Cooper sons Hartley and Williams LLP is a modern law firm with a substantial pedigree. We have two offices in Derbyshire and one in Cheshire. We provide legal services for you, your family and your business. Our firm is big enough to deal with a wide range of legal matters but small enough to offer an individual service.
We have been around for a long time. The history of the firm can be traced back to 1850 in Manchester. The Law Society records show the name “Cooper and Sons” was adopted in that year with Charles Cooper, John Cooper and Richard Kelsall Cooper practising together in Manchester. By 1887 Cooper and Sons was on the telephone and had a telegraphic address – “Repooc” Manchester.

In 1925 the firm was known as Cooper sons Marsh and Strange and was in Booth Street in Manchester where it was to remain until 1981. George Frederick Strange lived at George Mansions in Buxton, and in 1936 the Buxton branch of the firm was established. By 1949 Henry Hartley was a partner at the Buxton office. In 1948 the Chapel-en-le-Frith office was set up by George Keith Williams.
Life as a solicitor was very different in those days. Fred Strange decided to open an office in Longnor one afternoon a week. He drove there and left a secretary in charge while he went fishing at Glutton Bridge. If a client came into the office, the secretary would ring the farm at Glutton Bridge and the farmer’s wife would go along the river bank to inform Mr Strange that he was needed back at the office.

The partnership of Cooper sons, Hartley and Williams was established in 1953 by Henry Hartley and George Keith Williams. Both of them had sons, William Hartley and Michael Williams, who also became partners in the firm, so keeping the “sons” tradition. The firm had an office in Manchester until 2002.
In 2020 the partnership became an LLP (Limited Liability Partnership) and also acquired the firm of Woods Solicitors in Disley, so adding a third office.
The business which started in 1850 continues in Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Disley with modern technology and working practices which would astound the original Coopers. There is certainly no time for fishing!

Useful Links

The Law Society
The Law Society represents solicitors in England and Wales.

The Law Society (Leaflet Downloads)

These pages explain how to get help for problems that commonly arise and our plain English guides will help you get the right advice.

Legal Aid Agency
The Legal Services Commission (LAA) works in partnership with solicitors and not-for-profit organisations to help people on low incomes each year access legal advice.

UK Environmental Law Association
UKELA is the UK’s foremost membership organisation working to improve understanding and awareness of environmental law, and to make the law work for a better environment.

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service
Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCTS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). It’s remit is to deliver justice effectively and efficiently to the public.

Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.

The Bar Council
The General Council of the Bar (known as the Bar Council) was founded in 1894 to represent the interests of barristers.

The Home Office
The Home Office is the lead government department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, counter-terrorism and police.

The Law Society of Scotland
The Law Society of Scotland is the governing body for Scottish solicitors.

Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice works to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. They also provide fair and simple routes to civil and family justice.

Directgov
Public services all in one place.

Solicitors Regulation Authority
Details of our regulator

PRIVACY NOTICE FOR CLIENTS AND PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS

Using our Website Privacy Notice

Your information

If you provide us with any personal data while using this website we may use it to provide you with any information or services you have requested.

We may also use it for any other purpose for which you give your consent. For example we may send you additional information about the firm or its services, if you have consented to us doing so.

Data Protection in Respect of Money Laundering Checks

We may receive personal data from you for the purposes of our money laundering checks, such as a copy of your passport. These will be processed only for the purposes of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, or as otherwise permitted by law or with your express consent.

You consent to us retaining such data for longer than the five year statutory period, unless you tell us otherwise.

Terms of Business Privacy and Data Protection Notice

When we have been instructed by you, we will ask you for information about yourself and the work you have instructed us to undertake on your behalf.

We use the information you provide primarily for the provision of legal services to you and for related purposes including:

•  updating and enhancing client records

•  analysis to help us manage our practice

•  statutory returns

•  legal and regulatory compliance

Our use of that information is subject to your instructions, data protection law and our duty of confidentiality.

Please note that our work for you may require us to pass on such information to third parties such as expert witnesses and other professional advisers, including sometimes advisers appointed by another party to your matter. We may also give such information to others who perform services for us, such as typing or photocopying. Our practice may be audited or checked by our accountants or our regulator, or by other organisations. We do not normally copy such information to anyone outside the European Economic Area, however we may do so however when the particular circumstances of your matter so require. All such third parties are required to maintain confidentiality in relation to your files.

You have a right of access under data protection law to the personal data that we hold about you. We seek to keep that personal data correct and up to date. You should let us know if you believe the information we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated.

We have appointed the following Partner as our representative for the purposes of the Data Protection Act:  Stephen Shuff

Data Protection – Your Obligations

If you send us personal data about anyone other than yourself you will ensure you have any appropriate consents and notices in place to enable you to transfer that personal data to us, and so that we may use it for the purposes for which you provide it to us.

Cooper Sons Hartley & Williams Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to our clients.  When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it.  This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings, and to improve our standards.

If you have a complaint, please raise the problem with the lawyer responsible for your matter, or if you prefer, our complaints partner, Howard Carter who is based at our Buxton Office.
What will happen next?
1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within three days of receiving it and give you an indication of when you can expect to hear further from us.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve our complaints partner or the partner in charge of the department dealing with your case reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
3. Where appropriate we will invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint or offer to discuss it with you by telephone.
4. The person investigating your complaint will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his/her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.

5. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another partner to review the decision.
6. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
7. If we have to change any of these timescales we will let you know and explain why.
8. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.  Note that the Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations unless they are below certain size limits. Further details are available from the Legal Ombudsman.
9. If a complaint cannot be resolved you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant.