De Marco Hunter wins caring award

De Marco Hunter Solicitors in Coventry has won a national award for being a responsible business. The firm has achieved the Responsible Business Standard for operating efficiently and ethically, exceeding legislative requirements and considering its impact on people and the planet. The employment law and business affairs specialists, based on the Middlemarch Business Park in Baginton, received the highest gold standard by the Organisation for Responsible Businesses (ORB). The firm aims to be transparent and communicate in plain English with clients, allows staff to work flexible hours and from home, sources 80 per cent of supplies locally, and supports local charities, schools and the business community. Principal Sandra Garlick said: “When I started the practice, I wanted to create a business where I would like to work as an employee. I incorporated the best elements of where I had worked previously where staff felt valued so that people recognise us as not being a run-of-the-mill law firm but one that goes the extra mile. This award recognises what we set out to achieve and anyone that uses our services also knows that we operate in a responsible way.”

Selby signs up to Shakespeares

SHAKESPEARES has appointed Cathryn Selby from Irwin Mitchell where she was national head of professional negligence and head of commercial litigation, based in Sheffield. Ms Selby said: “I am delighted to be joining Shakespeares and over the coming months I will be looking to help build the company’s commercial litigation presence in the Midlands. My specialism is professional negligence and I will using my expertise to increase market share in this sector and grow Shakespeares’ profile.  I am confident that there is a tremendous opportunity for the firm across the Midlands market and I am looking forward to helping the commercial litigation team to fulfil its potential.”

Second pro bono award for Mills & Reeve’s Creed

RUTH CREED, a senior solicitor at the Birmingham office of national law firm Mills & Reeve, has bagged a second award for her pro bono work. Named Birmingham Law Society’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in March, she has added a national award for launching the Birmingham Free Legal Advice Group (FLAG), in conjunction with Birmingha Law School. The specialist healthcare lawyer won the “best contribution by an individual” at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards, in conjunction with the Law Society. Birmingham FLAG is a free legal advice clinic run by law students from the University of Birmingham, supervised by more than 30 lawyers from Mills & Reeve.