About the Small Firms Network
What we do
We give members the opportunity to:
- discuss issues of concern
- make their views heard
- network and connect with peers
The Small Firms Network supports engagement with sole and small firm practitioners.
What you'll benefit from
- Up to five flagship management and leadership conferences, with thought-provoking content and practical discussion
- Seven topical webinars including topics on:
- Three training courses on best practice in:
- PII renewals
- managing regulation and compliance requirements
- mental health and wellbeing
- A dedicated small firms hub that gives easy access to news, information, events and a range of resources to support your regulatory and business needs
- An online peer support network for small firms, Law Society Connect
- Bite-sized content series aimed at solicitors practising in property, private client and civil litigation
- 30 minutes free research from our library's remote enquiry service
- 10% discount at Six Clerks restaurant and bar
- Financial Benchmarking Survey
How to join
Membership is free and there's no registration or enrolment process.
You're automatically part of the Small Firms Network community if you're a solicitor in a one-to-four partner firm.
Sign up to My LS
My LS gives you the latest news, events and resources relevant to your interests.
You can follow the Small Firms Network in My LS and receive our newsletter by:
- using the green sign-up button at the top of this page, or
- adding 'small firm' or 'sole practitioner' to your favourite My LS topics
Meet the Small Firms Network committee
Our committee promotes the interests of the community and helps us provide effective support for solicitors working in the sector.
Parvien Akhtar (vice chair)
Parvien is the founding director of Bright Legal Solicitors in Leicester.
She qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and has over 20 years' experience in litigation.
In addition to running her practice, Parvien is involved in property development and investment. Parvien is also a committee member of the Leicestershire Law Society.
Samuel Bass
Samuel is a solicitor associate at Newfields Law who manages its government contract work.
As an immigration and public law specialist, Samuel has been recognised as a Rising Star and Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500.
He has a longstanding commitment with Asylum Justice, providing pro bono advice and assistance to vulnerable clients.
Samuel is an associate lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University and has been appointed to the membership experience group of the Law Society's National Board for Wales.
Nazmin Choudhury
Nazmin, born in London but of Bangladeshi heritage, is one of the first to attain a law degree in her generation from that heritage.
After qualifying in 1992 and working for renowned firms, she set up NC Law in 2010 – a few doors from her father's restaurant, which is named after her. The practice deals with conveyancing, commercial and residential, civil litigation, and wills and probate.
Nazmin is zealous about the rights of sole practitioners, especially their exclusion from many lenders' panels.
Nazmin is passionate about travel, women's rights and her heritage in Bangladesh. She travels to Bangladesh regularly, where she carries on her late father's prolific charity work.
Priya Dhokia
Priya is a partner, head of family and private wealth at Freedman Green Dhokia, a boutique law firm.
She specialises in family law and has considerable experience in private international family law.
Priya advises on complex cases, often with an international dimension, generally for high-net worth clients, involving complex offshore trusts, tax issues and corporate structures.
Priya has over 11 years' experience as a partner in a small firm and has a keen interest in supporting the legal community.
She is a member of Resolution, an association of specialist family lawyers committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes.
Jennifer Dougal
Jennifer is the head of operations at Hudgell Solicitors, a legal firm specialising in areas such as medical negligence, personal injury and accidents abroad.
After qualifying as a solicitor in 2009, Jennifer spent 10 years leading operations as a member of senior management teams and at board level within firms of various sizes (including private equity-backed firms). She has successfully led and implemented transformational changes.
Jennifer specialises in all areas of personal injury, but has a particular interest in niche high-value work.
Anthony Earl (chair)
Anthony is a solicitor-director at Earl and Crocker Solicitors, a general high street practice he has managed for over 20 years. The firm has three offices in Cornwall.
Anthony specialises in commercial and residential property.
He was Cornwall Law Society president in 2015/16, and president of the Association of South Western Law Societies for 2017/18.
Emma Egerton-Jones
Emma is an award-winning solicitor and founder of Egerton-Jones Consulting.
She is a highly regarded consultant specialising in client experience and business development for legal services.
Emma is committed to supporting law firm owners. She is driven to ensure strategy coaching and business development training is accessible to small firms nationwide via her business, the Legal Development Hub.
She is passionate about upskilling junior lawyers, access to law and wellbeing in the profession, regularly donating her time to these causes.
Donna Goodsell
Donna is the director of Goodsells Family Law, a boutique family law practice established in Clapham in 2009. She has over 25 years' experience as a family law solicitor.
Donna sits on the Resolution Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Dispute Resolution committees.
She is a Resolution-accredited specialist in complex financial disputes and children law.
Shazia Khan
Shazia is a recognised leader by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 in the field of employment law.
She has over 20 years' experience, having dedicated her legal career to fighting for employee rights and litigating discrimination claims.
Having worked at a medium-sized and a Top 20 national firm at partner level, Shazia co-founded Cole Khan Solicitors LLP in May 2021, a boutique firm located in Chancery Lane, specialising in employment law and professional discipline.
The firm established itself as a key player in the employee and senior executive market, and was featured as a new entry in the Times Best Law Firms 2023.
John Moreland
John has a multi-disciplinary contentious practice at a Legal 500 high street firm in Kent.
His practice largely consists of publicly funded work, with a particular emphasis on criminal defence.
John is a firm believer in the high street law firm model, and is passionate about promoting access to justice for people on low and medium incomes.
Nick Woolf
Nick is the director of Nicholas Woolf & Co, a niche international commercial and family law practice in Chancery Lane formed in 2011, specialising in shareholder, director, partnership and estate disputes.
Nick has over 40 years' experience in small firms or as a sole practitioner.
He is a member of Resolution, Proceeds of Crime Lawyers' Association (POCLA), Professional Negligence Lawyers Association (PNLA) and on the executive of the Sole Practitioners Group (SPG).