Unclaimed Client Balances at the Year End – Could you Help Local People by Working in Partnership with Quartet Community Foundation?

Posted on02 April 2024

As everyone races towards the financial year end, this can be a good moment to check in to see if your company is aware of any unclaimed client assets. If you are, and you’re unsure of how best to allocate them, would you consider donating them to some of the many small, local causes set up to help local people?

I’m happy to tell you that there’s a very straight forward way of doing this, which is to donate these unclaimed assets through Quartet Community Foundation (Registered Charity Number 1080418). For reassurance, if you choose to transfer unclaimed client balances to Quartet, we will provide you with the indemnity required to enable you to meet your obligations under SRA Accounts Rules. As balances are held within a permanent endowment at Quartet, we would be able to repay clients’ monies should that become appropriate.

Several local legal firms reading this newsletter are already using this to give to local causes through Quartet – thank you! - but if you’re not, please do consider doing the same and joining them.

Each year Quartet makes grants to hundreds of charities and voluntary groups across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The groups we support work across a range of areas: from housing, homelessness, mental health and wellbeing to debt advice, young people and older peoples’ support services and climate change. Together, all these organisations help to ensure that our region is one where everyone has the chance to live a healthy and fulfilled life.

Quartet has been a custodian of philanthropic funds and fair grant making for 37 years. During this time, it has earned a reputation as being a trusted and responsible organisation: one that always carries out thorough due diligence on its grant applications, and which uses its expertise to direct giving in a way that achieves maximum impact. Our funds are carefully managed and invested in a responsible manner and our Board is made up of a range of highly thought of professionals from around the region.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this request. Your thoughtfulness in this matter could help to seed long term, positive change in our region, laying the foundations for a better life for people in the West of England.

For further information, please go to our website at www.quartetcf.org.uk or contact Suzanne Rolt Suzanne.rolt@quartetcf.org.uk or Ronnie Brown Ronnie.brown@quartetcf.org.uk and we’d be very pleased to speak to you.

Burges Salmon has been an enthusiastic supporter of BLS for many years. BLS provides a valuable role in uniting and promoting the whole of the legal sector across Bristol to benefit both its members and the city. It facilitates collaboration across the sector to ensure that we can all make a difference. Whether that is driving important initiatives in, for example, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the use of new technologies, liaising with stakeholders and charities in our wider community or providing training to generations of lawyers, the service and support provided by BLS is invaluable. More recently BLS has taken a lead on promoting Bristol’s legal brand, encouraging legal and business services talent to come to the city, which in turn attracts clients and inward investment to our thriving and vibrant commercial community. BLS breaks down barriers and brings those in the profession together for the greater good. We are proud of our long-standing association with BLS.
Roger Bull - Managing Partner, Burges Salmon
Three things to say about my experience of working with Bristol Law Society. Their central team, council members and general hangers-on are just about the nicest, most generous group of people working in the legal sector today. The numerous events, awards, socials and conferences I’ve had the pleasure to attend over the years have been, without exception, top quality and supremely organised. And, thirdly, they consistently exceed and challenge the boundaries of what lawyers might assume a regional Law Society will restrict activities to – from a hugely successful charitable school meals drive to corporate social responsibility and diversity campaigns to being joint architects and coordinators of the region’s unique Bristol+BathLegalTech group, which it has been my privilege to co-chair for the last five years.
Chris Bull - Principal, Edge International
As one of the leading Insurance brokers for law firms in the UK and with a large presence in Bristol it seemed only natural for us to support the Bristol Law Society. Bristol Law Society is one of the oldest and most vibrant of the Law Societies in England and Wales. We are pleased to be working with them on important matters relating to law firms’ liability insurances and Risk Management. From Sole Practitioner to Top 20 law firms we are sure our two organisations can provide excellent support and assistance for the challenges faced by the legal profession.
Matthew Baker - Financial Lines Group, Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd
Joining BLS in 2013 and becoming President in 2018/19 has created many longstanding friendships and business relationships, whilst also unlocking doors to other opportunities in the City. BLS enabled a perfect balance of professional development and also opportunities to give back to the legal and wider community. I am pleased that my Firm has supported BLS in many capacities since 2013 and continues to do so.
Nicholas Lee- Managing Director of Paragon Costs Solutions and Past President of BLS