The Legal 500

Penningtons Solicitors LLP has retained its Lexcel accreditation, the national Law Society’s law management quality mark, for the ninth year in succession following its annual application and assessment process in July 2012.

This includes conducting background checks and an on-site audit from an experienced, trained Lexcel assessor. The achievement is particularly notable because the Law Society has this year introduced even more stringent requirements for law firms under an updated version of the Lexcel quality mark, known as Lexcel 5.

Marcus Shepherd, Penningtons’ risk and compliance manager, who is based at the firm’s Basingstoke office, is responsible for overseeing compliance with Lexcel requirements throughout the year. He believes that the benefits of Lexcel accreditation for the firm far outweigh the management and administrative time required to achieve compliance. “Lexcel provides an effective way of checking, reviewing and ensuring that our business, recruitment and development plans are not only in place but that they cover what they need to. It has also helped us to achieve our firm’s objectives to deliver a consistent, high quality of service for our clients as well as to increase our ability to recover the costs of the work we do for our clients,” said Marcus.

“We believe that our clients and staff are the main beneficiaries of our Lexcel accreditation. They can be assured that the way we manage the practice has their interests at heart and runs efficiently. In an increasingly competitive legal services market, we can genuinely demonstrate our commitment to client care and best practice.”

Penningtons is one of around 1200 legal practices in England and Wales with Lexcel accreditation. The practice management accolade has also gone international with firms in Scotland, the Middle East, Poland and the Republic of Ireland having gained accreditation.

For more information please visit www.penningtons.co.uk