T G Baynes

T G Baynes is one of the largest legal service providers in the South East England.

History

In 1895, Thomas Godfrey Baynes established the law firm in Bexleyheath. Some years later Mr Baynes was joined by his sons Norman and Reggie, and in time Norman’s two sons Michael and John joined the firm. These strong links with the Baynes family were maintained until Michael Baynes retired in 1985. The firm’s expansion began in 1915 with the opening of an office in Dartford. Much later, in 1952, the office at Orpington was opened, followed in 1958 by the opening of an office at Welling.

The firm’s continuing expansion saw the opening of an office in Sidcup in 1969, and the subsequent incorporation of other practices including Messrs RLW Rons & Co, Messrs A R Wills & Co, Messrs W H Fowke & Co, Messrs Dowding & Dowding and Messrs Chancellor & Ridley.

In 2001 the firm acquired larger business premises in Bexleyheath. These new larger premises have allowed a centralised expansion to take place, involving the amalgamation of the offices in Sidcup and Welling , both of which have now transferred to the site in Bexleyheath.

In 2004 the firm extended its business to include estate agency, establishing a legal division and an estate agency division.

Current status

The estate agency currently has 4 branch offices located at Bexleyheath, Dartford, Bromley & Welling. There are now two locations where legal and estate agency services are provided from the same building, but in every case the different functions of legal work and property work are dealt with in separate, self contained, parts of the building. There is no overlap in the work of the lawyers and the estate agents.

T G Baynes is currently one of the major legal service providers in the south east.

The firm has attained the quality standard for Investors in People and it has also been awarded the quality mark necessary for public funding work in the specialist areas of family law, clinical negligence and personal injury.

Since June 2004 the firm has held Lexcel accreditation, making it one of the few firms in England and Wales to acquire The Law Society's standard of excellence in practice management, file management and client care..

The firm is included in The Legal 500 amongst the largest firms in the country. It is recommended in The Legal 500 for its work in Commercial Conveyancing, Family Law, PI, Clinical Negligence, and Wills and Probate.

At present, the firm has 19 Partners (11 of these being private limited companies which have been formed by former equity partners); 2 Associates; 27 other fee earners: and there are around a further 100 members of staff.

Notable cases

High profile cases include that of Tracey Kent V the London Ambulance Service. The claim against the London Ambulance Service succeeded. Mrs Kent's case against them was that they were negligent in failing to respond with sufficient speed to an emergency call from one of the doctors. If they had responded with appropriate speed, there would have been no respiratory arrest and no brain damage. The judge awarded her damages of £362,377 including £80,000 general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. The appeal of the London Ambulance Service against the judge's findings against them on liability was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 3 February 2000. As a result of this case, ambulance responses taking longer than 20 minutes are now regarded as unacceptable.