Accessing the Bar’s talent represents a real opportunity:

• We know who the real specialists and experts are,
• We have preferred relationships with many of them, which include agreed rate cards for specific tasks and roles,
• Experience shows there are bright, commercial, modern and flexible barristers with low cost bases who are keen to develop their practices,
• We have our own team of legal secretaries, paralegals and non-practising solicitors (our BAR Assist Team) who support our clients/barristers, fulfilling many of the administrative steps ordinarily undertaken by a junior solicitor/trainee, but at much lower price points, and
• Significant savings are inevitably achieved.

(1) BAR Assist Employment Tribunal Solution

This service involves:

• Barrister selection, based on appropriate levels of experience for task, skills and market recognition,
• Technical advice provided by leading employment law barristers at pre-negotiated discounted rates,
• Administrative support provided by our own BAR Assist team of non-practising solicitors and paralegals,
• Monthly reports to Head of Human Resources or General Counsel;
• Cost certainty with all fees charged in accordance with our pre-agreed fixed price menu,
• Risk mitigation through commercial and practical free training, which is provided bespoke to your particular needs,
• General employment law advice is also available from our team of part-time employment tribunal judges on a pay as you go basis or at discounted rates if blocks of time are purchased, and
• Significant Savings when compared with solicitor led solutions and without loss of quality.

(2) BAR Assist Contract Review Solution

The Contract Review offering saves our Clients:

• time,
• money, and
• aggravation.

The Service involves:

• Taking a brief,
• Selecting and agreeing the Barrister Contract Team, which will usually include three barristers (including one principal barrister) to ensure continuity of advice, and
• Appointing a KC Contracts Manager to liaise between Client and barrister team; to review and advise on the contract within the agreed timeline; to agree fees and time estimates for undertaking the work; to ensure the barrister has all the necessary documents and information; and to monitor and manage billing.

(3) BAR Assist General Solution

• Many businesses do not take advantage of the technical expertise and value that using a barrister directly can deliver,
• For any and all general legal matters our BAR Assist team will facilitate the instruction of barristers directly,
• We only work with barristers who understand the need to provide commercial, problem solving and practical advice, and
• We have relationships and discounted rates in place with numerous leading barristers and chambers.

Our role includes:

• Appointing a main KC point of contact to proactively manage your individual legal needs,
• Taking the brief directly from you, making sure we fully understand your needs,
• Identifying the right barrister for you and your specific needs using our expertise, experience and market intelligence,
• Negotiating and agreeing fees – after mini-tendering and checking against our unrivalled cost database,
• Setting out our recommendations with detailed reasons, the proposed fee and the discount achieved,
• Bundling up and organising all core papers and delivering them to the barrister for consideration,
• Organising and attending a meeting with you to receive advice from the barrister; take a note of all advice and distribute with barrister approval,
• Assisting with any follow on work, anticipating needs and work as appropriate, and
• Checking over all fee notes and oversee the billing approval process.