Home | Prince's Trust young business people to get free legal advice

Prince's Trust young business people to get free legal advice

02 November 2009

Shoosmiths and in-house lawyers from Hewlett-Packard are to provide free legal advice for young business people.

The national law firm Shoosmiths and its client HP will give pro bono legal advice to 18 to 30-year-olds who have set up businesses through youth charity The Prince’s Trust.  

Set up by the Prince of Wales in 1976, The Prince’s Trust is the UK’s leading youth charity, offering a range of opportunities including training, personal development, business start up support, mentoring and advice.

The Prince’s Trust Business Programme initiative helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get business ideas off the ground with advice and funding.

But once their businesses develop, they often need legal help, whether on employment issues, moving into premises, or commercial disputes.

A team of Shoosmiths lawyers specialising in employment, property, litigation and commercial matters will be on hand with HP in-house lawyers to offer free advice via a telephone hotline.

The collaboration was launched at HP’s offices in Bracknell, where Prince’s Trust ambassador Michael Flavell, aged 26, spoke about his experiences setting up a business that mixes coaching and emotional intelligence techniques with boxing.

Shoosmiths partner Stuart Little said: “Hewlett-Packard is eager to provide pro bono advice, and involved us in identifying how best we could provide it, and for whom.

“Working with The Prince’s Trust and its Business Programme means a very good fit for the sort of legal work Shoosmiths provides. Indeed, it appears to be the perfect fit.

“Prior to us getting involved, the programme’s legal resource was limited, but now it has untold legal knowledge and experience at its disposal – and all for free.”
 
James Ormrod, vice president and associate general counsel of HP, said: “We are honoured and delighted to be working with the Prince’s Trust in helping young people into business, especially in this economic climate. 

 “It is a remarkable fact that HP’s business, which today generates wealth and provides employment in over 170 countries worldwide, began through the efforts of two individuals in a small garage in Palo Alto, California. The chance that this pro bono effort could help local small businesses to grow and provide employment opportunities to tens, hundreds, and maybe even thousands of local people is just too good an opportunity to miss.

“In Shoosmiths, we know we have an entrepreneurial business partner with whom we will be able to pursue this initiative with energy and spirit.”

For further information please contact:
Name: Alastair Gray
Phone: 03700 864096
Email: Alastair.Gray@shoosmiths.co.uk

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