Keeping the code

I am increasingly concerned about the lack of respect or indeed knowledge some of the large firms have for the Solicitors Publicity Code and, more importantly, their attitude to breaches of it.

I take as examples two major infringements over the last year by top 10 UK firms.

In one case, a trade press advertisement stated that the firm was successful in X% of its tribunal cases, in the other, the advert stated it gave the 'best employment law advice in the region'.

Anyone involved in law marketing will immediately identify these statements as breaches of the code, and I cannot believe that my counterparts in these large firms did not do so.

On being notified of their errors, the less than adequate reply from both firms was effectively 'sorry, you're right, we won't do it again'.

This is not good enough, as the adverts had been seen by thousands of potential clients.

Surely it is down to the large firms employing marketing professionals to police the system.

If other firms see this abuse taking place at this level, it will give the green light to all practices for a free-for-all.

I am, however, a generous man, and perhaps should believe that in both cases it was a genuine mistake by my fellow professionals.

If this is the case, I would suggest that top of the Christmas present lists of their marketing departments should be a copy of the code, and a dose of appreciation for their wider role in policing the marketing of legal services.

Mark Dodds, marketing manager, Hegarty & Co, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire