Hudgell Solicitors has marked a year of being employee owned by establishing a new ‘forum’ of team members to represent colleagues and generate ideas to drive the business forward.
It comes as the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is about to pay out its second annual EOT bonus to all members after ‘another year of growth’, with the firm continuing to secure an increasing numbers of cases, many of high profile.
Hudgells became employee owned last December when founder and executive chairman Neil Hudgell transferred the majority of shares to the EOT.
It saw employees collectively acquire the majority stake in the business as a group, held on trust.
At the time a promise was made that it would enable employees to become directly involved in the firm’s long-term decision-making, strategy and direction, as well as benefitting from any profits.
Forum to provide ‘employee voice’
Following a nomination and selection process, the new eight-strong Employee Forum has been established, including staff from both Hull and Manchester offices, covering all departments, and including both legal and non-legal team members.
Their key role will be to provide the ‘employee voice’ to the EOT Board, and to encourage and facilitate the gathering and sharing of ideas, opinions and views across teams which could either improve business performance or employee experience.
Rachel Di Clemente, chief executive of Hudgell Solicitors, says the new Forum members will act as ‘champions and role models’ of the company culture and brand, and are tasked with ensuring ‘ideas from the shop floor’, and their own departments, make their way to the top.
“The establishment of this new EOT Employee Forum is a really exciting development for us and is something we have put a great deal of time and thought into onto over the past 12 months to ensure it has impact,” she said.
“We’ve not rushed into change, as we wanted to ensure we introduced something which will really provide a strong platform for our colleagues to become involved in the development of the business, and encourage teamwork, innovation and collaborative working.
“Since becoming an EOT we’ve worked incredibly hard on assessing how our Senior Management Team and department heads engage with all team members, at all levels, and with other departments, and although we feel this is something we do well, I am confident the new Forum will help to further improve this.
“We want to see ideas from the shop floor being presented to the Board by people who are champions and role models for the business, and those ideas then implemented.”
Bonus payment follows ‘year of growth’
New Forum members include senior chartered legal executives Laura Rowan and Ronke Bain, senior legal executives Rebecca Cone and Marc Dando, paralegal Gareth Hancock, legal secretary Henna Arif, new claims advisor Olivia Dunn and proclaim developer Adam Hinchcliffe.
Rebecca Cone, who has been with the business 10 years, said: “It was really nice to be asked to become involved in something like this. Hopefully, as a group, can help give employees a louder voice in the firm’s future.’’
Henna Arif, who joined in March 2023, added: “I was quite surprised that to be selected, but I feel very excited about being part of the Forum and being given the opportunity bring about some changes.”
Mrs Di Clemente says she has been delighted by the enthusiasm shown for the new Forum.
“When Neil Hudgell decided to establish the EOT he did so because he wanted to provide the platform for people who have energy, ideas and the drive to become more prominent leaders within the business,” she said.
“It was particularly pleasing to see people from all levels of experience and seniority be appointed to the Forum. We now have a group of people, including some who are relatively new to the business, being given a platform to really make an impact on behalf of themselves and their colleagues.
“Also, on the back of another year of growth, all members are again seeing a financial benefit to making the business a success. This will be the second Christmas since the launch of the EOT where all colleagues who have been with us for a least year will be receiving an equal profit share bonus.
“For me, being able to reward colleagues with an equal share of an EOT bonus is really special and allows every colleague to feel that they have an equal share in the success of our business.”
