A Midlands legal firm is starting legal advice sessions on the go – by giving advice to travellers on trains heading down to London.
From August, passengers travelling through the West Midlands to London Marylebone on Wrexham & Shropshire services will be getting used to the sight of commercial law firm Blackbourn and Bond in the aisles.
The firm is running free one-to-one sessions for first-class business passengers travelling to London. Lawyers Nick Blackbourn and Dwight Bond will be talking about business related or commercial property legal matters.
The first two legal sessions are scheduled for August 3 and 10 on the train arriving in London at 08:57, in time for a full day’s business in the capital. More sessions are planned for later on in the year.
Nick Blackbourn, director at Blackbourn & Bond, said: “We are always looking for new and innovative ways of engaging with the business community, and this new partnership with Wrexham & Shropshire provides the ideal opportunity for us to share our legal expertise in a completely new business environment.
“It also demonstrates the importance we place on promoting approachable and proactive relationships with clients.”
Thomas Ableman, marketing director for Wrexham & Shropshire trains, added: “We’re always on the lookout for ideas that we think will benefit our passengers – and are delighted to be working in partnership with Blackbourn & Bond to offer business travellers this recession-busting free legal advice on-board our services to London.”
Priority for the legal advice sessions will be given to first class passengers on the train, with standard class passengers able to use the service if time is available.
Blackbourn & Bond was set up in 2003 by Nick Blackbourn. Dwight Bond, who joined the firm in 2005 as an associate, now heads the commercial property division.
The firm was previously known as Blackbourn Andrews, but changed its name earlier this year after the promotion of Mr Bond. At the time the company said the new identity was an attempt to make it more recognisable in the specialist world of business law.
In April, it became one of the first legal firms in the country to appoint a non-lawyer director, using new legislation that came into effect at the end of March 2009. It appointed Mark Callahan to the role of business development director under the terms of the new Legal Services Act, set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Wrexham & Shropshire launched services last year, operating direct trains from Wrexham, Shrewsbury and Telford to London Marylebone through Wolverhampton.
