Mishcon offers Smarta online advice

Mishcon de Reya has signed up to a legal advice helpline, with two of its lawyers giving advice via online business support site Smarta.

It marks a change of direction for the West End firm, which has a large ­private client and litigation client base.

Managing partner Kevin Gold said partner Nick Davis had originally advised on the establishment of Smarta.com.

“We liked it, so we bought into it,” added Gold.

The website is specifically targeted at start-up small and medium enterprises (SMEs), but Gold said: “Who knows what an SME is? On a marketing level the association ;with ;[site founders] Vodafone and Royal Bank of Scotland is great. But more ­importantly, this is about doing our civil duty and not charging for it.”

Gold said commercial opportunities could come out of the venture.

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