I write to announce the formation of The Association of Salaried Partners. The purpose of this organisation will be to support the interests of both former and current salaried partners within the legal profession.

Salaried partners form a unique body of individuals known only to both the legal and accountancy professions. Strictly speaking, ‘salaried partners’ fail to satisfy the fundamental definition of ‘a partner’ within the Partnership Act 1890. Nevertheless, both professions recognise the critical importance of this body of individuals, who constitute a hybrid between a salaried professional employee and a self-employed partner.

At present, there is no accepted code of practice for a salaried partner, nor a standard form of employment contract approved by the legal profession giving each salaried partner fundamental rights against the equity partner(s) - especially when their contract of employment with a firm ceases.

Furthermore, the Solicitors Regulation Authority chooses to impose penalties upon salaried partners when such individuals might be wholly ignorant of what might have been going on within a partnership, especially after their departure. This is certainly in breach of natural justice and probably in breach of human rights legislation.

The purpose of the organisation will be to act as a forum for debate within the profession as well as a lobbying organisation on behalf of its members.

Any past or present salaried partner interested in membership is invited to contact me by post by sending a stamped, addressed C5-sized envelope.James Craddock Solicitor, 9 Bristol Gardens, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 5EA