IT lawyers claim new-style law firm

Practice: Nottingham practice sets up network of IT experts around the country

A team of IT lawyers has launched a law firm and associated alliance called 'v-lex' which it calls a 'new concept for the legal profession'.The eight lawyers, one trainee and eight support staff have left Rotherham firm Oxley & Coward - which has built up a reputation for IT work - to form v-lex Limited, which is based in Gateford, north Nottinghamshire.

Four of Oxley's eight equity partners have made the move.The alliance is a network of legal and non-legal IT specialists with whom v-lex has reciprocal arrangements.

The first alliance member is Charles Drayson, formerly a senior associate with Eversheds.

He will practice as Drayson Legal and is separate fromv-lex.

Duncan Campbell, formerly general counsel at IBM UK, and non-lawyer Barbara Diamond, a former director of major programmes at Cap Gemini, are also alliance members.Former Oxley partner Deryck Houghton, now a director of v-lex, said the decision to set up their own practice and incorporate allowed the lawyers to offer the kind of service they thought IT clients wanted.The alliance means v-lex canbuild a geographical and technical spread without having its members on the pay-roll; in any case, the alliance members wanted to work on their own, Mr Houghton added.

The members will share fees with v-lex on matters where they work together.Mr Drayson said: 'For me, the v-lex alliance means that I can practice as a sole practitioner with all the associated benefits and freedoms, and yet be part of something much bigger.'Mr Houghton said the alliance would grow 'at the rate the right people become available'.James Ogley, Oxley's senior partner, said the team had left because its work did not fit easily with the firm's core business of advising south Yorkshire families and businesses.

The firm has retained most of the IT clients due to a dispute over the leavers buying out restrictive covenants and has linked up with Sheffield law firm Wake Smith to service them.

Profitability at Oxley & Coward would probably improve as a result, he added.The firm has set up in Nottinghamshire due to a restrictive covenant in the Oxley partnership deed.

Neil Rose