Simon Bladen
Partner, Sheffield
Simon is the partner responsible for looking after the firm’s legal and charitable clients in particular, although he also holds a general practice portfolio. He trained and qualified at Hawsons before becoming a manager and subsequently a partner at the firm. He has a wealth of experience within the legal and charitable sectors and acts for both corporate and non-corporate clients.
Despite the fact Simon supports Tottenham Hotspur he is actually a keen footballer and, when he’s not playing, he enjoys keeping fit in the gym. He has a son and a young daughter who both keep him occupied most evenings.
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Simon’s recent articles
Law firms increase borrowing during COVID-19
During the course of the Covid-19 pandemic law firms have borrowed nearly £700m via the government's various Covid-19 support schemes. Research conducted by Hazlewoods, a firm of chartered accountants within our HLB International group showed that UK law firms...
The Charities Bill
What is it? The Charities Bill was drawn up to simplify a number of processes to assist charities needing to consolidate and/or restructure. The Bill will implement the majority of recommendations made by the Law Commission in its report published in 2017. It will do...
How to ensure your charity remains sustainable?
Introduction The Oxford English Dictionary describes the term sustainability as; ‘able to be maintained at a certain rate or level’. For a charity, being sustainable involves a great deal of forward planning and preparation for the future. One of the core fundamentals...
How can charities maintain public trust?
In recent years charities have often found themselves featuring in negative headlines on a somewhat regular basis. Unfortunately, it’s very easy for charities to all be tarred with the same brush. These negative stories often result in individuals losing faith or...
SRA plan to form independent team to evaluate enforcement quality
The SRA is planning to create an internal independent team to monitor and evaluate the quality of the disciplinary policies and decisions the SRA has put in place. This proposed new team will work at a distance from SRA operations and will maintain and prepare quality...
How has Brexit impacted the legal sector?
Since the UK officially left the EU on 1 January 2021, stories about the impact of Brexit on the legal sector have not been a prominent feature in the headlines. The initial response to the deal from many legal professionals was mixed, albeit with a general feeling of...
ICAEW Publish Updated Guidance on SRA Accounts Rules
The SRA Accounts Rules were last updated in November 2019 and are now more condensed with the focus shifting from prescriptive rules to principles-based regulation. The ICAEW’s Audit and Assurance Faculty have now released TECH 01/21 AAF which provides the latest...
Two Promotions at Hawsons Doncaster office
The Partners of Hawsons are pleased to announce two new promotions at the firm’s Doncaster office. Effective from 1 April 2021 Dan Wood is promoted to Partner and James Snipe to Audit Manager. Dan WoodDan trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with...
New Grant Funding Available for Charity Retailers
Charity retailers can now access up to an additional £9m in grant funding if certain criteria are met. This is due to the government lifting the allowance limits previously capped by an outdated EU ruling. The Charity Retail Association and Charity Tax Group had...
Charities and Fundraising During Lockdown
Recent research including nearly 250 charities conducted by Pro Bono Economics (PBE), the Charity Finance Group, and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising found that in the weeks leading up to Christmas charities lost out on more than £200m of fundraising income....
Rebrand 2021 | When better than now?
Hawsons are delighted to introduce our new rebranded logo. The sleek design fits in with the image we aim to give our clients and connections, of a professional, high-quality multi-disciplinary Accountancy and Business Advisory Firm. Our new brand incorporates our...
SRA Penalise Firms for Breaking Transparency Rules
In December 2018 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) brought in the transparency rules. Firms were required to publish price and service information for particular services on their website. These rules were brought in by the SRA to ensure potential clients had...
Court Ruling Confirms Insurers Must Pay Many Small Businesses for COVID Losses
The Supreme Court has ruled largely in favour of small businesses receiving payments from business interruption insurance policies. These payments are to cover losses from the first national lockdown. This news will be a relief to many small businesses that may need...
Chancellor Announces New Grant for Businesses
The Chancellor has announced a new one-off top-up grant which will be available for businesses in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors. The grants will be worth up to £9,000 per property. This grant is available on top of business rates relief and the furlough...
How Will Brexit Affect the Legal Sector?
Who would have thought that as we enter the final stretch of 2020 the UK is yet to agree on a trade deal with the EU? Even though a deal has not yet been agreed the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed that some changes will definitely happen no matter...