Modern slavery statement

This statement is made by Horwich Farrelly (HF) pursuant to Section 54, Part 6 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of human rights. It is a term used to encompass slavery, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking. This statement sets out the steps we have taken to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in our supply chains or in any part of our business.

HF is a Limited Company (13200208) operating across 10 locations in the UK. We currently have one office in Ireland. It is a law firm authorised and regulated by the following regulators: Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA): 817849, The Law Society of Northern Ireland: 1620, The Law Society of Scotland: 58207 and The Law Society of Ireland: F10443. HF is a recognised market leader in general insurance claims handling and legal services, and its expanding portfolio is designed to match the needs of a rapidly evolving marketplace. The company has grown to become a leading provider of legal and claims solutions to the London, UK and international insurance markets – including speciality lines such as aviation and marine insurance. Complementing this we provide a broad range of specialist services to businesses acting on behalf of SMEs, PLCs and everything in between. Our role as a trusted adviser is valued by our clients, who comment that our tailored approach is second to none. More about what we do and our values, including our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility, can be found on our website.

HF’s English and Welsh legal work is under Horwich Farrelly Limited (HF Limited). Scots legal work is under Horwich Farrelly Scotland LLP (HF Scotland), which is owned by and operates in association with HF Limited. Northern Irish legal work is under Horwich Farrelly Northern Ireland LLP (HF Northern Ireland), a limited liability partnership registered in Northern Ireland which is owned by and operates in association with HF Limited. Irish legal work is under Horwich Farrelly Ireland LLP (HF Ireland), a limited liability partnership registered in Ireland which is owned by and operates in association with HF Limited.

We have a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of modern slavery and are committed to preventing acts of modern slavery from taking place within our business and within our supply chain and expect this high standard to be adopted by our suppliers also. We as a business are aware of our responsibilities as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and actively monitor the risks that modern slavery poses to both our business and that of our suppliers.

We consider the firm itself to be relatively low risk in relation to modern slavery, given the sector in which we operate. As a law firm our supply chain is limited to general business suppliers such as stationers, cleaners, recruiters as well as expert witnesses and Counsel who support us in the services we provide to general insurance clients, SMEs and household names

A number of our suppliers are regulated individuals who are required to abide by their own codes of conduct, for example, the Bar Council.

We carried out thorough due diligence on a supplier in South Africa to outsource pre-litigation work. No concerns regarding modern slavery were raised during the due diligence exercise.

Our responsibilities under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 are incorporated in our firm’s policies and are included in our risk assessments of our own business and that of our clients and suppliers.

Our policies and procedures include due diligence processes that cover ethical and sustainable trading, ensuring that our business relationships do not support modern slavery. As a supplier of legal services we work alongside our clients to complement their processes regarding transparency in the supply chain in addition to raising awareness amongst our suppliers and ensuring they comply with our high standards.

Our employment, recruitment polices and pre-employment screening processes ensure we adhere to all relevant UK employment legislation, including right to work checks and national minimum wage legislation.

Any reports or concerns with regards to modern slavery should be raised with our Risk & Compliance Team. We ensure our people can access and report any issues through our whistleblowing and grievance procedures and all colleagues have access to a confidential employee assistance helpline, where they can discuss work or personal matters. We will treat any report of apparent modern slavery seriously and will take appropriate action, where necessary.

We will use our internal and external newsletters to support our work on transparency in the supply chain and communicating our activity to all key stakeholders.

Further training is provided to those employees in the supply chain to ensure they are fully aware of the risks and obligations surrounding modern slavery.

HF is committed to responsible business practices and our Corporate Social Responsibility policy is integral to supporting the culture and ethos on which we were founded.

This statement will be reviewed annually and made available on our website.

This statement has been approved by the Board of HF.

Ronan McCann

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner

May 2024