Demand sees Harrison Clarke create new dental team
Oct 14 2009 by Tom Scotney, Birmingham Post
Harrison Clark Solicitors has created a legal team to deal with dentistry issues, saying there was a growing demand for legal support in the area.
The Worcestershire law firm has brought in corporate, commercial, employment, commercial property and commercial litigation specialists in response to growing demand from the dentistry sector. It means the firm, which already has an established healthcare sector offering, including services for GPs, now has a dedicated unit dedicated solely to dental care.
The dental services unit, led by partner, Robert Capper and associate, Clare Emery, provides advice for clients from Harrison Clark’s Worcester, Cheltenham and Birmingham offices. Services include refinancing and development projects, contract negotiations with Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and advice on partnership disputes and litigation.
It said the new team brings a multidisciplinary approach to dental services. The team includes head of employment law Richard Green, commercial property specialist Mary Wathen, head of commercial litigation Richard Morgan and corporate law associate Arpinder Dhillon.
Harrison Clark partner Robert Capper said: “Harrison Clark has a long history of working with dental and orthodontic practices, so we understand the business issues currently affecting the sector. In particular, our in-depth knowledge of funding arrangements for dental practices and experience of contract negotiations has helped us to build a strong niche in this area.
“The current funding regime for different types of NHS procedure is expected to change after the recent Steele review of funding services, so dental practices should start to plan now. We expect that some practices will look to expand or perhaps set up additional practices.
“We have also seen evidence that dentists are taking advantage of the benefits that can be gained from changing the structure of their businesses from a partnership to a limited company. Harrison Clark is well placed to provide advice on a range of business issues within the sector, and our new team structure enables us to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for specialist advice.
“The expanded dental services team allows us to offer dental practices an even more focussed service, offering a tailored package of legal assistance across a range of business areas, from purchasing surgery property to dealing with employment issues.”
Harrison Clark employs more than 150 people across its offices in Cheltenham, Worcester and Birmingham.
