Clients and staff in dark as law firm shuts doors
Simon Thake/BBCAn investigation has begun after the sudden closure of a major law firm left hundreds of staff and clients in limbo.
Sheffield-based PM Law, which runs firms in Yorkshire, Cumbria, Berkshire, Derbyshire and Kent specialising in personal injury, wills and conveyancing, shut without warning on Monday.
One customer said they had been about to complete on a flat sale when they found they could no longer contact PM Law, while an employee said she was left "devastated" by the closure.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said as a result of its initial inquiries, it had taken the decision to "intervene into the group of firms". PM Law has been approached for comment.
The SRA explained that an intervention meant "we take possession of all documents and papers held by the firm, take possession of all money held by the firm (including clients' money), and, where a firm is still trading, close it with immediate effect".
Mick Lunney/BBCAccording to its website, PM Law employed over 600 people at firms, including Proddow Mackay, Butterworths Solicitors, WB Pennine Solicitors and Angela Viney Conveyancing Services.
Several employees reported turning up for work on Monday to discover a notice on the window explaining the business could no longer trade because of "regulatory matters".
Others noticed something was amiss when they were locked out from internal systems.
One member of staff, who did not wish to be named, said there had been no explanation about what had happened or what employees were expected to do next.
"I'm devastated at the way they've treated us," she told the BBC.
"They've not given us the time. Usually in these kind of situations, where a company's going under, they generally put a plan in place. But there's nothing at all. It's just soul destroying."
The woman, who had worked at the office in Shepcote Lane, Sheffield, for more than a decade, said there had been no indication of what was happening.
"We should have been going on a night out this Friday, the building was supposed to be starting refurbishment," she said.
"So, it's not just the staff and clients, [but also] contractors. The domino effect is just massive."
She urged the company to provide guidance to people and advice on next steps.
"There's not even been an apology," she said.
"Lord knows what's happened. It's got to be something catastrophic for it to happen overnight."
Melanie Griffin, from Penistone, in South Yorkshire, said her father-in-law had been going through a complex house sale with WB Pennine Solicitors when they found out about the issues with PM Law via social media.
She said they had contacted their own solicitor to try to transfer her father‑in‑law's files away from the firm but had been unable to contact anyone at WB Pennine Solicitors.
"It's already been a bit of a stressful situation, obviously house moving and everything else," she said.
"We're just hoping for some answers."
'So much on the line'
Cinematographer Joe Hofmann said he had been left in limbo as he tried to buy a flat in Forest Hill, south east London.
The sudden closure of the company has seriously affected people's lives, he said.
"We've been thrown into it, with so much on the line," he said.
A conveyancer he had used previously had recommended PM Law, but he said recent months had seen the company fail to complete tasks and miss deadlines.
He said he was hours away from transferring a huge sum to complete the purchase of the flat, only to find he was unable to contact the solicitors.
To date, he has had no information about what happens next as he, and the property chain he is part of, wait for news.
He is also worried about all of his personal information and documents being held by PM Law.
HandoutThe SRA said it had been inundated with calls about PM Law since Monday.
Sarah Rapson, its chief executive, said: "The sudden announcement from PM Law on Monday that they had closed is troubling news and I fully sympathise with the clients of the firm.
"Many of those involved are buying and selling a house or dealing with personal injury claims. These matters can be stressful enough without the added complication of your solicitor's firm closing during the process.
"While we cannot disclose information about an on-going investigation, we are working quickly to gather all the relevant information and provide answers to those that have raised important questions about their on-going matters with the firm.
"Finally, we also recognise that this is a difficult time for the employees of the firm who have sadly lost their jobs this week."
The SRA said an intervention agent would "contact clients with ongoing matters, prioritising those with the most urgent or imminent issues."
PM Law trades under the following names, according to the SRA:
- PM Property Lawyers
- PM Legal Services
- Lloyd Green Solicitors
- All Your Accidents
- Angela Viney Conveyancing Services
- Proddow Mackay (Conveyancing) Limited
- Gaines & Wilkinson Ltd
- John M Lewis & Co Ltd
- Barrett and Co Solicitors
- Valerie Holmes Law
- OneDome Conveyancing
- Wilsons Solicitors
- PLA Law
- Butterworths Solicitors
- WB Pennine Solicitors
- bridgeview law
- GN Law
- proddowmackay.law
- DAzur Law
- KB Property Law
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