LawVest launches Riverview brand

LawVest, the holding company created by DLA Piper and AdviserPlus business solutions, has launched Riverview Law as a 'market-disrupting brand' for its services aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

Riverview Chambers and Riverview Solicitors have been set up to carry out the work, backed by a customer service centre on the Wirral. LawVest is to apply to become an ABS later this year.

Karl Chapman, who founded AdviserPlus to provide HR and health and safety advice to SMEs, is chief executive of Riverview Law. He stepped down as executive chairman of AdviserPlus to become chief executive of LawVest in June 2011.

'With Riverview Law we're applying common sense business principles to a market that has been protected from real competition for too long,' Chapman said.

'We have many advantages law firms don't have. We started with a blank piece of paper, we spent time talking to businesses about what they want, and then we designed an operating and customer service model that delivers it '“ top lawyers, legal assistants and customer support people, combined with end-to-end technology and low overheads.'

Riverview Law's customer service centre is based at Bromborough on the Wirral but it will also have a small London office.

A spokeswoman for Riverview said solicitors and barristers working for Riverview Solicitors and Riverview Chambers would be split between the Wirral and London.

She said Riverview planned to open a further service centre elsewhere in England within one to two years.

Andrew Reeves is senior partner at Riverview Solicitors. He helped found Motor Industry Legal Services in 1992, which provides legal services to motor retailers in return for an annual fee.

A number of leading QCs, Richard Lissack, Jonathan Caplan and Stephen Tromans, have said they will work for Riverview Chambers while retaining membership of their existing chambers.