Alex Murray joined Bermans in September 2023 and is a Solicitor in our Employment team based in Manchester.
Alex is involved in a range of contentious and non-contentious employment work, including guiding employers through disciplinary process and redundancy situations, advising clients in respect of settlement agreements, and preparing cases for Employment Tribunals, primarily in claims for unfair dismissal and discrimination.
His clients are mostly SME’s, but he also works with large national and international companies too.
Alex enjoys playing sport and plays rugby for Sandbach Rugby Club. He also enjoys, golf, keeping keep fit and travelling.
Client testimonials
“I contacted Bermans for support during a very difficult time and the service they provided was excellent, we are extremely grateful. We worked with Alex Murray and he is fantastic, very knowledgeable, professional as well as personable, and has been extremely supportive. I would highly recommend using them.”
– Anonymous
“I contacted Bermans to assist with some employment disputes and worked with Alex for around 3 months. In that time, he has provided me with professional and accurate information and advice. He always ensured to explain legal processes clearly and thoroughly to me, informing me of actions and next steps I was required to take as part of the legal process. Alex always responded very timely throughout and delivered on what he said he would and within the timeframes he advised. He kept me up to date regularly and acted compassionately throughout. I would highly recommend Alex’s and Bermans services to anyone and thank you for all of your support and dedication to my case.”
– Anonymous
“Alex handled my case with professionalism and a very thorough approach. I was kept updated by phone and email throughout the process in a very timely manner and all aspects of the matter were explained clearly and in great detail. I am very happy with the service I received and the outcome and my dealings with Alex made the whole process very smooth and clear. I would happily instruct Bermans in any future legal dealings I may have.”
With the new Consumer Duty coming into force it was something of a surprise to many (including us) that the FCA’s revised rules appeared to in effect extend beyond the usual definition of a “retail customer” as “an individual who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business or profession,” so that for the Consumer Duty regulation by the FCA will also now extend to any customer in a regulated activity, in other words encompassing sole traders and partnerships of 2 or 3 who are business customers in a CCA regulated agreement.
In the recent High Court case of Praetura Asset Finance Ltd v S Line Rentals [2023] EWHC 889 (Comm) the court considered the nature and extent of a Lessor’s common law obligation to mitigate its loss when claiming in relation to a repossessed asset.
Lease Agreements will normally always contain express provisions for Lessors to recover costs incurred against the Lessee in a wide variety of circumstances, and a recent case in the Commercial Court gave rise to a novel argument by a Lessor seeking to invoke the right to claim costs under a contractual provision in a situation where the court had exercised its discretion to disallow some of the costs it had incurred and to award some of the Lessee’s costs against it.
A recent case in the Commercial Court has provided a welcome and rare illustration of a court ruling in favour of the reasonableness of a Lessor’s exclusion clause in a Hire Purchase Agreement.
Bermans, a leading North West law firm, have announced two Partner promotions, which will see Senior Associates, Melanie Morris and Alissa Marsh, become Partners.
Laura McMorland (pictured below), joined Bermans in March 2023 and is a Senior Associate in our Corporate team. We spoke to her to learn more about her and her work.
Bermans have appointed Jon Davage as its first Managing Director. Corporate solicitor, Jon, joined Bermans in January 2012, and has been instrumental in driving the expansion of the firm.
Manchester based Jon, will be spending time across both of the Manchester and Liverpool offices, working closely with fellow board members in both locations, to ensure its staff and clients remain at the heart of everything Bermans do.
We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Property Finance Paralegal to join our Property and Construction team. The existing team is friendly, hard-working and welcoming and we are seeking a like-minded individual.
Start date: Immediate
Location: Liverpool city-centre office
Job Type: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Key duties:
Responsibility for progressing a caseload from start to finish, under supervision and with training from the fee earners.
Making and receiving calls to clients and third parties involved in the transaction.
Responding promptly to requests for updates and information from clients, agents, brokers and introducers.
Preparing banking security documentation for review by the supervising fee earner.
Preparing and / or reviewing contract packs and raising enquiries based on their contents.
Ordering pre-contract and pre-completion searches and reviewing the results.
Drafting and submitting applications to the Land Registry, Companies House and search portals.
Preparing files for completion, including the preparation of completion statements.
Generally supporting and assisting a busy team.
Dealing with files at completion and the post-completion stage.
Skills and experience required:
Proficient use of the Land Registry and Companies House portals.
At least 6 months’ previous experience in property / property finance work.
Demonstrable experience in working diligently towards client deadlines.
Excellent organisation, time-management and communication skills.
A personable and hard-working nature.
3 A Levels in C grade or above (or equivalent).
Salary and benefits:
Salary will be dependent on experience, please contact us for details.