A large conveyancer group in serious trouble

K_S

I have been informed today that a large group that operates multiple conveyancing firms (BPL and Beaumont Legal being the most well known of them) are in serious trouble.

If you have any ongoing late-stage transactions with any of the firms mentioned in this article ( https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-concerns-metamorph-owner-15-firms-fails-pay-staff-time ) it might be worth liaising with them for reassurance.

There is no need to worry as such about finding a new conveyancer as usually what happens is that another firm takes over the cases. But depending on what stage of conveyancing you are at, there may well be something you can do.

simon_or

Beaumont! They were sh*te when I used them a few years ago and looks like that hasn't changed.

MrCarrot

The article mentions that they also own Quality Solicitors.  Could anyone tell me whether solicitors in the Quality Solicitors group would be affected by this?  From what I can gather the solicitors in this group operate independently and Quality Solicitors is more of a marketing consortium.

GDB2222

K_S said:

I have been informed today that a large group that operates multiple conveyancing firms (BPL and Beaumont Legal being the most well known of them) are in serious trouble.

If you have any ongoing late-stage transactions with any of the firms mentioned in this article ( https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-concerns-metamorph-owner-15-firms-fails-pay-staff-time ) it might be worth liaising with them for reassurance.

There is no need to worry as such about finding a new conveyancer as usually what happens is that another firm takes over the cases. But depending on what stage of conveyancing you are at, there may well be something you can do.

That article is from 5 weeks ago, and things have moved along further.

"Metamorph director out as new winding-up petition emerges

... A Companies House update states that executive chairman Tony Stockdale ended his directorship on Tuesday after more than six years in the role.

When approached to explain why the notice had appeared and what it meant, the company declined to comment. Stockdale is still listed on the Metamorph website as executive chairman.

Metamorph Group Limited has not filed its accounts for 2020/21, which were due by June this year. "

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/metamorph-director-out-as-new-winding-up-petition-emerges/5114192.article


Although other firms may take over the cases, it's unlikely they have surplus people just sitting around with nothing to do. 

K_S

GDB2222 said:

K_S said:

I have been informed today that a large group that operates multiple conveyancing firms (BPL and Beaumont Legal being the most well known of them) are in serious trouble.

If you have any ongoing late-stage transactions with any of the firms mentioned in this article ( https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-concerns-metamorph-owner-15-firms-fails-pay-staff-time ) it might be worth liaising with them for reassurance.

There is no need to worry as such about finding a new conveyancer as usually what happens is that another firm takes over the cases. But depending on what stage of conveyancing you are at, there may well be something you can do.

That article is from 5 weeks ago, and things have moved along further.

"Metamorph director out as new winding-up petition emerges

... A Companies House update states that executive chairman Tony Stockdale ended his directorship on Tuesday after more than six years in the role.

When approached to explain why the notice had appeared and what it meant, the company declined to comment. Stockdale is still listed on the Metamorph website as executive chairman.

Metamorph Group Limited has not filed its accounts for 2020/21, which were due by June this year. "

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/metamorph-director-out-as-new-winding-up-petition-emerges/5114192.article


Although other firms may take over the cases, it's unlikely they have surplus people just sitting around with nothing to do. 

@gdb2222 The article is indeed 5 weeks old, the purpose of sharing the article was to identify the firms potentially affected. 

However, as you mention, it was only today that I was informed that things have come to a head and they aren't able to progress cases, which is why I shared this bit of info.

K_S

MrCarrot said:

The article mentions that they also own Quality Solicitors.  Could anyone tell me whether solicitors in the Quality Solicitors group would be affected by this?  From what I can gather the solicitors in this group operate independently and Quality Solicitors is more of a marketing consortium.

@mrcarrot Afaik, this is the firm that's part of the affected group https://www.qualitysolicitors.com/

GDB2222

K_S said:

GDB2222 said:

K_S said:

I have been informed today that a large group that operates multiple conveyancing firms (BPL and Beaumont Legal being the most well known of them) are in serious trouble.

If you have any ongoing late-stage transactions with any of the firms mentioned in this article ( https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-concerns-metamorph-owner-15-firms-fails-pay-staff-time ) it might be worth liaising with them for reassurance.

There is no need to worry as such about finding a new conveyancer as usually what happens is that another firm takes over the cases. But depending on what stage of conveyancing you are at, there may well be something you can do.

That article is from 5 weeks ago, and things have moved along further.

"Metamorph director out as new winding-up petition emerges

... A Companies House update states that executive chairman Tony Stockdale ended his directorship on Tuesday after more than six years in the role.

When approached to explain why the notice had appeared and what it meant, the company declined to comment. Stockdale is still listed on the Metamorph website as executive chairman.

Metamorph Group Limited has not filed its accounts for 2020/21, which were due by June this year. "

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/metamorph-director-out-as-new-winding-up-petition-emerges/5114192.article


Although other firms may take over the cases, it's unlikely they have surplus people just sitting around with nothing to do. 

@gdb2222 The article is indeed 5 weeks old, the purpose of sharing the article was to identify the firms potentially affected. 

However, as you mention, it was only today that I was informed that things have come to a head and they aren't able to progress cases, which is why I shared this bit of info.

Personally, I'd be panicking, in that case.

I don't think you mentioned before that  they aren't able to progress cases.

K_S

GDB2222 said:

K_S said:

GDB2222 said:

K_S said:

I have been informed today that a large group that operates multiple conveyancing firms (BPL and Beaumont Legal being the most well known of them) are in serious trouble.

If you have any ongoing late-stage transactions with any of the firms mentioned in this article ( https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/exclusive-concerns-metamorph-owner-15-firms-fails-pay-staff-time ) it might be worth liaising with them for reassurance.

There is no need to worry as such about finding a new conveyancer as usually what happens is that another firm takes over the cases. But depending on what stage of conveyancing you are at, there may well be something you can do.

That article is from 5 weeks ago, and things have moved along further.

"Metamorph director out as new winding-up petition emerges

... A Companies House update states that executive chairman Tony Stockdale ended his directorship on Tuesday after more than six years in the role.

When approached to explain why the notice had appeared and what it meant, the company declined to comment. Stockdale is still listed on the Metamorph website as executive chairman.

Metamorph Group Limited has not filed its accounts for 2020/21, which were due by June this year. "

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/metamorph-director-out-as-new-winding-up-petition-emerges/5114192.article


Although other firms may take over the cases, it's unlikely they have surplus people just sitting around with nothing to do. 

@gdb2222 The article is indeed 5 weeks old, the purpose of sharing the article was to identify the firms potentially affected. 

However, as you mention, it was only today that I was informed that things have come to a head and they aren't able to progress cases, which is why I shared this bit of info.

Personally, I'd be panicking, in that case.

I don't think you mentioned before that  they aren't able to progress cases.

@gdb222 I didn't, because as I work in the industry I'm not comfortable explicitly stating that a large conveyancing firm is on the verge of going bust in a public forum such as this. But since you gave the details and shared a public article about the winding-up petition, I now can

MrCarrot

K_S said:

MrCarrot said:

The article mentions that they also own Quality Solicitors.  Could anyone tell me whether solicitors in the Quality Solicitors group would be affected by this?  From what I can gather the solicitors in this group operate independently and Quality Solicitors is more of a marketing consortium.

@mrcarrot Afaik, this is the firm that's part of the affected group https://www.qualitysolicitors.com/

Yes, but I am not sure whether Quality Solicitors are actually solicitors or just the brand name of a marketing company.

For example, you have Davidson Quality Solicitors https://www.qualitysolicitors.com/davisons who also have their own website https://www.davisons.law/

What I am trying to establish is whether the firms who operate under the Quality Solicitors brand are safe.  I'm assuming they are independent firms who just pay a fee to Quality Solicitors for marketing, leads, etc.

K_S

MrCarrot said:

K_S said:

MrCarrot said:

The article mentions that they also own Quality Solicitors.  Could anyone tell me whether solicitors in the Quality Solicitors group would be affected by this?  From what I can gather the solicitors in this group operate independently and Quality Solicitors is more of a marketing consortium.

@mrcarrot Afaik, this is the firm that's part of the affected group https://www.qualitysolicitors.com/

Yes, but I am not sure whether Quality Solicitors are actually solicitors or just the brand name of a marketing company.

For example, you have Davidson Quality Solicitors https://www.qualitysolicitors.com/davisons who also have their own website https://www.davisons.law/

What I am trying to establish is whether the firms who operate under the Quality Solicitors brand are safe.  I'm assuming they are independent firms who just pay a fee to Quality Solicitors for marketing, leads, etc.

@mrcarrot You're probably right but I've no idea of how they operate. The only firms I know of first hand in that group are BPL and Beaumont.

Flugelhorn

I have used a very good firm of solicitors several times in the past - last year when they were doing conveyancing to their usual high standard I notice that they had added the Quality Solicitors label  - but now I note that they have dropped it, perhaps it was not all that they thought it might be