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The largest specialist research and development (R&D) tax credit consultancy in the UK, Bristol- and London-based ForrestBrown is a multi-award-winning business specialising exclusively in R&D tax credits.
Using their in-depth knowledge of the R&D tax credits system and legislation, ForrestBrown’s team of chartered tax advisers, sector specialists and former-HMRC R&D Unit tax inspectors help innovative businesses to grow.
ForrestBrown is the only UK R&D tax credit consultancy with chartered tax adviser status, the gold standard in tax. The impact that the firm’s expertise can have on their clients’ futures can be profound. ForrestBrown clients typically enjoy R&D tax credits ranging from tens of thousands to millions of pounds.
Initially, ForrestBrown’s need for legal advice — which led them to engage with The Legal Director — related to a lease on their first business premises in Bristol. “I had never negotiated a lease before,” says founder Simon Brown. “It made absolute sense, therefore, to use someone with the necessary expertise to ensure that our interests were protected.”
Simon adds: “I’m a strong believer that if you surround yourself with great advisors then the outcome will be better than if you attempt to do it, untutored, on your own.”
That was in 2013 when the ForrestBrown start-up numbered fewer than 10 people. Fast forward a few years and ForrestBrown is now a very successful and much larger business employing upwards of 100 people.
In the intervening years, The Legal Director has helped ForrestBrown address numerous other legal issues related to everyday business and growth. Indeed, so successful was ForrestBrown that the company decided a number of years ago to employ its own in-house General Counsel. When that key member of staff went on maternity leave recently, The Legal Director was again ready to help.
At the time Simon Brown was setting up ForrestBrown, he met a director of The Legal Director through his professional network in the South West.
“After a short discussion it became clear that this new contact was a very experienced business lawyer with exactly the commercial property expertise we needed at that critical point,” says Simon.
Simon also learned that The Legal Director business comprised numerous highly experienced lawyers who would be able to provide flexible, business-focused legal expertise to ForrestBrown as the firm grew — in all manner of areas such as employment law, business contracts, compliance and intellectual property.
“The Legal Director is a great concept,” explains Simon. “They have approached the market in a way that is different and very much built around client needs. The Legal Director is focused on my business, not their business, and that’s unusual in the legal sector.”
Initially, The Legal Director advised ForrestBrown on property lease issues, then on employee contracts and a range of other business issues, as and when required.
However, in January 2018 ForrestBrown’s in-house General Counsel went on maternity leave. At that point lawyer Amanda Mallender of The Legal Director stepped in as the firm’s General Counsel, working three days a week.
The arrangement proved so useful that Amanda continues to work one full day and two half-days a week, supplementing ForrestBrown’s own in-house General Counsel following her return to work after maternity leave.
Simon Brown of ForrestBrown explains: “Continued growth meant an increased need for legal manpower in the business. Amanda brought a great deal of experience to our senior team and the way in which she integrated with the business was fantastic. It made perfect sense for Amanda to continue in her part-time role with us.”
“The Legal Director promises to save its clients money and directors’ time — and I have experienced that first hand,”
says Simon. “As MD, I can say that Amanda’s help has been brilliant — she has taken lots of work off my plate and allowed me to focus on my core role. It gives me great peace of mind to know I have a very strong legal resource in-house, staying on top of all the legal issues that relate to our business.”
According to Simon: “Amanda is an invaluable resource who is fully integrated in our business. She’s involved in contract negotiations, supports senior management on legal issues and supports our HR Manager and our Talent Manager on recruitment and employee contracts.”
Simon concludes: “Our game plan with ForrestBrown was always to build a successful business in which we dot every i and cross every t. That is what we have achieved with the support of The Legal Director.”
The Legal Director is a fully regulated legal consultancy that provides businesses with high-calibre experienced lawyers on a part-time or flexible basis.
By working smarter as part of the client’s business, and by delivering legal advice from a business perspective, we can demonstrably save our clients significant amounts of money and directors’ time.
The Legal Director is the most transparent, cost-effective way of embedding a senior lawyer within your business — at a fraction of the cost of employing a full-time Legal Director or engaging with a traditional law firm on an ad hoc basis.
We match one of our lawyers to your business needs and he/she then performs as a member of your senior management team, just like an in-house lawyer. Moreover, clients can use our unique 9-point legal framework for business-focused legal advice to systematically address key business areas that require legal expertise and appropriate action.
Call us on 020 3056 8538,
Email us at info@thelegaldirector.co.uk
or send us an enquiry.
Address:
Blackwell House, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE.
Tel : 020 3056 8538
Email: info@thelegaldirector.co.uk
The Legal Director is a Referrals Based Company
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The Legal Director Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA Number 560058.
Registered in England and Wales with number 7573474. Registered office Blackwell House, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE.
