Companies now have, potentially, a million reasons to become members of the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.
Part of the membership package now includes £1m worth of legal expenses insurance per year for businesses to cover the cost of representing themselves should they become embroiled in certain legal disputes.
A business can benefit from £100,000 per claim up to a maximum of £1m – with no excess – across the following areas of cover:
- Employment disputes: Defending actions brought by employees, including unfair dismissal and discrimination claims.
- Employment awards: Cover for employment tribunal awards.
- Prosecution defence: Defending a criminal prosecution relating to a business, including HSE prosecution.
- Tax, VAT and HMRC investigation: Defence of a dispute arising out of an in-depth HMRC investigation.
- Licence protection: Appealing against a decision to suspend, alter or revoke a statutory licence or registration.
- Data Protection Act: Defending civil proceedings brought against a business under the Data Protection Act.
- Property legal protection: Enables a business to pursue legal rights arising from negligent acts of others affecting their property.
- Landlord disputes: Representing a business’ interests in disputes with landlords over the business lease or tenancy agreement.
- Jury service allowance: Payment of £100 a day up to a maximum of £1,000 per claim to compensate for the loss of an employee attending a court or tribunal.
It also extends to cover for a company’s employees:
- Personal injury cover: Legal expenses cover for all employees and their partners to pursue compensation if injury has arisen where someone else is at fault.
- Motor legal expenses cover: Following a non-fault accident, recovery of any policy excess, a replacement vehicle, management of repairs and assistance with any personal injury sustained.
In addition, companies can also take out the ‘Optional Enhanced Cover’ package which offers the following:
- Contractual disputes: Legal costs associated with pursuing or defending a dispute relating to a contract entered into by the business for the purchase, hire or sale of goods and services.
- Debt recovery: Legal costs in respect of money and interest due from another business for the provision of goods and/or services, professional fees and dishonoured cheques.
- Restrictive covenants: Legal costs incurred as a result of pursuing a claim against an employee or ex-employee who is in breach of a restrictive covenant.
“We’ve always thought that Chamber membership represented excellent value for money and this is another example of the benefits on offer to companies,” said Babs Murphy, the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive.
“Legal cover to this extent is something which we believe is an attractive proposition to companies of all shapes and sizes.”
Details on how to join the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce are available online at http://www.lancschamber.co.uk/membership/ or by ringing 01772 653000.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the legal cover should contact the 24/7 Chamber Legal Advice Line on 02921 157571.
It also offers unlimited, telephone-based advice to support companies whenever they have a legal, employment, HR or tax query.
If anyone has a question about their cover or would like a quotation on the Enhanced Cover, they should call Composite Legal Expenses on 029 2034 9610.
