point is of paying your staff when there’s not enough work to be done. So introducing an annual shutdown is an excellent idea which has many benefits including saving on heating and lighting costs.

"And even if there is no provision in your staff contracts for such a move, it’s still possible as you have employer’s rights under the Working Time Regulations 1998. You will though have to follow some very specific notification rules, or your directors could find themselves with all kinds of problems on their hands.”

In order to comply with the regulations, you must give any employees affected notice which is at least double the length of the annual leave you want them to take.

“So for two days’ annual leave you’d need to give at least four days’ notice, and for a week’s leave, at least two weeks’ notice. If you do decide to adopt this approach, it’s far better to notify your employees as soon as possible.

"If you leave it until the statutory notification point, you could find some or all of them don’t have enough annual leave left, and can’t meet your annual shutdown requirements, so this is likely to defeat any cost-saving aims.

“You also don’t have to give the reason for the shutdown decision to your employees, although it may help the relationship with your staff if you do. Remember too that all staff must be treated equally and consistently, and that includes the directors. But if some directors need to be available during the shutdown period and not on annual leave, that’s perfectly justifiable.

“It may seem a crazy idea to be thinking about Christmas working arrangements in the middle of the summer, but now is the perfect time plan ahead and give your staff time to get used to the idea.”

Directors must remember they could find themselves held personally responsible if their business makes a mistake, a local solicitor has warned.

Graham Davies is our senior partner and he said far from being untouchable, directors were likely to be in the firing line.

“When a company stops trading, generally any unsecured creditors will automatically lose any money or goods that they are owed. As a result of this, some directors believe that closing their business down could solve a whole host of problems. But in fact, taking the decision to bring down the shutters could lead to even worse difficulties and consequences.”

Graham said a prime example was the owner of a restaurant who was found to be employing several workers illegally. The UK Border Agency investigated and the company was ordered to pay a civil penalty of £25,000.

But the owner decided to transfer thousands of pounds out of the company bank account leaving insufficient funds to pay the fine, and he then declared the company insolvent and placed it into liquidation.

“The UKBA brought in the Insolvency Service and it did not take long to uncover the owner had taken in unlawfully transferring assets, which was a clear breach of his duty as a director,” said Graham.

“He has now been disqualified from being a director for eight years, which means he is unable to have any involvement with the promotion, formation or management of any UK company. The disqualification also means he cannot be a company secretary, or even become a non-executive director of a UK company. He’s banned too from being involved in a limited liability partnership and from acting as a trustee of a charity.

“It’s vital that directors are fully aware of their responsibilities and that it’s not just high profile cases that can trigger a disqualification – they can be given for lesser misdemeanours too including consistently late filing of statutory documents. Taking on a directorship is not a decision to be taken lightly, and brings with it a raft of rules and requirements which must be taken seriously.”

A growing number of companies are now relying on video conferencing to conduct job interviews – so that they can keep a review of the conversations for their records.

The move, sparked by the widening availability of free computer software, has prompted calls from our employment law expert to ensure companies don’t fall foul of the law.

John Mehtam said: “A recent survey of human resources directors found that, in the past three years, 41 per cent have increased their use of video conferencing to conduct job interviews. They are taking advantage of improved hardware and software options which, in many cases, give the company access to applicants who don’t live locally.”

He added: “While this is all a clever, sensible and increasingly popular way of recruitment, it does come with a point of legal warning.

“You must always tell the job applicant that they are being recorded and obtain their express consent to comply with your data protection requirements, because the recording counts as their personal data. And you must also make sure you follow the exact same rules that you would apply if the person was being interviewed for a job face-to-face.”

John said: “There will be some Shropshire companies thinking this all makes perfect sense, but are worried about the cost implications.

“They need not, because as long as they have the necessary hardware like a PC, laptop, iPad or smartphone, the software you need to use – Skype - is completely free.

“To take advantage of its video conferencing facility, both you and the person you are interviewing merely have to have the camera enabled on their computer. And if you want to keep a record of the interview, there is a free video call recorder facility.”

Businesses are being advised to make sure they don’t fall foul of copyright laws by checking that they actually own their company logos and artwork.

Graham Davies, our senior partner, said: “It is a common misconception that the rights for company artwork automatically transfers to them when a designer is paid for their work. But the designer remains the legal owner of the copyright unless they have officially assigned it to the company, and confirmed this in writing.

“Sometimes, it can be many years before a potential problem arises. And in this time the company’s logo would be well recognised, established, and a highly valuable asset.”

One of the UK’s top smoothie brands, Innocent, lost its distinctive logo some months ago when a court ruled it did not own the copyright – even though it had registered the artwork as a trademark.

Graham said: “To avoid costly disputes over who owns a company’s logo, make sure the designer expressly assigns the rights to their work and its copyright over to your company on completion of the contract. If a company doesn’t have this in writing, the designer still owns the copyright.”

Graham said the ‘in writing’ requirement applied not only to logos, but anything created by a third party such as brochures, websites, business cards and leaflets.

“Don’t assume something belongs to you, just because it has been produced for you, to your own specifications, and you have paid for it,” he added. "This can be a minefield for companies who have worked hard to raise their profile and then find their image which has become so recognisable actually belongs to someone else. Make sure you resolve these issues at the very start and don’t let things drift or problems will almost certainly occur.”

Regulators are to start examining company websites to ensure that their privacy policies don’t breach data protection laws. So, do businesses need to be worried?

Stuart Haynes, of Martin-Kaye Solicitors, in Telford, said: “The Information Commissioner’s Office, responsible for enforcing data protection laws in the UK, hasn’t really concerned itself with activities on the internet so far.

“But that is starting to change. It intends to start scrutinising companies’ online privacy policies, and naming and shaming those which do not comply with the rules.”

He said: “Not only are many website privacy policies shamefully flouting data protection laws, they are sometimes being used to try to protect businesses from legal liability, and not properly informing visitors about the processing of their personal data.

“At the moment, the ICO is only scrutinising a small number of websites, and your chance of falling under its spotlight is pretty remote. But this is probably the trigger which companies need to review their privacy policies, making sure you tell visitors to your website in clear terms exactly what their personal data will be used for.

“Businesses also have to provide details of their data controller, and name any third parties which may be given access to the website’s data.”

Stuart said: “The ICO has produced an easy-to-read three-page checklist, which explains how firms can set out some of the required information. And if you’re unsure of just what you need to do to comply with the rules, seek expert advice at the earliest opportunity. Don’t leave things until the eleventh hour or you could risk serious consequences in the longer-term.”

Companies are being warned to be on their guard against a new overpayment scam.

Our senior partner Graham Davies said: “The ‘target’ receives a letter with an enclosed cheque which says it is in settlement of an invoice. The scammer then quickly calls up claiming to have made a mistake, and politely requests that you return the money by an online banking transfer.

“And this is where the danger arises. The scammers are hoping that you will return the money before discovering that the cheque they sent to you is fake, and no money is in your account. Typically, this would be for a few thousand pounds, and the scammers often prey on more inexperienced members of staff.”

Graham said: “There are some fairly straightforward processes which companies can put in place to protect themselves from this. Firstly, warn your accounts department and make all refunds subject to the approval of a director, or second senior signatory.

“And secondly, if your company accepts cheques, encourage your accounts team to tick off those received against outstanding invoices, rather than paying them into the bank and reconciling your accounts later.

“In such tough economic times, no-one can afford to lose valuable income so it’s vital that you protect your company finances at all costs. Scammers are becoming increasingly creative in order to come up with new ways to target their victims, and it’s important to try to keep one step ahead of them by putting strict procedures in place.”

Martin-Kaye Solicitors is branching out and we're opening a brand new office in Wolverhampton to meet an increase in demand from clients.

We'll still have our headquarters in Euston Way, in Telford, but an increase in business from across the West Midlands now means we need premises in the city too. The office at Bredon House, on Tettenhall Road, will open at the end of September.

Our senior partner Graham Davies said: “Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of enquiries coming from businesses in Wolverhampton and the Black Country. And now we feel the time is right to develop an office in the area to meet the needs of all kinds of companies in the region.

“Our research shows there is a growing demand in the city for specialised legal services and we believe our range of skills will provide local businesses with greater choice. As a firm, we handle high value and complex deals, heavyweight commercial litigation, complex employment law issues and commercial property transactions – all the topics that today’s business world creates.”

Graham said the firm was also keen to expand into the Wolverhampton area as it was developing into a vibrant area for business, particularly given the multi-million pound i54 development.

“It’s a natural expansion for our business as there is an even greater concentration of the size and types of businesses we act for, and in fact, many of our lawyers actually live or originate from the West Midlands, which makes the new office the obvious choice for us. There is also a high percentage of start-up businesses in the region, and our commercial experience could prove invaluable in helping them to get started.

“Our well-established international links help us to stand out from our competitors too, and after nearly 30 years successfully delivering specialised services to businesses across Shropshire, it’s time to reach out to an even wider audience.”

Our family law partner, Nadia Davis, has become one of the first solicitors in the county to qualify under a new scheme that takes a different approach to divorce.

She has now also qualified as a collaborative lawyer, and under the new initiative, couples going through a divorce and their solicitors sign an agreement to show they are committed to finding the best solutions through negotiation, rather than through court proceedings.

The agreement prevents the lawyers involved from representing their client in court if the collaborative process breaks down, so everyone involved is absolutely committed to making it work.

“I am very pleased to have qualified under this new scheme, and it means we can now offer an alternative approach for some couples that will mean court action is unnecessary,” said Nadia.

“At Martin-Kaye Solicitors, we’re committed to delivering the very best advice to our clients at all times and to continuously developing the services we can provide. So I believe it’s vital that our team regularly updates their skills and embraces new approaches to the ever-changing world of family law that could make a real difference to our clients.”

Nadia said one of the benefits of the collaborative process was that it was not driven by a timetable imposed by a court.

“The process can be built around each family’s individual timetable and priorities, and sometimes only a handful of meetings may be required to resolve the case, so it’s often a much quicker route to take.”

Martin-Kaye Solicitors also takes a different approach to many other law practices when it comes to the cost of legal advice. For a long time now, we have promoted fixed fees and pricing for a case even when the circumstances are unpredictable, and we have a fixed fee scale specifically for divorce cases.

“One of the biggest fears for anyone who is going through a family breakdown is the potential costs they may face, and our fee structure combined with the new collaborative approach gives our clients a much clearer picture of how things are likely to proceed.”

Office workers may need to reconsider how they use their LinkedIn social media accounts following a significant new court ruling.

The High Court has decided that a former employer is within its rights to continue exerting some control on a person’s LinkedIn account, if it is done to protect its business interests. This is despite the account being set up in the name of the employee, rather than the company concerned.

Employment law expert John Mehtam, a partner at Martin-Kaye Solicitors in Telford, said: “It is clear, following this ruling, that employers who encourage the use of LinkedIn need to have the appropriate guidance and policies in place. It is also wise to review employment contracts to ensure that any restrictions imposed on staff after termination of their employment are fit for purpose.”

His claims follow a case involving former staff members from Whitmar Publications Limited in Tunbridge Wells, who left to set up a new publishing company called Earth Island. The court heard how LinkedIn accounts set up during their time at Whitmar had been used as a source of email addresses for a news release about the new company.

John said: “This was clearly a breach of good faith, and in the High Court of Justice, Mr Peter Leaver granted an interim mandatory injunction in favour of Whitmar. The issue has since been concluded by an out of court financial settlement, with Earth Island having to cover a substantial part of Whitmar’s legal costs.

“The case underlines the importance of imposing clear, express duties on employees and agents to promote the employer’s business on LinkedIn.

“It may also be worth considering including other clauses in a contract requiring staff to provide access to LinkedIn accounts, after termination, because although they appear to contradict LinkedIn’s user agreement, it would seem they have the law of the land on their side.”

A growing number of companies are allowing staff to connect their own IT devices to the company’s network in a bid to save costs and improve efficiency.

But the move could also be costing businesses lost time, and increasing their risk of penalties, according to our employment law expert John Mehtam.

“Depending on which report you read, the idea of bringing your own device to work is either hailed as a time and cost-saving breakthrough, or a risky waste of effort,” said John.

“Our view is that encouraging staff to use their own IT equipment at work is fine until something goes wrong. If your network crashes, you’ll lose productive time and suffer a great deal of stress, especially if you are the director of IT.”

John said: “But there’s more to worry about than that. If there is a breach of data protection rules, it is usually the company directors who are liable, and this could include tough penalties. So if you allow staff to use their own devices and your firm is registered under the Data Protection Act, you must take steps to ensure that any data stored on their devices is secure.”

He said the decision to allow staff to use their own hardware boiled down to three main questions; will it reduce the IT investment bill, will it improve and encourage more productive use of time, or will time be wasted transferring apps and data between company and non-company machines?

“If, after considering the pros and cons, you are happy to allow staff to use their own IT equipment, make sure you issue a firm policy on how this will work.

“The director in charge of IT should be consulted over every tablet, phone or laptop an employee wants to connect to the company’s network. And the business should emphasise that it will not pay either the running costs, or repair bills, for personal devices which are also used for work purposes.”

Around 100 guests attended a VIP reception to launch our brand new office in Wolverhampton.

Martin-Kaye Solicitors has its headquarters in Telford, but an increase in business from across the West Midlands has led to us opening new premises in the city.

Guests included the Mayor Councillor Milkinder Jaspal and Mayoress Jasbir Jaspal, and representatives from a wide range of businesses across the West Midlands region.

Martin-Kaye senior partner, Graham Davies, welcomed the audience and said his team were very keen to play an active role in the local business community.

“Wolverhampton has a proud history and a brilliant future, and we want to be very much a part of that future. Our VIP launch gave guests the opportunity to meet the lawyers who will be working in the city in a relaxed and sociable environment, and to find out more about our refreshingly different approach to doing business.”

Mayor Councillor Jaspal said: “We’d like to thank Martin-Kaye Solicitors for moving into Wolverhampton – working in partnership is very important as you can’t be successful on your own. If companies and organisations work with the council and each other, together we will prosper.”

Martin-Kaye’s new office at Bredon House, on Tettenhall Road, is now ready for business, and there has already been a great deal of client interest even before the doors opened.

Graham said: “Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of enquiries coming from businesses in Wolverhampton and the Black Country. Our research shows there is a growing demand in the city for specialised legal services and we believe our range of skills will provide local businesses with greater choice.”

He said the firm was also keen to expand into the Wolverhampton area as it was developing into a vibrant area for business, particularly given the multi-million pound i54 development.

“It’s a natural expansion for our business as there is an even greater concentration of the size and types of businesses we act for, and in fact, many of our lawyers actually live or originate from the West Midlands, which makes the new office the obvious choice for us.”

Pic: At the VIP launch of the new Martin-Kaye Solicitors office in Wolverhampton are, from left, John Mehtam (employment law specialist), Mayor Councillor Milkinder Jaspal and Mayoress Jasbir Jaspal, and senior partner Graham Davies

Social media contacts warning

Solicitors have all the answers!

Weighty issue for employers

On the lighter side...

Courts shake-up must be handled carefully

Duo step up at Martin-Kaye

Don't get mugged!

Putting companies in the picture

Lawyers hit back at unjust claims

Christmas countdown is already here

Mistakes can be costly

Video records need careful handling

Who owns your company logo?

Is your company website legal?

Payment scam warning

We're spreading our wings!

New approach for Nadia

Think twice about making that link

IT shortcuts can cause headaches

VIPs toast law firm's new offices