LIVERPOOL firm Harkin Lloyd have decided to give something back to the city in its Capital of Culture year by donating 1% of its profits to good causes.
Three charities stand to receive tens of thousands of pounds after partners Jean Harkin and Rachel Lloyd came up with the idea.
Managing partner Jean Harkin, who is also treasurer of Liverpool Law Society, said: “We thought we should be doing something for the city in its year as Capital of Culture.
“It will run for 12 months but we will continue as long as we are profitable. This is one of the ways we are going to be driving the firm forward.�
Profits from each area of Harkin Lloyd’s work will go to a charity linked to that area. The housing and homelessness charity Shelter will receive a cut of the firm’s profits from its conveyancing work, industrial disease work will benefit Merseyside Victims Support Group, and brain injury charity Headway will gain from personal injury cases.
The civil practice, which opened in the India Buildings in 2004 specialising in handling asbestosis and lung cancer claims and chancery work, was named Liverpool’s best law firm at the city’s inaugural Legal Awards last year, beating a number of established firms.
More recently the practice has become involved in commercial property and conveyancing work on the back of city’s building and regeneration boom.
The two partners trained together – Ms Harkin, also the assistant deputy coroner for Cheshire, studied law after her four children started school – and kept in touch before setting up what they wanted to be “a city centre firm with a high street ethos�.
The approach has paid off critically, winning them the accolade of the BusinessLink Celebration of Success award in 2005.
The partners now handle about 1,000 cases a year, including up to 200 disease claims.
The partners now handle about 1,000 cases a year, including up to 200 disease claims.