BBK reviews Armed Forces Covenant – our pledge to support personnel past and present

It’s been nearly seven years since Bolt Burdon Kemp published and signed our Armed Forces Covenant committing to supporting past and present members, and today we review the work we’ve done to honour our pledges.

At BBK we support those in our Armed Forces community through our legal expertise, voluntary work, employment, sponsorship and donations, and our Armed Forces Covenant was written under the principle no member should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen.

Veterans at work

In 2024 we actively sought to employ a veteran in our Military Claims Team and Natasha Mason joined us having served in the Royal Navy for 19 years until medical discharge in 2013. Her experience of various injuries, military life and her legal knowledge enhances the Military Claims Team, BBK and our client experience.

BBK does not believe any person should face disadvantage in the workplace because of their injuries or disabilities whether caused in service or not and we have supported Natasha’s employment including making reasonable adjustments where needed.

In addition, we have provided work experience opportunities to the families of serving personnel who aspire to work in the legal profession. We also support serving personnel on their transition from service to lawyer, and we have registered with the Forces Employment Charity and Forces Families Jobs to share employment opportunities.

Charity support

BBK has supported several military events over recent years as well as numerous charities, including:

• Donations to Centre for Military Justice, Reading Force, Salute Her and Forward Assist;
• Providing meeting space and refreshments at our offices for Reading Force and Help for Heroes;
• Supported, offered or arranged team training to Help for Heroes, Forces Law, SAIL and RBL;
• Attended events with Fighting With Pride, Child International Rights Network, SSAFA, Royal British Legion (RBL), Household Cavalry, Forces Law, Centre for Military Justice and Reading Force;
• Provided pro bono legal clinics for various veterans hubs and support groups;
• Offering support and guidance to Centre for Military Justice through Ahmed Al-Nahhas’ membership of their Advisory Board.

Offering free support

It is not always possible to work on a pro bono basis but we have provided pro bono advice and information in conjunction with Fighting With Pride to assist its beneficiaries in navigating the Financial Recognition Scheme.

Our Military Claims Team provides general free-to-access advice through blog sharing, podcasts and recently through question-and-answer interviews with Force Radio.

All our enquiries are made on a pro bono basis, and we endeavour to give initial advice and guidance to our military clients without any fee.

Under our ‘no win no fee‘ scheme, there are no legal fees to pay if a military claim is unsuccessful, and we offer service personnel and veterans a 20% preferential rate for deductions from damages in no win no fee cases.

Campaigning for the Armed Forces

BBK supports our Armed Forces community in other ways too including promoting the legal rights of those who serve.

This year we have spearheaded a campaign calling for stronger support from Parliament and the Government for women in defence, and BBK continues to champion change for all injured people.

BBK has nominated Rhicha Kapila, Partner and Chief Operations Officer, as the firm’s Armed Forces Champion:  “Serving as the Armed Forces Champion at Bolt Burdon Kemp LLP fills me with great pride. It offers the unique opportunity to stand alongside our courageous service personnel and veterans, ensuring they receive the best support and employment opportunities that they deserve when transitioning back into civilian life”.

Flexible working for all – including reservists

BBK is incredibly proud to lead the field when it comes to flexible working as we aspire to have the very best policy in the legal industry. Our people can work when, where and how they like providing it works for everyone, and they are meeting expectations and achieving their goals and targets. This means our flexible working policy supports all those wishing to take up voluntary opportunities or reserve commitments.

In addition, BBK will pay normal pay for a maximum of 10 days for reserve force colleagues to undertake continuous reserve training once per year and a mobilisation plan will be made on an individual basis, formed with the needs of the service, the business and fully involving the colleague and their unit. We do not have a one size fits all mobilisation plan, it is person-centred and individual.

The future

In 2025, BBK will continue working closely with and supporting various military charities, not only through our legal expertise and sponsorship or donations, but with other expertise including social media support, event planning advice or help drafting grant applications.

Ahmed Al-Nahhas, Partner and Military Group Head, has recently been appointed to the RBL Solicitors Group and BBK aims to enhance the group’s work through social media awareness and wider communications to the community it serves.

BBK aims to offer work experience opportunities or insight days for service leavers or families of serving personnel to encourage more personnel from the Armed Forces community into the legal profession.

We look forward to working with Greater London Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) and building relationships with local cadet and reserve units and continue to proactively demonstrate our forces-friendly working practices internally and to other businesses.

Natasha Mason says: “I am excited to be working at BBK, a unique business that promotes and encourages a flexible working routine that enables everyone to balance their life including any time they devote to charities.

“It has been difficult to develop policies to support reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) when the business is already an exemplar within its market sector for its forward-thinking approach which removes disadvantage for all employees who may have additional commitments.”