54 | Q3 2021 Small Law Firm of the Year - England 2021 Barrington & Sons is a local high street firm that has been established locally since the 1950s. Services it provides and undertakes are Residential & Commercial property work, Corporate, Employment, Private Client, including Wills, LPA’s, POA, and Probate. Barrington & Sons is a thriving high street practice established in the early 1950s in Somerset, UK. Its focus remains on the needs of its clients and the well-being of staff members, practising in the traditional areas in the industry - namely Commercial and Residential property, Corporate, Employment and Private Client work including Wills, LPA’s, and Probate. Clients are mainly from its local surrounding area, although it does accept work for clients further afield. Barringtons aims to give a personal service that is value for money. These core aims have not changed since the firm was established in the 1950s, and as an established, well-known local firm, most of its work is either repeat business, personal recommendations, and referrals from local agents. Emma Stoodley-Phillips, Finance Director at Barrington, states, “It is our goal to give an all-round service so that all clients, young or older, will feel comfortable that they are valued, which will, in turn, encourage them to return for all their legal services. Although we are well- established, and our core values have remained the same, we are always prepared to embrace the use of technology, so long as it enhances the personal service we deliver to our clients.” The staff at Barringtons are integral to the success of the practice. Emma states, “We have always placed a high regard for the well-being of our staff, particularly in the days of more and more people experiencing mental health issues. We endeavour to ensure that their wellbeing remains paramount and that they feel comfortable approaching the Directors with any issues or concerns. The Directors also take an active role in regularly contacting and being available for all staff members to ensure we practice what we preach. As the firm’s culture remains very much on a family feel basis, it is imperative to us that any new member of staff can acknowledge the importance of the firm’s family values.” May21331 Barringtons is a diverse firm and currently employs staff with an age range from 18 to beyond 70. The varied range brings everything from experience and knowledge to fresh ideas and up and coming newbies to the sector. Emma explains, “This ethos encourages team performance, invaluable support to one another both on a professional and personal level, which goes a long way to safeguard the wellbeing of all our staff and to provide the highest quality of service to our clients. In addition, all decisions by the Directors are always made following valuable input from all staff to allow them to influence and feel a part of any changes within the firm. This, in turn, makes people feel they have a voice and are taking an active part in the firm’s development.” While Barringtons has traditional values like a high street practice, the company understands the importance of distinguishing itself from competitors. Emma explains, “To that end, we have been able to make use of recent legislative changes which has to enable us to convert Barrington into an Alternative Business Structure (ABS). We completed that process in October 2020, and I was appointed as its Non- Solicitor Finance Director, improving its financial performance. In the last 12 months, the firm’s turnover has increased significantly without the need to employ a disproportionate number of new staff. So, the profitability has increased, and the wellbeing of our staff has remained the same.” Somewhat unexpectedly, the level of work has increased significantly throughout all departments during the pandemic. As a result, one of Barrington’s most significant challenges has been to deliver its services promptly and retain clients’ confidence. Emma explains, “So far, we have risen to the challenge and have appointed a new Head of Residential Conveyancing, Grant Elbourn, to take an active role in an extensive review of the firm’s technology, which we believe will assist greatly in dealing more efficiently with the transactional elements of a matter. We plan to develop our IT systems and recruit additional staff members to assist and develop with the enhanced workloads that are continuously increasing. Additionally, we are looking to modernise and freshen up our brand by improving the décor of the office, a new logo, website and by promoting ourselves and sharing our successes on social media.” Company Name: Barrington & Sons Limited Contact Name: Emma Stoodley-Phillips Web Address: https://barrington-sons.co.uk/ Contact Email:
[email protected]