North West law firm SAS Daniels has reached the £1 million mark for the annual value of contracts for its SAS Protect and HR Solutions services.
The employment law and HR services provides companies, SMEs, schools, academies and colleges across the North West with practical legal advice as well as onsite HR support at a fixed annual fee.
Recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers UK, the services have grown by 10% in the last 12 months and have attracted new schools in Yorkshire, as well as throughout the North West. The law firm now has over 360 SAS Protect and HR Solutions clients including 80 schools and academies.
SAS Protect can save schools on average £10,000* per year in legal advice on employment issues and HR support. With many schools converting to academies and increasing pressure on education finances, SAS Protect and HR Solutions enables head teachers to spend budgets more effectively and gain peace of mind, with access to swift advice whenever an issue arises.
Jonathan Whittaker, Senior Partner at SAS Daniels and Head of the Employment team, puts the success of SAS Protect and HR Solutions down to the law firm’s approach to clients. “Too many education and business leaders feel that employment law prevents them from making changes which they believe are essential for success. That’s not true. We approach all issues in a proactive and pragmatic way to demonstrate how employment law can support the decisions that managers need to make”.
Chris Swerling, Head of HR and the HR Solutions Service, adds, “HR is a challenge for many companies and education clients, especially those who are working with trade unions. Often there aren’t enough resources internally to dedicate to HR matters, yet when the need arises it can fast become draining on a manager’s time and efforts. Our success in growing the business to over £1million is testament to the innovative approach we bring to clients in managing staff matters.”
SAS Daniels aims to continue this growth at a steady pace while continuing to ensure that any advice given is personal and builds lasting relationships with clients.
Jonathan adds: “Law firms tend to charge by the hour, which means legal bills can soon mount up. This also puts people off asking for advice at the very time that they need it most. However, our service provides both education and business clients with the ability to pay a fixed sum of money annually or even monthly, meaning that they’re not restricted to a limited amount of help.
“Delivering legal support to education and business clients that are otherwise unable to obtain advice when they need it most means they are able to continue to achieve the results they know are necessary for them to thrive”.
SAS Protect and HR Solutions clients are looked after by a specialist team of 13 employment lawyers and HR professionals.
*Based on a sample of ten clients savings gained over one year.