Author: Victoria Thomson

In just under 2 weeks, a team of 13 SA Law staff will be cycling 300miles over the May bank holiday weekend.

The ride is in aid of Keech Hospice Care and is part of the firm’s ’2012 Gold Challenge’ in partnership with Team GB Olympic Association.  It’s not a relay and all 13 members of the team will  be completing the whole route, averaging 75 miles a day. Keech does excellent work for those it supports through far tougher times than anything we’ll encounter on the road.

The bike ride is going to be hard work but we have all been training since February through rain, ice, wind and shine and will have covered well over 1000 miles by the time we cross the finish line in St Albans.
The team have been increasing their training with the help of the Health Performance Centre based in St Albans to ensure we are all in tip-top shape and ready to face the thigh-burning hills en-route!

A big thank you to everyone who has already donated and helped us to raise an impressive £3,006.12 so far.

We would be very grateful if you could dig as deep as you can to sponsor the team and support our challenge – donations can be made by visiting our ‘Lands End to St Albans’ JustGiving page.

Further information:

Read more about SA Law’s Gold Challenge

Meet the Cycling Team

About Keech Hopsice

SA Law Partner Rob Ryall appointed Trustee for Keech Hospice

Author: Victoria Thomson

The Business Excellence Awards have been welcomed back with open arms by the regional business community as a record number of entries have been taken from businesses of all shapes and sizes from Hertfordshire, North and North West London.

SA Law are proud sponsors of the ‘Success Through People’ category in the Business Excellence Awards 2012. Entering your company is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the success of your workforce.
As businesses have faced testing times for a number of years, the people behind the company become a driving force, and there has never been a better time to celebrate and reward the teams of people who truly make your business what it is.
As a firm of Solicitors who have a large Employment Team, we understand the importance of protecting your employees and promoting their best interest to ensure loyalty and a dynamic working environment.

SA Law’s Managing Partner Steve Ryan comments “People are a businesses greatest asset and maximising their participation at all levels is the driving force of any great organisation, regardless of its size. As a firm who truly values its staff’s commitment, we are looking forward to meeting companies who share our values and hearing their success stories.”

Two ‘Success Through People’ award entrants who feel their companies have got what it takes are multi-media agency Clock limited and US founded manufacturers Swagelok London.

Clock – Clock is an award-winning digital agency, with a unique combination of marketing, design and technology talent. The agency work with some of the biggest and most recognisable brands in the world, including the BBC, Channel 4 and News International, as well the likes of Eddie Izzard and Saracens Rugby Club, among others.

“We entered the Business Excellence awards for a variety of reasons” Says Sam Fresco, Marketing Executive at Clock. ”First, we strive to recruit and retain the very best staff. In return, we issue a copy of our ‘Little Book of Benefits’ to the whole team, including benefits such as ‘early finish Fridays’, flexible working hours, a remote-working policy, free hosting for private projects and a personal concierge service.
So, for us, awards are a great way of getting a credibility check, ensuring that what we’re doing is truly the best in breed and not just what we think!

Swagelok -  is a major designer, manufacturer, and provider of high-quality fluid system products, assemblies, and services. The components manufactured and the services  provided help make our customers successful and are often critical to the safety of those who work in high-risk environments. Those environments include power generation, oil and gas production, chemical processing, biopharmaceutical production, research, and semiconductor manufacturing, among others.

The operation in Kings Langley is one of a dedicated network of authorized Swagelok sales and service centres operating in 56 countries. These centres deliver fluid system knowledge, products, and services tailored to the local market.  From Kings Langley, Swagelok services customers in areas as diverse as West Africa and the former Soviet Union . The company offers products and expertise anywhere safety and the environment are important.

How to enter

The panel of Awards judges will be looking for evidence of compelling people strategies and performance as well as the impact of training and incentives on both staff and the business commercially. It is not too late to enter your business into the Business Excellence Awards 2012, apply online now at www.bea2012.co.uk

Entry to these prestigious awards is free and is open to organisations of all sizes and individuals – regardless of industry or sector. If you are based in South Hertfordshire, South Buckinghamshire, North London or North West London, you are eligible to showcase your talent and success to our panel of judges.

Networking Opportunity

SA Law looks forward to welcoming all award applicants to an evening event at the SA Law offices in St Albans on 2nd April. The event will give applicants a chance to meet (and eye up!) their competitors and judges alike. For further information please contact Victoria Thomson 01727 798000.

Author: Victoria Thomson

SA Law’s outstanding work for commercial and private clients has been recognised by the Chambers and Partners 2012 Guide to the UK legal profession.

SA Law has been recognised as a leading regional practice by independent legal research bodies Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, in addition to achieving The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation.

A leading publisher of legal research, Chambers conducts thousands of interviews with lawyers and their clients every year to identify regional leaders around the world.
All of SA Law’s departments have been recognised as regional leaders in the Northern Home Counties, with Managing Partner Steve Ryan cited as a top tier lawyer: “These achievements are extremely important in a sector that suffers from fierce competition in a slow economy. Achieving recognised first class credentials in the marketplace has never been more essential.” Adds Steve Ryan.

To find out more about SA Law and how our dedicated team can assist your business, visit our website www.salaw.com

Author: Nathanael Young

In true holiday spirit we have gathered together some tips to ensure your business is fighting fit for 2012. Even Scrooge would approve…

Savings matter for businesses too. Sometimes businesses are in a position to put something aside, but it can be hard to find a suitable account. Shawbrook Bank, launched in October 2011, has introduced a new business bond. The 1 year fixed rate savings bond pays 2.70% gross, guaranteed for 1 year. Shawbrook specialises in offering products to SMEs and therefore allows customers to choose whether the interest is paid gross or net, to suit the tax status of their business.

Almost 50% of businesses are not on the most suitable mobile phone tariff according to Connecting Business. This leads to businesses paying over the odds because they are unaware of the advantages of the right business tariff; make sure you don’t make this costly mistake.

VAT can be reclaimed on a wide variety of products, but did you know that it can be reclaimed on line rental too? This is obviously not possible for those that are on consumer tariffs, but for VAT registered businesses it can significantly reduce bills. Tariffs can also be shared amongst users allowing for line rental per line of around £15.

Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks accounting software, recently tested the knowledge of 155 entrepreneurs. They claim that SMEs suffer because of a general lack of financial knowledge as set out below. So read these next tips carefully…

Never forget legal compliance. 39% of those questioned were unaware of the VAT threshold of £73,000 and 23% did not know the correct definition of VAT taxable turnover. Getting things like this wrong can have a major impact on the cash flow of a business and expose it to crippling penalties. If in doubt, get advice.

Get familiar with accountancy terms. 47% of those tested did not know the correct definition of gross profit and a further 31% did not know how to explain turnover. Not  a great start when you’re speaking to your bank, is it?
Start drawing up a plan. 16-20% of businesses do not have a business plan, although this is essential to keep a business focussed and well funded. If you’re one of the defaulters, make this the first New Year’s resolution on your list.

On behalf of SA Law, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

This article was written by Head of the SME Team Nathanael Young and Trainee Solicitor Helen Young.

Contact Us
For further information or to discuss a particular matter or situation in more detail, contact Nathanael Young at our St Albans office by email at nathanael.young@salaw.com or on 01727 798000.

© SA LAW 2011
Every care is taken in the preparation of our articles. However, no responsibility can be accepted to any person who acts on the basis of information contained in them. You are recommended to obtain specific advice in respect of individual cases.

Author: Chris Cook

SA Law’s cricket team have enjoyed a mixed season this year, with 2 solid victories against Rayner Essex and Brasier Freeth followed by disappointing defeats against Kingston Smith and Hillier Hopkins.  Debutants this year (in no particular order) included Rik Patel, Hayley Masson and Ben Ashworth, all of whom made valuable contributions to the team.  Keith Docking made a belated return to the team after a six year absence, exhibiting some smart fielding in spite of a disappointing performance with the bat.

Author: Chris Cook

I am pleased to report that SA Law recorded a resounding victory against Rayner Essex earlier this week.

Electing to bat in wet conditions, SA Law’s innings got off to a poor start with Satinder falling for a second ball duck.  Terrence and the skipper set about steadying the ship, both scoring 25 before retiring.  To the dismay of the onlookers, star ringers Guy and Josh both failed with the bat, scoring two runs between them.  It was left to Gary, Simon and the particularly impressive Chris A to score the middle-order runs, each scoring at a decent rate to keep the SA Law innings moving along at about a run a ball.  Hayley, supported by Andrew and Nat, played her maiden innings for the team, tweaking her quad muscles in the process (a la Peter Baines) but struck a strong blow off the last ball of the innings before being run out pushing for a third run.  SA Law finished on a respectable 116 for 9 from their 20 overs.

Josh and Guy, clearly riled at their batting failures, were handed the ball at the start of the Rayner Essex innings, with both bowling well to keep the run rate down.  The SA Law fielding was unusually sharp given the slippery conditions, with Josh and Steve F both producing smart run outs and Hayley, Gary, Nat and Andrew “the ball won’t go past me if I stamp on it” Nellist all pulling off decent stops.  Rik, batting for the opposition, benefitted from the “golden duck reprieve” rule and went on to score 8 before being bowled by Guy.  Terrence and Chris A came on as change bowlers and both kept up the pressure on the batsmen, with Chris taking two wickets in the process and Terrence bowling a very economical spell as darkness descended.  It was left to Satinder and the “golden arm” of Simon Walsh to bowl the last few overs, with Satinder picking up a wicket with a deceptively-slow first ball, while Simon took two wickets in the last over of the match to leave the opposition on 90 for 9 from their 20 overs, giving SA Law a victory by 26 runs.

Our next match is at 6.00pm on 2 August against Kingston Smith at Harpenden Cricket Ground, with the team: Omar Qassim, Simon Walsh, Nat Young, Terrence Trainor, Rik Patel, Andrew Nellist, Rob Ryall, Ben Ashworth, David Tanner, Guy Pettigrew and myself.

Author: Chris Cook

I am pleased to report that the firm’s cricket team got off to a winning start to the season on Wednesday evening.

Having elected to field first, Sat and the skipper both set about the task of building a solid score with some good strokes before each retired having reached 25. Nat “Ian Trott” Young failed to live up to his own hype from having been promoted up the order after being cleaned bowled for 3, while Gary and Terrence also fell unusually cheaply. Debutant Ben’s innings was even shorter, a second ball duck, later claiming he was distracted by an earlier deposit left on his shirt by a slightly off-colour Nat Young. Ringer Omer (not Omar!) scored some priceless quick runs while Rik played an anchor role. Simon rolled back the years later in the innings, scampering some quick singles to lift the score to a very creditable 135 for 4 from 14 8-ball overs.

After having been smacked around in his first over, Sat didn’t fancy a second, diplomatically claiming that it would be better to “let the others have a go”. Ben and Terrence both bowled well although faced the best of the BF batsmen, with the latter picking up a well-deserved wicket during one of his more economical overs. Clearly upset about his batting failure, Gary was like a man possessed in the field, until electing to chase down a ball 50 yards away, launching himself into the hedge when heroically stopping the ball on the boundary, and leaving himself spread-eagled in the foliage for several seconds while the batsmen continued running. Hayley also staked a claim for a regular spot by outshining all of her colleagues in the field with some smart stops. With the opposition on 109 from 11 overs, Omer and the skipper bowled at the death but were assisted in the stronger batsmen retiring at a key time, with BF eventually reaching 126 from their 14 overs and SA Law winning by 9 runs.

Our next match is on Monday 18 July against Rayner Essex at Shenley, again with a 6pm start. The team is as follows: Terrence T, Simon, Gary, Omar, Chris A, Nat, Steven Frith, Guy Pettigrew, Josh Rose, Hayley and me. Spectators would again be welcome as always.

Author: Julie Gingell

Last Saturday night, a team of fifteen SA Law employees and friends donned on their SA Law Stetsons and walking boots to take part in the annual Midnight Walk in St Albans in aid of the Grove House Hospice.

There were two routes for the walk; a five mile and ten mile walk – which all members of the team completed in the early hours of Sunday morning!

Leyla Fuad remembers that the residents of St Albans were extremely generous: “They even stopped to give us money along the route and many residents stayed up to cheer us on from their driveways and homes. It was very atmospheric!”

What added interest to the walk, was the fact that Grove House projected messages of support on the Clock Tower in the square in St Albans, live from their Twitter feed. David Linklater commented that “I have never seen anything like that in St Albans, it was fascinating to see!”

The SA Law team thoroughly enjoyed themselves, Victoria Thomson, said that she would definitely be doing it again next year and encourage more people to join her next time! Charlotte Cheshire also added that it was great to see so many people coming together to raise money for such a good cause.

The team raised over £1,000 as a group effort for charity: “we couldn’t have been more pleased!” says Sarah Coughlan who helped organise the SA Law team.

If you would like to sponsor our efforts, you still can at http://www.justgiving.com/SALawMidnightWalk

Author: Julie Gingell

Entries are now being taken for SA Law’s 2011 Smart Alecs Quiz Night – the charity event, in aid of the Willow Foundation, that sees teams of local businesses battle it out for the right to call themselves Smart Alecs.

And do we have a treat for you this year. In addition to our regular smorgasbord of general knowledge, teams will be shooting that poison arrow back to music of the 70s, 80s and 90s with our special 2011 guest quizmaster Mike Read. As a former Radio 1 breakfast show DJ and Pop Quiz presenter, Mike will be testing our knowledge of famous songs and recording artists.

With a night that promises to be even more fun-filled than last year, new teams will be joining regular supporters on Thursday 7th July at Watford Football Club.

If you have yet to experience a Smart Alecs night, then please join us. Not only are we raising money for a great cause, we guarantee you’ll be walking on sunshine all the way home!

The price to participate is £250 for a team of six, which covers charity donation, entry to the quiz, a ‘hot-fork’ buffet and a glass of wine.

To enter, simply download our entry form. If you have any questions, or would like to join in but are unable to make up a team of six, please contact Victoria Thomson on 01727 798076 or by email.

Support The Willow Foundation

The annual Smart Alec’s Charity Quiz Night is held in aid of The Willow Foundation – the national charity that provides special days out for 16 to 40 year-olds with life threatening illnesses. Based in Hatfield, the charity was set up by Arsenal legend Bob Wilson and his wife Megs in memory of their daughter Anna who died of cancer aged just 31.

Author: Julie Gingell

On Sunday I had the honour of presenting the Watford Football Club Player of the Year Award to Danny Graham at their End of Season awards dinner.
As top-scorer for the club, Danny was a well-deserved winner and graciously accepted the award after receiving 2,710 votes from fans.

My colleague  Steve Kenneford announced Danny as the winner at the WFC v Queens Park Rangers home game on Saturday to a very energetic and excited crowd.

Congratulations also go to Will Buckley for Young Player of the Year, Adrian Mariappa for Players’ Player of the Year, John Eustace for Goal of the Season, and Rene Gilmartin for Community Ambassador of the Year.

SA Law is proud to sponsor the award, and continues to support the club both on and off the pitch.
From everyone at SA Law, and on behalf of all who cast their votes, keep up the good work boys!

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