Brachers welcomes clients to new Canterbury office for meetings by appointment

Brachers has demonstrated its commitment to serving businesses and residents in East Kent by officially opening a modern spacious office in the heart of Canterbury.

Having put in place strict hygiene and social distancing measures, the firm is now welcoming new and existing clients for pre-arranged meetings in a COVID-secure environment.

The COVID-19 lockdown saw the planned March opening postponed, but in recent months a reduced staff have been working from the central Canterbury premises. Last week the office opened its doors to clients for the first time, with strict social distancing measures in place.

The office in Watling Street has enough space for 22 lawyers to advise businesses and private clients, two client meeting rooms and a large boardroom. To ensure that the office is COVID-19 secure, plastic screens have been installed in the meeting rooms, while hand sanitiser is located at the entry to the building as well as in meeting rooms, and clients are asked to wear face coverings when visiting. The firm is also operating the NHS Test and Trace scheme.

In response to the recent government guidance, capacity in the office has been reduced to 11 and staff are only working on site when they have a pre-arranged client meeting, or their role requires it.

The office is being led by Partner Lee May who has 19 years’ experience advising businesses, developers, landowners and local authorities. Joining Lee is Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial James Bullock, Private Client Partner Alexandra Gordon who specialises in tax and estate planning, and Employment Partner Antonio Fletcher who specialises in education and the SME sector.

Joanna Worby, Managing Partner at Brachers, said: “In January we celebrated our 125th anniversary – a huge milestone for the firm – and committed to opening our Canterbury office to better serve our clients, who have always been at the heart of everything we do.

“No one could have predicted the events of this year, and our opening during such uncertain times is proof to Canterbury that our commitment has not wavered. It may have taken longer than we anticipated but the wait was worth it.

“While the past six months have required us to be agile and work remotely, we are very aware that some legal services are better done in person. Operating from both Canterbury and Maidstone means we are now perfectly placed to serve our clients across the whole of Kent and Sussex, as well as in London both in person and virtually depending on the need.”

Partner Lee May said: “Brachers’ decision to invest in Canterbury is supported by the city’s strong community of businesses. Now more than ever, it’s important that we can focus on helping our clients navigate the ever-changing laws around re-opening of businesses during the pandemic, and supporting them through challenging times.”

This content is correct at time of publication