Society's News

Corporate Members 2022

3PB Albion Chambers Ashfords Barcan + Kirby Beale & Co Bevan Brittan BLM Burges Salmon Clarke Willmott CMS CMNO DAC Beachcroft The Family Law Practice Foot Anstey (including Enable Law) Freeths Fussell Wright GL Law Guildhall Chambers Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Lyons Davidson Marc White & Co Meade King Osborne Clarke Paragon Costs Solutions Queen Square Chambers Royds Withy King Simmons … more

BLS features in Bristol Post oldest thriving companies in Bristol

Excerpt from the article: How Bristol’s oldest companies are still thriving after more than 100 years in business They include the city’s last-surviving chocolate maker a wine merchant and a tannery. Why do some companies struggle to survive beyond a year while others flourish for hundreds? Although more than 90 per cent of small companies in Britain will survive one … more

BLS Annual Awards Dinner 3rd November 2022

Check out our digital Awards Brochure with a welcome from our C0-Presidents, full details of the award categories and links to our wonderful supporters who make this event possible. We look forward to celebrating the best of the local profession with you on 3rd November! BLS Awards 2022 Digital Brochure Nomination Brochure 2022 Nomination Online Submissions Booking Form 2022

COLPs AND COFAs – REVISED NOMINATION TIMETABLE (AGAIN)

The SRA has announced that the timetable for formal nominations for COFAs and COLPs has again been revised with online nominations starting on 31st May and closing on 31st July.

SRA Executive Director Samantha Barrass has laid out the SRA’s plans for nominating and appointing Compliance Officers for Legal Practice (COLPs) and Compliance Officers for Finance and Administration (COFAs) in a keynote speech delivered at the COLPs and COFAs Conference.

Ms Barrass announced that firms would be able to nominate COLPs and COFAs from 31 May 2012, with a closing date of 31 July. The launch of the form has been delayed to take account of the late start of the PC renewals and recognitions exercise, giving the SRA more time to ensure firms did not experience difficulties with the nominations process.

Firms will be asked to complete a web-based nomination form. The delay also allowed the SRA to reflect on its approach to the COLPs and COFAs’ nomination and approval process.

The SRA is also keen to stress that whilst COLPs and COFAs are the formal focus points for compliance, they will not be seen as sacrificial lambs. Senior managers will be held to account and will not be able to absolve themselves of their responsibilities. The intention is to create a firm-wide culture of compliance.

The form that firms will be asked to complete will be short but based on binding declarations by both a senior manager with authority to sign on behalf of the firm and the COLP and COFA nominees, for which the signatories will personally be held to account by the SRA. There will also be declarations relating to the Suitability Test.

The form will include:

  • confirmation that the firm has suitable arrangements in place to ensure that the COLP and COFA are able to discharge their duties, and
  • confirmation that the COLP and COFA declarations, including that the nominee has sufficient seniority and responsibility in the firm, is correct

The SRA will take a risk-based approach to checking nominations, but will go back to a subset of firms largely on a risk basis. It will also conduct some random sampling. Dedicated phone support will be available to firm managers and nominees seeking advice. COLPS and COFAs in Alternative Business Structures will still be subject to a full series of checks to ensure that they work to the same high standards as traditional law firms.

Ms Barrass concluded: “We expect to confirm most COLPS and COFAs by the end of October, consistent with the overall timetable although we may need to accommodate some late approvals of COLPs/COFAs, and we are currently considering this.”