HR consultancy group launches specialist employment law firm under new rules

WOKING, U.K. - Oct. 2, 2015 - PRLog -- ESP has become one of the first dedicated employment law and HR advisory businesses to obtain status as a law firm under new rules set out by the Legal Services Act.

The launch of ESP Law Ltd, as part of the ESP Group of companies, gives the firm equal capability as traditional law firms to offer employment law services, without the constraints of the traditional law firm structure.

The 2011 legislation allows for non-traditional law firms to gain regulatory status as an alternative business structure (ABS) to directly compete with traditional law firms.

The launch of ESP Law Ltd was hailed as a major landmark for the HR sector by Pete Byrne, Managing Director of the ESP Group of Companies.

“The launch of ESP Law helps finally break the monopoly on providing specialist employment legal advice, loosening the grip traditional law firms have had over HR departments and their budgets for a significant time,” he said.

As a fully-fledged law firm, ESP Law Ltd is able to bring in practising employment law solicitors and other specialist legal advisors, to offer customers the full range of employment law services alongside its HR consultancy and online HR resource services.

Before, HR professionals had two choices at opposite ends of the spectrum: 1) seeking help from low-cost ‘helplines’ (some offering insurance-backed advice), or 2) engaging traditional law firms with an employment law team.

According to Byrne, ESP Law fills a huge market gap for HR professionals who want greater capability, fairer pricing and higher levels of customer service.

“Our new status enables us to recruit top talent from the traditional law firm, offer the very best city law firm-quality advice and best of breed integrated online HR resources - at fixed subscription prices.”

Over the past year, ESP Ltd’s customers have saved an average of 40%* on their specialist legal spend over previous years, while, in many cases, increasing their specialist employment law capability.

The lengthy process of applying for ABS status requires candidate firms to work with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to ensure that the rules of a rigorous regulatory framework are met.

Some HR advisory services have been overly critical of the process and, as a result, have rejected the opportunity to apply for full law firm status.

Byrne explains: “The Legal Services Act offers firms like ourselves the opportunity to directly compete with law firms by providing better standards of customer service, higher levels of customer care and by creating a pricing model which is fairer and puts the HR professional in control.

“The path to full law firm status is a difficult path to tread. However, we understand the opportunity that becoming an ABS presents to the HR sector in finally breaking the monopoly law firms have held and releasing organisations from being held ransom to the extortionate hourly costs and pricing models used by most traditional firms.”

Ends

Contact: Peter Byrne – MD, ESP Group - 01483 229199; 07968 304120; email peterbyrne@espltd.info

*Average savings achieved based on a sample of existing ESP customers surveyed in September 2015.

The Legal Advisory Team

Employment legal advice is provided by an independent associated ESP company, ESP Law Ltd. ESP Law Ltd (SRA ID number 618773) is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and complies with the Solicitors Code of Conduct 2011.

ESP is a trading brand of the ESP group of associated companies, which include:

The Employment Services Partnership Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 4694032. Vat Registered No. 811261668.

ESP Law Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 8951807. Vat Registered No. 18 3243316.

ESP HR Information Services Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 7803475. Vat Registered No. 123731441.

ESP Safeguard Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 7832239. ESP Safeguard Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is entered on the

FCA register (www.fca.org.uk) under reference 587248.The Employment Services Partnership Ltd is an appointed representative of ESP Safeguard Ltd.

© Copyright: The Employment Services Partnership Limited 2015 - all rights Reserved. All content correct at time of going to press – Sept 2015T. 0333 006 2929 E. support@espltd.info