Staff at Brabners Chaffe Street’s Liverpool headquarters will soon be asked to clear their desks and leave the office for good. But nobody is losing their job. The northwest corporate and commercial law firm is relocating to a landmark grade II-listed building in the city centre.

Horton House, which will become the firm’s HQ in the second half of this year, was empty for 20 years but Brabners’ commitment to take a lease has allowed its owners to bring the building back to life. The project is one of Liverpool’s big regeneration schemes in the run-up to the 2008 European Capital of Culture celebrations.

Established in 1887, the firm has expanded in recent years and staff are proud to work for it, rating this point 79% positive in the employee survey. They feel their jobs are secure (78%) and believe they can make a valuable contribution to the company’s success (75%).

People are kept up-to-date with company news and a dedicated member of staff is responsible for internal communications such as newsletters and e-mails, while managing partner Michael Brabner provides a monthly update himself. All senior managers visit each of the three offices and employees are confident in their leadership skills (a 75% positive score). Brabner himself is evidently a popular figure as staff say they have a great deal of faith in him (also 75%).

An annual staff conference at a hotel in Cheshire is open to all employees. Mixing pleasure with business, the day ends with dinner and entertainment and everyone is offered overnight accommodation. The event takes place on a Saturday, so those who attend get a day’s holiday in lieu. Also oiling the cogs of communication is a biannual staff forum, made up of representatives from each division. It has proved particularly useful if anyone is shy about speaking out on a topic, as they can do it anonymously through their department representative. The forum came out of the annual staff conference; a testament to the fact that people’s ideas are listened to.

The company undertakes pro bono work which has included establishing and advising the Anthony Walker Foundation, named after the teenager murdered in a racially motivated attack in 2005. The foundation’s remit is to promote integration and cooperation between races via music, arts, recreation and culture.

Lots of staff have been with the firm a long time and team relationships are close. Employees say their team is fun to work with (75%) and feel able to be themselves (76%).

Perks include an annual bonus of £200 for everyone, plus a pro rata sum based on salary. This egalitarian approach is intended to make people feel they are sharing the firm’s success. Staff say they are fairly paid relative to other legal firms, the 69% positive score here ranking the firm in the top 20.

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