Thank you!
Early feedback from the event has been excellent. The team felt it gave them good insight and ideas that they can use with their customers.
Thanks again for an excellent day.
Laurence Backler, Director, NatWest Business Banking, Ashford & Tunbridge Wells Area
CooperBurnett lawyer given key role at the Law Society
Jonathan Smithers, from CooperBurnett in Tunbridge Wells, has been named as Chairman of the Conveyancing and Land Law Committee (CLLC) of the Law Society, a role he will assume on 1 September this year.
The CLLC has a wide ranging remit centred around the review and promotion of improvements in all branches of land law and conveyancing procedure, as well providing practical assistance and guidance to the profession. The Committee also responds to consultation documents from outside bodies, such as the Government and the Land Registry.
"I am very excited about my new role and the opportunity it will give me to contribute towards the development of conveyancing practice during the three years of my appointment," says Jonathan. "The Conveyancing and Land Law Committee is one of the most important policy committees at the Law Society, as the work it undertakes is relevant to the overwhelming majority of solicitors' practices."
Property law continues to develop and the liberalisation of the legal market in the coming years is likely to mean more competition, so the CLLC has an important role to play in making sure solicitors are able to provide the best possible service to their clients.
The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), launched earlier in the year by the Law Society, has provided practitioners with an opportunity to demonstrate expertise. The Committee has played a central role in production of the documentation for the scheme and continues to provide advice as the scheme progresses.
The CLLC includes a senior member of the Land Registry.
"The Land Registry has gone through huge changes in the last few years, so our ability to talk directly to them and have an input into development of their policy, helps not only our members but also our clients," Jonathan explains.
He continues: "We are frequently consulted and asked to provide expert advice on new legislation. Currently, for example, we are talking to the Government about the potential impact of the changes in the planning regime contained in the Localism Bill."
The CLLC also keeps in close contact with the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Building Societies Association to ensure that clients' interests are kept in the forefront of their thinking.
Jonathan's new role at the Law Society is unpaid and he is undertaking it on top of his full-time job at CooperBurnett.
"One of the benefits that I can bring to the table is my current and practical experience, as I still act for many clients buying and selling houses and undertaking other types of property work," Jonathan explains.
Adds Nigel Burnett, Senior Partner at CooperBurnett: "We are extremely proud of Jonathan's new appointment at the Law Society. Over the past few years he has not only worked hard to provide our clients at CooperBurnett with the very best property legal advice but has been at the heart of conveyancing law and was a guiding light behind the recently-launched CQS."
Notes to editors:
• Based in Tunbridge Wells, CooperBurnett boasts a team of 55 people, including 10 partners.
• CooperBurnett has developed a local and regional - and, increasingly, national - reputation for providing effective and proactive advice.
• CooperBurnett was established in 1981 by senior partner Nigel Burnett. Nigel acts for clients in all areas of property and handles commercial acquisitions and sales. He also has expertise in personal tax planning issues, as well as land law. Nigel is a past President of the Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & District Law Society.
• The firm provides both commercial services and advice to private clients. Its commercial team acts for all types of businesses, from family enterprises to national companies across a broad range of sectors.
• CooperBurnett offers extensive and tailored advice to private clients on all aspects of their personal affairs, including specialist tax planning, trusts and settlements, and all aspects of residential property and family issues.
• CooperBurnett prides itself on its proactive involvement in both the legal profession and the local community. Partner, Jonathan Smithers, is a member of the Council of the Law Society of England & Wales and is Chair of the Conveyancing and Land Law Committee of the Society. He is a past President of both Kent Law Society and Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & District Law Society.
• For more information on the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme visit www.lawsociety.org.uk/cqs or contact the CQS Unit on 020 7316 5550 or CQS@lawsociety.org.uk
Property and conveyancing lawyers, Tunbridge Wells, Kent: www.cooperburnett.com
For more information on this media release, please contact Angela Ward on: 01825 765617 or by email: angela@themarketingeye.com
