If you would be interested in applying for one of these placements, please request an application form by emailing enquiries@neonlegal.com, calling 0191 232 9005 or clicking the “Contact Us” link on our website.

(Back, L-R) Simone Turner, Sallie Alderson and (front) Adam Hutchinson

Newcastle-based law firm Neon Legal has expanded its team following a year which has seen it recognised twice as a leader in the region.

The practice, which was established in 2011, has recruited its first apprentices. Simone Turner 16, of Consett and Adam Hutchinson 20, of Forest Hall, are both studying for an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration with Newcastle College which is completed while gaining work experience.

Office manager Kathryn Cowen said, “The service offered by Newcastle College was brilliant. There was a very high standard of applicants but both Simone and Adam stood out when we met them. This is a great opportunity for them to experience working life, learn practical skills and get a qualification. They’ve already been a huge help to us and have quickly become valued members of the team.”

In addition, the pensions law specialists have employed a new paralegal, Sallie Alderson, 24, of Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Sallie studied law at Northumbria University where she obtained a First Class Honours degree.

2012 has been a great success for the team at Neon Legal as the boutique law firm was ranked in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners guides as a leading firm within the region.

Here is what I do on a typical day….

8:55 I arrive at the office to start work. After a bit of a catch up with my colleagues seeing what they got up to last night, it’s time to start work.

9:00 I get most of my work handed to me, but occasionally I get some by email so this is what I check first.

9:15 Most of my work is system based; the main ones I use on a day-to-day basis are Word, Excel, Outlook and Quill Pinpoint.

9:30 There is a Business Administration Apprentice ‘Tasklist’ for me and my colleague Simone to complete every day. The tasks include things like collecting the paper from the shop to printing the postage for the letters to go out and everything in between.

10:00 By 10 am I have worked through my emails and we have done half of the Tasklist. The next thing I do is to write a ‘Worklist’ which is made up of the tasks I need to do for the day ahead. I find that having a list means I don’t miss deadlines.

10:30 Having compiled my list of jobs to do I start completing them.

10:35 On a typical day I will have enough tasks to get me through the day, if not I have been completing the Pensions Regulator’s Trustee Toolkit. This is an exercise that is designed to give the user knowledge of trust law and how to be a trustee.

11:30 By half past eleven I have done the majority of tasks for the morning and start to prepare for the tasks in the afternoon.

Adam Hutchinson, one of Neon Legal’s apprentices

12:00 My favourite time of the day – lunchtime. I either go and have a wander about for lunch and pick up something to eat and drink and watch the world go by or I sit at my desk and eat lunch if I have brought something in.

13:00 Back to work now after lunch and it’s straight in with this afternoon’s work. On an afternoon there is a wide range of jobs I can do. Depending on what time of the month it is I may have to prepare bills. This is typically only done at the end of month. I have been given responsibility for assisting with the financial management of the business, so I may be dealing with expense claims or preparing bills for clients.

14:00 After billing I have to file away the bills I have prepared into the relevant files.

14:30 Filing doesn’t usually take long and then I move onto something else, again this could be chosen from a whole range of tasks. It’s at this point I ask what I should do next; this is only until I find my feet, as it were, as I haven’t been here that long.

14:35 I have been asked if I can draft a covering letter to a client. To start off I find a template and make a few changes to it to reflect the brief I have been given. After I have drafted the letter I print it out for Paul, one of my supervisors, to have a look at and point out any mistakes I have made.

15:00 By this time I have usually done my tasks from the Worklist I mentioned earlier so, again, I ask if there is anything anyone would like me to do.  There isn’t anything that needs doing urgently so I continue with my learning on the Trustee Toolkit.

16:00 Time to print the postage for the letters. We use Smartstamp for this and the way this works is that we first weigh the letter to see how much postage it is going to need then we put the labels in the printer and print the stamps for the envelopes. Once this is done the post is put on a pile ready for the post box.

16:30 Around this time we just finish up the little jobs and make sure everything is ready for the morning to start all over again.

16:55 About this time I usually ask what people are doing that evening and what they are having for dinner!

17:00 Hometime! This ends another day, and it’s off home to relax before the next one!

I am only in the early stages of my Apprenticeship but I really would recommend it to anyone. It’s not like it is portrayed by some people as just making cups of tea and photocopying, it’s learning in a work environment. I must say all of this has been enhanced by Neon Legal, as their staff and working way of life really make it a joy to work and learn there!

Hot on the heels of the Legal 500, Neon has broken into the rankings in the Chambers UK Guide 2013 for pensions in the Newcastle upon Tyne area.

In addition, Tushar Bhate has been named as a key individual in the area of pensions law for the second consecutive year.

Tushar said, “We are delighted to be included in the Chambers guide and recognised alongside the region’s heavyweights. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in Neon Legal that we have achieved this position in such a short period of time.”

The Chambers and Partners guides list the world’s best lawyers and law firms each year. A link to Neon Legal can be found on their website at http://www.chambersandpartners.com/UK/Editorial/254078#org_319659.

After breaking into the guide in 2011 before celebrating its first anniversary, Neon Legal has further improved its position in the North and is now ranked alongside regional and national heavyweights in its specialist area of pensions law.

Partners Tushar Bhate and Paul Elliott and Chartered Legal Executive Kathryn Cowen are all described as “excellent”.

Paul Elliott said “This is a fantastic achievement by everyone at Neon Legal. The firm has managed to move up a tier in just one year and has now been recognised as offering pensions law expertise and service levels equal to large national law firms. Coupled with its ability to offer clients a competitive pricing structure, Neon Legal offers a pensions law proposition substantially different to many of the country’s leading law firms.”

The Legal 500, now in its 25th year, is considered to be the leading authority and guide on the UK legal market and carries out an in-depth analysis of law firms and barristers’ chambers each year. The link to Neon Legal’s entry can be found at http://www.legal500.com/c/north/human-resources/pensions.

We attended the sponsors night on Thursday and sampled a half or two of Proper Job, from the family-run St Austell Brewery – and very good it was too!

The Neon team and guests enjoying a half of our sponsored beer, "Proper Job"

As well as the beer, there was folk music from Northumberland Fayre and something a little more modern from Kelly & the Sensations, as well as a display of morris dancing.

Folk bands and morris dancers

The Tynedale Beer Festival is being held at the Tynedale Rugby Club in Corbridge, Northumberland, and runs until Saturday 16 June.

We are looking for a candidate who:
• can manage their own supervised caseload, which will include liaising with clients, drafting correspondence and documents, carrying out research and file management
• has excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• pays exceptional attention to detail
• has good time management and organisational skills
• is able to work both independently and as part of a small team
• has knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office.

Legal experience is desirable but enthusiasm and a willingness to learn is essential. The successful candidate will also be expected to take part in business development activities for the firm and carry out administrative duties.

This is a fantastic opportunity to begin or develop your legal career with a leading firm in a specialist area.

Salary will be based on experience.

To apply, please forward your CV and covering letter to Kathryn Cowen, Office Manager at Neon Legal, 17 St James Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4NF or enquiries@neonlegal.com.

The closing date for applications is 22 June 2012.

Neon Legal will therefore be introducing a comprehensive pension service for charities in April 2012. We will also be issuing a free guide to tackling pension issues effectively for charities in 2012.

If you would like to pre-order your free copy of this report when it is published, please click here.

“Tushar Bhate is a welcome alternative in the Newcastle market…… his Tyneside boutique practice is designed to keep client costs down.”

Managing Partner, Paul Elliott, said “Tushar has yet again received recognition for his expertise and service to clients. I am particularly pleased that Chambers & Partners have recognised Neon Legal’s constant drive to keep legal costs for its clients manageable and appropriate, especially in the current economic climate.”