Reed Smith (UK) (see LLP) is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA's Rules can be found in its Code of Conduct, available through the following link: SRA Code of Conduct.
The Law Society of England and Wales is the designated professional body for the purposes of the Financial Services and Market Act 2000 (see below) but responsibility for regulation and complaints handling has been separated from the Law Society's representative function. The SRA is the independent regulatory body and the Legal Complaints Service is the independent complaints handling body.
Our lawyers and our offices in France, Germany and Greece are also regulated by regulatory bodies in those jurisdictions.
Complaints Resolution Procedures
We are committed to providing the highest quality of service. If you are a client and you have any concerns or complaints about any of the services we provide to you, we would like to discuss them with you and try to resolve them as soon as possible. Initially, we suggest that you contact the person named as your client relationship lawyer in the engagement. However, if you do not want to do that or if your discussions with that person do not resolve your issues, you should feel free to contact George Brown, a London based partner appointed to assist in this area, at
.
Complaints about a solicitor's conduct may be made to the SRA see www.sra.org.uk for more details. Complaints and redress mechanisms are provided by the Legal Ombudsman: see www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
Insurance mediation activity Reed Smith (UK) is not authorised by the Financial Services Authority. However, we are included on the Register maintained by the Financial Services Authority so that we can carry on insurance mediation activity in the UK, which is broadly the advising on, selling and administration of insurance contracts. This part of our business, including arrangements for complaints or redress if something goes wrong, is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Register can be accessed via the Financial Services Authority website.
Investment transactions Reed Smith (UK) is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA") but we are able in certain circumstances to offer a limited range of investment services to clients because we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. We can provide these investment services if they are an incidental part of the professional services we have been engaged to provide.
Nothing we say or do should be construed as an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activities, nor as advice on the investment merits of acquiring or disposing of particular investments.
Compulsory Insurance
All Reed Smith offices have professional indemnity insurance cover which is in excess of any local compulsory requirements. In respect of Reed Smith (UK) we meet our obligations for minimum insurance cover under the Solicitor's Indemnity Insurance Rules 2009 under a policy held with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe Limited, whose registered office is at Third Floor, Minster Court, Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7YE. This insurance coverage is for claims brought against the insured entity wherever arising and is not therefore subject to territorial restriction.