Posts

At 103 Colmore Row, Browne Jacobson Opens New Birmingham Office

/1 Comment/in /by

In order to prepare for future growth in the West Midlands, Browne Jacobson has launched its new look office at 103 Colmore Row, the city’s newest flagship commercial development.

103 A 108-meter-tall, 26-story commercial office skyscraper called Colmore Row is situated on Colmore Row in Birmingham, England. This structure replaced the previous NatWest Tower, which John Madin designed and finished in 1975.

The company reported record earnings of £94 million for the fiscal year 2021–2022; the Birmingham office had double-digit revenue growth, with earnings reaching over £23 million. The turnover increased by 30% as a result of this increase since 2019.

The new multi-functional area on the 15th Floor of the iconic building offers an improved working environment for its workers and clients thanks to the collaboration with office design and fit out professionals, Office Innovations.

In favour of more adaptable, collaborative workspaces that double as client conference rooms or private offices, the company has cut the number of traditional desks by 40%.

To complement its hybrid working approach, the company has implemented the most recent developments in video conferencing technology. In line with its commitment to more positive working environments the Browne Jacobson – Office Innovations design team has also introduced living walls alongside a series of images, chosen by staff, that capture the essence of the city.

The team also sought assistance from the company’s Disability Networks Group on how to make the new area as inclusive and accessible as feasible. As a result, in addition to male and female restrooms, the company has added height-adjustable work surfaces in the bistro-style kitchen area.

Start-up Company Gears Up For European Expansion

/1 Comment/in /by

A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model.

Browne Jacobson’s corporate technology team has advised the founders of InsurTech startup Laka on raising $4.7m funding to fund the next stage of its growth strategy.

The round was led by leading venture capital firms LocalGlobe and Creandum, with Yes VC and prominent angel investors, Nick Evans and Oren Peleg, amongst others, also investing.

The investment will be used by founders Ben Allen, Jens Hartwig and Tobias Taupitz to grow its footprint across Europe, establish its European Union base in the Netherlands later this year and further develop its product portfolio. This will include a recovery and health product designed specifically to help cyclists who have experienced injury or accident to access the right services.

Founded in 2017, Laka specialises in insuring high-end bicycles in the United Kingdom and has developed a unique insurance model in which the cost of claims is split fairly between customers, with premiums capped at market rate for customer protection. Fewer claims lead to lower costs. On average Laka’s users have saved more than 80% compared to market prices.

Browne Jacobson’s London based team comprised corporate technology partner Jon Snade, associate Harry Pearson and senior associate Nicole Judah. Jon also led the team that advised Laka on its last successful seed round in 2018 which raised $1.5m.

Browne Jacobson has built a reputation for its innovative approach to delivering legal services to start-ups following the launch of the Grow programme in 2017 and which is tailored specifically for high-growth companies at any stage of the start-up journey.

The firm works with over 100 high-growth businesses across a broad range of sectors but notably in InsurTech and FinTech.

Browne Jacobson appoints new IT Director

/1 Comment/in /by

Law firm Browne Jacobson has announced that it has appointed Abby Ewen as its new IT Director.

Working closely with Iain Blatherwick, Managing Partner, and the Firm’s Executive Board, Abby will head up the firm’s award winning IT team.

The role will see her utilising her extensive strategic and operational expertise in developing and driving forward the firm’s technology strategy and spearheading an effective IT service, focused on delivering business efficiencies, technology driven solutions and exceptional client service for both end users and clients.

Abby will be the firm’s first female IT director, following on from Caroline Green’s recent appointment as the firm’s first female Senior Partner. Abby’s appointment increases the number of women on Browne Jacobson’s Executive to five of the eleven members.

She joins from law firm BLM where she was IT Director for more than six years. Prior to her time at BLM, Abby held various senior IT and change management positions over 10 years with law firm Simmons and Simmons.

As well as being a regular speaker at high profile industry events, Abby actively promotes the technology sector as an attractive career option to school children in her role as a STEM ambassador. She is also a Director of LITIG (Legal IT Innovators Group) and a member of the advisory panel at DELTAS – a group that promotes diversity & excellence in legal technology and security.

Speaking on her appointment Managing Partner Iain Blatherwick, said:

“We are delighted to have someone with Abby’s experience join us.

“She will play a crucial role in helping us to deliver our vision and strategy, drive business performance and create a high-performance culture and environment where talented people from diverse backgrounds are motivated and thrive.

“Abby’s appointment is a real coup for the business.

“She has an impressive track record and she will be joining a strong team that has been core to helping to meet the current and future commercial needs of the business.”

On joining Browne Jacobson, Abby Ewen commented:

“It is a really exciting time to be joining Browne Jacobson.

“I have been really impressed with the investment the firm has made in recent years and their vision for placing IT at the heart of their strategy for future growth.

“I am looking forward to using my experience to develop a best in class IT team and take advantage of the technological developments in the market to provide a truly unique experience for both its people and clients.”

If you would like to find out more information, please visit: https://www.brownejacobson.com/