Norfolk Chambers of Commerce have partnered with regional accountancy and law firms Price Bailey LLP and Ashtons Legal to deliver a new member service, which will give Norfolk businesses an alternative cost-effective way of resolving business disputes. This is being done through the multi-award winning Escalate dispute resolution service.
Many SMEs leave legal and financial disputes unresolved because they fear the potential cost involved without a guaranteed positive outcome. Escalate can help remove these barriers. The most tangible key benefit of the service is that it carries no financial risk to the client. A business which pursues a dispute in this way will only pay a fee if a successful settlement is achieved. This is great news for small and medium size companies, and will empower them to challenge, in particular, larger businesses in a way that they might otherwise not have done.
This service is being rolled out nationally, with East Anglia being one of the first regions to benefit. We are excited to be able to be able to be early adopters of the service and to introduce it to Chambers’ members as another key area of business support. Price Bailey LLP and Ashtons Legal both have long-established reputations and credibility in this area so harnessing their expertise to help our members in this cost-effective way is a very positive move.
Matt Howard, Insolvency and Recovery Partner at Price Bailey LLP, instigated the partnership between all the parties and Escalate, said:
“Resolving a commercial dispute has historically been time consuming, costly and risky for claimants, which is why many of them decide to reluctantly write-off what they’re owed. Escalate has helped to put that right. By removing financial risk, providing transparency on process and pricing, and ensuring that the claimant remains the main beneficiary on settlement, Escalate provides an opportunity to resolve disputes in a way that helps rather than hinders businesses cash flow. Our partnership with the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce means we are able to give more SMEs in East Anglia access to justice and provide an innovative means of securing the resources they need to survive and grow. Escalate has proven to make a real difference for our clients and has won a handful of national awards as a result.”
Also commenting on the new partnership, Tom Bailey, Partner at Ashtons Legal said:
“Escalate’s mission is to help the SME community so that the £40 billion that’s written off each year as bad debt is reduced. In our view, a bad debt is just a commercial dispute that didn’t get resolved. Escalate is already helping SMEs to recover more than £50 million that is currently locked up in commercial disputes. The combination of the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, Price Bailey and Ashtons Legal is a game-changing proposition to help members in the region with their cashflow and avoid some of the inevitable bumps in the road that SME’s experience.”
To celebrate this new member service and to provide more information, a free launch seminar will be held on Thursday 20 June 2019 from 3.30pm – 5pm at the offices of Price Bailey LLP in Norwich.
