Corporate Social Responsibility

Samuel Phillips Law is passionate about giving something back to the communities of Newcastle and Sunderland where our offices are based.  Each year our team nominates and votes for their charity of choice and we actively engage ourselves in activity to raise the profile and cause of that charity by volunteering, holding events and raising money through whichever initiatives we can.

As a firm we recognise that our success depends upon more than merely being good lawyers and that we hold a wider responsibility for all our activities to our employees, clients, service providers and the broader society in which we operate. Our philosophy is therefore to ensure that as full a contribution as possible is made to our social and local economic development whilst improving the quality of life of all our members of staff. The key components of our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy revolve around our Clients, our People, the Community and the Environment.

In 2023, our nominated charities of the year are:

• Dragonfly Cancer Trust – This charity helps support terminal cancer patients (under the age of 25) and their families. Their aim is to make memories with their loved ones. Our Head of Litigation and Employment Tom Cumming is a Trustee for this charity and will be taking on a trek cross the Sahara later this year.
• St Oswald’s Hospice  – This charity looks after terminally ill children and adults as well as those with life-limiting conditions. As well as providing medical needs they also provide other forms of therapy to fit the needs of their patients i.e. Music Therapy.

Previous charities we have supported include Cancer Research UK, MIND and The Alzheimer’s Society where the team not only raised money but also became Dementia Friends, volunteered on Memory Walks, attended a local research centre to understand more about dementia and Alzheimer’s and took part in the National Cupcake Day.

Additionally, we also support the St Oswald’s Hospice Make a Will Month every June and the MacMillan Coffee Morning every September.   Both of these charities are very close to our hearts.

Our staff are regularly invited to participate in other organisation charity challenges and events.

Samuel Phillips Law is passionate and mindful about corporate social responsibility.  It matters a great deal to us that we give something back to those that may need access to justice but have little means to receive advice, often in very difficult circumstances.

Our Employment Team provides fortnightly free legal advice clinics at Newcastle Citizens Advice on employment and employment-related issues.  We also provide free diagnostic telephone assessments by arrangement.

Our Litigation and Wills, Probate and Trust Teams participate in a scheme organised by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust twice every three weeks at the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospitals, to provide free legal advice to the families of patients in critical care units. Families can ask questions on any area of law and we seek to provide them with the guidance that they need.