Breaking News
New Partner for WJM
WJM’s Chief Executive, David Bone, recently announced the recruitment of a new partner to WJM.
“I am delighted to announce that Susan Hoyle has recently joined WJM to lead out Tax Team.
Susan was attracted to move to WJM by our pioneering approach to looking after family businesses and business families and our strong connections with a number of major corporate clients. She came to us from one of the UK’s leading law firms and it is a testament to our client-centric vision that Susan has joined us.
WJM’s client centric vision is challenging us to create innovative structures that help you, our clients, achieve their aspirations. This may sound straightforward and obvious to clients, but it is unconventional among lawyers because it involves us getting out of our comfortable specialist silos and collaborating in service of the needs of our clients. We’ve taken this bold step because we believe it is right and it is great that we can attract talent like Susan to help us achieve this goal.
Susan will become a familiar face to you as she works with clients advising them on the tax implications of their proposed actions. I’m sure you will join me in welcoming her to the firm.”
More information on Susan’s arrival can be obtained from from David Bone
More information on the WJM Tax Team can be found at The Tax Team
WJM Wins at Law Awards
At a glittering ceremony last night, WJM’s lawyers took the ‘Oscars for the Profession’ in two categories of the Law Awards of Scotland.
The Awards, described as ‘the Oscars for the profession’ by no less a person than Helena Kennedy QC, are judged by a distinguished panel of experts based on submissions from both clients and the individual firms.
Angus MacLeod’s work in the technology sector was recognised by the IP/IT Laywer of the Year Award and WJM’s Employment Team won the prestigious Employment Firm of the Year Award.
Martin Stephen, Head of Employment said “This Award was won against tough competition on the basis of a concerted effort by the WJM Employment Team”. Martin praised the efforts of Andrew Wilson, Liam Entwistle, Fraser Gillies, John Grant, Fiona Robertson, Laura Kelman and Julia MacDonald who make up the core of the team.
David Bone, Chief Executive, said “I am delighted for the Employment team and for Angus. Their awards are fully justified and well deserved. It was a terrific achievement for them and the whole Firm rejoiced in their success. As a Firm we have now won a considerable number of awards which publicly demonstrate that we offer precise, client aware solutions to their challenges.”
WJM Shortlisted for Law Awards
We are delighted to announce that 4 individuals and two of our key practice teams have been shortlisted as finalist in the Law Awards of Scotland.
David Bone has been shortlisted in the Partner of the Year Award. The award looks at both his practice area - renewable energy - and his role in the wider management of the Firm, where David is in his second year as the Firm’s Chief Executive.
Angus MacLeod has been shortlisted in the award for the Information Technology/Intellectual Property (IT/IP) Solicitor of the Year Award. Angus heads up WJM’s cross-disciplinary technology team.
In the Paralegal of the Year Award, there’s more than a little internal rivalry with Marie Rafferty and Brendan Kelly both competing for the prize. Marie deals exclusively with credit management, including debt recovery, for clients and Brendan works in the Tax Team helping individuals and organisations with their tax affairs.
Moving on to the team awards sees the WJM Employment Team, led by Martin Stephen shortlisted in the Employment Firm of the Yea Award and the Private Client Team, led by Grant Johnston, shortlisted for the Private Client Firm of the Year Award.
The awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony on September 18th.
Discrimination Update - June 2008
Here we present the cases, with commentary, that we outlined at the June Employment Club meeting. They cover discrimination in the areas of age, religion or belief and sexual orienation.
We hope you find our Update interesting. If you need more information about any of the cases outlined and how they might affect your employment practices, please get in touch with a member of the Team.
WJM’s Employment Club meets quarterly. It is an informal session focusing on a major employment issue with plenty of opportunities for attendees to put questions to members of the Employment Team.
More information from Martin Stephen
New WJM Chief Executive
With effect from 1 April 2007, David Bone was unanimously elected by the Partners as WJM’s Chief Executive. He suceeds Graham Bell, who returns to a full-time role within our Corporate and Family Business Teams.
David joined the Firm as a trainee in 1983, was appointed a Partner in 1988 and has worked in both the Glasgow and Edinburgh offices. He was Managing Partner of the Firm from 1997-2001 and since then has developed the Firm’s Renewable Energy business, which he began back in 1993, into Scotland’s leading Renewable Energy legal team, increasing its turnover in each of the last 8 years and growing the team so it now draws on contributions from a dozen of WJM’s lawyers to service our clients’ property, planning, commercial and dispute resolution needs. In addition, David has continued to act for some of the Firm’s major commercial property clients.
David will lead the Firm’s strategy and work together with our Chairman, Colin Brass, in ensuring that we listen to our clients and design our services around their needs.
At the same time, he will continue to assist clients with whom he has had a long relationship through involvement in commercial property and renewable energy transactions.
More on David Bone.
WJM Launch Employment Club
WJM is launching a new Employment Club. At it members of the Employment Team will present on employment and HR issues followed by a plenary session in which they will discuss any topical issues which you have.
Martin Stephen, Head of the WJM Employment Team comments. “With the ever increasing complexity of employment law, and the challenges that employers face in dealing with these complexities, we believe that the Employment Club will be a useful way for employers to be kept abreast of changes in the law and to have their practical questions answered. The key strength of the Employment Club is its format, in that it is informative but will also allow for discussion and the opportunity to ask questions without being worried about keeping an eye on the clock”
It will be held on 13th August, 8th October and 10th December in WJM’s Glasgow office at 302 St Vincent Street and attendees should pre-register with Emma MacNeil.
Registration is from 5.15pm and we will start at 5.30pm prompt. The team look forward to seeing you.
More information from WJM’s Head of Employment: Martin Stephen
HMRC Enquiry window
From 6 April 2008 the date you file your tax return will be the relevant date for HMRC opening an enquiry.
The rules were such that you could lodge your tax return early, but the enquiry window would still run from the following 31 January, for instance, if you lodged your 2007 tax return relating to tax year 2006/07 on 30 September 2007, the enquiry period would run to 31 January 2009, however under the recent changes if you lodge your 2008 tax return on 30 September 2008, the enquiry period will only run to 30 September 2009.
Please therefore be aware of the new deadline ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE YOU FILE YOUR TAX RETURN
More information on WJM’s tax team from Brendan Kelly
PodLaw! Updates
Listen to all the latest on the Employment Law front with PodLaw! - the podcasts from WJM.
Recently updated with significant articles on the Working Time Regulations, Sex Discrimination and Disability Discrimination, PodLaw! allows you to catch up with changes in this fast moving field quickly and easily.
Hear the latest issues here. PodLaw! The audio Employment Law library on the web from WJM
Do you prepare your own tax return?
If so, you may wish to consider the recent changes for the future of tax returns With effect from 6 April 2008,
* HMRC will no longer accept manually completed 2007/08 substitute tax returns.
* HMRC approved paper tax returns must be lodged by 31 October 2008.
* On-line tax returns can still be lodged up to the 31 January 2009 filing date.
There will be some circumstances where approved substitutes will still be accepted, such as the repayment claim form R40, together with a minority of taxpayers for whom the on-line facility is not yet compatible.
More information from Brendan Kelly
