Complaints procedure for Page White Farrer in the UK

Page White Farrer is committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When you feel that something has gone wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

 

Page White Farrer will only consider complaints that are raised within six months of the act or omission complained of.

 

1. If you have a complaint, please address these in writing to the individual at Page White Farrer handling your work.

 

2. If matters are not satisfactorily resolved, please refer the matter to the relevant Director of Page, White and Farrer Limited. We will endeavour to resolve the matter as soon as possible, and respond your concerns in writing within two weeks of your initial contact.

 

3. If the matter is still not resolved to your satisfaction, please send us a letter of complaint detailing your concerns and addressed to Kelda Style. We will then:

• Endeavour to send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure. We will fully document the complaint and our handling of it.
• Investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to Kelda Style, who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
• She will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. She will endeavour to do so within 14 days of sending you an acknowledgement letter.
• Within three working days of the meeting, she will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions she has agreed with you.
• If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, we will endeavour to send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
• At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another senior director unconnected with the matter at the firm to review the decision.
• We will endeavour to write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.

 

4. If you are still not satisfied we may also offer you the opportunity to involve an independent mediator to assist with resolving the complaint. We will always advise of you right to raise your concerns with the appropriate regulatory body (usually the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPREG) or the European Patent Institute (epi) for misconduct, the Legal Ombudsman for poor service) and we will assist you in contacting the relevant body and will cooperate fully in their investigation.

 

5. If after our investigation and response you are still not satisfied with the quality of service offered, The Legal Services Act has set up the Legal Ombudsman to deal with complaints of poor service. Ordinarily, a complainant must also refer a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within one year from the act/omission complained of; or one year from when the complainant should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint without taking advice from a third party; whichever is later; and generally within six months of the firm’s response providing it. We will confirm the relevant deadline in our response to a complaint made to us. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman generally handles complaints only by individuals, very small businesses, charities, trusts and clubs and associations. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 15870, Birmingham B30 9EB; or by telephone on 0300 555 0333; via the website www.legalombudsman.org.uk or by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

 

6. Alternatively if the complaint concerns a matter of professional misconduct rather than poor service if you remain dissatisfied you can contact the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPREG) at 5th Floor, The Outer Temple 222-225 Strand London WC2R 1BA about your complaint or in some cases (mainly complaints between professionals) the European Patent Institute (epi). Any complaint to the IPREG must usually be made within twelve months of the date of the professional misconduct alleged or your discovery of it but for further information, you should contact the IPREG on 020 7353 4373 or via their website www.ipreg.org.uk or by email to ipreg@ipreg.org.uk