Solicitors with HSBC shares have indicated that they will attend the bank’s annual general meeting next week to voice concerns over its conveyancing panel policy.

The Law Society has set up an email address for solicitors considering attending so that they can be kept up to date with the Society’s planned approach to issues around the panel.

The address is: hsbcagm@lawsociety.org.uk.

Speaking at the President and Secretaries conference last Friday, Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said: ‘If there are solicitors who are shareholders they may want to consider attending the AGM.’ He said the mailbox will be ‘collating information’ that solicitors may find useful when formulating questions.

The AGM will be held at 11:00 on Friday 25 May at the Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, London, EC2. The deadline for resolutions has passed, but shareholders still have the opportunity to attend and ask questions, and can appoint proxies to attend until 23 May.

The AGM notice states that questions should be submitted using the form with the notice or via email.

It adds that submitting a question in advance of the AGM will not preclude shareholders from attending and speaking at the AGM.

The Law Society’s concerns stem from HSBC’s introduction in January 2012 of a panel containing only 39 solicitor firms and four licensed conveyancing businesses to provide legal services to residential mortgage customers. The Society and conveyancing solicitors have said that the small number of firms on the panel restricts client choice and is causing delays to the conveyancing process for clients with HSBC mortgages.

The lender said that the move was prompted in response to Financial Services Authority’s recommendations for tackling mortgage fraud. It said the panel arrangements and the fixed fees charged would benefit customers.

HSBC also said that the panel, managed by Countrywide, is not closed and that firms can apply to join it.

After the announcement of the panel, the Law Society considered buying a share or shares in HSBC in order to raise its concerns at the AGM, but it did not do so.

Instead it has it sought to raise awareness of the impact of HSBC’s policy by contacting MPs and government ministers, and calling on all solicitors to write to their MPs about the issues. It has met senior HSBC representatives and raised the issue with consumer group Which?

In addition, the Society says it has ensured that no Law Society funds are placed with HSBC or any member of the HSBC group.

The Society has prepared a campaign toolkit to help solicitors lobby. Further details and the toolkit can be found at the Law Society site.