Palmer Wheeldon signs up for employee hotline

A LAW firm has teamed up with its local chamber of commerce to encourage companies to sign up to a free legal advice hotline for employees.

Small to medium size companies are being targeted in the scheme, believed to be unique, run jointly by solicitors Palmer Wheeldon and the Cambridge and District Chamber of Commerce.

Under the deal, the Cambridge Chamber is encouraging its members to join the LawNet Helpline, the 24-hour legal advice hotline set up by the solicitors' network last year.

Cambridge companies are able to subscribe to the line which can offer their workers free legal advice from a solicitor or barrister on the LawNet advice line.

Cases are then referred to Palmer Wheeldon, the Cambridge member of LawNet, which offers a free half hour interview with a solicitor.

Palmer Wheeldon managing partner Ian Mather says the firm had already signed up some large companies to the network, but had joined forces with the chamber in a bid to target smaller firms.

"What we get out of it is an increase in our client base. We're getting referrals at the rate of three or four a month from LawNet card holders, and some of them turn into fee paying clients," he says.