Levelling With

You may notice, we've had a change of host for this week! Lauren Guiler will be stepping into Florence's shoes for the remainder of this season.

What’s it’s really when your business model changes? And what comes after the period of 'starting up'? To wrap up our episodes on start-ups and the business of starting up your own business, Lauren Guiler talks to Partner in Corporate law, Ed Savory.

This weeks guest: Ed Savory

Ed is a Partner in our Corporate Team, leading the Corporate Team in Norwich. Ed also heads the firm’s Food and Beverage Sector Team. Ed deals with a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, and advises on all manner of corporate transactions, leading teams advising on acquisitions and disposals, acting for buyers and sellers to trade and private equity. He is recommended and named as a ‘Leading Individual’ by Legal 500 [UK 2024].

Your Host: Lauren Guiler

Lauren is a Solicitor in the London Family Team who joined Birketts in 2019, training with the firm and qualifying in September 2021. Lauren has experience in advising on all aspects of private family law, particularly when the situation is complex and/or high stakes. She is passionate about pro-bono work and volunteers for the Suffolk Law Centre having grown up in Suffolk and continues to develop this work in London.

You may notice, we've had a change of host for this week! Lauren Guiler will be stepping into Florence's shoes for the remainder of this season.

Start-ups don’t remain start ups forever. If your start-up is successful, you’ll be faced with the world of scale ups and managing a much larger operation. With a scale up comes the consideration of employment law and how best to protect your employees in a growing organisation.  In this episode, Lauren Guiler speaks to Sarah Bull, a Partner in Employment Law here at Birketts, about what it means to run an international organisation and what considerations are often overlooked.   

This Weeks Guest: Sarah Bull

Sarah is a Partner and heads up our London Employment Team. Sarah has considerable experience advising on the full spectrum of employment issues, from recruitment to termination and litigation. Her clients include investment management firms, tech start-ups and scale-ups, international and national charities and non-profits and a range of international businesses. Sarah is a member of the European Employment Lawyers’ Association (EELA), Level 20, Women in Banking and Finance and the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce.

Your Host: Lauren Guiler

Lauren is a Solicitor in the London Family Team who joined Birketts in 2019, training with the firm and qualifying in September 2021. Lauren has experience in advising on all aspects of private family law, particularly when the situation is complex and/or high stakes. She is passionate about pro-bono work and volunteers for the Suffolk Law Centre having grown up in Suffolk and continues to develop this work in London.

In this episode, our Anousha Davies joins Florence Paul to delve into the complex world of Intellectual Property (IP). They discuss the different types of IP, including trademarks, designs, patents, and copyrights, and how new businesses can protect their intangible assets. Florence and Anousha also look further into the commercial benefits of owning IP, such as brand collaborations and IP licensing. They conclude by discussing common mistakes start-ups make when registering IP and the importance of confidentiality in patent creation. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of IP and its significance in today’s business landscape.

This Weeks Guest: Anousha Davies

Anousha specialises in intellectual property, acting for clients in both contentious and non-contentious matters involving trade marks, passing off, design and copyright matters. Anousha has a background in working for a number of high-profile brands across the entertainment, fashion, FMCG, professional services and hospitality sectors in the UK and internationally. She also has experience advising start-ups and new brands. She has authored articles for reputable industry publications, such as the CITMA Review and Law360. She continues to write articles concerning noteworthy cases in the trade mark world. Anousha is also passionate about encouraging diversity in the IP profession and is a mentor for the Careers in Ideas initiative.

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.

This week, we're looking at something a little different. In the next four episodes of Levelling With, we'll be looking at setting up your own business and the business of start-ups.

In this episode, Florence spoke to Frankie Smith. Tune in to hear them discuss what it's really like founding your own business, the art of juggling employment and entrepreneurship, and what challenges female founders in particular face.

This Weeks Guest: Frankie Smith

Francesca ‘Frankie’ Smith, is a seasoned financial adviser with an extensive portfolio of established investors and business owners. Following a long tenure at Jarrovian Wealth Private Office team, advising professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners on both their personal and business financial planning, she founded Frankie’s, an exclusive membership club for women to connect, collaborate and engage with finance. With the motto “Educate, Connect, Be Bold”, Frankie’s was established to champion women in business and female investors. Alongside Frankie’s, she has also launched her own wealth management business, FSWM which works with business owners and high net worth individuals to advise on financial planning, investments and wealth management.

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.

What does it mean to be socially conscious in a business? How can businesses change to ensure that they become an ethical organisation? What does sustainability mean in it’s truest sense? The world is changing and these questions are being asked by employers and employees around the world.  In this episode, we hear from Grace Kerr on this subject.

This Week's Guest: Grace Kerr

Grace leads the Real Estate Division. She joined our Essex office as a Partner in 2004 after 10 years’ commercial real estate experience with leading City law firms. She is Chair of the Birketts Environmental, Governance and Social (ESG) Committee. Grace is recommended and named as a ‘Leading Individual’ by Legal 500 [UK 2024].

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.

Gender parity in industry is a continuing conversation but is particularly current in the financial sector. Within the past year, the UK government has commissioned research into the position of women in this sector, examining the number of women in leadership roles and how to ignite change in a very traditional sector.  

On this episode of Levelling With, we hear from two women with great experience in this sector. Olivia Toulson, who has previously been a guest on the podcast, hosts this special episode. She speaks to Annabel Schaafsma, Managing Director at Moody’s. Annabel joined Moody’s over 20 years ago and is the first female Managing Director at the company. She has worked extensively on engendering change that facilitates women’s careers within the company. Olivia and Annabel discuss her journey so far and the future actions that could be taken by institutions in financial services. 

Your Host: Olivia Toulson

Olivia is a Legal Director in Birketts' Employment Team. She predominantly acts for clients in the financial services, life sciences and technology sectors.

Olivia has considerable experience handling employment tribunal litigation for employers, having worked on many complex, multi-day claims involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, breach of contract and unlawful deductions from wages.

This Week's Guest: Annabel Schaafsma

Annabel Schaafsma is the Managing Director and the Global Head of the Structured Finance Group. She is responsible for a global team that assigns primary ratings and the surveillance of existing ratings covering all asset types, including Asset Backed Securities, Commercial and Residential Mortgage Backed Securities, Structured Credit and Covered Bonds. Annabel is passionate about diversity and inclusion; she is the executive sponsor of the Moody’s UK Women’s Business Resource Group.

Getting into law is costly. Whether that is financing the LPC, paying for the SQE exams, or even the money that goes into relocating for a job. As such, this can preclude individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds from accessing a career in the legal sector. But privilege is not just a financial issue either.  

In this episode, Jay Johnson talks to Florence Paul about the reasons why individuals who come from underprivileged backgrounds face extra challenges when pursuing a career in law. This year, Jay set up and delivered the SMILE programme, an initiative which provides insight and an experience to a career that young people in Suffolk and Essex may not have access to. Jay talked to Florence about how programmes like this can help bridge gaps and what more can be done to allow social mobility in the sector.

This Weeks Guest: Jay Johnson

Jay Johnson is a Solicitor who works in Commercial Litigation. He has experience assisting in a wide variety of disputes relating to breach of contract, international transactions, insolvency proceedings, commercial debt recovery and contentious trusts and probate. He is a strong advocate of Alternative Dispute Resolution and strives to deliver commercially orientated advice to his clients.

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing. 

We're back with another episode! 

The history of charitable giving in the UK is one that is chequered.  Philanthropy is a practice that became inextricably linked with colonialism and an oppressive British Empire. But after the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, conversations around modern philanthropy are now beginning to address wider issues in charitable giving. 

In this special episode of Levelling With, Liz Brownsell talks to Shereen Daniels about the position of the modern philanthropist and what actions can be taken to talk towards racial parity in the sector. Shereen Daniels, director of HR Rewired and founder of ADIEF, is an influential advocate. Her book ‘The Anti-Racist Organisation’ is a practical exploration of the social, economic and political contexts that need to be considered when addressing systemic racism. It is this insight and experience as a philanthropist herself which provides the foundation for a fruitful and direct conversation with Liz Brownsell around the state of modern philanthropy.

This Weeks Guest: Shereen Daniels

Currently a Doctoral candidate focused anti-racism and racial equity through the lens of corporate sustainability, Shereen is an influential advisor, helping executive leadership teams of global brands and non-profits, covert their commitments into actions that make a genuine difference for employees, consumers and community members who are most impacted by racism, bias and discrimination.

As the bestselling author of The Anti-Racist Organization: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace (Wiley, 2022), her direct yet compassionate approach has seen her thrice recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice (with nearly 100,000 followers) and former winner of HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinker.

Shereen is also Chair of her charitable foundation The African Diaspora Economic Inclusion Foundation and Senior Advisor to PR and reputation management firm Lansons.

Your Host: Liz Brownsell

Liz is the Head of our Charities Team. Her expertise covers a wide range of matters affecting charities, including setting up and incorporation, mergers, corporate structuring and restructuring,  and governance. In November 2023 Liz featured as a charity law expert in a Channel 5 documentary, entitled “Captain Tom: Where Did the Money Go?”, with a subsequent documentary titled “Captain Tom: What Happened Next?” aired on Sunday 4 February. To find out more about Liz’s contribution to the documentary, see her article on our website here. If you missed the first documentary, you can watch it on My5 here. You can also now watch the second documentary on My5 here.

In this episode, Katie Gibson-Green discusses when people should get a will drafted and why it's important to do so early in life, even if you don't have substantial assets. Katie and Florence look at what happens if you die without a will (intestacy) and how assets pass to loved ones in that process. They talk about how major life events like marriage, divorce, and having children can affect your will or the process, and examine the role of executors in implementing your wishes. Tune in to hear how professionally-drafted wills compare to homemade or online templates, and what are the common pitfalls when drafting a will.

This Weeks Guest: Katie Gibson-Green

Katie is a Senior Associate in Birketts' Private Client Advisory Team.  She has gained a wealth of experience  in dealing with UK succession and tax planning, Will drafting, Administration of Estates, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Trust work. Katie is recommended and named as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 [UK 2024].

Katie is also a Trustee of the Dacon Trust, a local charity offering work skills to adults with learning difficulties, as well as being on the committee for the Essex Ladies in Business. 

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing. 

In this episode, employment lawyer Olivia Toulson joins Florence Paul to discuss maternity and paternity rights in the workplace. They cover what policies employers should have in place to support pregnant employees and new parents, including risk assessments, flexible working arrangements, and enhanced maternity pay.

They go on to discuss statutory maternity pay entitlements, shared parental leave, keeping-in-touch days, and typical timeframes for informing your employer about a pregnancy. Olivia shares insights from her own experiences of being pregnant and taking maternity leave while working.

This Week's Guest: Olivia Toulson

Olivia is a Legal Director in Birketts' Employment Team. She predominantly acts for clients in the financial services, life sciences and technology sectors.

Olivia has considerable experience handling employment tribunal litigation for employers, having worked on many complex, multi-day claims involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, breach of contract and unlawful deductions from wages.

In 2022, Olivia set up the Parents Network, a group which is a space for parents to get together, provide support and share experiences.

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.