Entrepreneurs looking to turn exciting ideas into commercial reality can now receive legal advice through a partnership between Business Link in the West Midlands and a leading UK law firm.
Pinsent Masons, which has seven offices throughout the UK, has thrown its force behind the business support service by agreeing to run law clinics for the region’s budding business leaders, with the next one taking place on June 25 at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce on Harborne Road.
The idea is to provide impartial guidance on a host of legal issues that could be involved in starting a business or helping young companies to grow, such as dealing with employees, entering new markets, premises documents and, often most crucially, protecting that unique idea/product.
Business Link’s Razia Bibi said: “Engaging with the private sector is one of our key aims and we are delighted to have an organisation of the quality and reputation of Pinsent Masons on board.”
She continued: “What it means to entrepreneurs is that they can access legal advice at a crucial stage of their development and guidance that they simply wouldn’t be able to afford or cover in a usual scenario.
“This could make the difference between the business getting off the ground, or, in some cases, whether it has everything in place to turn the potential into a sustainable future.”
Appointments for the 45 minute sessions are being taken now by contacting 0845 113 1234, with individuals able to re-book for later clinics if demand dictates.
The sessions, which are open to companies across the region, will be held every fortnight and the aim is to see six clients per session.
Jonathan Fortnam, Partner at Pinsent Masons, was equally pleased to be involved.
He said: “The lifeblood of the economy will be new entrepreneurs and dynamic starts-ups and we have a role to play in providing initial strategic assistance at a crucial stage of their development.”
Business Link in the West Midlands is expected to help over 70,000 businesses and individuals thinking of starting a business with information, with a further 16,000 receiving intensive support by 2010.
This level of support is expected to generate a £400 million improvement to the economic performance of the West Midlands.
