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05
Nov
Harrogate law firm boss ‘heartbroken’ as company enters administration
The managing director of Berwins has confirmed the “heartbreaking” news that the Harrogate law firm has gone into liquidation.
The Stray Ferret revealed on October 27 that the company, founded by Paul Berwin in 1986, was on the brink of administration.
We subsequently reported it had written to clients saying their case files had been passed on to another law firm.
Berwins did not respond to our calls but today (November 5), managing director Danielle Day wrote on professional networking platform LinkedIn:
It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I share the news that Berwins has entered administration, following the filing of a Notice of Appointment this morning (5th November).
I never imagined I would be writing this. After so many years, it is heartbreaking to see the end of a firm that has been such a huge part of my life, both professionally and personally.
She added:
“The support, kindness and messages of encouragement that both myself and my team have received have been genuinely overwhelming.
“Whilst I know that the end of Berwins is not the end of the journey for many of us, that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier. There is a real sense of loss in closing a chapter that has meant so much.”
Berwins' offices on North Park Road in Harrogate.
'I wish the ending could have been different'
In a LinkedIn post she said she never “expected or wanted to write”, Berwins director Michelle Crowhurst said it was “incredibly sad to see things end this way” and she had “experienced some of the most difficult weeks of my professional life”.
Ms Crowhurst added:
I wish the ending could have been different, but I will not allow the circumstances of the final few weeks to define everything that came before them.
Founder Paul Berwin
The notice of intention to appoint an administrator was filed just a month after Berwins celebrated its 40th anniversary at Harrogate's Cedar Court Hotel.
Founder Paul Berwin and several other directors resigned at the end of last year when the business was sold.
Based on North Park Road in Harrogate, Berwins initially specialised in residential conveyancing — the legal work involved in buying and selling property — before expanding to offer a wider range of legal services to individuals, families and businesses.
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