Legal Notices

United Kingdom

Regulation

Ashurst LLP

Ashurst practises law in the UK through Ashurst LLP. Ashurst LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under number OC330252. It is a law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority ("SRA") of England and Wales under number 468653. A list of the members of Ashurst LLP and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at the registered office, London Fruit & Wool Exchange, 1 Duval Square, London, E1 6PW, England. The term "partner" is used to refer to a member of Ashurst LLP or to an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications or to an individual with equivalent status in one of Ashurst LLP's affiliates.

In this notice, each reference to "we" and "us" is to "Ashurst LLP".

Lawyers based in the United Kingdom who are admitted as solicitors of England and Wales or who are Registered Foreign Lawyers are regulated by the SRA. Certain lawyers based in the United Kingdom are not admitted as solicitors in England and Wales and are subject to regulation by the Bar Council of England and Wales or by the relevant regulatory body in their place of admission.

Ashurst LLP is not authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"). We are regulated by the SRA, including in relation to our carrying on of any "exempt regulated activities" under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA"). We are permitted to carry on a limited range of activities relating to investments where an exemption under the FSMA applies, including regulated activities which may reasonably be regarded as a necessary part of our legal services. The scope of our advice will not include giving advice on the merits of entering into any transaction in investments. When providing our services, we will assume that our clients have decided, or will decide, to negotiate and enter into any such transaction solely on the basis of that client's own evaluation of it, and any advice which a client may receive from a person authorised under the FSMA. We will not communicate, either to our client or on behalf of our client to any other person, any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity, and nothing we write or say should be construed as any such invitation or inducement.

We are also included on the register maintained by the FCA permitting us to carry on insurance mediation activity. This includes advising on, selling and administration of insurance contracts. This register is accessible via the FCA website at www.fca.org.uk/register. This part of our business, including arrangements for complaints or redress if something goes wrong, is regulated by the SRA.

Ashurst LLP is registered for VAT purposes with VAT registration number 108 2136 48.

Ashurst maintains a global professional indemnity insurance program. The firm's professional indemnity insurance program provides cover which Ashurst regards as appropriate for a firm such as ours. The firm's professional indemnity insurance program is confidential. Nevertheless Ashurst understands that its clients must be reasonably satisfied as to the appropriateness of the level of cover effected by the firm. While the firm has strict protocols about disclosures of its professional indemnity coverage, Ashurst will deal in good faith with you on this issue. Further details may be obtained from Angela Pearson, partner, chief legal officer and global general counsel, or Rehana Box, partner.

Ashurst LLP Client Complaints Procedure

Ashurst LLP is committed to the efficient delivery of outstanding service specific to our clients' needs, attributes and circumstances. If you are dissatisfied with any part of our service, or our charges, you should contact either the relevant matter partner or your relationship partner immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you. If, for whatever reason, this is not appropriate you may speak to the head of our relevant department or office or Angela Pearson, partner, chief legal officer and global general counsel.

If you are unable to resolve any concerns or complaints through these channels you may request Angela Pearson to initiate our Client Complaints Procedure. This will involve a proper investigation of the circumstances leading to the complaint within an appropriate timescale which will be notified to you.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction that cannot be resolved by the relevant matter or client partner or the head of the relevant department or office. We will:

establish exactly what your complaint is about;
appoint someone who has not been involved in the matter to carry out a review;
write to you explaining how the investigation will be managed and the timescales for any initial or substantive response to you;
explain whether you may have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman and how to contact them;
carry out our review; and
write to you to report on our findings and conclusions including any recommendations.

We will endeavour to complete any investigation under this procedure as soon as we can and in any event within 8 weeks of the procedure having been formally invoked.

If at any time you wish to contact the Legal Ombudsman or the Solicitors Regulation Authority in relation to the work of English Solicitors or Registered Foreign Lawyers, details of how to get in touch with them can be found at www.legalombudsman.org.uk and www.sra.org.uk respectively. The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for matters such as dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly. The Legal Ombudsman can help if you are concerned about service issues and we are unable to resolve the complaint ourselves. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman by telephone: 0300 555 0333; email: on enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk; or post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

For lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are not Registered Foreign Lawyers, you should contact the relevant local regulator.

If your complaint is about a bill you may have a right to apply to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.

You will not be charged for the cost of handling any complaint.

SRA Transparency Rules Information

UK Employment tribunal claims

In compliance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Transparency Rules, information is available on our Defending Employment Tribunal claims page about our UK charges and services when advising businesses on the defence of unfair or wrongful dismissal claims in the Employment Tribunal. We generally do not act for individual claimants in the pursuit of Employment Tribunal claims.

UK pro bono immigration work

In compliance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Transparency Rules, information is available on our Pro Bono Immigration Work page about our services and charges when assisting individuals with the preparation and submission of immigration applications (excluding asylum applications). We generally only provide advice relating to the preparation and submission of immigration applications to individuals on a pro bono basis.

Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP

Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under number OC442883 and is part of the Ashurst Group. Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP services do not constitute legal services or legal advice, and are not provided by qualified legal practitioners acting in that capacity. Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of England and Wales. The laws and regulations which govern the provision of legal services in other jurisdictions do not apply to the provision of risk advisory services. A list of members of Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at its registered office, London Fruit & Wool Exchange, 1 Duval Square, London E1 6PW. For more information about the Ashurst Group and the services offered, please visit www.ashurst.com. The term "partner" is used to refer to a member of Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP or to an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications.

Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP is committed to the efficient delivery of outstanding service specific to our clients' needs, attributes and circumstances. If you are dissatisfied with any part of our service, or our charges, you should contact the individual responsible for your matter immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem. If, for whatever reason, this is not appropriate you may speak to the Head of Risk Advisory or Angela Pearson, partner, chief legal officer and global general counsel.

Since Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP does not provide legal services and is not regulated by the SRA:

you will have no right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman in relation to risk advisory services provided by Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP (to the extent that you would be eligible) (except in relation to any work carried out in Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP by a person authorised by the SRA, even if not acting in that legal professional capacity, in which case, please see above for more details on how to contact the SRA and/or Legal Ombudsman). If any work is carried out in Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP by a lawyer qualified in other jurisdictions who are not Registered Foreign Lawyers, even if not acting in that legal professional capacity, you may have a right to complain to the relevant local regulator.); and
Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP is not required to have professional indemnity insurance that meets the SRA's minimum terms and conditions and you will have no right to make a claim on the SRA's Compensation Fund (to the extent that you would be eligible) in relation to risk advisory services provided. However, Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP is covered under the Ashurst Group's global professional indemnity insurance cover led by QBE Casualty Syndicate 386, Plantation Place, 30 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 3BD. Further details may be obtained from Angela Pearson, partner, chief legal officer and global general counsel.

Ashurst Risk Advisory LLP is registered for VAT purposes with VAT registration number 424 2595 02.

Ashurst India Ltd

Ashurst India is a limited company registered in England and Wales under number 15736606 and is part of the Ashurst Group. A list of directors and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at its registered office: London Fruit & Wool Exchange, 1 Duval Square, London, E1 6PW. Further details about Ashurst can be found on our website at www.ashurst.com.

In this notice, each reference to "we" and "us" is to "Ashurst India Ltd". For each matter where we advise, this shall be done on a sub-contracted basis with Ashurst LLP or another member of the Ashurst Group having the lead/direct contractual relationship with the client. All charges for work undertaken shall therefore appear as disbursements on the bill submitted by Ashurst LLP or another member of the Ashurst Group to their clients.

Ashurst India Ltd is not authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. To the extent that any of our work has any connection with the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, we refer you to the legal notice that applies to Ashurst LLP and the text above in this notice regarding sub-contracting.

Please also note the additional Legal Notices that relate to the whole of the Ashurst Group.