Last updatedSeptember 15, 2024
Linnear Legal Ltd is an unregulated legal service provider. This means that although we provide certain legal services, the firm itself is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This structure is entirely permitted under applicable law.
Although the firm itself is unregulated, all solicitors working for Linnear Legal Ltd are fully qualified and individually regulated by the SRA. Just like solicitors in any regulated law firm, our solicitors must adhere to the SRA Code of Conduct and remain subject to the same rigorous standards of professionalism, including rules on confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and client care.
While the quality of service is the same, there are a few distinctions between regulated and unregulated law firms that you should be aware of:
As an unregulated legal service provider, we are not obligated to maintain professional indemnity insurance that adheres to the minimum standards of coverage set out by the SRA. However, we do have Professional Indemnity Insurance in place with the same minimum amount of cover as required by the SRA being £3 million.
Due to the unregulated nature of the firm please be aware that you will not be eligible to apply for a grant from the SRA Compensation Fund. This fund is designed to provide financial protection to clients in specific circumstances, such as where a regulated solicitor has misappropriated funds or failed to account for them. As an unregulated firm we do not hold client money and while the SRA Compensation Fund is not available we maintain appropriate insurance and are fully dedicated to providing a trusted, high-quality service and support throughout our engagement.
If you have any questions regarding the above please contact us at linnearlegal@gmail.com
We are dedicated to delivering a high standard of legal services to all our clients. If something does not meet your expectations, we encourage you to share your concerns with us. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us enhance the quality of our service.
We are committed to addressing all complaints fairly and transparently, ensuring that your experience with us is continually improved.
Should you be dissatisfied with any aspect of our services, you should follow our complaints procedure set out below.
1.1
To raise a complaint, please contact the individual responsible for your matter. Their name will be provided in your letter of engagement. When submitting your complaint, please provide as much detail as possible about the issue and how you would ideally like it to be resolved.
1.2
Once your complaint is received, the individual responsible for your matter will conduct a thorough investigation and aim to provide a proposed resolution within 7 working days. If we are unable to meet your expectations, we will explain the reasons and, where possible, suggest an alternative resolution.
1.3
If your complaint is not resolved within 7 working days, or if you are dissatisfied with the proposed resolution, you may escalate the matter by emailing linnearlegal@gmail.com and requesting a review by another member of staff unconnected to the matter.
1.4
We will send you an email acknowledging receipt of your request and letting you know the name of the team member who will carry out the review. This individual will carry out an independent review and provide you with a proposed resolution within 14 working days. Please note that if the investigation confirms the original resolution was appropriate, it may remain unchanged.
2.1
If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction and your complaint is about a solicitor, you may seek assistance from the Legal Ombudsman.
2.2
The Legal Ombudsman offers an independent review of complaints and their involvement will not affect the way we handle your matter.
2.3
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman requires that you first attempt to resolve the issue directly with us. Once this step is complete, you must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within the following timeframes:
Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint;
Within one year of the date of the act or omission in question; or
Within one year of the date when you should reasonably have become aware of the issue.
2.4
For more information about the Legal Ombudsman and their processes you can contact them directly using the details below:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333 (available 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Postal Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
3.1
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is available to assist if you have concerns about a solicitor’s conduct. The SRA investigates issues such as dishonesty, mishandling or loss of funds, or unfair treatment based on age, disability, or other personal characteristics. For more information on how to raise your concerns, please visit the SRA’s website.
Please read these terms carefully before using the Site.
Version 1.1
Last Updated: 22/01/25
1.1
These terms set out the rules for using our website https://linnearlegal.co.uk/ (the “Site”).
1.2
They do not cover the terms relevant to any services we provide you which will be sent to you in a separate letter of engagement.
2.1
The Site is owned and operated by Linnear Legal Ltd (“We” “Our”), a private company registered in England and Wales under company number 15894546.
2.2
Our registered office is at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ.
2.3
We are an unregulated legal services provider, meaning the firm itself is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). However, the solicitors employed by the firm are individually regulated by the SRA.
2.4
Our Group VAT number is 479605938.
2.5
We are a part of the BSQ Group.
2.6
To contact us, please email linnearlegal@mail.com
We recommend that you save a copy of these terms for future reference.
3.1
By using our Site you:
accept these terms; and
agree to comply with them.
3.2
If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our Site.
4.1
These terms refer to the following additional terms, which also apply to your use of our Site:
Our Privacy Policy , which explains how we collect, use and store your personal data; and
Our Cookie Policy which sets out information about the cookies on our Site.
5.1
We amend these terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our Site, please check these terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time.
6.1
We may update and change our Site from time to time.
6.2
We will try to give you reasonable notice of any major changes where possible.
7.1
Our Site is made available to you free of charge.
7.2
We do not guarantee that our Site, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend or withdraw or restrict the availability of all or any part of our Site for business and operational reasons. We will try to give you reasonable notice of any suspension or withdrawal.
7.3
You are responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our Site through your internet connection are aware of these terms and other applicable terms of service, and that they comply with them.
8.1
We may transfer our rights and obligations under these terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under the contract.
Our site is directed to people residing in England and Wales. We do not represent that content available on or through our site is appropriate for use or available in other locations.
10.1
We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our Site, and in the material published on it. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.
10.2
You may print off one copy, and may download extracts, of any page(s) from our Site for your personal use and you may draw the attention of others within your organisation to content posted on our Site.
10.3
You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text.
10.4
Our status (and that of any identified contributors) as the authors of content on our Site must always be acknowledged (except where the content is user-generated).
10.5
You must not use any part of the content on our Site for commercial purposes without obtaining a licence to do so from us or our licensors.
10.6
If you print off, copy, download, share or repost any part of our site in breach of these terms, your right to use our Site will cease immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made (except that you are permitted to print off a copy of these terms).
11.1
The content on our Site is provided for general information only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our Site.
11.2
Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our Site, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our Site is accurate, complete or up to date.
12.1
You may use our Site only for lawful purposes. You may not use our Site:
In any way that breaches any applicable local, national or international law or regulation.
In any way that is unlawful or fraudulent or has any unlawful or fraudulent purpose or effect.
For the purpose of harming or attempting to harm minors in any way.
To bully, insult, intimidate or humiliate any person.
To transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material or any other form of similar solicitation (spam).
To knowingly transmit any data, send or upload any material that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time-bombs, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware or any other harmful programs or similar computer code designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware.
To conduct, facilitate, authorise or permit (or attempt to do any of the preceding actions in relation to) any text or data mining or web scraping whatsoever in relation to our Site, the material contained within it or any services provided via, or in relation to, our Site for any purpose, including the development, training, fine-tuning or validation of AI systems or models. This subsection (g) should be treated as an express reservation of our rights in this regard, including for the purposes of Article 4(3) of the Digital Copyright Directive ((EU) 2019/790) provided that this subsection will not apply insofar as (but only to the extent that) we are unable to exclude or limit text or data mining or web scraping activity by contract under the laws which are applicable to us.
12.2
You also agree:
Not to reproduce, duplicate, copy or re-sell any part of our Site in contravention of the provisions of these terms of website use
Not to access without authority, interfere with, damage or disrupt:
13.1
You may link to our home page, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it.
13.2
You must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists.
13.3
You must not establish a link to our Site in any website that is not owned by you.
13.4
Our Site must not be framed on any other site.
13.5
We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.
13.6
The website in which you are linking must comply in all respects with clause 12.1 of these terms.
13.7
If you wish to link to or make any use of content on our Site other than that set out above, please contact linnearlegal@mail.com
14.1
Where our Site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. Such links should not be interpreted as approval by us of those linked websites or information you may obtain from them. We have no control over and are no liable for the contents of those sites or resources.
14.2
We do not guarantee that our Site will be secure or free from bugs or viruses. You are responsible for configuring your information technology, computer programs and platform to access our Site and should use your own virus protection software.
14.3
We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors and for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
14.4
If you are a business user:
We exclude all implied conditions, warranties, representations or other terms that may apply to our Site or any content on it.
We will not be liable to you for any loss or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, even if foreseeable, arising under or in connection with:
In particular, we will not be liable for:
14.5
If you are consumer user:
We only provide our Site for domestic and private use. You agree not to use our Site for any commercial or business purposes, and we have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.
If defective digital content that we have supplied damages a device or digital content belonging to you and this is caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill, we will either repair the damage or pay you compensation. However, we will not be liable for damage that you could have avoided by following our advice to apply an update offered to you free of charge or for damage that was caused by you failing to correctly follow installation instructions or to have in place the minimum system requirements advised by us.
15.1
We will only use your personal information as set out in our Privacy Policy.
16.1
If you are a consumer, these terms , their subject matter and their formation, are governed by English law. We both agree that the courts of England will have exclusive jurisdiction, except that if you are a resident of Wales, you may also bring proceedings in Wales.
16.2
If you are a business, these terms , their subject matter and their formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by English law. We both agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
1.1
We are committed to conducting our business with honesty and integrity and we expect all employees, stakeholders and external parties to maintain high standards. Any suspected wrongdoing should be reported as soon as possible.
1.2
Individuals who work with or for us whether internally or through external collaboration are often best positioned to identify early indications of potential misconduct. This means that there may be instances where individuals who are not employees need to report a concern.
1.3
This policy covers all external contractors, suppliers, partners, and other third parties such as customers, who engage with our organisation.
1.4
We may amend this policy at any time.
2.1
Whistleblowing is the reporting of suspected wrongdoing or dangers in relation to our activities. This includes bribery, facilitation of tax evasion, fraud or other criminal activity, miscarriages of justice, health and safety risks, damage to the environment and any breach of legal or professional obligations.
3.1
We are committed to fostering a culture of integrity by ensuring our people are informed about how to report concerns. Clear internal policies are in place to guide the reporting of potential misconduct, with a strong emphasis on protecting and supporting those who come forward.
3.2
Those not directly working for us and without access to our internal systems can still voice their concerns and report misconduct by reaching out via our dedicated email address.
4.1
We hope that in many cases you will be able to raise any concerns with your main point of contact within our organisation. However, where you prefer not to raise it with your point of contact for any reason, you should send your concerns to: whistleblowing@bsqgroup.co.uk.
4.2
We will follow up with you as soon as possible to discuss your concern. If you would prefer to be contacted by phone, please include your telephone number within your email. Your email should include as much detail as possible about the concern, including any specific dates or names of those involved where possible.
5.1
We understand that coming forward with a concern can be difficult. We are committed to treating all disclosures seriously and, wherever possible, in confidence. Your identity will only be shared with those involved in handling or investigating the concern and only when absolutely necessary. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure your privacy is protected throughout the process.
6.1
This policy aims to provide a mechanism for reporting, investigating, and remedying any wrongdoing in our organisation or operations. In most cases, you should not need to alert anyone externally.
6.2
The law recognises that in some circumstances it may be appropriate for you to report your concerns to an external body such as a regulator. We encourage you to seek advice before reporting a concern to anyone external.
7.1
We will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith. External parties who raise genuine concerns will be supported and protected from adverse treatment. If you believe you have faced retaliation or negative consequences as a result of speaking up, please contact us immediately. We will take appropriate steps to investigate and address any such issues. If the matter is not remedied, you should raise it formally using our formal complaints process.
7.2
No one must threaten or retaliate against whistleblowers in any way. If they are involved in such conduct, they may be subject to appropriate action as per our agreements or applicable law. In some cases, the whistleblower could have a right to sue the individual concerned personally for compensation in a court of law.
7.3
However, if we conclude that a whistleblower has made false allegations maliciously, the whistleblower may be subject to appropriate action as per our agreements or applicable law.
1.1
This policy outlines our commitment to providing an accessible and transparent grievance and complaints mechanism for stakeholders, including but not limited to contractors, partners, vendors, customers, and the general public. Our aim is to ensure that concerns are addressed in a fair, timely, and respectful manner in line with our values and legal obligations.
2.1
This policy applies to all stakeholders who wish to raise grievances or complaints regarding business practices, operations, or any aspect of their relationship with us, excluding internal employee grievances which are addressed by the internal grievance policy.
3.1
We offer several means for stakeholders to raise grievances or complaints:
Dedicated Email Address
Stakeholders can submit grievances or complaints via our dedicated email address: complaints@linnearlegal.co.uk.
Business-to-Business Contracts
The majority of contracts with us include provisions for dispute resolution in case of grievances. You should review these and follow the dispute resolution procedure set out within the agreement.
Open-Door Policy
We encourage stakeholders to approach us directly with concerns. We are committed to maintaining open lines of communication.
Customer Services
Our customer service department is available to address any concerns or complaints.
Supplier & Third Party Mechanisms
Suppliers and other external parties can raise issues through the grievance mechanisms outlined in this policy.
Direct Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholders may also engage with us directly through meetings, calls, or written communication.
4.1
When submitting a grievance or complaint, the person submitting the concern will be provided with clear information regarding the grievance process.
4.2
The grievance must pertain to a breach of agreements, unethical practices, business disputes, or other significant issues related to the person’s engagement with us.
4.3
Once a grievance is submitted, the following steps will be followed:
4.4
Each grievance will be processed with the aim of reaching a resolution within 30 days from the date of submission, unless a more complex investigation is required.
5.1
We commit to responding to all grievances or complaints in a clear and transparent manner
5.2
Stakeholders will be notified of the outcome of their grievance, including steps taken to resolve the issue.
5.3
If a grievance is not accepted, stakeholders will be provided with a clear explanation of why the issue was not considered valid for further action.
6.1
We implement measures to ensure the effectiveness of our grievance mechanism. These include:
Conducting periodic audits to assess the effectiveness of the grievance process, including feedback from stakeholders.
Engaging with stakeholders, including workers and suppliers, to ensure continuous improvement of our grievance mechanisms.
Maintaining transparency in all grievance processes, ensuring stakeholders are kept informed at each stage of their grievance resolution.
7.1
All grievances will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. We are committed to protecting the identity and privacy of stakeholders who raise concerns. We will also take all necessary steps to ensure that no retaliation occurs as a result of filing a grievance.
8.1
For further information or to submit a grievance, please contact us at:
Email enquiries@linnearlegal.co.uk.
Phone: 0208 036 4994
9.1
This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to ensure that it remains compliant with applicable laws and reflects best practices.