Category: Latest News

Aston Bond Backs Windsor Boys’ Boat Club

Posted on by Andrew Sargood

Aston Bond is delighted to announce that it is to provide sponsorship to Windsor Boys’ Boat Club this season. The funding provided will enable the Club to invest in better equipment so that the students can fulfill their true potential during the forthcoming regatta season, from the more local events to top-flight regattas such as Henley Royal Regatta. The Director of Rowing, Mark Wilkinson, was delighted with the news of the backing and said: “We are extremely grateful to all at Aston Bond for their support. The boys train extremely hard, and they and their parents have to raise funds to support the club.

With Aston Bond’s backing, the students will find it much easier to achieve their goals. Already the boys have laid down some significant markers with a couple of gold medals at the recent Junior Sculling Head and they will be aim-ing high this season.” Co-founder of Aston Bond and old boy of the school, Duncan Thomson, said: “Aston Bond are committed to helping young people succeed in achieving their aims and wish all at Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club our very best for the season”.

“Rowing is the school’s flagship sport which is incredibly rare for a state comprehensive school. Despite the school’s status it is blessed with a host of national champions, and international representatives as well as host of well qualified and dedicated coaches. All of the boys at the school are given the opportunity to row.” – http://www.twbs.co.uk/rowing/

It is important to us here at Aston Bond to help within our community as much as possible. We’re constantly giving back and we know that the Windsor Boys’ Boat Club deserve to go far! We expect great things from them.

Windsor Boys' Boat Club
Stephen Puri (left) and Duncan Thomson (right) of Aston Bond along with Mark Wilkinson (far right) and members of the senior squad.

Theresa May Calls For General Election

Posted on by Andrew Sargood

Theresa May Calls for General Election

Prime Minister Theresa May calls for General Election to take place on the 8th June 2017.

Theresa May made the announcement outside number 10 Downing Street earlier today, in a bid to further establish her party’s power in government leading up to Brexit. She stated “I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet, where we agreed that the Government should call a general election, to be held on June 8.” Theresa May explained that despite months of Downing Street denying she would call one, that she had only come up with the decision “recently”.

Theresa May said “Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit, and it will cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country”. As prime minister Theresa is trying to bring together Westminster in preparation for Brexit.

“We need a general election and we need one now. Because we have at this moment a one-off chance to get this done, while the European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin.” She added.

“The country is coming together but Westminster is not” Theresa said. Will her plan backfire?

The election has yet to be voted on by the Commons which is due to happen tomorrow, however this is largely viewed as a formality.  And with Labour down in the polls, the bookies are currently confident that the election will only prove to strengthen the Tories hold in the Commons.

London Attack

Posted on by Andrew Sargood

London Attack

Four dead in Westminster terror attack and 40 injured.

Yesterday (22/03/2017) a London attack was carried out in Westminster. The attacker drove a car along a pavement aiming for pedestrians, stabbed a policeman and was shot dead by police on parliament grounds. Four people sadly lost their lives in the attack yesterday and reports have estimated that at least seven have “life-changing” injuries”.  We’ve been on high security for a long time now but attacks like these are hard to prevent. Our public services deserve utmost respect and applaud for the fast response carried out.

London attack in westminsterThe dead officer was named as PC Keith Palmer, 48, who was a husband and a father. The attacker has not yet been named, although head of counter-terrorism at the Met police, Mark Rowley, has said they think they know who he is and that he was inspired by international terrorism.

Both the Met Police and Parliament today held one minutes silence to show their respect for all those involved yesterday.  But the mood in London seems to be positively resolute with people turning up to work as normal, determined not to let such attacks have the impact these terrorists clearly want.

Our thoughts go out to all those affected and our thanks to all the brave service men and women whose fast response helped so many.

Let us know what you think…

First Brexit and now Donald Trump

Posted on by Andrew Sargood

Donald Trump will officially be the next president of the United States of America, but what similarities are there to Brexit?

There are a number of comparisons which can be made between the Brexit vote and the more recent USA elections; controversial, un-predictable and a close call are a few things that spring to mind. With only a 1% difference in votes Trump has won the presidency, against all the bookies odds… much like the Brexit vote.

Commentators have noted that there is a distinct mood-change around the world, with people willing to take a risk and vote for the more unpredictable or unconventional in order to facilitate a change in their country.  It also seems that voters are tired of being told what to do.

But what could Trump being in power mean for a post-Brexit Britain? The economic results are still to be determined but Trump has mentioned trade deals with us as a country are not being ruled out. Teresa May was quick to point out that our “special relationship” will continue and she hopes to make it even stronger.  And indeed some believe that any change will be in Britain’s favour. How will the global market be affected?  The dollar and the Mexican peso fell yesterday as the results were announced although our pound surged.  But this is not highly unusual and there is always some fluctuation immediately after an election.  Any more significant changes will likely only be seen once Trump begins to start giving some more specifics as to what changes and legislation he wants to introduce.

And the Brexit comparisons don’t end there.  Both Farage and Trump also have a few similarities… The media has targeted them for their outspoken and controversial statements and straight forward, un-censored views, but both have evidently come out on top.  Indeed Farage has reportedly flown straight out to the USA to put himself forward for a job working with Trump as his Ambassador in the EU.

The victory of Donald Trump has clearly caused some upset among citizens of the USA. As a result of this there have been anti-Trump protests and demonstrations across many different cities.

These recent events have proven one thing, what people want most within their countries is change. The victory of Britain leaving the EU and Donald Trump winning as the next President for the United States stems from this. Only time will tell if change is for better or for worse in both situations.  Whatever happens, no-one can deny that interesting times are ahead.

Let us know what you think of Trump’s victory. Can this be compared to our own Brexit referendum? We’ll be holding a seminar in the near future discussing Brexit for Britain and more current issues. So stay tuned.

Leave a comment and share your views…

Aston Bond’s Legal 500 Awards

Posted on by Andrew Sargood

We are proud to announce that, for the second year running, we have been awarded a number of prestigious Legal 500 awards.

You might be wondering what a ‘Legal 500’ award is. Well to sum it up: “For 28 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 100 jurisdictions.” *

We have been recognised as a ‘Legal 500 Top Tier’ Law firm in the South East.

Our head of Immigration, Ravinder Kaur, has been placed in the elite ‘Leading Individual’ list, personifying her expertise and knowledge within this field.

We have also had 3 lawyers ‘recommended’ in The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2016 editorial (listed below)

SOUTH EAST

Human resources – Immigration:

– Ravinder Kaur

Real estate – Commercial property – Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40:

– Sumeet Shangari

– Nick Powe

We’re exceedingly honoured to have received these recommendations and feel is represents Aston Bond’s dedication, hard work and passion. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients from in and out of Slough who have helped make this possible.

* http://www.legal500.com/assets/pages/about-us/about-us.html

Leave a comment below…

Employment Law & Brexit- What would it mean?

Posted on by Ilinca Mardarescu

Of course it’s extremely difficult for anyone to speculate on the consequences of Brexit, seeing as it is a unique position we find ourselves in, and there are much more qualified and appropriate people who can do this better than I.  However, speculate we must if we are to make an informed decision on 23rd June 2016.

Those advocating a Brexit would argue that employment law amongst most others is heavily influenced by the EU.  And this is of course correct. They would cite that EU laws are intrusive and the “red tape” that businesses have to deal with stifle enterprise. But I am not convinced this is so.  If we did leave the EU, would the government really repeal all the employment protections that we are now accustomed to?

If the Brexit campaign win on 23rd June there will be a period of two years (minimum) in which we will prepare for the exit – it will not be an automatic closing of our doors. This period will inevitably be a somewhat unstable time for the country going through a period of great change. The government will not want to do anything to “rock the boat”.  Creating stability will be their main concern.

Furthermore, although numerous laws are indeed based on the EU directives, each country then implements domestic legislation which gives effect to the EU directives.  And in many cases, the UK government have chosen to not only implement the EU directives but to extend them.  For instance, the EU has stipulated that employees should be allowed a minimum of 20 days annual leave per year – but the UK government have extended this to 28 days in the UK. Similarly, with maternity leave or the right to request flexible working, the UK exceeds the minimum requirements set down by the EU.

It is also unlikely any of the discrimination legislation would be repealed. Firstly because the majority of people would now agree that doing so would be taking a real step backwards, but also relevant is the fact that the UK implemented various discrimination laws well before the EU ever did.

How about the family friendly employment laws we enjoy in the UK? The recent shared parental leave and pay legislation is purely a UK one – nothing to do with the EU. And as detailed above, we have gone so far as to extend the legislation in some areas more than in the EU.  It is highly unlikely anything substantial will change in this arena either then.

There will of course be some amendments.  It is anticipated that one of those that will be the first to fall by the wayside is the CRD IV which limits bankers variable pay (bonuses) throughout Europe. Our government may well decide that the one thing our economy will need is to be able to stay as competitive as possible. It is also likely that the agency workers regulations (which a stipulates that any agency workers who have been in the same position for 12 weeks or more should be treated equally to the equivalent full time employees) will be scrapped. Some of the record keeping requirements in the Working Time Directive are likely to be scrapped as would the need to follow the recent decisions regarding holiday pay being able to be carried over when an employee is off on long-term sick or including commission calculations into holiday pay for employee who work in sale-based roles.

The above would hardly be ground-breaking amendments in the grand scheme of things, but will matter a great deal to many individuals.  However, the biggest impact will ultimately be the question of immigration, or free movement of workers.  If, as many commentators believe, we adopt a Norway-style model, it is unlikely we will in fact be able to restrict this free movement of workers.

Whatever the decision, the employment landscape will certainly shift. But whether it is by as much as people believe it will…we will have to wait and see.

Follow Ilinca on her LinkedIn

Leave a comment below…

Aston Bond – The London Legal Walk Team 2016

Posted on by Susan Clements

On 16th May 2016, Aston Bond participated in The London Legal Walk to raise money and awareness for people that volunteer to help people obtain legal advice and representation when they otherwise would not be able to.

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There were as many at 618 teams walking the 10km walk. Luckily for us, the day was dry and super sunny. We walked along Southbank through Hyde Park, walked past Buckingham Palace (her Majesty the Queen was not in that day unfortunately) and through Charing Cross. The walk didn’t even seem that long due to the lovely weather. We also stopped at The Serpentine Café for a cheeky ice cream and a drink – it’s always traditional in England to have an ice cream when the sun is out.

Continue reading “Aston Bond – The London Legal Walk Team 2016”

Law Degree- Is it what you think it is?

Posted on by Susan Clements

It’s no surprise that students are shying away from going to university.  They are fully aware that they will be in debt, sometimes to the tune of six-figures for  a large part of their lives afterwards. Having a law degree on your CV may sound prestigious and professional, but what do these law students have to go through to get their degree? And are they guaranteed a job after university? Students have heard of aspiring  lawyers’ being jobless and in debt which has stopped students from applying. Even after completion of the degree, there is still a requirement to attend a higher education college in order to undertake a full year of further, vocational training to become either a solicitor or a barrister.

Students that study Law at A-Level may find the topic interesting but may sometimes not quite appreciate the commitment and change from A-Levels to a University degree. First year university students may often think that they are going to be partying most of the time and the independency of living without parents sounds very tempting but that is a far cry from the reality of how much work is actually required.  Furthermore, the top law firms in the UK do look at which university the student has graduated from. Below is a list of ‘The Top 10 Universities 2017’ in the country to study law along with what A-Level grades you need to be accepted:

10. University of Nottingham- A*AA + LNA

9. University of Bristol- AAA/A*B + LNAT

8. University of Edinburgh- AAA/AAB

7. Durham University- A*AA + LNAT

6. University of Glasgow- AAA/BBB

5. King’s College London- A*AA

4. London Scholl of Economics and Political Science- A*AA

3. University College London-A*AA + LNAT

2. University of Oxford- AAA

1. University of Cambridge- A*AA

 

How does a Law Degree work?

Students across the country are currently trying their hardest to get the best grades at A-Level.  Their next steps will be decide which law degree to study.  The standard law degree takes three years to complete. Within those three years, you’ll have to do one year of core subjects which are mandatory, then your last two years of the different types of law you choose to study from a number of electives. Want to go abroad? Well you can. You can study foreign law which will take place in your last year at university in the country of your choice, but then you will have to come back for the fourth year and finish your studies in the UK.

After a law degree, to become a solicitor, students will have to undertake the Legal Practice Course and land a training contract (which in itself is no mean feat).  Student’s then face the problem of finding a training contract – in a time where law firms have been reducing the number of training contracts (or pupillages in barrister’s chambers) with some law firms even cancelling their next trainee intake altogether.  A training contract lasts for two years and is effectively “on-the-job” training at firms authorised to undertake such training.  The trainees will have to rotate within the firm and learn about the differing areas of law before they qualify as a fully fledged solicitor.

Students’ opinions:

Law students have been using an anonymous messaging service called ‘Whisper’ to discuss what it is like to be a law student. Here are some of the quotes:

‘Giving to law school is the worse decision I have ever made. I’m miserable, have soul crushing debt and no job aspects.’

‘I thought law school would get me a good job, not put me so deep in debt, I couldn’t afford to eat.’

‘People think I’m selfish for not wanting children, but considering the loans I’ll need to take to get through law school and how bleak the future looks, it makes sense not to have kids.’

Useful tips before starting your law degree:

It is important for students to prepare themselves before starting their law degree, you need to be aware of the amount of commitment and time you will be dedicating to the degree. Here is what to expect when studying and some useful tips:

  • There is a lot of reading
  • Commit to lectures + 26 hours of studying
  • Need to be well organised, work smart and work hard- the more organised you are, the easier it will be to study.
  • Everyone will try to pawn for legal advice from you
  • Intense: you will end up competing with your law friends and other students for the best grade & for the training contracts available!
  • Books will cost you – try and save as much money as you can
  • Students often aren’t fully prepared for the big difference between A-Levels and University – ask yourself are you fully committed to the degree and if not do something that you have and will have the passion and commitment for.

Even though it may seem tough, don’t be put off. Having a law degree and becoming a lawyer can be rewarding and satisfying. You also have job security once qualified. Determination and passion is also key for success. Like any other degree if you work hard, you’ll get what you want in life. Just make sure you prepare yourself.

The London Legal Walk 2016

Posted on by Susan Clements

It’s always fun to get involved in a physical activity for charity to raise money and awareness. On the 16th May 2016, Aston Bond will be participating the walk with 595 other teams involved. We are always helping the community whether it is a holiday celebration or to help raise awareness and money.

Why London Legal Walk?

London Legal Walk is a 10km walk around Central London that will help raise money towards Legal Aid. London Legal Support Trust helps Advice Agencies and Citizens Advice Bureaux (Legal Aid) that help people receive the legal advice they need that will make a huge difference to people’s lives, reducing debt, poverty, homelessness and combating discrimination and injustice.

The money will go towards law centres and legal advice agencies in London and in the South East by providing them with grant funding alongside other forms of support. It makes a huge difference when people feel at comfort when they receive legal advice and the justice that they need.

Aston Bond is always fun activities for charities and help raise money and if that means we are doing it that means you to! You can find the link on the bottom where you can join in on the fun and help sponsor.

http://www.londonlegalsupporttrust.org.uk/our-events/london-legal-walk-2016/

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/AstonBond2016