Ryan David, partner at David & Snape
By Legal Futures’ Associate poweredbypie
David & Snape has offices in Bridgend and Porthcawl and is also part of QualitySolicitors, a national network of law firms with over 200 high street locations.
Ryan David, partner at David & Snape, based in the Porthcawl office explains: “As a local practice, much of our work is regionally based. We always ensure our clients can talk directly to their lawyer and we are open, transparent and upfront with costs. We aim to be responsive and answer questions the same day – it is never an inconvenience. As a result, our clients trust us and we tend to build relationships over time and get to know them very well.
“We have worked with poweredbypie for many years using the company’s search ordering reports for property transactions which have proved swift and efficient and great value for our clients. We also use the company’s ‘Brighter Estimates’ which is an intelligent solution allowing customers to obtain quotes for legal work through our website.
“As the risk of criminals attempting to generate income through illegal actions has grown, quite rightly, the regulatory burden has also increased to mitigate this risk. The latest regulations (5MLD) further emphasise the requirement for a risk-based approach, focussing on customer due diligence and understanding the specific risk posed by each transaction. Therefore, for several years, we have been using the Veriphy report, an award-winning Anti-money-laundering (AML) check also available through poweredbypie.
“The report allows our staff to complete the necessary identification background confirmation, particularly relating to new clients. The report provides proof of compliance, giving us peace-of-mind when used for enhanced due diligence matters where the risk is greater. We use Veriphy like a ‘tin hat’ for our process as it is a practical addition to our usual checks but has become an essential part of our tool kit to complete ID verification.
“Because we have long standing relationships with many of our clients and they are locally based, we usually meet face to face. However, the risk becomes greater when we take on work from further afield and we are often recommended to new people. This is where the Veriphy standard AML report comes into its own as we can use it when we open a new client file.
“We order around 20 reports per month through our Porthcawl office alone. Our staff have confirmed it’s simple to order, safe and transparent, allowing them to perform an individual background check quickly and easily. It ensures ID verification is completed correctly and importantly; they can prove it. Using Veriphy we can rest assured our clients are who they say they are.
“We like dealing with poweredbypie. The team are helpful, available and responsive. We trust the brand and the organisation which further underpins our comfort in the software and that we have mitigated risks relating to AML processes.”
Beth Lord, customer development manager, poweredbypie confirms: “As technical experts in the property sector, the solutions we offer legal firms are designed for specific purposes. We aim to use our resources to develop intelligent answers to solve our customer’s everyday challenges through a simpler and better way of getting things done. Veriphy AML is a good example. It provides clients such as David & Snape a diligent, professional and compliant AML checking service to ensure they comply with the latest regulations and really get to know all of their customers.”
