About Penningtons Manches Cooper Llp
An insight into life at Penningtons Manches Cooper, a leading law firm.
Penningtons Manches Cooper Llp Description
We are a vibrant firm that is growing quickly with a strong firm wide team ethos. Each of our offices provides access to the entire breadth of our legal practice, and people that are innovative, practical and passionate about what they do.
Our main areas of practice are dispute resolution, corporate and commercial, real estate, private client and family. We have established a strong reputation in a variety of sectors, particularly private wealth, shipping, technology and property. Our lawyers are also recognised for their expertise in life sciences, education, retail, sports and entertainment and international trade. We have a commitment to high quality legal advice which is backed by a track record which dates back over 300 years.
We aim to ensure that every individual reaches their full potential. Our learning and development programme is widely respected in the legal sector and has been recognised by the HR in Law Awards. We have also been acknowledged in independent employee satisfaction surveys as providing excellence in training, high quality work and levels of responsibility as well as a good culture and work /life balance.
In spring 2017 we launched the Penningtons Manches Cooper Foundation. The foundation is at the heart of our charitable giving. It has a broad outlook but prioritises vulnerable groups, education projects and community initiatives. It is funded by donations from partners and staff as well as from clients, contacts and other friends of the firm. Each year we will choose a core project. The first of these highlights modern slavery and human trafficking. Alongside our central programme, we encourage schemes which have a positive impact on the communities in which we live and work. Our offices individually support a number of local projects and charities whose activities complement the main objectives of the foundation.
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We are delighted to be celebrating ‘Family Lawyer of the Year’ – Penningtons Manches partner James Stewart today! James received his Chambers and Partners award yesterday evening. Congratulations James on your award and our expert private wealth group for their ongoing commitment to our clients and brilliant achievements this year.
We held a Macmillan coffee morning across our offices in support of the amazing work that Macmillan does to help people battling cancer and their loved ones. Our generous bakers provided a great selection of cakes and other treats for this worthy cause.
We were delighted to once again support Surrey Sports Park's Sportsability Day!
Local schools which cater for students with special needs were welcomed to Surrey Sports Park today for a day of new sporting activities. The children took part in basketball, rugby, netball and badminton.
Our team of volunteers worked closely with Surrey Sports Park to help the children to try their hand at different activities and to see how regular participation in sport can make a huge difference to their lives.
A team set up by the London committee of the Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation is delighted to be supporting the London Legal Support Trust in this year’s London Legal Walk, raising funds to support fair access to justice. Our 2017 team had a great time walking in the sunshine for a great cause at last year’s event (photos below) and we're excited to be taking part again on 21 May! If you would like to support us, please visit our sponsorship page here: https://goo.gl/KonUjw. Thank you!
A huge thank you to The Whitechapel Mission for welcoming six volunteers from our London office into their kitchen this week. We are proud to be involved in this initiative as part of the Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation’s support of the charity. This was our fourth Breakfast Challenge and the team helped to prepare, cook and serve breakfast for almost 300 people!
After 55 years at Penningtons Manches, David Stedman of our private client team has retired. We thank him for his contribution over the years, as well as his dedication to the firm. We’re delighted that his send-off cake represents years of David bringing in creme eggs for his birthday! We wish him all the best – he will be missed.
Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation is proud to support the YMCA Guildford as an office nominated charity.
Our Guildford office has been working hard to raise funds for the YMCA over the last two weeks. The office hosted a ‘sports day’ themed lunch hour as well as supporting a team of volunteers, including chief executive David Raine, who bravely took on the Sleep Easy challenge. The YMCA Sleep Easy event was a sponsored ‘sleep-out’ in freezing cold conditions to raise awareness of youth homelessness in the local area. You can read more about the Sleep Easy event here: https://goo.gl/kSbXPY. We’re delighted to be supporting local communities across our six UK offices through the Foundation.
The Legacy Conversation is bringing together charities and probate practitioners to debate issues affecting both sides of legacy administration. Join us on 15 March to have your say https://goo.gl/dQJSr1. Find out more here https://goo.gl/Fau77M.
Volunteers from our London office attended The Whitechapel Mission's Ladies Day last week. Taking place every Friday from 12-3pm, it helps women of different ages, cultures and social backgrounds to come together to build a strong community amongst themselves. The Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation has previously supported the Mission’s Breakfast Challenge, but as the majority of day centre sessions are predominately attended by men, Ladies Days provide a comfortable environment for women with female only staff and volunteers. Our ladies had a great afternoon and we can’t wait to come back again!
Our Guildford office has been working with local radio station Eagle Radio on their #ToyAppeal2017. The toy appeal brings local communities together to collect children’s Christmas toys for local charities and organisations who offer care to disadvantaged children in #Surrey and North East #Hampshire. A huge thank you to Gordon Murray Design for your generous donations and for bringing your very own Father Christmas along!
The London committee of the Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation was delighted to welcome the Kith & Kids choir to a Christmas carol concert this week, held in our London offices. One of the local charities the committee is sponsoring for 2017/18, Kith & Kids provides activities, opportunities and support for people with a learning disability or autism, as well as their families. We supported the charity throughout the night by listening to their enthusiastic choir, welcoming donations and holding a raffle, raising a total of £845.70!
Volunteers from our Guildford office have been lending a hand to The Children's Trust, a charity which supports children with brain injury. Over the course of two days, two teams from the PM Charitable Foundation helped to decorate the charity’s annual Christmas Fair which is set to take place on 25 November. Last year the fair raised £14,500 and we hope our efforts help to continue their success this year!
A team of volunteers from our London office participated in a 'Breakfast Challenge' for The Whitechapel Mission this morning. This was the third challenge completed as part of the Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation's support of the charity. The team prepared, cooked and served breakfast for nearly 300 people. The team thoroughly enjoyed taking part in what was a rewarding and meaningful experience. Thank you to the Mission for having us in your kitchen!
To mark Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October, the Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation held a breakfast event at the firm’s London office, with representatives from some of the charities the foundation supports including Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, St Mungo's and Human Trafficking Foundation. Head of the foundation, Gillian Rivers introduced Kevin Hyland OBE, who is the United Kingdom’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. Formerly head of the London... Metropolitan Police Service’s Human Trafficking Unit, Kevin discussed the ways that we can all combat modern slavery in our professional and personal lives.
Launched earlier this year, the Penningtons Manches Charitable Foundation has a broad outlook but particularly prioritises vulnerable groups, education projects and community initiatives. The foundation has chosen to focus on modern slavery and human trafficking as its first core project, and is currently working with a number of organisations working to make a difference in this area. The foundation also supports schemes which have a positive impact on the communities in which the firm is based whose activities complement the main objectives of the foundation.
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We are very pleased to announce that one of our family lawyers, Rachel Donald, has been promoted to partner!
Recognised as a “brilliant rising star” by legal directory Chambers and Partners, she will be the youngest of our 105 partners. Rachel is a member of our family law team in Guildford, which has gone from strength to strength since being established by partner Veronica Gilmour in 2014.
See this link for more: goo.gl/srQVvw
... Congratulations Rachel!
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Teams from our Oxford office took part in the Oxford Legal Walk for The Access to Justice Foundation, on Tuesday 10 October. This 10k walk helps to raise funds through sponsorship for free legal advice charities in the local area and around the country. Over £1,600 has been raised so far for advice services which support those most in need.
Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, an annual event to raise awareness of mental health issues globally. HR adviser, Jennifer Crawford, became our newly certified mental health first aider yesterday!
In celebration of Stonewall season, Penningtons Manches offices hosted Equali-Tea get togethers today. Equali-Teas are LGBTQ+ lunchtime events centred around cakes, coffee, tea and a chat about diversity. Representatives from our diversity and inclusion committee handed out new lanyards that feature our ‘PennClusion’ logo. The firm strives for a diverse workforce where every member feels they can be their most authentic self at work.
Find out more about Stonewall’s great work here https://www.facebook.com/stonewalluk/.