Two friends who met while studying law through the Open University have launched their own firm to offer legal advice to micro-businesses across Staffordshire.
Kevin Cawley and Keith Davis have teamed up to launch Cawley and Davis from offices inside BusinessLodge Stoke, in Fenton, specialising in legal support for sole traders and small businesses which employ less than 10 members of staff.
The pair have devised a unique subscription service which sees clients make a one-off payment in exchange for unlimited legal advice for an entire year – covering a variety of areas of law including employment, health and safety and GDPR.
Former policeman Keith, who lives in Stafford, said: "Kevin and I met through the Open University when we were both studying for a law degree. We were chatting one day and decided that, because age isn’t on our side, we were unlikely to end up with a job at a mainstream law firm, despite both being passionate about law.
"However, we realised that there was a need for a law company which specifically works with local micro-businesses.
"Legal advice can be very costly, which means small businesses struggle when it comes to things like compliance and employment issues and that is why we want to support them.
"We know that law is a very competitive industry, which is why we were keen to offer something different – our subscription service offering is our USP."
Kevin, who lives in Stoke, has more than 30 years’ experience in the transport sector.
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He added: "We want to fill that gap and offer small businesses an unlimited service for an affordable price – something which isn’t currently available to them.
"We have done a lot of research into this and we know that this is needed and, more importantly, we understand what it’s like to live and work in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
"We can advise on anything from health and safety law to lease agreements and trademark issues, and will make sure our clients are aware of any changes in regulation, and if there’s something we cannot help with, then we can signpost our clients to someone who can."
In addition to the subscription service, Cawley and Davis can provide one-off services for individuals and families in areas such as will-writing, family law and disputes.
The company also regularly posts blogs to offer free legal support and advice to businesses via its website and social media sites.
Kevin added: "The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Chambers of Commerce provide some legal support, but there is nothing like this anywhere else in Staffordshire.
"We want to give businesses the peace of mind knowing that we are on the other end of the phone when they need us.”
Keith said: "It has been going really well for us so far, but now we want to get our names out there and raise awareness of Cawley and Davis and what we do."