The Final Movember Update !

30 days on and it's nearly all over! So far the Ro No Mo Bros have raised £792 in online donations and £90 in cash/cheques and in most cases not exactly looked our best for the past month! (see attached photos!)

Many thanks to those of you who have donated so far.

We would however really like to break the £1000 barrier so if anyone else would like to donate now that the challenge has been successfully completed it is not too late to do so and we would welcome any donation however small.

You can do so by clicking on the link below and then clicking on 'donate to team' or on individual team members names in the 'team summary' list:-

http://uk.movember.com/team/660541

Many thanks for your support so far. Other than updating you as to the final amount raised we promise this is the last message you will receive on the subject until it all starts again next Movember!

All the best

The Ro No Mo Bros

Click below for a larger pic!

Donns go into Administration

It has been reported in the Claims Magazine today that Donns, a Claimant firm of solicitors in Manchester has gone into administration.

Please see the attached link for further details http://bbm-news.net/pinews40/FOB-F7Y-D220HPCK2E-AGK82-1/industry.aspx?dm_i=FOB,R2IV,20HPCK,26POQ,1

It appears that many clients will now be contacted by Irwin Mitchell and be invited to transfer their file to this alternative firm. Given that Donns acted for clients nationwide there may be many local clients who would like to use this opportunity to enlist the services of a local solicitor rather than Irwin Mitchell. If any client wishes to exercise their freedom of choice, Rogers & Norton can assist and we would be more than happy to discuss any potential cases and arrange the transfer of files to this practice if required.

For more information please contact our Personal Injury experts on claims@rogers-norton.co.uk or call Mark Hambling or Tim Nobbs on 01603 666001.

Long battle ends in success

A 5 year fight is over following a decision by the UK’s highest Court which now means that employers’ insurers will be obliged to pay compensation claims of those suffering from or the families of those who have died from mesothelioma, a disease that can lay undetected for many years. It means that many thousands of people will at long last be entitled to compensation following the landmark ruling that the liability of insurers arises at the date of exposure to asbestos and not when symptoms of mesothelioma are detected which may be decades later.

Yesterday the Supreme Court delivered a long awaited landmark Judgment in what has been termed the mesothelioma “trigger litigation” which has seen a long running Court battle at an end, the Supreme Court having now ruled that the relevant date for the purposes of entitlement to compensation is the date of exposure and not the date when symptoms may develop or manifest themselves which can be many years later.

This particular issue related to the stance taken by a number of insurers that they were not obliged to pay out on such claims and that the key date for claiming arose at the date that the disease developed. This ruling has ended that argument in confirming that the relevant date is the date of employment during which the exposure occurred.

This will be of some comfort to those who have contracted mesothelioma, an insidious cancer, as well as their loved ones who will be able to pursue claims against the insurers as a result of their exposure to asbestos resulting in them contracting the disease.

For those who are suffering such condition and those who have lost their personal battle but whose families continue to pursue for their just entitlements, this decision brings to an end a whole host of test cases which have challenged the entitlement of those exposed to asbestos being able to recover compensation.

These cases are particularly difficult and raise a variety of complex legal issues. Expertise as well as compassion and the ability to empathise are key elements in ensuring that those who are entitled to compensation secure that compensation.

Rogers & Norton's Personal Injury Department has dealt with a number of significant asbestos cases and to achieve a successful outcome requires stubborn determination and frequently detailed forensic investigation in respect of a client’s employment history. This calls for professionalism, determination and compassion in equal measure.

If you would like to talk to one of our lawyers about whether you may have a possible claim for compensation relating to exposure to asbestos then please contact us on 01603 666001 for a free initial consultation.

Top Legal Directory praises expanding Rogers & Norton

Rogers & Norton has gained major recognition in this year’s edition of the Legal 500 for its high quality service and expertise.

The Legal 500 is acknowledged as the most widely used legal directory in the country, in which law firms are ranked in terms of their skills and performance.

The 2011 edition (published online at: www.legal500.com) highlights Norwich-based Rogers & Norton’s impressive credentials for providing expert legal advice to clients – regionally, nationally and internationally.

Richard Etheridge, Managing Partner and Head of the firm’s Corporate and Commercial Team, says “We are thoroughly delighted that, yet again, Rogers & Norton has received significant recognition for the calibre of its work and first-rate service. In what are undoubtedly tough economic times, we are encouraged by the fact that we have been able to further expand upon our already very talented team of lawyers. I think it goes to show that our commitment to offering a top quality service to our clients at reasonable cost is the right approach”.

He adds “Every year I have been at Rogers & Norton has been exciting and this year has proved to be no exception! Over the past 12 months we have been able to significantly strengthen our Property Team and increase the depth of our already highly experienced Private Client and Family Teams, whilst also promoting from within, which is always very encouraging. I am confident that 2012 will see us continuing to move further in the right direction”.
Rogers & Norton was founded in 1982 and is now a 12 Partner firm with more than 60 fee earners and support staff.
Rogers & Norton’s Commercial Litigation Team continues to flourish with John Cadywould, Peter Hastings and Phil Kerridge all receiving substantial recognition for having valuable experience and expertise, excellent tactical awareness, and are helpful and quick with advice. The recent expansion of the Team has seen the appointment of Jenna Phillips, who specialises in debt recovery.

Phil Kerridge, Head of the firm’s Employment Team, also gains recognition for offering pragmatic and practical advice to a strong base of employer clients.

Peter Hastings, described as an immense talent, is an expert in Directors’ disqualification cases and acts for most local Insolvency Practitioners. Peter has recently advised administrators on a £1.1 Million HMRC Excise Duty back claim and also a contractor’s £1.75 Million claim for fees following the termination of a project.
 The firm’s Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Team continues to strengthen their reputation both locally and far beyond. Mark Hambling, who is a Senior Litigator with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and a Personal Injury accredited specialist with the Law Society, and Tim Nobbs, are praised as being notably conscientious, with a practice spanning employers’ liability, public liability and RTA claims. Tim and mark are noted to have handled claims involving failed diagnosis in radiology, inadequate surgery, death in hospital and failed vasectomy.



The excellent, professional and compassionate advice of Amy Walpole, Partner and Head of the firm’s Family Team, is acknowledged. The team has expanded to include recently-appointed experienced Solicitor Sophie Key who has a strong expertise in children matters. Together they handle a stream of high-value divorce and cohabitee work. Amy is also a trained collaborative lawyer.
Newly-promoted Partner and Head of the Private Client Team, Tom Lawrence, and Catherine Hawdon, who are both members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, are noted for being technically up-to-speed, prompt with good business acumen and a pleasant demeanour. The Private Client Team continues to grow with the recent appointment of experienced Solicitor Louisa Mawbey. It is noted that four lawyers in the team are members of the Solicitors for the Elderly.
The Corporate and Commercial Team has again impressed with Richard Etheridge, the firm’s Managing Partner, at the helm. Richard is noted as being very approachable and constructive whilst delivering a high quality of service on corporate issues. The firm’s recent work includes company buy-backs, restructurings and the MBO of a local manufacturing firm.
The one-stop service offered by Bruce Faulkner, who heads the Commercial Property Team, continues to thrive in dealing with the sale, purchase and licensing of premises, including pubs and clubs around Norwich. Bruce is noted as having handled leases, including a 9,000 sq ft property in a prestigious office block in Norwich.
Meanwhile the Residential Property Team, headed by the well known and liked Marc Greig has seen a continued increase in good quality instructions which is bucking the trend of many of the firm’s competitors. Marc enjoys an enviable reputation with local builders and developers for his work. The firm continues to advise local businesses, landowners, public limited companies and pension schemes. The Property Team has increased in size, with the appointment of three new members.

Delight as Rogers & Norton wins acclaim in top UK legal guide

Rogers & Norton has won praise for its quality service and expertise in this year’s edition of the Legal 500 – the UK’s foremost guide to leading law firms.

The Legal 500 is the most widely used legal directory in the country and is considered to be "the bible of the legal business", ranking law firms in terms of their skills and performance.

The 2010 edition (published online at www.legal500.com) highlights Norwich-based Rogers & Norton’s continued ethos of providing expert legal advice to clients – regionally, nationally and internationally.

Richard Etheridge, Managing Partner and Head of the firm’s Commercial Department, says: “We are delighted that Rogers & Norton has once again won acclaim and recognition for its first-rate work through the Legal 500, which is widely regarded as offering the definitive judgment of law firms. We are proud to have built up such a talented team and it’s very satisfying that their expertise has been both applauded and highlighted in the latest Legal 500.”

He adds: “It has certainly been a notable year for Rogers & Norton. We have strengthened our operation by bringing additional specialist expertise into the firm and promoting internally, which has led to significant gains and entries into sectors that are core to our future development. In 2011 we intend to ensure that we continue our excellent levels of service to clients both old and new, while also developing these important new sectors.

“Above all, the Rogers & Norton ethos of providing quality legal advice, delivered at a sensible cost, remains crucial to all existing and new business sectors.”

Founded in 1982, Rogers & Norton has grown from two partners to 12 partners – and now has more than 60 fee-earners and support staff.

Notable inclusions in this year’s Legal 500 see the elevation of the Rogers & Norton Dispute Resolution Team from a Tier 3 to a Tier 2 firm. The elevation recognises the excellent work done by Phil Kerridge and John Cadywould – and the arrival of Peter Hastings earlier this year.

Phil Kerridge, who continues to provide commercial dispute resolution advice to a wide variety of clients, including national companies, is also recognised for his employer-based employment law expertise. He has advised many local businesses over the last 12 months on redundancy and cost-saving matters, as well as dealing with Health & Safety prosecutions.

John Cadywould is praised in Legal 500 for his excellent reputation in commercial and contractual matters, breaches of confidentiality and defamation cases. His expertise has undoubtedly helped Rogers & Norton to ascend the rankings within the section.

This year saw the arrival of Peter Hastings, one of the region’s most prominent and experienced commercial litigators, as a new Partner at Rogers & Norton. Through his deep specialist knowledge, enthusiasm and energy, Peter has added weight to the firm’s commercial, construction and insolvency practice in addition to his HM Revenue and Customs work.

In the six months since Peter’s appointment, the practice has seen significant additions to its client database – including instructions from a national finance company, a major leisure company, international and local businesses and insolvency practitioners.

New instructions have included several multi-million pound claims from the offshore, construction and insolvency sectors, and various claims and disputes with HM Revenue Customs, including acting and advising on injunctions, appeals and judicial reviews.

The Dispute Resolution Team has seen notable success in 2010, which highlights the quality of the advice from Rogers & Norton’s experienced lawyers and has led to further strengthening of the team by way of internal promotions.

Richard Etheridge’s Commercial Department is recognised in Legal 500 for its good work ethic, delivered in a personable manner. The department continues to enjoy a wealth of instructions from the medical sector, as well as advising on local business, sales and acquisitions.

Richard works in conjunction with Partner Bruce Faulkner, who is also recognised for his licensing expertise, and the Dispute Resolution Team provides a ‘one-stop shop’ to commercial clients, whatever their business needs.

The Rogers & Norton Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence practice has in 2010 continued to maintain its excellent reputation for providing advice on a multitude of complex, multi-track personal injury and clinical negligence litigation.

Tim Nobbs has led the Clinical Negligence Department to its first year of recognition in the Legal 500’s ‘Tiers for Clinical Negligence’, following a succession of significant cases – including multi-million pound claims. His expertise and perseverance in investigating cases where many others have given up have brought this well-deserved recognition.

In the firm’s Personal Injury Department, Mark Hambling, a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and recognised by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers as a Senior Litigator, continues to thrive – with instructions on a range of multi-track personal injury cases.

Mark’s expertise has seen him succeed in a variety of cases, including instructions on cases turned down by other lawyers and where a client instructs the firm for a second opinion in cases which, on review, are undervalued.

Marc Greig, the Head of Residential Conveyancing, has continued to develop an enviable reputation with a network of local builders and developers, from whom the firm continues to enjoy and appreciate instruction.

Steve Clarke’s promotion to Partner has reinforced his reputation for providing clear and concise advice to a variety of private individuals and developers, with continued instructions from both local clients and introducers.

The Private Client Department progresses well under Catherine Hawdon and Tom Lawrence, both recognised in Legal 500 as good people to deal with and who provide advice on a variety of personal tax, trust and probate matters. They are recognised as members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Colin Grooms and Amy Walpole, in the Rogers & Norton Family Department, are again recognised for their experience and advocacy – as well as a growing reputation for being able to undertake high net worth ancillary relief matters. Colin, a Law Society Family Law Panel Member, and Amy manage the team, which acts for a variety of clients on cases of varying value.

Clare School Life Skills Room Grand Opening

We are delighted to be able to advise you that the project to renovate the Life Skills Room at the Clare School in South Park Avenue has finally been completed and officially opened by the Lord Mayor Cllr Eve Collishaw and The Right Hon. Charles Clarke MP on Friday 4th December 2009.

This project has taken almost three years to complete and was originally a fund raising idea by the Practice to help disadvantaged children at the School develop their culinary skills in what were very dated surroundings as no improvements had been carried out since the 1970s. We held a Grand Charity Ball in aid of the school in June 2007 at Drayton Old Lodge and raised a sum of just under £20,000 from the event. This has been added to other donations and grants to allow the refurbishment to take place.

We would like to take this opportunity to not only let all our clients and contacts know about the improvement but to say a big thank you to all those individuals and Companies who contributed in some way, large or small, towards making this happen. Without such support the renovation would not have been possible. We are including links to some photos and video footage of the speeches at the opening so you are able to see what has actually been achieved with the money and the enormous difference it will make to the children attending the School.

As a result of our liaison over the last three years we have become a Business Partner of the School which we hope will benefit the children in the future too.

If you would like further information about the School or the project please conact either the School Headmaster Nigel Smith at office@clare.norfolk.sch.uk or Graham Knights at Rogers & Norton gjk@rogers-norton.co.uk.

Watch Right Hon. Charles Clarke MP & Lord Mayor Cllr Eve Collishaw perform the opening ceremony here

Watch Nigel Smith's speech here

Photos can be viewed here

Newsbrief 2009

The 2009 edition of the R&N newsbrief is now online and available to view here at http://www.rogers-norton.co.uk/newsletters/news2009.pdf.