Partner Article

Higgs & Sons joins the family

The largest law firm in the Black Country, Higgs & Sons, has reinforced its commitment to providing relevant advice to the regions family businesses by signing-up to the growing membership organisation, Families in Business (FiB).

Higgs & Sons becomes a FiB Approved Adviser in the Black Country under which it provides legal services to family run and owned businesses based in the Black Country and which are working with FiB.

Headquartered in the West Midlands, FiB works with family businesses and professional advisers throughout the UK, providing specialist consultancy services, membership and support.

The West Midlands is home to more than 200,000 family businesses, accounting for almost two-thirds of the region’s privately-owned firms, according to figures from FiB.

“Higgs & Sons is a modern, progressive and forward-thinking firm, with a strong commitment to exceptional client service and technical excellence,” commented Dani Saveker, Founder and CEO of FiB.

“The firms’ teams across corporate and private client specialists work closely with the family business sector and list many of the Black Country’s family firms as clients. It is this understanding of the operational challenges and issues within family firms, the commitment to providing legal advice that matches the specialist needs of a family business and those at their helm, and the values inherent across the firm, which make Higgs & Sons an excellent Approved Adviser for FiB in the region, and we are delighted they have joined the family.

“One of the biggest issues facing family firms today, not only in the Black Country but across the UK, is planning for handover to the next generation who will lead the business,” added Dani, “and the findings of our 2014 Annual Survey indicate that succession planning continues to be a major challenge, the ‘elephant in the room’, for some 70 percent of family firms that we asked. Advice from specialists like Higgs & Sons on this matter alone is something FiB is committed to providing for members.”

Andy Ball, Business Development Director at Higgs & Sons, added: “Higgs & Sons is about family businesses and for us, having a close relationship with FiB is a natural step due to the synergies between us.

“We value long-term relationships and care about obtaining a full and deep understanding of our clients’ needs. Our approach is to recognise that no two clients are the same and we bring together our private and corporate disciplines to ensure that the overall family objectives are met.

“The firm is excited at the opportunity of working with Dani and her team, something we have been undertaking in any event over the last couple of years, as well as continuing to support family businesses across the region.”

“We look for a certain ‘DNA’ within our Approved Advisers,” added Dani, “and it is clear that Higgs & Sons makes their clients a top priority, and the whole team is committed to maintaining strong and long relationships with them, which is vital for a family firm. Family businesses need genuine advisers they can turn to during good and very difficult times, and I have no doubt that Higgs & Sons can and will respond.”

The full findings of the FiB 2014 survey are available in the FiB Annual Guide; FiB members receive a complimentary copy of the Guide and family businesses can request a copy - for information visit: www.fibcommunity.com. For more information about FiB, follow @fibcommunity on Twitter, or contact Dani Saveker, Tel: 07812 99 27 26, Email: dani@fibcommunity.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Families in Business (FiB) .