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Stephenson Harwood is an international legal practice carried on by Stephenson Harwood LLP and its affiliated practices. Accordingly, references in this Legal Notices statement and elsewhere in this website to Stephenson Harwood mean Stephenson Harwood LLP and the other partnerships and other entities or practices authorised to use the name "Stephenson Harwood" or one or more of those practices as the context requires. Please refer to the country specific statements below for the details of the legal entity practising in each country.
Any reference to a partner means a member of Stephenson Harwood LLP or a person holding a similar position in one of our affiliated practices.
Any advice on the law of the European Union (EU) where such advice needs to attract EU legal professional privilege will be provided by a Stephenson Harwood lawyer who is entitled to provide advice on EU law in all EU member states.
United Kingdom
Stephenson Harwood LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registration number OC373597. It is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Solicitors Regulation Authority ("SRA") under number 567651. Information on the regulations of the SRA and the Solicitors' Code of Conduct can be found at www.sra.org.uk.
A list of the names of the partners and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at its principal office, 1 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7SH.
Stephenson Harwood LLP is committed to delivering high quality legal advice and client care. If you are a client and are unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received or about any bill we render, you should contact the partner handling your matter or your relationship partner in the first instance. They will investigate swiftly and take any necessary actions and advise you of their conclusions and what they have done. If you would like to make a formal complaint, you should set out your concerns in writing, in as much detail as possible. Your letter or email should be addressed to your usual contact at Stephenson Harwood, or if you feel that would be inappropriate, to our senior partner (Paul Thwaite).
If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint, you may be entitled (for example, if you are an individual client, small business, trustee or charity) to ask the Legal Ombudsman for help. 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 you may take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
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 complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you. Further details on the Legal Ombudsman can be found at https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
Further details can be found at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page
Stephenson Harwood LLP is registered for VAT purposes with VAT registration number GB 243 3939 54.
Contact details for our office in London can be found here.
Dubai
We practise law in Dubai through Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP, a limited liability partnership incorporated in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with Commercial Licence No. CL1307. The firm is authorised and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
The office of Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP is at Level 13, Burj Daman Building, DIFC, P.O. Box 482017, Dubai, UAE.
Contact details for our office in Dubai can be found here.
France
We practise law in France through Stephenson Harwood AARPI, an association d'avocats à responsabilité professionnelle individuelle. Its office is at 48 rue Cambon, 75001 Paris.
All of the French lawyers in the Paris office are registered with the Ordre des Avocats, the relevant French regulatory body. As an international law firm, our Paris office includes lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are either registered with the Ordre des Avocats and/or are members of the bar of other jurisdictions.
Professional regulations applicable to members of the Ordre des Avocats are available through the French Bar Association at www.avocatparis.org
Contact details for our office in France can be found here.
Greece
We practise law in Greece through Bowen-Morris & Partners Law Firm, a Greek law firm trading under the name of Stephenson Harwood, which is authorised and regulated by the Piraeus Bar Association.
All Greek lawyers of Bowen-Morris & Partners Law Firm are registered with the relevant local bar association. As an international law firm, our Greek office includes lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are either registered with the local bar association and/or are members of the bar of other jurisdictions.
Bowen-Morris & Partners Law Firm’s office is at Ariston Building, 2 Filellinon & Akti Miaouli, Piraeus 185 36, Greece
Contact details for our office in Greece can be found here.
Hong Kong and China
We practise law in Hong Kong through Stephenson Harwood, a Hong Kong partnership which is registered with the Law Society of Hong Kong as a Hong Kong law firm authorised to practise Hong Kong law. The Hong Kong firm has a branch in Shanghai.
In 2014, Stephenson Harwood formed an association with an independent Chinese law firm named Wei Tu Law Firm. Wei Tu (a PRC law firm registered in Guangzhou) and Stephenson Harwood (a law firm registered in Hong Kong) are in a CEPA association under the name “Stephenson Harwood - Wei Tu (China) Association”. CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) is a free trade agreement concluded between Mainland China and Hong Kong. Under CEPA, Hong Kong based law firms are permitted to operate in association with Mainland Chinese law firms to provide comprehensive legal services in Mainland China governed by Chinese and non-Chinese laws.
All Hong Kong lawyers based in Hong Kong who are admitted in Hong Kong are regulated by the Law Society in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong firm includes lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are either registered with the local bar association and/or are members of the bar of other jurisdictions.
The office of Stephenson Harwood Hong Kong is at 18th floor, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong.
Contact details for our offices in Hong Kong and China can be found here.
Republic of Korea
We practise law in the Republic of Korea through a branch in Seoul of Stephenson Harwood LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registration number 0C373597. It is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales under number 567651.
A list of names of the partners and their professional qualifications is open for inspection at the firm's principal office, 1 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7SH.
As an international law firm, our Korea office includes lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are either registered with the local bar association and/or are members of the bar of other jurisdictions.
Stephenson Harwood LLP's Korea office is at Level 21, International Finance Centre Seoul TWO IFC, 10 Gukjegeumyung-Ro, Youngdeungpo-Gu, Seoul, 150-945, Republic of Korea.
Contact details for our office in Korea can be found here.
Singapore
We practise English law through Stephenson Harwood LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in Singapore with registration number T13LL0821C, which is a licensed foreign law practice licensed by the Director of Legal Services of Singapore. Stephenson Harwood LLP is a member of the Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance, which is a formal law alliance between Stephenson Harwood LLP and Virtus Law LLP licensed by the Director of Legal Services of Singapore. The Alliance is able to provide legal services in all permitted areas of Singapore law as prescribed by applicable laws and regulations.
The office of Stephenson Harwood LLP is located at 1 Raffles Place #18-61, 048616, Singapore. A list of the partners may be inspected at the aforementioned address.
All lawyers in the Singapore office are registered by the Director of Legal Services of Singapore to practise foreign law in Singapore. Certain of the lawyers are admitted in Singapore and regulated by the Law Society of Singapore. As an international law firm, our Singapore office includes lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are regulated by the relevant regulatory body in their place of admission.
Contact details for our office in Singapore can be found here.
Professional indemnity insurance
Each Stephenson Harwood office holds professional indemnity insurance. In accordance with the disclosure requirements of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, details of Stephenson Harwood LLP's compulsory professional indemnity insurance in England and Wales are as follows. Our insurers are Lloyd’s Syndicate QBE 1886 (Non-EEA) / QBE Europe SA/NV (EEA) and, Berkshire Hathaway European Insurance DAC. The insurance includes cover for the London practice of Stephenson Harwood and will extend to its acts or omissions wherever in the world they occur.
The offices of Stephenson Harwood outside England and Wales are covered by the same professional indemnity insurance provided by Lloyd’s Syndicate QBE 1886 (Non-EEA) / QBE Europe SA/NV (EEA) and, Berkshire Hathaway European Insurance DAC. In addition, the Hong Kong and China offices hold compulsory professional indemnity insurance in accordance with the requirements of the Law Society of Hong Kong. The office in Paris holds compulsory professional indemnity insurance in accordance with the requirements of the Ordre des Avocats de Paris (Paris Bar Association).
Anti-bribery and anti-corruption
We have in place anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies and procedures which apply to all partners and employees of the Firm and to those who otherwise work or undertake business on its behalf (wherever situated). These prohibit their engaging in corrupt activity in any part of the world and require them to report any occasion on which they are invited, or suspect that others have been invited or have made an invitation, to act corruptly. They also provide guidance as to the giving and receipt of gifts and hospitality.
We expect our clients to have in place similar policies and procedures appropriate to their businesses.
SRA Transparency Rules
Our pricing for our Employment Tribunal work can be found here.
Our pricing for our immigration work can be found here.
Our pricing for our residential conveyancing can be found here.
Fraudulent emails
It appears to have become more common for a solicitors firm's name to be used in fraudulent or scam emails sent to private or corporate email accounts. These emails typically seek to attract victims by suggesting that the recipients are (or can be) the beneficiary of a substantial sum of money or have won some prize. Commonly these emails seek personal data, which may then be used in other illegal activities, or in some cases seek to persuade the victims to part with their own money, which is never seen again.
It is also possible that people receive similar communications by other means, such as by unsolicited call, letter or in a document (or website) purporting to relate to the firm.
People who receive any such communication bearing the above or similar hallmarks and which includes a reference to Stephenson Harwood LLP and/or a Stephenson Harwood lawyer are advised that neither this firm nor any of our lawyers have any involvement whatsoever in the subject matter of those communications and that such references are unauthorised and unlawful. Please notify us of such communications. You are advised not to respond to such communications (and in particular not to provide personal or confidential information) and (if received by email) to delete them.
If you would like to check whether a communication is genuine, please email [email protected]. For further guidance on recognising and reporting scams, please visit the SRA website.
Tax strategy
This tax strategy covers the business of Stephenson Harwood LLP and all related entities controlled by us. Publication of this document is required by Schedule 19 of Finance Act 2016. The first period to which this legislation applies to us is the year to 30 April 2019.
Tax risk management and governance
The firm is committed to being in compliance with all tax obligations that it faces and paying all taxes due in a fair and responsible way and making all filings in a complete and timely manner.
Our tax affairs are the responsibility of the director of finance who is a member of the central management team. We also look to senior finance professionals internally and maintain relations with external professional firms to support our tax work. We may also take advice from our own tax experts within the firm when appropriate.
Approach to UK tax planning
We always intend to use tax reliefs in a fair way and consistent with the reasons that they were introduced. We never wish to be taking a position on taxation that is inconsistent with our high professional standards and ethics.
To the extent that we encounter complex issues we proceed only after taking appropriate expert advice. We consider the spirit as well as the precise form of tax laws.
Our director of finance is fully aware of any situations where we as a firm might be involved in tax planning for our business. She will use her professional judgement to ensure that the firm is not acting in a way that could be considered to be aggressive or unusual with regard to its internal tax affairs, taking advice from others where necessary.
Relations with HMRC
It has always been our practice and intent to have a very open and constructive relationship with HMRC. We will always make disclosures that are necessary but also helpful to HMRC in understanding our treatment of a particular claim or position. We have a history of obtaining advance clearance with HMRC on areas that might be complex or contentious. At all times we wish HMRC to have confidence in every aspect of our tax affairs and consider us to be a low-risk business.
Other
With effect from 1 May 2012 Stephenson Harwood in the UK converted to and now practises as a limited liability partnership, Stephenson Harwood LLP. Some documents available on this website were produced before 1 May 2012. Nothing in those documents is to be taken to indicate that Stephenson Harwood LLP or any of its limited liability affiliated practices are unlimited liability partnerships, general partnerships, or in general partnership with each other.