A leading HR & Employment Law company is being recognised for its innovative approach, after being short-listed for another prestigious award.

Precept, based on Mansfield Road, is redefining the industry by committing to challenge traditional legal practices and deliver tailored solutions that truly meet client needs. Their nomination for ‘Disruptor of the Year’ highlights their success in achieving this. 

The law firm won ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the 2023 East Midlands Business Masters Awards which was a fantastic achievement for the firm, as the company was less than five years old. 

Emma Tice, Head of HR & Employment Law at Derby-based Percept, was also shortlisted in the HR Leader category of the Business Desk Leadership Awards earlier this year.

She said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be nominated for Small Business of the Year last year, and even happier to take home the award.  It was brilliant to have that external recognition that as a business we are everything we are trying to be, and doing it so well.

Receiving the nomination for Disruptor of the Year is especially meaningful to us this year, as it validates our commitment to challenging conventional practices in law. 

This recognition embodies our mission of “doing law differently” which basically means that we are continually looking to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible in our field.  

We have always sought to do this but we have had a renewed focus on this since we formally worked up and introduced our mission statement and brand values less than 18 months ago.”

She added: “We are just so incredibly proud. After working in conventional law firms, Rob initially launched the business to break away from the norm, and I soon joined him in that mission.  

This is something that we all feel very passionately about at Precept.  Rob and I have really tried to push the boundaries at Precept, in order to deliver first-class service in an approachable and friendly way with a bit of fun thrown in and to create the business that people really want to work in.

“This award is a testament to the success we’ve had in disrupting the legal industry.  We have attracted both clients and staff from more traditional firms, who are excited to embrace our fresh approach and join us on our mission to “do law differently”. 

“We were both tired of hearing ‘no’ from marketing departments and being told our ideas weren’t ‘corporate enough.’   

“But deep down we knew that there was a huge number of clients who didn’t want that corporate, unapproachable, pinstriped suit version of a lawyer.  They wanted someone relatable, who lived in the real world, who could really align with them, and have a giggle and build long-pasting partnerships on the way.

Now, we’ve built a business that truly reflects who we are, and we couldn’t be prouder. There’s a real sense of family here, and everyone is passionate about seeing the business and each other thrive.”

She concluded: “I can genuinely say that here at Precept we are just a happy bunch, who love what we do, love each other and we all want to continue to disrupt the legal sector by pushing the traditional boundaries.

We’re especially excited to welcome back Robyn Smith, who rejoined us fully last month after her maternity leave, just in time to celebrate this incredible achievement with us.”

Rob spent 20 years working for Flint Bishop before setting up Percept in 2019 with Alan Watson, Executive Chairman and Owner of the Barron McCann group of companies. The pair have been friends for several years.   

Since opening in 2019, Rob Tice and his wife Emma Tice have expanded their team by welcoming six new members, including recent hires Kim Ager, head of HR Services, and Mark Honeybell, head of Client Services.