What's cooking at The Clare School ?

Something will be cooking at a special school in Norwich when the pupils return from their summer holidays!

The Clare School is about to have its old kitchen ripped out and a new one installed, partly funded by a £20,000 donation from Norwich based solicitors, Rogers & Norton.

It is a mixed, day Community Special School for pupils aged 3 to 19 years with special needs usually associated with physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments; many also have complex medical needs and learning difficulties.

“The current kitchen dates from the 1970s and presents us with a number of health and safety issues,” said Head Teacher, Nigel Smith.

“Now everything is being taken out and we will be having new windows, floors, cookers, units a special teaching area and all designed to be disability friendly.

“Cooking and food preparation is a vital part of the curriculum and to have modern, up-to-date facilities will greatly enhance the experience for our pupils. We will even have talking microwaves and scales to help visually impaired children.

“Work is just about to start and it will all be ready for pupils when they return to school in September.”

Added Graham Knights from Rogers & Norton, “We always look to support a local charity or good cause through money collected at our many fund raising events. The Clare School was mentioned as falling into that category so we came and met Nigel and were very impressed with the work he and his team do.

“The kitchen certainly needed some work done to bring it up to modern standards so we are delighted the money is going to such a worthy project and I look forward to coming back in September to see it finished.”

http://www.clare.norfolk.sch.uk/

Inaugural Business Leaders Lunch produces lively debate

On the 24^th June 2009 Rogers & Norton held its first Business Leaders Lunch at Sprowston Manor in Norwich. The event was attended by nearly 70 delegates who had lunch and then listened to guest speaker Richard Ellis of the East of England Development Agency.

Richard spoke about the opportunities that are available to businesses in the eastern region at the current time and considered the need to develop any business during times of recession, focusing upon approaches to marketing and in particular continuing to use the benefits of locality which remains very important to potential customers.

Commenting upon the future Richard highlighted the need for businesses to consider the wealth of young talent that is emerging from our educational institutions and give consideration to graduate recruitment. “It is important not to lose the hotbed of talent that exist in this region”.

Following Richard’s presentation he was joined by a panel comprising of Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and Paul Hill, Business Editor of the Eastern Daily Press. The panel, chaired by Rogers & Norton’s Managing Partner, Richard Etheridge took questions from the floor and this provoked lively debate on topics covering the networking abilities of local business, predictions as to when the economy will emerge from the recession and the benefits available to businesses in the Eastern region from the 2012 Olympic bid.

The intention is to arrange a further lunch later in 2009 with a further guest speaker.

First Prosecution for Corporate Manslaughter Commences

On the 17^th June 2009 the first prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 is to be heard in the Stroud Magistrates Court.

The Crown Prosecution Service have brought of Corporate Manslaughter against Gloucestershire based Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings.

The charge follows the death of a Junior Geologist who was killed in September 2008 when the sides of a pit in which he was collecting soil samples collapsed and crushed him.

In November 2008 Rogers & Norton co hosted a seminar on the impact of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. The commencement of this prosecution is an important development from this seminar and as the prosecution progresses the manner in which the Court will deal with the evidential issues under the Act will be analysed. In addition if found guilty the Court’s new powers in sentencing can also be examined.

Under the Act the Court have the power to impose an unlimited fine. The fine in accordance with sentencing guidelines may be between 2.5% and 10% of a company’s gross turnover.

Aside from the financial sanctions the Court will also have the power to force an organisation to publicise its own guilt at its own expense if found guilty.

It is also of interest that apart from the Prosecution under the new Act the company are also being prosecuted for breaches of Section 2.1 of the Health & Safety at Work Act in failing to protect the deceased. Additionally, Company Director, Mr Peter Easton, is being charged personally with the offence of gross negligence manslaughter and further breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act.

The case will inevitably be transferred to the Crown Court for Trial and it will be important for all businesses and advisors to watch this case develop and to establish how the Court deals with the evidential issues under the new Act and, if found guilty, their sentencing powers.

We will endeavour to provide further information on the case as and when this becomes available.

If you have any questions regarding the Act or this case please feel free to contact either:

Mark Hambling (email: mbh@rogers-norton.co.uk) Tel. 01603 675668

or Phil Kerridge (email: pnk@rogers-norton.co.uk) Tel. 01603 675612

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.

Rogers & Norton go live on air in 2009

Rogers & Norton are proud to announce that, in partnership with Norfolk Community Law Service (NCLS), as from the 28th of January 2009 we shall be appearing live on Future Radio 96.9FM to offer a free 'Legal Hotspot' to listeners.

The Legal Hotspot is to be aired on Future Radio's Community Chest Show on the final Wednesday of every month at approximately 11 am. It is to offer listeners an opportunity to pitch their legal questions in advance of the show for lawyers to answer live on air.

As far as we are aware this is the first collaboration of its type in the Norfolk area. We are hopeful that along with answering a number of legal problems the Legal Hotspot will also assist in increasing the general awareness of Future Radio's listeners to the legal services that are on offer locally.

The free Legal Hotspot concept was developed by Future Radio in collaboration with NCLS and Rogers & Norton’s Tom Lawrence, who is a solicitor in our Private Client Department. Tom said “I would like to thank NCLS and Future Radio for all of their help in making the idea a reality. It has taken a lot of time and considerable effort to bring it all together, but I am hopeful that it will provide listeners with a useful forum for obtaining answers to those thorny legal issues which we all come across from time to time.”

Mark Hambling, who is a partner and member of the marketing development team at Rogers and Norton, said “We are very appreciative of Tom's hard work and dedication in seeing his idea through to what we are sure will become a successful relationship with both NCLS and Future Radio. We hope that the Legal Hotspot shall become a show not to be missed by listeners!”

Please watch our website www.rogers-norton.co.uk for future details. If you would like to listen to the podcasts of the shows, they will be made after the monthly shows on the Future Radio website (www.futureradio.co.uk).

Proposed changes to the statutory legacy limits on Intestacy

As part of Rogers & Norton’s continuing drive to keep clients and professional contacts up to date with legal developments, we can advise that the Ministry of Justice has announced that as from the 1st February 2009 married couples/civil partners whose spouse/civil partner dies without leaving a Will, are set to benefit from an increase in the statutory legacy limits under proposals published by the government.

The limits are currently set at £125,000 where the deceased leaves a surviving spouse/civil partner and children, and £200,000 where the deceased leaves a surviving spouse/civil partner and parents or siblings, but no children. The limits have not been increased since 1993.

It is proposed that the new levels of the statutory legacy will increase to £250,000 and £450,000 respectively. The statutory legacy is the amount payable to a surviving spouse/civil partner from the estate of his/her partner who dies intestate, that is, without leaving a Will.

Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said:

“This increase will give extra protection to married couples and civil partners whose spouse or civil partner dies without making a Will. But it also highlights how important it is for men and women to make arrangements for their loved ones in the event of their death.

Married couples and civil partners should not assume that when their spouse or civil partner dies, they will automatically be entitled to everything. It is up to the individuals to make sure that their wishes are respected by making a Will.

My message to people is, don’t leave it to chance. Make sure your loved ones are properly provided for by leaving a Will.”

Tom Lawrence, a solicitor in our Private Client Department, said “The amendments to the statutory legacy limits are a welcome change. However we strongly urge people against placing any reliance on these provisions and continue to advise all our clients that making a Will is a sensible and prudent step to take as soon as possible.”

If you have any queries on this subject please do feel free to contact our Private Client Department by either email to willsrogers-norton.co.uk or by telephone on 01603 666001.

Rogers & Norton Charity Golf Day 2008

Cancer care in Norfolk has been given a boost thanks to the efforts of over 100 golfers who took part in a special event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. A total of £3,100 was raised at the Rogers & Norton Charity Golf Day held at Bawburgh as part of Macmillan’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ event. “The money will now be used to provide better care and information for the people of Norfolk,” said Helen Chapman, Macmillan’s Fund Raising Manager. “We have a mobile information centre which tours the villages and market towns of Norfolk and last year we gave grants of over £70,000 to cancer sufferers in the county. Our thanks go to Rogers & Norton for their valuable support.”

Added Graham Knights from Rogers & Norton, “Unfortunately almost everyone will know someone who has been affected by cancer and that’s why people responded most generously on the day to support the fantastic work Macmillan continues to do. “We are already planning to run a similar event next year.”