Business Profile: Bright Solicitors

OM Magazine, Issue 133, February 2020

28th January 2020

Business Profile: ColourFence Plymouth

28th January 2020

Published by on 28th January 2020

Having a well-established brand with legal experts on hand to give honest and reliable advice is key to any solicitor’s firm these days. As a client, you expect to be met with a friendly approach to make you feel at ease throughout the entire legal process no matter the issue. At award-winning firm, Bright Solicitors, you’re sure to be met with top quality service from individuals who are competent, professional and approachable. Even though many firms still remain behind the times with this approach, they soon may need to re-think their structure. New technologies and increased competition are forcing the legal industry to slowly remake itself. We meet up with Henry, Annabelle and Neil to discuss why Bright seems to be the choice of the new generation of Solicitor firms.

Expert, legal advice is something many of us will need to invest in at some point during our lives. Whether that be due to moving home, updating a will or dealing with the death of a loved one. If first-class legal advice from a friendly, honest and approachable firm is what you want, look no further than Bright Solicitors based in Plymouth and Ivybridge, who offer all of the above and so much more when it comes to your legal requirements.

OM caught up with the team at Bright Solicitors who gave us an insight into their values as a firm, the services they provide, future plans and why you should choose them as your local solicitor.

Bright Solicitors started in 2006 and since then have grown to become one of the leading solicitors offering both business and personal legal advice to clients in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. With offices in Plymouth city centre and Ivybridge, the team are on hand to help clients across Devon and Cornwall with a friendly and honest approach.

Henry Lowson, Partner and Head of the New Homes team; Annabelle O’Higgins, Solicitor for the Residential Property team and Neil Adams, Senior Paralegal on the Residential Property team tell us how the team at Bright Solicitors are working to provide the best service to all of their clients with a different approach than traditional law firms.

It’s not easy making the commitment to a solicitors firm with a host of choices right on your doorstep in Plymouth, but with Bright Solicitors the choice is obvious with their modern and honest approach to legal thinking.

When it comes to top-notch legal advice, the team are always on hand to advise you on your business and personal legal issues, regardless of whether you’re a start-up or small to medium business looking for help, a first-time buyer or a residential client looking at moving home.

“We just want to be approachable and for people to be comfortable coming in to ask us questions, and then leaving with confidence that we can help with all of their legal issues”

As you would expect from any solicitors firm, Bright Solicitors offer a wide range of services for their clients including commercial and corporate, commercial property, debt recovery and disputes, residential property, investment property, wills, trusts, probate and powers of attorney, intellectual property and trademark, and new homes.

“The ethos behind the firm was that they wanted to be a little different to other firms of solicitors in terms of approachability. We’re not stuffed shirts with suits and ties, we’re just normal people here to help you with your legal issues” says Neil Adams, who has been a member of the team since 2007 working his way to now head up the Ivybridge office.

Since the firm was first established in 2006 they have grown rapidly, now operating with two offices in the area, Plymouth and Ivybridge. The team have expanded from a standing start with just a handful of staff in 2006 to now 55 across both offices with recruitment and training being a driving force within the firm.

Focusing heavily on property and conveyancing, Bright Solicitors have a well-established Residential Property and New Homes team which is growing continuously. Henry Lowson, Head of the New Homes team has been with the company since 2013 and has seen his team expand from two to nine people with the Help to Buy scheme increasing their workload heavily.

“With new homes and developments popping up all over the place. We work with many national developers and if you go to a new development and are looking to buy one of their plots, they’ll send you our way as their recommended solicitor to act for you, the buyer.”

Buying a new home is often harder than many people expect compared to a second-hand home, with the process being long-winded. But whether it’s a new home you’re investing in or a second-hand home the team at Bright Solicitors have the knowledge and expertise to help make your move stress free, in a friendly, approachable and time-efficient manner. Strong relationships with many estate agents, developers and mortgage brokers across the region means each step of the process is easier for their clients.

Alongside New Homes and Residential Property, the team see a high number of clients seeking advice for Wills and Probate services including Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Annabelle who has been with the firm for 3 years, working her way up to becoming a qualified solicitor on the Residential Property team, having completed her university training explains – “Our wills services goes hand in hand with property, working well for our clients and our business.”

Whatever your legal issue is, a member of the Bright team will always be on hand to help and understand your needs, whether you call the office or walk in off the street.

“If somebody calls, we’re not suddenly going to be on the clock. Someone is always happy to speak with them and discuss the matter. Then once we know what it is they need from us we can go from there.”

Solicitors fees are something most of us quibble and worry about due to the high expenditure it can be. Bright Solicitors have a transparent approach to fee, with fixed fees for a range of their services and the ability to view many of their fees online. The online conveyancing calculator is particularly popular with clients.

“It’s important to be very transparent, upfront and honest with clients”

Growth is on the cards for Bright Solicitors as various routes into the profession are seeing a younger workforce within the company. The desire to recruit and retain high calibre staff members with a fresh, modern outlook is something the company are focusing on.

“We’re looking to grow as much as possible in the next few years. We’re not trying to be over-ambitious; we’ve got some realistic ideas about how big we want to be and we’re getting there. There is plenty of work out there to be done and we’re taking on a good share of it.”

Another thing the team are concentrating on is minimising their impact on the environment by reducing the amount of paper they are using as a company. The team are pushing new technology and eliminating the use of physical files by restricting printing options in the hope of increasing efficiency and reducing wastefulness.

“It’s been widely accepted across the business. We are still a way off being paperless but we are definitely getting there. We are currently paper-light…”

It’s not often you walk into a law firm where the partners are seated within their teams, but at Bright Solicitors there are no individual offices, the office is entirely open plan aside from their client meeting rooms.

“Being approachable externally for our clients is important, as is being approachable internally within our office. Everyone is open and happy to help each other out. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed”

The team have a strong bond and playing an active role in events across the city is something they thrive off, doing their bit to give back to charity. Bright Solicitors are the hydration and water sponsor for the Plymouth Half Marathon, 10K and 5K, as well as the Santa Fun Run which takes place every year. They often get together and take part in these events themselves to help raise money for local charities.

Each year the team chooses a local charity to support, this year they have chosen to raise funds for Plymouth Mind and have plenty of events planned from comedy shows to taking part in sporting events themselves.

It is clear to us that Bright Solicitors are committed to building long term relationships with their clients with their personal approach to client care. There is certainly no doubt that growth, recruitment and training are on the forefront of their plans and we’re looking forward to seeing what 2020 brings for the team at Bright Solicitors.