The Lemon Fool

Hi

I've had correspondence from this legal firm. So I looked them up.

They claim to be called Hayes Connor. But the SRA shows as law firm of that name no longer registered: http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm-b ... 20332.page

Checking the HC website they give a registration which, when searched on the SRA website, applies to: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm- ... 32067.page

This is the HC websiter: https://www.hayesconnor.co.uk/contact/

They are presumably linked (geographical location etc would suggest it?). So, is the latter 'trading as'?* And is that OK for a law firm? I'd have thought they should be more open and not want to trade under the name of a 'closed' business?

*(actually, I have just double checked one of their letters and it does say HC is a 'trading style' of FD)

Is it safe to use them do people think?


Ta

Mel

johnhemming wrote:

from their website at the bottom wrote:- Hayes Connor Solicitors is a trading style of FD Law Ltd who are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 632067. Registered Office; First Floor, Old Town Hall, Victoria Square, Widne

Yes, as I said in my post.

So, my question was "is it safe to use them"?

I just wonder if this shows them as being a bit odd, or dodgy or anything?

Mel

I don't think so.

johnhemming wrote:I don't think so.

You don't think it's safe to use them or you don't think it means they are dodgy?

Mel

melonfool wrote:Hi

I've had correspondence from this legal firm. So I looked them up.

They claim to be called Hayes Connor. But the SRA shows as law firm of that name no longer registered: http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm-b ... 20332.page

Checking the HC website they give a registration which, when searched on the SRA website, applies to: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm- ... 32067.page

This is the HC websiter: https://www.hayesconnor.co.uk/contact/

They are presumably linked (geographical location etc would suggest it?). So, is the latter 'trading as'?* And is that OK for a law firm? I'd have thought they should be more open and not want to trade under the name of a 'closed' business?

*(actually, I have just double checked one of their letters and it does say HC is a 'trading style' of FD)

Is it safe to use them do people think?


Ta

Mel

https://www.hayesconnor.co.uk/hayes-con ... ean-group/

Quick look suggests they are legit.

DM

melonfool wrote:I just wonder if this shows them as being a bit odd, or dodgy or anything?

I don't think so.

melonfool wrote:Is it safe to use them do people think?

The short answer is yes, in that they are a fully regulated firm of solicitors.

There seems to be quite a complicated background. There was a company called Hayes Connor Solicitors Ltd, but they changed their name to HCS (Liverpool) Ltd a few weeks ago. It seems they have ceased trading, but they were owned by the same people as F D Law Ltd, who appear also to trade under the name Forster Dean.

Unfortunately, this confusion is yet another side effect of the utterly wrong decision made by the Law Society to allow firms of solicitors to incorporate. Prior to that solicitors could only trade as sole principals or in partnership, so you knew who you were dealing with, and the fact that they were personally liable for the firm's debts was a pretty strong incentive to financial prudence.

However, now that solicitors can hide their incompetence and greed behind a limited company many of them act like double glazing salesmen / used car dealers and go bust with impunity, often arising, phoenix like, the next day leaving millions of pounds worth of unpaid creditors. In other words, just like any everyday spiv. This practice, which I personally consider disgraceful, has done a lot of damage to the profession as a whole, but our regulators, so keen to persecute small firms for minor technicalities, don't seem to care. Anyway, apologies for the entirely OT rant!

Forster Dean / Hayes Connor / F D Law are quite a large firm, though like a lot of north west consumer oriented firms they're heavily involved in various ambulance chasing type activities. It would appear that the latest bandwagon is claims for data breaches, and I suspect this is why you were contacted. Quite how they obtain the data to contact victims of data breach is an interesting question ...

But although they're the type of firm I personally dislike they would appear quite safe to deal with so far as you as a prospective client are concerned.