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Asons Solicitors shuts down!!!

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1Asons Solicitors shuts down!!! Empty Asons Solicitors shuts down!!! Sat 25 Mar - 10:18

Sluffy

Sluffy
Admin

Asons Solicitors promise 'fresh start' as sale to Coops Law is announced

ASONS Solicitors ceased trading today.

The controversial law firm promised a "fresh start" for its employees and the people of Bolton, as it announced that it had been sold to a company called Coops Law.

It also announced that Dr Imran Akram has left the business.  Companies House said it was unaware the firm had been sold and currently has no record of Coops Law.

Asons refused to disclose the identity of the directors of Coops Law or answer any further questions.

In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the firm said that it would honour the terms and conditions of a £300,000 grant it was awarded under emergency powers by Bolton Council last year.

The council says it is unaware of the change in ownership and will seek "urgent clarification" on the matter to determine whether the grant money should be repaid.
A council spokesman said: "Asons has not contacted the council about any change in ownership.  "We are seeking urgent clarification and should the grant conditions have been breached, we will take immediate and robust steps to recover the payment."

It is understood that there is a clause in the grant agreement between Asons and the council which states that the grant can be recovered under certain circumstances should Asons cease to operate.

The Churchgate-based firm, which has taken down its website and Twitter page, confirmed that there will be no job losses and all employees have been transferred to Coops Law.

An Asons spokesperson said: “This is a fresh start for everyone — the employees and the people of Bolton."

Asons Solicitors was founded in 2008, with Imran Akram as its chief executive and Kamran Akram is its principal.

The firm moved into is Churchgate offices, the former home of The Bolton News, last year, having previously been based in Bark Street.

It was revealed in November that the council had given Asons a £300,000 grant to assist with the refurbishment of the town centre site, a decision that was taken in a private meeting that was not open to the press, public, or opposition parties.

Margaret Asquith, the council's chief executive, admitted in January the cash should "probably not" have been granted under the emergency powers procedure.

Last month, the council confirmed that it had received proof of the grant's spending and that the money is recoverable should Asons not continue to employ at least 120 people at its Newspaper House office.

An independent audit into the council's decision to award the grant under emergency powers is being carried out by KPMG and the results are expected shortly.

Asons also recently agreed to pay back almost £70,000 to AXA Insurance after admitting to falsely inflating its legal costs.

Tory leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: "The decision to give Asons £300,000 of taxpayers money was flawed at every level, and if that money now cannot be retrieved, because of contractual loop holes, then someone has to take responsibility."

Cllr Sean Hornby, UKIP group leader, said: "I am happy with with council's response to this news. If there has been any breach of the grant terms, urgent steps must be taken to recover all of the money."

Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Roger Hayes, said that the council should take "every effort" to claim back the grant should the terms have been breached.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/15180242.UPDATE__Asons_Solicitors_promise__fresh_start__as_sale_is_announced/?ref=mrb&lp=9



Last edited by Sluffy on Sun 26 Mar - 0:22; edited 1 time in total

Sluffy

Sluffy
Admin

Bolton law firm Asons ceases trading in 'fresh start'

The Bolton-based firm at the centre of a row over a local government grant has changed hands. In a statement this afternoon the firm said: ‘As of today, Asons Solicitors has ceased trading. All employees have been TUPE'd to Coops Law and there will be no job losses. We can confirm that Dr Imran Akram [former chief executive] has left the business.

‘The new employers will honour the terms and conditions of the grant awarded by Bolton Council.'
An Asons spokesperson said: 'This is a fresh start for everyone – the employees and the people of Bolton.'

Coops Law is thought to be owned by Irfan Akram. Asons’ previous owners were Imran and Kamran Akram. 

Asons, based in the Churchgate area of the city, was awarded a £300,000 grant last year under Bolton council’s emergency powers procedure. This procedure allows the authority to take ‘any action on behalf of the council in any cases of urgency’.

The firm’s accounts show a dispute with the tax authorities also quantified at £300,000 and a loss of more than £1m for the year to May 2015. There is no evidence linking the £300,000 dispute referred to in the accounts with the same sum handed to Asons for the building development work.

An independent audit by accountancy KPMG into the grant is expected.

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/bolton-law-firm-asons-ceases-trading-in-fresh-start/5060420.article

Sluffy

Sluffy
Admin

Companies House show that Ason Estates Limited has three Directors, Haroon, Imran and Irfan Akram.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06102277/officers

Irfan Akram is listed as the sole director of Akram Sons Ltd.

The Annual Return for this company submitted on the 1st Nay, 2015 list three people having share ownership - Haroon, Imran and Irfan Akram.

See (pdf) Filing history link for that date, from this link -

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05429025/filing-history

Irfan Akram is listed as being a director of a number of other companies -

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/kRvOIen-hbIswBxQybACM545FTM/appointments

...including Banks Solicitors Limited - which registered its office address as  40 Churchgate Bolton BL1 1HL on 24 March 2017 - ie yesterday - being the same address as Ansons Solicitors.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10075218/filing-history

Note - Banks Solicitors was previously known as Barclays Abs Limited until the 25th November last year.

Irfan Akram is the sole share holder of YOURCLAIMLAWYER Ltd - see (pdf) Filing History link -

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08027623/filing-history

YOURCLAIMLAWYER moved its registered office address FROM 40 Churchgate Bolton BL1 1HL on the 27th January, 2017 (see same link above).

Another company of which Irfan Akram is sole director and also registered at 40 Churchgate Bolton BL1 1HL, is Chrome Medical Limited -

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09578414/filing-history

All the above information is in the public domain.

Reebok Trotter

Reebok Trotter
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

I wonder if Cliff Morris did due diligence checks regarding the three Musketeers before he handed over the taxpayers money?

karlypants

karlypants
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Clifford and a couple of others need to fuck off now.

It's a complete embarasment all this.

Sluffy

Sluffy
Admin

I'm surprised Labour Party's Central Office at Millbank hasn't been looking into all of this.

If they have then don't be surprised if a number of councillors decide not to stand for re-election the next time around!

karlypants

karlypants
Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse

Confirmed: Company that's taken ownership of Asons controlled by same family that ran the controversial law firm

The company that has taken over the ownership of Asons Solicitors is controlled by the same family that ran the controversial law firm, it has been confirmed.

Coops Law, which is the trading name of Banks Solicitors, is owned by Irfan Akram – who is also listed as a director of Asons Estates and was one of five brothers involved with the running of Asons.

It was announced on Friday that Asons had ceased trading and that all employees were being transferred to Coops Law.

Asons Solicitors was owned by Dr Imran Akram, who Asons confirmed had left the firm on Friday, and Kamran Akram.

Companies House records show that Banks changed its registered address to Churchgate on Friday, having previously been registered at All Souls in Astley Street.

Banks is an alternative business structure (ABS), which is an entity that allows non-lawyers to own or invest in law firms.

The law firm says that it will honour the terms of a £300,000 grant awarded by Bolton Council last year.

A council spokesman said last week that it had not been contacted by Asons about the changes and that it would seek “urgent clarification” on whether the grant conditions had been breached.

In a statement issued on Friday, the firm said: “As of today, Asons Solicitors has ceased trading. All employees have been TUPE’d to Coops Law and there will be no job losses.

"We can confirm that Dr Imran Akram has left the business.

“The new employers will honour the terms and conditions of the grant awarded by Bolton Council.”

The company added that the change of ownership would be “a fresh start for everyone – the employees and the people of Bolton”.

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