Legal 500 and Chambers 2023

Forbes' Housing Group have acheived a fantastic set of results in the latest Legal 500 and Chambers rankings. 

Legal 500 

• Retained a tier 1 ranking 
• Leading Individual – Stuart Penswick
• Next Generation Partners - Sarah Rogers, Kirsty Varley
• Rising Stars – Amy Stirton
• Recommended Lawyers - Daniel Milnes, Jonathan Holden, Lachlan Mclean, Shirley Faragher

Chambers 

• Retained a band 2 ranking
• Ranked Individuals - Stuart Penswick, Shirley Faragher, Lachlan McLean
• Up and coming - Sarah Savage 

Cladding in Court

Many significant developments regarding fire and building safety have occurred in recent years. The construction industry has kept busy trying to adhere to bills and legislative changes to avoid disputes. More guidance has landed now that the Courts have issued the long awaited first substantive judgment on fire safety in a post-Grenfell world.

In the early 1960s five high-rise towers were built in Hampshire to provide affordable housing. As a result of the Grenfell tragedy, Martlet Homes began to investigate the materials used in these high-rise properties which had been refurbished via a design and build contract between 2005 - 2008. Refurbishment works by the contractor, Mullaley & Co Limited, included retrofitting insulation to the external walls of the existing concrete properties. This incorporated expanded polystyrene insulation board which, it was alleged, meant that the cladding system failed to comply with the Building Regulations at the time of the contract. There were also installation defects in relation to the provision of fire barriers. Martlet sought £8m in damages from Mullaley.

CIPD report reveals gaps in workplace support for employees experiencing pregnancy or baby loss

It is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies in the UK end in loss during pregnancy or birth. Given this statistic and that a majority of people wanting to start or grow a family will be of working age, employers should be aware of the likelihood of their employees being affected by pregnancy or baby loss during their employment. The CIPD has published a report following two surveys - one of 2,023 HR professionals and decision makers and the other of 295 employees who had experience of pregnancy or baby loss in the last 5 years.

Alice McKenna summaries the findings and discusses practical steps to develop workplace support in this area.