St Joseph’s is not a solicitors firm. It is a ‘bespoke’ independent Legal
Consultancy, which provides specific types of services to businesses
and individuals.
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This means that there are certain regulatory limitations on what St
Joseph’s and its Consultants can actually do. For example, we cannot
provide public facing legal advice in relation to reserved legal
activities as specified in section 12 of the Legal Services Act, which
includes the exercise of a right of audience, the conduct of litigation,
reserved instrument activities, probate activities, notarial activities
and the administration of oaths.
All these terms are defined in detail in Schedule 2 to the Act. For more
information about this please visit the Solicitors Regulation Authority
website for further details.
However, we can provide “in-house” legal services to companies
which include the exercise of a right of audience, the conduct of
litigation, reserved instrument activities, probate activities, notarial
activities and the administration of oaths, where one of our
Consultants is appointed as a legal officer or legal director.
We can also provide “agency” based legal services to individuals and
companies which include the exercise of a right of audience, the
conduct of litigation, reserved instrument activities, probate-
activities, notarial-activities and the administration of oaths, where St
Joseph’s enters into an “agency” agreement with a law firm in relation
to a particular project or client. In such instances, St Joseph’s and its Consultants operate under the regulatory umbrella of the firm whom we enter into
such agreements with.
Similarly, we cannot provide any Claims Management Services in our own right as we do not hold a licence and are not regulated by the Ministry of
Justice. The Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2007 set out the specific requirements relating to Claims Management.
However, we can provide “agency” based claims management services. The Ministry of Justice Guidance relating to who needs to be authorised to
conduct Claims Management under the Compensation Act 2006 provides certain exemptions from the acquirement to register and obtain a licence to
become authorised. The particular exemptions which relate to St Joseph’s include:
(a) Legal consultants / practitioners
An exemption exists in relation to legal practitioners acting in the normal course of practice in a way permitted by professional rules to which
the legal practitioner is subject. In relation to St Joseph’s, this would cover “agency” work for a law firm;
(b) “exempt introducer” status
The requirements are set out in detail in the Compensation (Exemptions) Order 2007. Essentially, our primary business is not claims
management, but as a consequence of some of the projects we become involved in there is an element of claims management. Given the size of
such projects “exempt introducer” status would apply in the first instance. Where such projects exceed the threshold for this exemption, we
would then be exempted by virtue of (c) below;
(c) Introducers acting as agents for a business
Where introducers are in effect agents of a licensed claims management business, then, if there is a proper agency contract, such agents are
covered by the claims management business’s authorization. We always enter into proper agency contracts to ensure compliance with the
requirements for exemption.
In the event that St Joseph’s engages in any agency based legal services or claims management services, we will comply with the
regulatory requirements both in respect of transparency with the partner business and also in respect of transparency with the
individual client(s).
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Because we are not a law firm or Claims Management Company we are not regulated directly by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or Ministry of Justice.
We are regulated indirectly where we act as an agent, as described below. However, we have working and practising Solicitors and Barristers who work
directly with St Joseph’s and they are regulated by the SRA in the UK in their own right, or the equivalent body abroad.
In the unlikely event that a client, individual or partner brings a complaint against St Joseph’s, it will be deemed to be a complaint against the person
involved in the specific case. As such if the complaint is about a Solicitor it should be put to the SRA, a Barrister, should be put to the Bar Counsel.
St Joseph’s has sought to import the principles of the Best Practice Code into this business to ensure clients, individuals or partners receive high standards
and have a process for redress if they are unhappy with the final decision of any complaint.
The Data Protection Act
St Joseph’s doesn’t normally collect or hold information which would be covered by the Data Protection Act.
due diligence
Legal Disclaimer
St Josephs Asset Management do not
operate a Membership Scheme.
Please beware of Fraudsters.
© St Joseph’s Asset Management Advice Service, 2021