Compliance pages:
These Compliance pages contain information about Bristows, our regulatory status in each location in which we practice, and on how we do business for our clients and interact with third parties.
Legal Status:
Bristows is a legal practice based in Brussels, Dublin and London, and carried on by Bristows LLP and Bristows (Ireland) LLP.
Country specific information:
Belgium
In Brussels we practise through Bristows LLP, in the form of an SRA registered branch (SRA branch number: 658820).
Ireland
Bristows (Ireland) LLP is an affiliated business of Bristows LLP.
United Kingdom
Bristows LLP is a firm of solicitors and operates as a limited liability partnership governed by English law (Registered Number OC358808). All references to Bristows on this website are references to Bristows LLP or to Bristows (Ireland) LLP.
Regulator:
Bristows LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA Number 591711)
Brussels partners are solicitors of England and Wales, regulated by the SRA. They are also either admitted within Belgium to practise as members of either the Brussels Bar List A (Belgian lawyers), List E (EU lawyers) or List B (non-EU lawyers) and are registered with the Flemish Bar, the Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten bij de Balie te Brussel ("NOAB").
Copies of the Order of Flemish Bars (Orde Van Vlaamse Balies) and NOAB’s rules of professional conduct are available on NOAB's website.
Bristows (Ireland) LLP is an Irish partnership of solicitors registered with the Law Society of Ireland (firm number 1262610) and authorised by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority in Ireland to operate as a limited liability partnership (LLP) under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (registration number 1262610) registered with the Law Society of Ireland. The partners of Bristows (Ireland) LLP are all admitted to practise as Irish solicitors.
Our Trade Mark Attorneys are regulated by the Intellectual Property Regulation Board.
VAT Number:
Bristows LLP's VAT Number is GB 243 2048 94
Our Belgian VAT Number is BE 0695 6140 21
Our Irish VAT Number is IE 4177923FH
Professional Liability Insurance:
Bristows LLP has worldwide professional liability insurance. Its primary insurer is Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, One Creechurch Place, Creechurch Lane, London, EC3A 5AF.
Bristows (Ireland) LLP is insured under the rules for Irish solicitors. Its primary insurer is Allianz Global Corporate & Speciality SE.
All lawyers registered with NOAB are additionally covered by professional indemnity insurance provided by NOAB.
Complaints Information:
We endeavour to provide the highest quality service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first instance you should contact the partner who is supervising the relevant matter to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure here. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your matter.
If you are concerned about the way in which we have behaved, you can also contact our regulator, The Solicitors Regulation Authority at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor. In Ireland we are registered with the Law Society of Ireland. Complaints against Irish solicitors are dealt with by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA). The LSRA’s contact details are found at https://www.lawsociety.ie/public/Complaints-against-solicitors.
If we cannot resolve your complaint, for matters relating to Bristows LLP, the Legal Ombudsman may be able to help you. In broad terms, the Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints from members of the public, very small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your matter. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. Please note: A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be made:
- Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint and
- No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
- No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them at:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Insurance Distribution Activities:
Bristows LLP is an ancillary insurance intermediary but is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Bristows LLP is included on the register maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority so that Bristows LLP can carry on insurance distribution activity, which is broadly the advising on, selling and administration of insurance contracts. The Solicitors Regulation Authority regulates this part of Bristows LLP’s business, including arrangements for complaints or redress if something goes wrong. The register can be accessed via the Financial Conduct Authority website at www.fca.org.uk/register.
Third Party Accounts:
The Brussels office does not as a matter of course hold money on behalf of clients. In the event that any client were to ask that money be held on their behalf, this would be held in a client account with the firm’s bankers in London. Interest would be paid on all money held on behalf of clients in accordance with the London Office’s policy, as set out here. This also applies to client money held in Ireland on behalf of its clients.
Price Transparency Rules:
In December 2018, the Solicitors Regulation Authority introduced new Transparency Rules. These rules require law firms regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to publish on their websites their fees for carrying out certain categories of work which they advertise or promote. We do not advertise or promote our capacity to carry out any of the categories of work covered by the rules. Accordingly, we do not publish our fees for those categories of work.
Preventing the Facilitation of Tax Evasion:
Bristows recognises that tax evasion is a major global issue, and is very damaging to the societies in which it occurs. As a firm, it is our policy to conduct all of our business in an honest and ethical manner. We take a zero-tolerance approach to facilitation of tax evasion, whether under UK law or under the law of any other country. We will uphold all laws relevant to countering tax evasion, including the Criminal Finances Act 2017 (“CFA 2017”). We will not tolerate any of our partners, employees, agents, business partners or other “associated persons” (as defined for in CFA 2017) knowingly assisting or encouraging tax evasion by any of the clients, suppliers or others that we do business with anywhere in the world. The firm has a policy, endorsed by senior management, detailing its approach to preventing the facilitation of tax evasion with which all partners, employees, agents, business partners or other associated persons must comply.
Bristows' Slavery and Human Trafficking Statements:
Bristows' Slavery and Human Trafficking Statements
Anti-bribery and corruption laws
Bristows conducts its business with integrity, transparency and fairness. We aim to conduct our business to the highest legal and ethical standards. Bristows has a strict anti-bribery policy which applies to all our people. We will not directly or indirectly engage in bribery or corruption in any form and have a zero tolerance approach to breach, whether it involves private individuals or public officials. We will never accept, solicit, agree to receive, promise, offer or give a bribe, facilitation payment, kickback or other improper payment.
All of our activities are managed in full compliance with this policy and with all applicable legal and regulatory anti-bribery and corruption obligations. We expect our business partners to have similar policies which apply to all dealings with, on behalf of, or involving Bristows.
If you wish to see our Anti-bribery Policy please ask us. If you have any concerns or suspicions we should know about then please contact our Compliance Officer on +44 (0) 20 7400 8199.