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our year...
2013/14
Committed to the
Plain English Campaign
Our year 2013/14 | Contents page | 3
Contents
We’ve been busy 4
Our journey so far
Our stats
Exceptional client service
Contributing to our local communities
The future’s bright
People matter
8
11
14
20
28
24
•	 increased revenue by almost two-thirds
•	 moved our head office in Nottingham, opened in
Manchester and acquired a personal injury team and
an office in Exeter
•	 increased overall headcount by more than
50% since 2009
•	 successfully re-tendered to many of our biggest
clients
•	 won strategically important clients for our core
sectors including Morrisons, The Independent
Parliamentary Standards Association, NHS England,
and The Crown Commercial Service
•	 put a dedicated academies team in place to support
schools through the conversion process and beyond
•	 became a founding member of an international
network of firms
•	 gained Lexcel and ISO 27001 accreditation
•	 achieved a 3-star exceptional rating for our
client service under the Investor in Customers
accreditation
•	 achieved the Plain English standard for our terms
and conditions
•	 enrolled 194 people into our pension scheme on the
staging date for auto-enrolment, with only 20 people
then opting out
•	 recorded/released 168 training videos, webinars
and talking heads - generating over 2,500 hours of
viewing time by our clients and contacts
•	 set up our internal risk and compliance department.
We’ve been
busy...
The past five years proved to be a fantastic period for us. We have...
Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy... page | 4
Derek Bambury addressing delegates at the Pangea Net AGM 2013, hosted by Browne Jacobson
increased headcount
increased revenue
Having set ourselves a target to be a £50m firm with
‘five dots on the map’ at our last strategic review in
2010/11, it was pleasing to reach that goal in the past
financial year, without merger, and for all of our sectors
and teams to have contributed to that. Our sector focus
and expertise has driven our growth of 11.5% in 2013/14;
within that, our health team grew by more than 25%
and our insurance and corporate sectors also generated
double digit growth.
The performance of our public sector practice in
2013/14 was impacted by the slow down of work in the
academy conversion market in anticipation of the 2015
election; while we have grown our market share, the
number of conversions is falling nationally. However, our
wider public sector offer continues to go from strength
to strength through our long standing relationships with
clients and our appointment (or re-appointment) to
several key public sector panels.
page | 5Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy...
page | 6Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy...
Over the past year, we have received numerous awards and re-accreditations:
Investors in People (IiP) and IiP health
and wellbeing re-accreditation
Legal 500 ‘real estate
firm of the year’ (regional)
Lexcel re-accreditation
We are only the second law firm to hold the Plain
English Campaign’s website Crystal Mark and we also
achieved the Plain English standard for our terms and
conditions
Legal Advisors of the Year, Education Investor Awards
2013 – this is the second time we have won this award
and follows our success in 2011 (and short-listing in 2012)
MPF ‘best thought leadership campaign’
(education report on ‘driving success
through autonomy’)
page | 7Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy...
“I’m proud to have worked with some fantastic
people over recent years who have helped us
achieve our strategic objectives. I have no
doubt that the next few years will be equally as
challenging as those that have gone before, but
the firm is in an extremely strong position and will
continue to grow and thrive thanks to both our
own people and our clients.”
Iain Blatherwick
Managing Partner
0115 976 6183
iain.blatherwick@brownejacobson.com
With this increase in size comes greater responsibility
for the people who rely on the firm for a living; at
the end of April 2014 we had over 750 in our team. An
over-supply of lawyers, alongside greater competition
in the legal market from new entrants following the
introduction of the Legal Services Act, has meant we
need to constantly improve what we offer to our clients.
With that in mind, we set up a new board structure in
early 2013, putting in place an operational board to work
alongside our strategy board.
Our strategic review at the back end of 2013 highlighted
a number of key projects for the firm, which will lead to
more change than the business has seen for many years.
Work has started in earnest on many of those including
selection of a new practice management system; a
review of our ways of working - which will include the
introduction of e-workflow processes as well as flexible
and mobile working - and plans to further enhance our
‘exceptional’ levels of client service following our recent
accreditation from Investor in Customers.
Nottingham office Manchester office Exeter office
Recent office developments...
Our journey
so far...
Our year 2013/14 | Our journey so far... page | 8
April 2004 - April 2014
Turnover
£55m
£50m
£45m
£40m
£35m
£30m
£25m
£20m
£15m
£10m
£5m
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
£27m
£30m
£32m
£35m
New Birmingham
office
Voted no. 47 in The
Sunday Times
Top 100 Companies to
Work For
Moved London
office to the City
People numbers
break 500
Birmingham
numbers
reach 100
Converted to
LLP
page | 9
We’ve been on quite a journey since the firm started in
1832, when we were known as Browne  Son. Some of the
highlights from the last 10 years are set out below.
Our year 2013/14 | Our journey so far...
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
£31m
£33m
£35m
£41m
£45m
£50m
Gained Lexcel
accreditation
Strategy Board
started
New Manchester
office opened
5 offices and
£50m turnover
strategy agreed
Moved to
Mowbray House
Acquired Veitch
Penny personal
injury team and
opened in Exeter
Ops Board
started
New Managing
Partner
People
numbers
break 700
3-star exceptional
client service
rating from IIC
“One of the best firms in Nottingham,
Browne Jacobson LLP is chosen by clients
in preference to many of the national
players.”
Legal 500, 2013
2013/14 proved to be another great year for the firm, with revenue breaking the £50m barrier
for the first time. In real terms, we have increased revenue by £19.4m since April 2009, which
represents growth of 63% over a five year period, in a very difficult economic market. Our growth
has largely been generated organically through a focused approach to developing our key sectors and
strong client relationships.
Our
stats...
11.5% growth in 2013/14
63% growth from April
2009 to April 2014
Our year 2013/14 | Our stats... page | 11
year
revenue
£55m
£50m
£45m
£40m
£35m
£30m
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
50.2m
45.0m
41.3m
35.1m
33.1m
30.8m
They have the ability to understand what their clients need. In this day and age you need to adapt your
view to the desires of your client. They are able to do that, and work effectively with other firms.
Chambers  Partners, 2014
Last year, we:
Our year 2013/14 | Our stats... page | 12
All of our people benefit from this growth. For the fourth consecutive year everyone who was eligible was awarded a
bonus based on the revenues we have achieved – equating to 2% of salary for 2013/14.
Profits in the year to April 2013 were £11.8m, this is almost double the level we were achieving in 2008/09 and
comes at a time when we are continuing to make significant investments to ensure that we build a sustainable
business to face the current challenges in the legal market. The coming year will be no exception, with some major
projects in the pipeline requiring further investment.
2013/14 saw the introduction of our working capital project and revenue manager pilot. This has proved successful
and we are now implementing the revenue manager role across the firm. Lock up days reduced by 12 in the year,
almost reaching our target, but there is still more we can do and this will continue to be a focus in the coming
months.
Due to planned and significant investments, debt had increased substantially in the prior year, enabling our growth.
Our current treasury policy is to fund investments primarily out of cash and we were able to achieve that in 2013/14
whilst reducing overall debt levels by £2.9m.
Directories
Our legal directory rankings continue to go from strength to strength – we achieved new rankings in five areas and
improved our rankings in eight other areas in the Legal 500 2013 and had two new rankings and three improved
ratings in Chambers  Partners 2014. We now have 13 top tier rankings in Chambers  Partners – and in six of those,
we are the only firm to hold that status in our chosen market. We also now have 57 named individuals as ‘leaders in
their field’ in Chambers - an all-time high for the firm.
donated £12,500 from the Browne Jacobson
Charitable Trust to local causes
raised £28,000 for our chosen charities
£2.9m
21
29
1
57
debt reduction in 2013/14
increase in headcount in the year
top tier rankings in Legal 500 2013
only firm ranked as a ‘regional heavyweight’ in the
East Midlands in Legal 500 2013
leading individuals listed in Chambers  Partners 2014
“Our business has grown significantly in recent
years and that has provided us with a terrific
platform to build on. This will enable us
to continue to invest in our people and our
infrastructure to secure the firm’s future.”
Sarah Walker-Smith
Chief Operating Officer
0115 976 6500
sarah.walker-smith@brownejacobson.com
Our vital statistics this year...
page | 13Our year 2013/14 | Our stats...
It’s no accident that many of our clients have stayed with us for upwards of 20 years - continuity
of service, a commitment to the very highest standards of client care and straightforward advice
offered in plain English are just some of the reasons why.
Exceptional client
service...
Our focus on exceptional client service means we can
attract new clients too – in the past year we have been
appointed to the likes of Morrisons, PZ Cussons Beauty
LLP (owner of brands such as St Tropez), The London
Taxi Company, Barnardo’s, Centre for Process Innovation,
NHS England, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and
The Environment Agency. These appointments are across
a range of sectors and legal specialisms and reflect the
diverse nature of our business – which continues to be
one of our great strengths.
Of course, exceptional client service doesn’t happen by
accident; we are constantly seeking feedback from our
clients so we can identify where we need to improve and
then we take action to make sure it happens.
page | 14Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
Four pillars of exceptional client service
We have been carrying out independent reviews with
our clients for many years but, in 2014, we have become
the first law firm to undergo assessment by a leading
independent body, Investor in Customers (IIC) and to be
awarded their ‘exceptional’ 3-star rating for our client
service under their ‘Investor in Clients’ mark.
This is only achieved by 16% of companies in their
first assessment and our teams achieved this rating
consistently, regardless of which department, sector or
office they worked in, with an overall score of 8.32 out
of 10 across the firm.
We have also adopted the net promoter methodology
and our current rating indicates that two thirds of our
clients would actively recommend our services and the
majority of our own team would recommend the firm as
a good place to work.
While we are delighted to have achieved a 3-star rating
from the IIC, the hard work starts here. We will be
analysing the results carefully and working on detailed
plans with our teams to raise our game even higher;
quality will become our absolute watchword when it
comes to our clients - quality of our people, quality of
our work and quality of our service.
page | 15Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
“They are fully deserving of our top award as they
consistently demonstrate the highest levels of
client experience and achieved high scores against
all the criteria we measure.”
Neil Craig, Managing Director, Investor in Customers
Understand
client needs
Meet client
needs
Delight
clients
Engender
loyalty
We believe in developing long term mutually beneficial relationships with our clients. In practice
that means we commit to delivering those things that you should expect from your law firm. IIC have
provided independent verification that we do exactly what we say we will – their assessment has
enabled them to confirm that we have met every one of the promises listed on our client charter -
which are set out below.
Our client charter promises...
what you should
expect from your law
firm...
Quality legal advice
that is
straightforward and
in plain language
Clarity on
our intended
approach to a
job
Updates on all
work we do for
you and hitting
deadlines
Dealing with your
letters, emails
and phone calls
promptly
Agreeing
transparent
pricing structures
that reflect the
value of our work
High standards
of honesty and
integrity
Informing you
of any conflicts
of interest
immediately
Ensuring that we
provide you with
the right people
for the job
Offering an
opinion,
rather than
just legal
arguments
Taking a commercial,
common sense
approach, based
on a thorough
understanding of your
objectives
Being
innovative
Continually improving
our ways of working
and ensuring that our
systems are streamlined
and efficient
Being a part of
your team
we will add
value to your
business by:
page | 16Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
page | 17Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
To be strategically important advisors to our
clients by understanding and anticipating their
needs, delivering a service which exceeds their
expectations and makes their life easier.
Browne Jacobson LLP
Our mission...
What our clients say...
“They are regarded by the health community as simply
the best legal firm we deal with. They are very focused on
developing long term relationships, understanding the business
environment of the client and adding value. Their people are
technically excellent, pride themselves on doing a great job for
the client and are a joy to work with.”
NHS England
“Great service and lovely people.
Never made to feel that I should
know something when I don’t!”
Baxi Group
“Your overall contribution has been crucial to the
success of the project, and your expert legal and
commercial advice has been invaluable in helping the
Council achieve a deal that will improve our public
offer at the National Water Sports Centre, whilst at
the same time significantly reducing our costs.”
Nottinghamshire County Council
“Browne Jacobson has been helping us
deliver our acquisition programme since our
early days. Ten years on and they feel like part
of our in-house team. They never take our
relationship for granted.”
Vets4Pets (pre-sale)
page | 18Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
We have been impressed and pleased by Browne
Jacobson’s efforts to match many of the core
qualities we expect of our own claims underwriters
‘in-house’, namely: pro-activity, responsiveness,
technical ability and commercial nous, all the while
maintaining the exceptional service requirements
demanded by the Hiscox brand.”
Hiscox UK Retail
“I have dealt with BJ’s for over 10 years
and they have always gone the extra mile
and tell me, in plain English, where we
stand on decisions for our cases.”
London Borough of Lambeth
64% of clients would actively recommend our services to others
3We’ve worked with all of our top three clients for more than 10 years
8+Seven of our top 10 clients who have been with us for at least eight years
Successfully reappointed, through competitive tender, to more than 10 of our
major clients last year including the NHS Litigation Authority, EM LawShare, NHS
Property Services, The Homes  Communities Agency and Hiscox
10+
64%
“Our success has been built on delivering exceptional client
service to all our clients. It underpins everything we do and
is instinctive to how our people work, as evidenced by our IIC
accreditation, which confirmed we are meeting all of our client
charter promises.”
Jackie Carter
Head of Client Care
0115 908 4879
jackie.carter@brownejacobson.com
page | 19Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
7=
People
matter...
We have long recognised the importance of people to our business and pride ourselves on being
a great place to work. Our teams operate from modern, open-plan offices, supported by mobile
technology, which helps us to continue to attract and retain the very best talent to work with our
clients.
Our revenue growth in the past five years has led to substantial growth in our people numbers – at the end of April
2014 we had 752 people on board – compared to 484 at the end of April 2009, an increase of 55.4%.
125 of our people have been with
the firm more than 10 years
*Each icon represents an increase of 10 people
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
Once they join us, our people tend to stay with us; 125 of our team have been with us for over 10 years and a
further 106 of our people have been with the firm between five and 10 years. It is this continuity that helps us
deliver the very best client service. Our people are encouraged to stay because of how they are treated, supported
and developed.
Our year 2013/14 | People matter... page | 20
Flex benefits are available to everyone in the
organisation – enabling people to select an overall
reward package to suit their requirements. The options
available include standard items such as private medical
and dental cover, life assurance, critical illness and
childcare vouchers as well as additional items such as
travel insurance, our Ride2Work scheme and discounted
shopping vouchers for holidays, insurance and music etc.
The firm also operates a scheme whereby people can buy
additional holiday or sell days they do not require.
We hold annual health and well-being fairs in our offices
and, earlier in the year, we launched our ‘workplace
challenge’ to encourage more people to cycle or walk
to work. We offer everyone confidential access to our
employee assistance programme, which is available 24
hours a day, 365 days a year; we have provided massage
and pilates sessions on site and we also have regular
visits from the local workplace chaplain.
As a signatory to the Law Society’s Charter of Equality
and Diversity, and having both Lexcel and Investors in
People accreditations, we take our equality and diversity
responsibilities very seriously. We take a transparent
approach, publishing our annual diversity statistics and
benchmarking across the legal industry, where our equal
pay and diversity audit has been in place since 2002. In
terms of numbers, 28 of our partner team are female
(28.6%) and 5 of our senior equity partners (27.8%) are
female.
Our commitments to equality and diversity go beyond
the basic requirements and general duty of compliance
incorporated into our policies and procedures. Some of
the examples of the schemes we are involved in, and the
support we offer to our teams, are set out below:
•	 a positive commitment to disabled people – we are
‘Two Ticks’ scheme accredited
•	 supporting working mums-to-be through the Tommy’s
pregnancy accreditation scheme
•	 providing occupational health support
•	 working with local schools to promote legal careers
for those from underprivileged backgrounds.
Our year 2013/14 | People matter... page | 21
the BJ wayme, less ordinary
Learning and development is key to us continuing
to provide the highest quality of service to
our clients and in retaining our people and
this year, as well as reviewing our professional
competence frameworks, we launched a new
suite of training. Badged ‘The BJ Way’, the
programme offers development in personal
effectiveness, management and leadership,
business effectiveness and technical effectiveness.
In the past year, our LD team have run 44 BJ Way
workshops, attended by 288 of our people.
As well as offering the traditional trainee route to
partnership, we also provide support for those who
wish to pursue other qualifications such as the Chartered
Institute of Legal Executives, Chartered Institute of
Marketing, the Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants, Chartered Institute of Personnel
Development and diplomas in various areas of law,
including local government and intellectual property.
We also continue to ‘grow our own’ – our successful
apprenticeship scheme launched in 2012 and we now
have 12 apprentices who have completed level 2 and
we have recently agreed to fund their development via
the level 3 (legal services) apprenticeship route. This
will put them on a career path towards a paralegal or
legal executive role. One of that team, George Denton,
recently won a prestigious award which celebrated
the hard work and achivements of the top performing
apprentices in Nottinghamshire.
It doesn’t stop there - in 2013/14 our trainee retention
rate was 91%; we promoted 13 of our team to associate
and 11 to partner; we created ‘head of’ roles within our
central teams and, from 1 May 2014, we appointed our
first chief operating officer, Sarah Walker-Smith, who has
herself been with the firm for more than 10 years.
page | 22Our year 2013/14 | People matter...
“Our people are at the heart of our business - and
retaining so many of our team for over five years is
a major factor in why our clients have stayed with
us so long.”
Eileen Henry
Director of HR
0115 976 6267
eileen.henry@brownejacobson.com
“The people that I work with can always spare time to lend a hand and help people like myself who are
just starting out in our careers. I feel that Browne Jacobson is a real team, a family in fact, and this
provides a platform for a very happy working environment.”
George Denton, Apprentice
Our year 2013/14 | People matter...
“It’s great to see how much
Browne Jacobson has grown
whilst retaining its values
and its people at the heart of
everything that it does. I can
honestly say that I would not have the career I have
today without the support I’ve received throughout the
firm, through good and bad, and I feel proud to walk
through the front doors every morning.”
page | 23
“The firm empowers junior lawyers
and recognises their successes;
they are given client facing roles
at a relatively junior level, and
are provided with opportunities
to get involved in projects and
initiatives which would fall squarely within
the domain of partners at other firms. I have played
a central role in developing the firm’s international
practice through coordinating its involvement in the
Pangea Net international network.”
Ryan Harrison, Associate
“The inclusive nature of the
firm is really refreshing and I
particularly like the way that
information is shared across
the firm, making you feel like
an important cog in the wheel.
It allows you to see the bigger picture and how you can
assist in taking things forward in the future.”
Andrea Ward, National
Facilities Manager
Richard Morley, Head of
Marketing
“I recently joined the firm having
taken the view that it had a genuine
intention to provide the very best
legal representation and client
service, and I’m delighted that all of
the opportunities that I discussed as
part of my recruitment have materialised into a
working reality now that I am here.”
Nigel Lyons, Partner
“It feels like a very inclusive firm which values
people at all levels of experience. Putting the
legal work aside there is plenty to get involved
in; the community action committee and the
social committee for instance – and we throw
really good parties!”
Sarah Macdonld, Trainee Solicitor
We are committed to providing support to the communities we live and work in, which is
demonstrated through a wide range of memberships, sponsorships and pro-bono activities.
Many of our people hold roles within the community – we have over 30 school governors in schools from Exeter
and Cornwall to Cheshire, Nottingham and Birmingham; charity trustees for organisations as diverse as the
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Association of NHS Charities through to the Amy Winehouse Foundation;
magistrates and justice of the peace; committee members and coaches for sports organisations; referees for rugby
and other sports; and also people involved in the local music, theatre and opera societies.
All of our office teams nominate a ‘charity of the year’ and undertake fundraising activities including book and CD
sales, cake baking, raffles, sponsored activities and donations in lieu of Christmas cards. In 2013, our nominated
charities and the amounts raised were:
Contributing to our
local communities...
Hayward House
£9,489
Solihull Life
Opportunities
£4,548
Roald Dahl’s
Marvellous
Children’s Charity
£2,000
St Joseph’s
Hospice
£1,245
Children’s
Hospice
South West
£1,354
“We are so grateful to you all for your kindness and
support; it would be difficult for us to continue to provide
the level of care we strive to achieve for our patients
without the help of people like yourselves.”
Julie Jones, Hayward House Cancer Care Trust
Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities... page | 24
Each year, we undertake one ‘big’ fundraising activity
for our chosen charity in Nottingham and, in 2013, this
involved our trainees taking on a ‘challenge’ to cycle
the entire route between our five office network. The
distances covered ranged from 65 to 220 miles and the
trainees cycled in teams of three or five to complete it.
This event alone raised over £3,800 for Hayward House
and also encouraged more of our people to take up our
Ride2Work scheme.
Our people also show their generosity in other ways
throughout the year; at Christmas they donated 48 gift
boxes for Operation Christmas Child; we collected 242
Easter Eggs and 130 selection boxes for the patients at
Hayward House and their children and other relatives;
we have also had collections for clothes and food for
homeless charities. Finally, a group of knitters were busy
in January and February, creating ‘blood drops’ for the
National Blood Service campaign.
Our trainees had a busy year as they also participated
in the Young Lawyers Enterprise Award, a national
challenge to raise funds for leukaemia and lymphoma
research. They were given £100 as a seedcorn fund, with
a brief to turn it into as much money as they possibly
could in six months. They had to develop a business
plan for the judges to sign off and then they really got
cracking on raising funds – via a band night at the local
pub in Nottingham, quiz nights at local universities,
shaking buckets in supermarkets, a sponsored run, a
cake stall and, their big event, a midsummer night
dinner and auction. They raised a fantastic £8,793 and
came second in the challenge!
page | 25Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities...
Our North West Schools Art competition is now in its second year and is run in conjunction with Roald Dahl’s
Marvellous Children’s Charity. It is open to all schools in the region, with different age groups for entries and
a different theme each year. In 2013, 29 schools took part and we had 962 different pieces of artwork for the
competition. Our judging committee then select a shortlist for each category and, ultimately, the winners. All
shortlisted entries are put on display in a local gallery or museum and the children and their families are invited to
a reception to see their work and receive their prizes. The shortlisted entries are then displayed in our office for the
following year.
Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities... page | 26
Students at the North West Schools Art competition
We work, on a pro-bono basis, with a number of
organisations including the National Autistic Society,
Nottinghamshire Pro-Help and Victim Support. We’re
also provide mentoring services under the Prince’s Trust
and to law students at local universities and to a local
academy in Nottingham to encourage pupils to pursue a
career in law.
Our people are active volunteers, either on a personal
basis for organisations such as Oxfam, Rampton Hospital,
helping at women’s refuges in and around Nottingham,
running tennis and rugby coaching, presenting shows on
local radio stations and valuing rare books, or through
activities organised by our community action committee.
The committee run firmwide projects which teams get
involved in, usually involving gardening, painting and
reading in schools.
In 2013, we helped to create a memorial area at a
primary school for a pupil who had died following a five
year battle with leukaemia and we also helped develop
a growing space and meeting place in Bulwell Forest
in Nottingham. This is part of a wider project, which is
aiming to encourage local residents, community groups
and schools to work together on a community garden, to
promote healthy eating and to provide a programme of
outdoor activities for them.
Barbara Bates, Chair, Bulwell Forest Garden
“As you know, we only opened to the public last June
and are still developing a strong volunteer bank,
which is why having your team on board for a day is
so valuable. We have achieved so much together!”
Craig Sharples
Community Action Committee
Anna CliffordCommunity Action Committee
page | 27
“Contributing to the communities we work
in is important to Browne Jacobson and the
generosity of our people never ceases to amaze
us. From giving up their time to bake and run,
to donating money or gifts that really make a
difference, they always support our efforts,
ensuring the continued success of our activities.”
Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities...
Community Action Committee working on the Bulwell Community Garden project in 2013
The future’s
bright...
Our year 2013/14 | The future’s bright... page | 28
Having broken through the £50m revenue barrier, we
are again aiming for double digit growth in 2014/15 –
although this will be as a consequence of our strategy,
rather than being the main aim – building a sustainable
business is at the heart of what we are about. There
are numerous projects in the pipeline that will generate
efficiencies and better working environments for our
people and, as a result, an even higher standard of
service for our clients.
Having moved offices in Nottingham in 2012 and opened
in Exeter and Manchester in the same year, it is now
time to turn our attention to our offices in London and
Birmingham. Due to our growth, space continues to be
at a premium in both locations as we continue to recruit
new people to the teams. In Birmingham, we will be
undertaking a substantial refit to upgrade our working
environment, providing all of our team with dual screens
to work from, more modern desks and furniture and
more break out areas. We will also be trialling mobile
and flexible working practices in this office with a view
to rolling these out across the firm.
We will be moving to a new location in London in
December 2014. While we will be remaining within
our current postcode close to the heart of the city,
the office will be much larger, enabling us to provide a
better client experience as well as a fantastic working
environment for our team. The new office will also be
instrumental in embedding and driving the delivery of
our strategy in the coming years.
We never stand still at Browne Jacobson and it won’t surprise you to know that we aren’t intending
to rest on our laurels in the coming year!
Birmingham office
Our brand new London office
3-star rating
client experience
strategy
our journey
page | 29
To help us continue to deliver a great client experience,
we also need to upgrade and modernise some of
our systems – which are creaking a bit following our
recent growth. In particular, we are hard at work on
an integrated suite of IT which will encompass a new
practice management system and e-working tools. This
will make our processes more efficient internally and
will give clients the ability to see ‘live’ information
about their matters. Implementing these new systems
will represent a major change programme for the firm
and we are very excited by the opportunities this will
bring to enhance our offer to clients. On a similar vein,
we are also updating and improving our website so that
clients and contacts can find the information they need
much more easily.
Having spent much of the past 12 months reviewing our
strategy, we are now working on embedding it through
the projects outlined above. The review has led to us
having a better understanding of our business and the
legal sector as a whole; we have engaged more of our
people than ever before and have come out the other
side with stronger business plans, a common philosophy
and a quiet confidence across the firm as to what the
future holds.
Derek Bambury
Senior Partner
020 7337 1006
derek.bambury@brownejacobson.com
“We started this review with ‘our journey so far’
and, in drawing it to a close, we can assure you
that the journey has, in fact, only just begun.
We are incredibly proud of everything that
Browne Jacobson has achieved during the firm’s
long history and we are determined to build a
long term, sustainable future for our clients and
everyone who works at the firm. We look forward
to sharing our continued journey with you.”
Our year 2013/14 | The future’s bright...
“For the sheer scope of their expertise and
the exceedingly high quality of staff, they
seem to me to be the market leader.”
Chambers  Partners, 2014
© Browne Jacobson LLP 2014 – The information contained within this report is and shall remain the property of
Browne Jacobson. This document may not be reproduced without the prior consent of Browne Jacobson.
Birmingham | Exeter | London | Manchester | Nottingham
www.brownejacobson.com
0870 270 6000

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2013-14 Annual Review

  • 2. Committed to the Plain English Campaign
  • 3. Our year 2013/14 | Contents page | 3 Contents We’ve been busy 4 Our journey so far Our stats Exceptional client service Contributing to our local communities The future’s bright People matter 8 11 14 20 28 24
  • 4. • increased revenue by almost two-thirds • moved our head office in Nottingham, opened in Manchester and acquired a personal injury team and an office in Exeter • increased overall headcount by more than 50% since 2009 • successfully re-tendered to many of our biggest clients • won strategically important clients for our core sectors including Morrisons, The Independent Parliamentary Standards Association, NHS England, and The Crown Commercial Service • put a dedicated academies team in place to support schools through the conversion process and beyond • became a founding member of an international network of firms • gained Lexcel and ISO 27001 accreditation • achieved a 3-star exceptional rating for our client service under the Investor in Customers accreditation • achieved the Plain English standard for our terms and conditions • enrolled 194 people into our pension scheme on the staging date for auto-enrolment, with only 20 people then opting out • recorded/released 168 training videos, webinars and talking heads - generating over 2,500 hours of viewing time by our clients and contacts • set up our internal risk and compliance department. We’ve been busy... The past five years proved to be a fantastic period for us. We have... Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy... page | 4 Derek Bambury addressing delegates at the Pangea Net AGM 2013, hosted by Browne Jacobson increased headcount increased revenue
  • 5. Having set ourselves a target to be a £50m firm with ‘five dots on the map’ at our last strategic review in 2010/11, it was pleasing to reach that goal in the past financial year, without merger, and for all of our sectors and teams to have contributed to that. Our sector focus and expertise has driven our growth of 11.5% in 2013/14; within that, our health team grew by more than 25% and our insurance and corporate sectors also generated double digit growth. The performance of our public sector practice in 2013/14 was impacted by the slow down of work in the academy conversion market in anticipation of the 2015 election; while we have grown our market share, the number of conversions is falling nationally. However, our wider public sector offer continues to go from strength to strength through our long standing relationships with clients and our appointment (or re-appointment) to several key public sector panels. page | 5Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy...
  • 6. page | 6Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy... Over the past year, we have received numerous awards and re-accreditations: Investors in People (IiP) and IiP health and wellbeing re-accreditation Legal 500 ‘real estate firm of the year’ (regional) Lexcel re-accreditation We are only the second law firm to hold the Plain English Campaign’s website Crystal Mark and we also achieved the Plain English standard for our terms and conditions Legal Advisors of the Year, Education Investor Awards 2013 – this is the second time we have won this award and follows our success in 2011 (and short-listing in 2012) MPF ‘best thought leadership campaign’ (education report on ‘driving success through autonomy’)
  • 7. page | 7Our year 2013/14 | We’ve been busy... “I’m proud to have worked with some fantastic people over recent years who have helped us achieve our strategic objectives. I have no doubt that the next few years will be equally as challenging as those that have gone before, but the firm is in an extremely strong position and will continue to grow and thrive thanks to both our own people and our clients.” Iain Blatherwick Managing Partner 0115 976 6183 iain.blatherwick@brownejacobson.com With this increase in size comes greater responsibility for the people who rely on the firm for a living; at the end of April 2014 we had over 750 in our team. An over-supply of lawyers, alongside greater competition in the legal market from new entrants following the introduction of the Legal Services Act, has meant we need to constantly improve what we offer to our clients. With that in mind, we set up a new board structure in early 2013, putting in place an operational board to work alongside our strategy board. Our strategic review at the back end of 2013 highlighted a number of key projects for the firm, which will lead to more change than the business has seen for many years. Work has started in earnest on many of those including selection of a new practice management system; a review of our ways of working - which will include the introduction of e-workflow processes as well as flexible and mobile working - and plans to further enhance our ‘exceptional’ levels of client service following our recent accreditation from Investor in Customers. Nottingham office Manchester office Exeter office Recent office developments...
  • 8. Our journey so far... Our year 2013/14 | Our journey so far... page | 8 April 2004 - April 2014 Turnover £55m £50m £45m £40m £35m £30m £25m £20m £15m £10m £5m 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 £27m £30m £32m £35m New Birmingham office Voted no. 47 in The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For Moved London office to the City People numbers break 500 Birmingham numbers reach 100 Converted to LLP
  • 9. page | 9 We’ve been on quite a journey since the firm started in 1832, when we were known as Browne Son. Some of the highlights from the last 10 years are set out below. Our year 2013/14 | Our journey so far... 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 £31m £33m £35m £41m £45m £50m Gained Lexcel accreditation Strategy Board started New Manchester office opened 5 offices and £50m turnover strategy agreed Moved to Mowbray House Acquired Veitch Penny personal injury team and opened in Exeter Ops Board started New Managing Partner People numbers break 700 3-star exceptional client service rating from IIC
  • 10. “One of the best firms in Nottingham, Browne Jacobson LLP is chosen by clients in preference to many of the national players.” Legal 500, 2013
  • 11. 2013/14 proved to be another great year for the firm, with revenue breaking the £50m barrier for the first time. In real terms, we have increased revenue by £19.4m since April 2009, which represents growth of 63% over a five year period, in a very difficult economic market. Our growth has largely been generated organically through a focused approach to developing our key sectors and strong client relationships. Our stats... 11.5% growth in 2013/14 63% growth from April 2009 to April 2014 Our year 2013/14 | Our stats... page | 11 year revenue £55m £50m £45m £40m £35m £30m 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 50.2m 45.0m 41.3m 35.1m 33.1m 30.8m
  • 12. They have the ability to understand what their clients need. In this day and age you need to adapt your view to the desires of your client. They are able to do that, and work effectively with other firms. Chambers Partners, 2014 Last year, we: Our year 2013/14 | Our stats... page | 12 All of our people benefit from this growth. For the fourth consecutive year everyone who was eligible was awarded a bonus based on the revenues we have achieved – equating to 2% of salary for 2013/14. Profits in the year to April 2013 were £11.8m, this is almost double the level we were achieving in 2008/09 and comes at a time when we are continuing to make significant investments to ensure that we build a sustainable business to face the current challenges in the legal market. The coming year will be no exception, with some major projects in the pipeline requiring further investment. 2013/14 saw the introduction of our working capital project and revenue manager pilot. This has proved successful and we are now implementing the revenue manager role across the firm. Lock up days reduced by 12 in the year, almost reaching our target, but there is still more we can do and this will continue to be a focus in the coming months. Due to planned and significant investments, debt had increased substantially in the prior year, enabling our growth. Our current treasury policy is to fund investments primarily out of cash and we were able to achieve that in 2013/14 whilst reducing overall debt levels by £2.9m. Directories Our legal directory rankings continue to go from strength to strength – we achieved new rankings in five areas and improved our rankings in eight other areas in the Legal 500 2013 and had two new rankings and three improved ratings in Chambers Partners 2014. We now have 13 top tier rankings in Chambers Partners – and in six of those, we are the only firm to hold that status in our chosen market. We also now have 57 named individuals as ‘leaders in their field’ in Chambers - an all-time high for the firm. donated £12,500 from the Browne Jacobson Charitable Trust to local causes raised £28,000 for our chosen charities
  • 13. £2.9m 21 29 1 57 debt reduction in 2013/14 increase in headcount in the year top tier rankings in Legal 500 2013 only firm ranked as a ‘regional heavyweight’ in the East Midlands in Legal 500 2013 leading individuals listed in Chambers Partners 2014 “Our business has grown significantly in recent years and that has provided us with a terrific platform to build on. This will enable us to continue to invest in our people and our infrastructure to secure the firm’s future.” Sarah Walker-Smith Chief Operating Officer 0115 976 6500 sarah.walker-smith@brownejacobson.com Our vital statistics this year... page | 13Our year 2013/14 | Our stats...
  • 14. It’s no accident that many of our clients have stayed with us for upwards of 20 years - continuity of service, a commitment to the very highest standards of client care and straightforward advice offered in plain English are just some of the reasons why. Exceptional client service... Our focus on exceptional client service means we can attract new clients too – in the past year we have been appointed to the likes of Morrisons, PZ Cussons Beauty LLP (owner of brands such as St Tropez), The London Taxi Company, Barnardo’s, Centre for Process Innovation, NHS England, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and The Environment Agency. These appointments are across a range of sectors and legal specialisms and reflect the diverse nature of our business – which continues to be one of our great strengths. Of course, exceptional client service doesn’t happen by accident; we are constantly seeking feedback from our clients so we can identify where we need to improve and then we take action to make sure it happens. page | 14Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
  • 15. Four pillars of exceptional client service We have been carrying out independent reviews with our clients for many years but, in 2014, we have become the first law firm to undergo assessment by a leading independent body, Investor in Customers (IIC) and to be awarded their ‘exceptional’ 3-star rating for our client service under their ‘Investor in Clients’ mark. This is only achieved by 16% of companies in their first assessment and our teams achieved this rating consistently, regardless of which department, sector or office they worked in, with an overall score of 8.32 out of 10 across the firm. We have also adopted the net promoter methodology and our current rating indicates that two thirds of our clients would actively recommend our services and the majority of our own team would recommend the firm as a good place to work. While we are delighted to have achieved a 3-star rating from the IIC, the hard work starts here. We will be analysing the results carefully and working on detailed plans with our teams to raise our game even higher; quality will become our absolute watchword when it comes to our clients - quality of our people, quality of our work and quality of our service. page | 15Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service... “They are fully deserving of our top award as they consistently demonstrate the highest levels of client experience and achieved high scores against all the criteria we measure.” Neil Craig, Managing Director, Investor in Customers Understand client needs Meet client needs Delight clients Engender loyalty
  • 16. We believe in developing long term mutually beneficial relationships with our clients. In practice that means we commit to delivering those things that you should expect from your law firm. IIC have provided independent verification that we do exactly what we say we will – their assessment has enabled them to confirm that we have met every one of the promises listed on our client charter - which are set out below. Our client charter promises... what you should expect from your law firm... Quality legal advice that is straightforward and in plain language Clarity on our intended approach to a job Updates on all work we do for you and hitting deadlines Dealing with your letters, emails and phone calls promptly Agreeing transparent pricing structures that reflect the value of our work High standards of honesty and integrity Informing you of any conflicts of interest immediately Ensuring that we provide you with the right people for the job Offering an opinion, rather than just legal arguments Taking a commercial, common sense approach, based on a thorough understanding of your objectives Being innovative Continually improving our ways of working and ensuring that our systems are streamlined and efficient Being a part of your team we will add value to your business by: page | 16Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service...
  • 17. page | 17Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service... To be strategically important advisors to our clients by understanding and anticipating their needs, delivering a service which exceeds their expectations and makes their life easier. Browne Jacobson LLP Our mission...
  • 18. What our clients say... “They are regarded by the health community as simply the best legal firm we deal with. They are very focused on developing long term relationships, understanding the business environment of the client and adding value. Their people are technically excellent, pride themselves on doing a great job for the client and are a joy to work with.” NHS England “Great service and lovely people. Never made to feel that I should know something when I don’t!” Baxi Group “Your overall contribution has been crucial to the success of the project, and your expert legal and commercial advice has been invaluable in helping the Council achieve a deal that will improve our public offer at the National Water Sports Centre, whilst at the same time significantly reducing our costs.” Nottinghamshire County Council “Browne Jacobson has been helping us deliver our acquisition programme since our early days. Ten years on and they feel like part of our in-house team. They never take our relationship for granted.” Vets4Pets (pre-sale) page | 18Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service... We have been impressed and pleased by Browne Jacobson’s efforts to match many of the core qualities we expect of our own claims underwriters ‘in-house’, namely: pro-activity, responsiveness, technical ability and commercial nous, all the while maintaining the exceptional service requirements demanded by the Hiscox brand.” Hiscox UK Retail “I have dealt with BJ’s for over 10 years and they have always gone the extra mile and tell me, in plain English, where we stand on decisions for our cases.” London Borough of Lambeth
  • 19. 64% of clients would actively recommend our services to others 3We’ve worked with all of our top three clients for more than 10 years 8+Seven of our top 10 clients who have been with us for at least eight years Successfully reappointed, through competitive tender, to more than 10 of our major clients last year including the NHS Litigation Authority, EM LawShare, NHS Property Services, The Homes Communities Agency and Hiscox 10+ 64% “Our success has been built on delivering exceptional client service to all our clients. It underpins everything we do and is instinctive to how our people work, as evidenced by our IIC accreditation, which confirmed we are meeting all of our client charter promises.” Jackie Carter Head of Client Care 0115 908 4879 jackie.carter@brownejacobson.com page | 19Our year 2013/14 | Exceptional client service... 7=
  • 20. People matter... We have long recognised the importance of people to our business and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. Our teams operate from modern, open-plan offices, supported by mobile technology, which helps us to continue to attract and retain the very best talent to work with our clients. Our revenue growth in the past five years has led to substantial growth in our people numbers – at the end of April 2014 we had 752 people on board – compared to 484 at the end of April 2009, an increase of 55.4%. 125 of our people have been with the firm more than 10 years *Each icon represents an increase of 10 people 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Once they join us, our people tend to stay with us; 125 of our team have been with us for over 10 years and a further 106 of our people have been with the firm between five and 10 years. It is this continuity that helps us deliver the very best client service. Our people are encouraged to stay because of how they are treated, supported and developed. Our year 2013/14 | People matter... page | 20
  • 21. Flex benefits are available to everyone in the organisation – enabling people to select an overall reward package to suit their requirements. The options available include standard items such as private medical and dental cover, life assurance, critical illness and childcare vouchers as well as additional items such as travel insurance, our Ride2Work scheme and discounted shopping vouchers for holidays, insurance and music etc. The firm also operates a scheme whereby people can buy additional holiday or sell days they do not require. We hold annual health and well-being fairs in our offices and, earlier in the year, we launched our ‘workplace challenge’ to encourage more people to cycle or walk to work. We offer everyone confidential access to our employee assistance programme, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; we have provided massage and pilates sessions on site and we also have regular visits from the local workplace chaplain. As a signatory to the Law Society’s Charter of Equality and Diversity, and having both Lexcel and Investors in People accreditations, we take our equality and diversity responsibilities very seriously. We take a transparent approach, publishing our annual diversity statistics and benchmarking across the legal industry, where our equal pay and diversity audit has been in place since 2002. In terms of numbers, 28 of our partner team are female (28.6%) and 5 of our senior equity partners (27.8%) are female. Our commitments to equality and diversity go beyond the basic requirements and general duty of compliance incorporated into our policies and procedures. Some of the examples of the schemes we are involved in, and the support we offer to our teams, are set out below: • a positive commitment to disabled people – we are ‘Two Ticks’ scheme accredited • supporting working mums-to-be through the Tommy’s pregnancy accreditation scheme • providing occupational health support • working with local schools to promote legal careers for those from underprivileged backgrounds. Our year 2013/14 | People matter... page | 21 the BJ wayme, less ordinary Learning and development is key to us continuing to provide the highest quality of service to our clients and in retaining our people and this year, as well as reviewing our professional competence frameworks, we launched a new suite of training. Badged ‘The BJ Way’, the programme offers development in personal effectiveness, management and leadership, business effectiveness and technical effectiveness. In the past year, our LD team have run 44 BJ Way workshops, attended by 288 of our people.
  • 22. As well as offering the traditional trainee route to partnership, we also provide support for those who wish to pursue other qualifications such as the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and diplomas in various areas of law, including local government and intellectual property. We also continue to ‘grow our own’ – our successful apprenticeship scheme launched in 2012 and we now have 12 apprentices who have completed level 2 and we have recently agreed to fund their development via the level 3 (legal services) apprenticeship route. This will put them on a career path towards a paralegal or legal executive role. One of that team, George Denton, recently won a prestigious award which celebrated the hard work and achivements of the top performing apprentices in Nottinghamshire. It doesn’t stop there - in 2013/14 our trainee retention rate was 91%; we promoted 13 of our team to associate and 11 to partner; we created ‘head of’ roles within our central teams and, from 1 May 2014, we appointed our first chief operating officer, Sarah Walker-Smith, who has herself been with the firm for more than 10 years. page | 22Our year 2013/14 | People matter... “Our people are at the heart of our business - and retaining so many of our team for over five years is a major factor in why our clients have stayed with us so long.” Eileen Henry Director of HR 0115 976 6267 eileen.henry@brownejacobson.com “The people that I work with can always spare time to lend a hand and help people like myself who are just starting out in our careers. I feel that Browne Jacobson is a real team, a family in fact, and this provides a platform for a very happy working environment.” George Denton, Apprentice
  • 23. Our year 2013/14 | People matter... “It’s great to see how much Browne Jacobson has grown whilst retaining its values and its people at the heart of everything that it does. I can honestly say that I would not have the career I have today without the support I’ve received throughout the firm, through good and bad, and I feel proud to walk through the front doors every morning.” page | 23 “The firm empowers junior lawyers and recognises their successes; they are given client facing roles at a relatively junior level, and are provided with opportunities to get involved in projects and initiatives which would fall squarely within the domain of partners at other firms. I have played a central role in developing the firm’s international practice through coordinating its involvement in the Pangea Net international network.” Ryan Harrison, Associate “The inclusive nature of the firm is really refreshing and I particularly like the way that information is shared across the firm, making you feel like an important cog in the wheel. It allows you to see the bigger picture and how you can assist in taking things forward in the future.” Andrea Ward, National Facilities Manager Richard Morley, Head of Marketing “I recently joined the firm having taken the view that it had a genuine intention to provide the very best legal representation and client service, and I’m delighted that all of the opportunities that I discussed as part of my recruitment have materialised into a working reality now that I am here.” Nigel Lyons, Partner “It feels like a very inclusive firm which values people at all levels of experience. Putting the legal work aside there is plenty to get involved in; the community action committee and the social committee for instance – and we throw really good parties!” Sarah Macdonld, Trainee Solicitor
  • 24. We are committed to providing support to the communities we live and work in, which is demonstrated through a wide range of memberships, sponsorships and pro-bono activities. Many of our people hold roles within the community – we have over 30 school governors in schools from Exeter and Cornwall to Cheshire, Nottingham and Birmingham; charity trustees for organisations as diverse as the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Association of NHS Charities through to the Amy Winehouse Foundation; magistrates and justice of the peace; committee members and coaches for sports organisations; referees for rugby and other sports; and also people involved in the local music, theatre and opera societies. All of our office teams nominate a ‘charity of the year’ and undertake fundraising activities including book and CD sales, cake baking, raffles, sponsored activities and donations in lieu of Christmas cards. In 2013, our nominated charities and the amounts raised were: Contributing to our local communities... Hayward House £9,489 Solihull Life Opportunities £4,548 Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity £2,000 St Joseph’s Hospice £1,245 Children’s Hospice South West £1,354 “We are so grateful to you all for your kindness and support; it would be difficult for us to continue to provide the level of care we strive to achieve for our patients without the help of people like yourselves.” Julie Jones, Hayward House Cancer Care Trust Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities... page | 24
  • 25. Each year, we undertake one ‘big’ fundraising activity for our chosen charity in Nottingham and, in 2013, this involved our trainees taking on a ‘challenge’ to cycle the entire route between our five office network. The distances covered ranged from 65 to 220 miles and the trainees cycled in teams of three or five to complete it. This event alone raised over £3,800 for Hayward House and also encouraged more of our people to take up our Ride2Work scheme. Our people also show their generosity in other ways throughout the year; at Christmas they donated 48 gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child; we collected 242 Easter Eggs and 130 selection boxes for the patients at Hayward House and their children and other relatives; we have also had collections for clothes and food for homeless charities. Finally, a group of knitters were busy in January and February, creating ‘blood drops’ for the National Blood Service campaign. Our trainees had a busy year as they also participated in the Young Lawyers Enterprise Award, a national challenge to raise funds for leukaemia and lymphoma research. They were given £100 as a seedcorn fund, with a brief to turn it into as much money as they possibly could in six months. They had to develop a business plan for the judges to sign off and then they really got cracking on raising funds – via a band night at the local pub in Nottingham, quiz nights at local universities, shaking buckets in supermarkets, a sponsored run, a cake stall and, their big event, a midsummer night dinner and auction. They raised a fantastic £8,793 and came second in the challenge! page | 25Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities...
  • 26. Our North West Schools Art competition is now in its second year and is run in conjunction with Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. It is open to all schools in the region, with different age groups for entries and a different theme each year. In 2013, 29 schools took part and we had 962 different pieces of artwork for the competition. Our judging committee then select a shortlist for each category and, ultimately, the winners. All shortlisted entries are put on display in a local gallery or museum and the children and their families are invited to a reception to see their work and receive their prizes. The shortlisted entries are then displayed in our office for the following year. Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities... page | 26 Students at the North West Schools Art competition
  • 27. We work, on a pro-bono basis, with a number of organisations including the National Autistic Society, Nottinghamshire Pro-Help and Victim Support. We’re also provide mentoring services under the Prince’s Trust and to law students at local universities and to a local academy in Nottingham to encourage pupils to pursue a career in law. Our people are active volunteers, either on a personal basis for organisations such as Oxfam, Rampton Hospital, helping at women’s refuges in and around Nottingham, running tennis and rugby coaching, presenting shows on local radio stations and valuing rare books, or through activities organised by our community action committee. The committee run firmwide projects which teams get involved in, usually involving gardening, painting and reading in schools. In 2013, we helped to create a memorial area at a primary school for a pupil who had died following a five year battle with leukaemia and we also helped develop a growing space and meeting place in Bulwell Forest in Nottingham. This is part of a wider project, which is aiming to encourage local residents, community groups and schools to work together on a community garden, to promote healthy eating and to provide a programme of outdoor activities for them. Barbara Bates, Chair, Bulwell Forest Garden “As you know, we only opened to the public last June and are still developing a strong volunteer bank, which is why having your team on board for a day is so valuable. We have achieved so much together!” Craig Sharples Community Action Committee Anna CliffordCommunity Action Committee page | 27 “Contributing to the communities we work in is important to Browne Jacobson and the generosity of our people never ceases to amaze us. From giving up their time to bake and run, to donating money or gifts that really make a difference, they always support our efforts, ensuring the continued success of our activities.” Our year 2013/14 | Contributing to our local communities... Community Action Committee working on the Bulwell Community Garden project in 2013
  • 28. The future’s bright... Our year 2013/14 | The future’s bright... page | 28 Having broken through the £50m revenue barrier, we are again aiming for double digit growth in 2014/15 – although this will be as a consequence of our strategy, rather than being the main aim – building a sustainable business is at the heart of what we are about. There are numerous projects in the pipeline that will generate efficiencies and better working environments for our people and, as a result, an even higher standard of service for our clients. Having moved offices in Nottingham in 2012 and opened in Exeter and Manchester in the same year, it is now time to turn our attention to our offices in London and Birmingham. Due to our growth, space continues to be at a premium in both locations as we continue to recruit new people to the teams. In Birmingham, we will be undertaking a substantial refit to upgrade our working environment, providing all of our team with dual screens to work from, more modern desks and furniture and more break out areas. We will also be trialling mobile and flexible working practices in this office with a view to rolling these out across the firm. We will be moving to a new location in London in December 2014. While we will be remaining within our current postcode close to the heart of the city, the office will be much larger, enabling us to provide a better client experience as well as a fantastic working environment for our team. The new office will also be instrumental in embedding and driving the delivery of our strategy in the coming years. We never stand still at Browne Jacobson and it won’t surprise you to know that we aren’t intending to rest on our laurels in the coming year! Birmingham office Our brand new London office
  • 29. 3-star rating client experience strategy our journey page | 29 To help us continue to deliver a great client experience, we also need to upgrade and modernise some of our systems – which are creaking a bit following our recent growth. In particular, we are hard at work on an integrated suite of IT which will encompass a new practice management system and e-working tools. This will make our processes more efficient internally and will give clients the ability to see ‘live’ information about their matters. Implementing these new systems will represent a major change programme for the firm and we are very excited by the opportunities this will bring to enhance our offer to clients. On a similar vein, we are also updating and improving our website so that clients and contacts can find the information they need much more easily. Having spent much of the past 12 months reviewing our strategy, we are now working on embedding it through the projects outlined above. The review has led to us having a better understanding of our business and the legal sector as a whole; we have engaged more of our people than ever before and have come out the other side with stronger business plans, a common philosophy and a quiet confidence across the firm as to what the future holds. Derek Bambury Senior Partner 020 7337 1006 derek.bambury@brownejacobson.com “We started this review with ‘our journey so far’ and, in drawing it to a close, we can assure you that the journey has, in fact, only just begun. We are incredibly proud of everything that Browne Jacobson has achieved during the firm’s long history and we are determined to build a long term, sustainable future for our clients and everyone who works at the firm. We look forward to sharing our continued journey with you.” Our year 2013/14 | The future’s bright...
  • 30. “For the sheer scope of their expertise and the exceedingly high quality of staff, they seem to me to be the market leader.” Chambers Partners, 2014
  • 31. © Browne Jacobson LLP 2014 – The information contained within this report is and shall remain the property of Browne Jacobson. This document may not be reproduced without the prior consent of Browne Jacobson.
  • 32. Birmingham | Exeter | London | Manchester | Nottingham www.brownejacobson.com 0870 270 6000