Private sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund

17 December 2019
News

Almost two years since the Grenfell Tower tragedy there are still around 165 privately owned, high-rise buildings over 18 metres high covered in dangerous aluminium composite material cladding ("ACM Cladding").

In order to try to speed up the removal and replacement of this ACM Cladding the government has made a £200 million fund available to the 'responsible entity' for each building, and the deadline to apply to the fund is 31 December 2019.

The 'responsible entity' will usually be the freehold owner of the building or the management company with responsibility for building repairs and, as a condition of funding, they will need to take 'reasonable steps' to recover the costs from those responsible for the presence of the ACM Cladding.

Although the government has not explained what it means by this, it is envisaged that responsible entities will be expected to pursue those involved in the ACM cladding installation and to make warranty claims, where appropriate.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have advised that late applications will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and the application board will have discretion as to whether to grant an extension.

Sarah Heatley is an associate in our Property Litigation team.

Graduate Recruitment Applications

16 December 2019
Podcasts and videos

With applications for 2020 vacation schemes and 2022 training contracts now open, Graduate Recruitment partner Victoria Towers and Graduate Recruitment co-ordinator Holly Meldrum join podcast host Miri Stickland to talk through some of the questions they get asked most frequently by potential candidates.

“We like to see a wide range of candidates with a variety of things to offer. Having the intellectual ability to solve complex problems is the starting point and we also really like to see a genuine interest in Forsters. We are known for being a friendly, collaborative firm so we do look for people who are personable, alongside which we like to see candidates with drive, ambition and a strong work ethic.”

“It’s really important that candidates get a feel for whether the firm is right for them. Every firm is different so take the opportunity to go to open days, graduate recruitment dinners and law fairs to get that insider’s viewpoint and ask as many questions as possible. It can prove invaluable. If you can apply for a vacation scheme, we recommend that you do, as it is the best insight into the firm that you can get, although there is always space for direct applications for training contracts as well.”

“The most common mistake in application forms is spelling the firm’s name wrong or putting another firm’s name in accidentally! Make sure you get someone else to proof read your application.”

In this episode we were joined by:

Victoria Towers, partner Commercial Real Estate team, and Graduate Recruitment partner
Holly Meldrum, HR Officer and Graduate Recruitment co-ordinator

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Victoria Towers

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Trainees and their Supervisors

2 December 2019
Podcasts and videos

Senior Associate, Emily Holdstock, and first year Trainee, Tamsin Collingridge, talk to Miri Stickland about the “special relationship” between trainees and their supervisors, including the value that supervisors can bring in mentoring trainees, the feedback and review process and the attributes that are highly valued in Forsters’ trainees.

“At Forsters, the trainee supervisors act as the first point of call within the department for any questions from their trainee, ranging from legal questions to queries about how you might go about carrying out a particular task to the sort of practical questions we know trainees might get nervous about asking, like where to hang your coat!”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t delegate to a trainee, from the first drafts of letters to notices to research tasks, but I wouldn’t delegate anything I don’t know how to do myself. It’s always important to put some context around the task the trainee is being asked to do. Ultimately the idea behind being a trainee is to develop into a qualified lawyer so, if you haven’t been taught the context, how can you develop the skills that you need when you are running the matter yourself?”

“For a supervisor, what you want is a trainee who listens, who is willing to get stuck in, asks questions and is interested and enjoying themselves. Trainees with an open mind set tend to be the ones who fly.”

“There is a definite expectation at Forsters that as a trainee you should try and get involved in as many things as you can. That’s not a particularly daunting prospect as there are so many things to do, from the charity and green committees to book club and choir and the list goes on! The type of people Forsters attracts are those who don’t want to just sit at their desk every day and have no outside experience.”