North East based Jacksons Law Firm is the latest company to announce its approval as an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Following the successful application to the SRA, Jacksons became an ABS with effect from 1st July 2016. Converting to an ABS opens up new opportunities for law firms; some of those include promoting non-lawyers into management positions, multi-disciplinary services to clients and expanding a range of legal services.
The SRA has also approved the promotion of Jacksons’ Head of Finance, Suzanne Graham to partner. Suzanne joined the firm in August 2013 from BI Group Plc where she was Divisional Finance Director and is the first non-legal member of staff to be promoted to partner level at Jacksons.
Geoff Skeoch, Senior partner said, “We are very excited about the opportunities the new structure presents and look forward to being able to enhance the services we give to clients as a result of this. We consider this an innovative way to take our business forward and enable the practice, not only to provide specialist legal advice to our clients, but to be managed by experts too and for us to use this expertise to grow our business and develop the legal services we offer to clients in the modern world.
Geoff continues, “We are delighted, that now we have become an ABS, Suzanne can join the partnership. She is a major asset to the firm and her astute financial management has helped the practice to grow its business and increase profit. We feel that it is only right that Suzanne should have the ability to join in our decision making and share our success”.
Suzanne said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be promoted to partner at Jacksons and that the ABS conversion means professionals, similar to myself, who specialise in areas such as finance are given the same opportunities as other heads of departments within a law firm”.
The firm recently announced a strong financial year in 2014/15 for its Stockton and Newcastle offices. The company law team fees increased by 52%, the commercial litigation team seeing an increase in 47% in fees, while commercial property fees are up by 34% in Newcastle and matrimonial team fees by 63%. Staff numbers rose by 10%.
Jacksons, which has an office in Stockton and Newcastle, celebrates its 140th anniversary this year having been established in 1876 in Middlesbrough. The firm continues a period of growth, particularly the Newcastle arm of the firm following the appointment of two senior associates in the commercial property department last year. Due to client demand in the north of the region, Jacksons launched its residential conveyancing department at the end of last year and more recently, appointed a senior associate to head up its employment department.
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