When London Notary Matthew Pryke was quoted in a Sunday Times article on Intellectual Property for entrepreneurs, many clients of MD Pryke Notary Public LLP were surprised to learn that Matthew’s legal expertise stretched further than Notary matters.

As well as being a fully qualified Notary Public in London, Matthew is also Head of Commercial and IP Law at Wallace LLP.  A position that has brought him to the attention of the London public once more with the publication of the current edition of the Legal 500.

Readers who are interested in what a Notary Public London gets up to when not dealing with notarial matters can find the article here: http://www.legal500.com/firms/3446-wallace-llp/offices/543-london.  In short, the article recommends Matthew for his ‘consistent, proactive advice’ for clients such as Models1, Costcutter and Lovebox Entertainment.

Matthew says, ‘To be recommended in the Legal 500 is obviously flattering, but whether I am operating as a commercial lawyer or in my role as a Notary Public in London, I always aim to deliver a clear sighted, jargon free service to my clients.  The key is to explain the relevant options and procedures and advise them on how to achieve the best results for their business.’

For further information on the role of a Notary Public in London or for Commercial and IP advice please contact Matthew through the usual channels or call him on 0207 636 4432.

Legal 500

As part of our Notary Public London campaign to explain all aspects of the Notary Public business in clear, jargon free terms, today we’re going to examine the historic roots of the ‘scrivener notary’.

The term scrivener originally referred to a writer or scribe.  Unlike a Notary Public in London today, their job was simply to transcribe the spoken word accurately, most often in the service of kings or noblemen.  Indeed, Notaries first appear as members of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners in 1382, to mark the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the appointment as a Legate of the Pope.

Notary Public London is a term with which many are familiar today, and in this medieval incarnation of a Notaries Public, London was indeed the only city in which they were licensed to practice, and their remit extended mainly to the overseeing of property transactions.

The word Notary was later introduced to the suffix of scrivener to underline the fact that the role of a Notary Public in London was no longer merely to record various transactions in an age of widespread illiteracy, but also to verify the authenticity of the transaction.  Even today, a Notary Public in London (or elsewhere for that matter) has a duty of care to the transaction itself, rather than to their client as is the case in other areas of the law.

For further information on either the historic role of a Notary Public in London, or for details of the services provided by MD Pryke Notary Public LLP, please contact us via the usual channels.

A Notary Public London to Cambridge Bike Ride took place on Sunday 12^th September, in aid of the children’s charity Honeypot.  Matthew Pryke, a Notary Public in London took part in the ride, personally raising over £1500 for Honeypot.  The course was 65 miles long and started at Finsbury Circus.

Matthew says, ‘The Notary Public London to Cambridge bike ride was a great success.  We were blessed with good weather and raised a substantial amount for Honeypot which is the official charity partner of MD Pryke Notary Public LLP.

‘Honeypot do amazing work, helping children who act as carers to parents and other family members.  As a Notary Public, London to Cambridge represents a fair distance to cycle but the efforts displayed by the Honeypot team every day truly put this in perspective.

‘The official total for the Notary Public London to Cambridge bike ride is not yet known.  The event raised £30,000 in total last year so I am optimistic we can beat that in 2010.’

Matthew is well known as a Notary Public London who undertakes charity expeditions, and last year led an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Honeypot, so does he plan any further events?  A Notary Public London to John O’Groats bike ride, perhaps?  Or a Notary Public London to Land’s End expedition?

‘We don’t have any plans as yet,’ says Matthew.  ‘But we’re always interested in any fundraising events for Honeypot.  If anyone has any strong ideas I hope that they will contact me via my website or on 0207 636 4422 with any interesting projects.’

Notary Public London, Matthew Pryke is also Head of Commercial and Intellectual Property Law at Wallace LLP.   Matthew featured in an article on Trademarks for the Sunday Times last weekend, and since then our switchboard has been inundated with calls from entrepreneurs and small business owners requiring a price list for Trademark applications.

Notary Public in London, Matthew Pryke, has produced this guide to Trademark application fees.

‘To make an application for a UK trademark will cost £200 for a single class of goods or services, and £50 for each additional class.

‘A ‘Class’ is defined as an area of operation.  So, for example, as a Notary Public London, when I applied for a Trademark to conduct the business of legal services it cost me £200.  If I wished to extend the Trademark application to cover, say, MD Pryke Notary Public LLP window cleaning services, it would cost me a further £50 to protect my trading name in this different (and highly improbable) area of operations.

‘As a Notary Public London I am not licensed to trade in a foreign country, but should a business wish to conduct trade across the EU, they would require a Community Trade Mark application which costs 900 Euros for up to 3 classes of goods and services, and 150 Euros for each subsequent class.

‘Of course, these prices indicate merely the cost of physically applying for a Trademark so expect to pay legal fees in addition to this figure.   These can vary widely but we suggest budgeting £1000 per application.

‘A Community Trade Mark will take approximately 6 -12 months from the date of application to the award of Trademark certificate and a UK Trademark will take 3 – 6 months.’

For further details on Trademark applications, IP Law or our Notary Public London service, please contact us via our website or by calling 0207 636 4422.

Although best known to this readership as a Notary Public, London Notary Matthew Pryke is also Head of Commercial and Intellectual Property Law at Wallace LLP.  On Sunday 12^th September 2010 he was featured in the Sunday Times Small Business section giving Trademark advice for entrepreneurs.

The article recommended that small businesses and entrepreneurs protect their assets with a Trademark and urges readers to consider that any identifiable part of their business can be subject to a Trademark application, not only trading names and logos, but also product design and slogans.  Matthew believes that there is a natural synergy between advising clients of their Trademark rights and operating as a Notary Public.  ‘London is one of the Business capitals of the world,’ says Matthew.

‘As a Notary Public London offers a wide variety of business opportunities,’ he continues.  ‘Many firms that initially approach me requiring a Notary Public in London, later request my services regarding Trademark advice and both aspects require a forensic attention to detail, coupled with an eye for giving a client practical advice to ensure their investment is protected.

‘As a business focused Notary Public London is a prime place to operate but the core ethos of a Notary service is exactly the same as that of a Trademark lawyer.  Clients require swift, practical advice that is applicable to a business situation and will protect their assets while maximising their profit potential.’

If you require further advice on Notary public London procedures or any aspect of Trademark Law, call Matthew on 0207 636 4422 or contact him via the website.

Changing a name by Deed Poll hit the public consciousness once more on Saturday night, when viewers of the X Factor saw a performance by a contestant called ‘Storm’. Simon Cowell said, ‘I’m not going to call you Storm any more…. What’s your real name, the name you were born with?’

The contestant revealed that he had changed his name by Deed Poll from ‘Lee Gardner’ to ‘Storm Lee Gardner’.

Changing a name by Deed Poll is legally binding and the contestant had every legal right to insist on being called by his new name.  The name change by Deed Poll took place when Storm was 16 years old and so he wouldn’t have needed parental permission to change name.

If a minor wished to change a name by Deed Poll the situation becomes more complicated with permission for the name change required from every party deemed to have parental responsibility.  The contestant has claimed that he changed his name by Deed Poll name because he was being bullied at school, but there are many different reasons for people changing name by Deed Poll.  Some people change name by Deed Poll after marriage or divorce, others change name to signal a break from their family and many more change name to signify a new start.

For the vast majority of Deed Poll name changes where the person wishing to change name is over 16 years of age the process is straightforward.

Simply visit our completely free Deed Poll name change download and follow the three easy steps to make your Deed Poll name change legal and officially recognised.

Notary Public in London, Matthew Pryke, is delighted that a bike docking station has been installed outside his offices at One Portland Place, as part of the new bicycle rental program which began operating throughout London on the 30^th of July.

“We are a commercially focused London Notary Public service,” says Matthew.  “So it is vital to have offices in the heart of the Business Community.

“A central location ensures that we meet the criteria of clients looking for a Notary Public in Mayfair, a Notary Public in Park Lane, or even a Notary in Greater London.

“Previously, clients visiting our offices mostly arrived by car, taxi, or the Oxford Circus Tube station.  Now that one of the new bike docking stations has been situated just outside our Notary practice, I have noticed several clients arrive on one of the new bikes.  One told me that they made the journey from Mayfair to my Notary Public offices in Portland Place in only 5 minutes, which is remarkable for London rush hour.

Bike docking station for London Notary Offices at One Portland Place

“As a keen cyclist who recently completed a Paris to London Charity bike ride I am delighted that the new docking station makes our offices convenient for cyclists, and I am looking forward to seeing many more stations opened across London.”

Legalisation  

Notarised documents often require legalisation to ensure they are accepted in the country where they are to be used. London Notary clients will often be familiar with the sometimes time consuming process of legalising documents for particular countries.

Apostille – A Quicker Legalisation Solution?

The use of an Apostille is an effective way of legalising documents for a number of countries. Our London Notary Public practice can obtain an Apostille from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office legalisation office in the same business day. This provides a fast and cost effective legalisation solution to our London Notary clients and is in keeping with the same day notarisation services offered by this Notary Public in London.    

Apostille – New Countries

London Notary Public practice M D Pryke Notary Public LLP is pleased to confirm that the following countries have recently acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, with the benefit that it removes the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents:

1. Cape Verde on 13^th February 2010.

2. Dominican Republic on 30^th August 2009.

3. Mongolia on 31^st December 2009.

In addition, the Hague Convention will enter into force for Peru on the scheduled date of 30^th September 2010. To view a current status table of the Hague Convention please visit the following website www.hcch.net.

London Notary Public Comment

London Notary Public Matthew Pryke welcomes the news, “The introduction of more countries to the Hague Convention is great news. The legalisation process used by our London Notary practice to obtain Apostilles is very fast and efficient offering excellent value for money. This means that Notary clients receive legalised documents back more quickly without the need to meet additional legalisation criteria at any of London’s consulates and embassies. Whilst we continue to offer a complete legalisation service to all of our notary clients for every country any changes which make the process quicker is always well received by our notary public practice based in Mayfair, London and its many client’s.”

For further information about the legalisation services offered by this Notary Public in London please refer to http://www.mdpryke-notary.com/londonnotarypublicservices/

MD Pryke Notary Public LLP is delighted to announce that the sponsored bike ride from Paris to London on behalf of Crohn’s and Colitis in Childhood raised over £50,000.

From his Notary Public office near Oxford Circus, Matthew said,

“Notaries Public aren’t renowned for being active types, so I am delighted to have helped raise over £50,000 for this worthwhile charity.  We set off from Paris hoping to raise £30k and so to have beaten that target is amazing.  But don’t be fooled by the smiles, it was pretty gruelling!”

Notaries Public were not the only legal practitioners to participate in the charity bike ride, sponsored by Hammonds and WPP.  Almost forty riders completed the event to arrive at Hampton Court.

If you would like to donate to Crohn’s and Colitis in Childhood, please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/mattpryke or if you are a Notary Public looking to get involved in fund raising activities, please visit the charity page of our website. For any further information on the Charity bike ride please call us on 0207 636 4422.

Legalisation of Police Clearance Certificates can be a complex subject for Notaries as well as for the general public.  As a Notary Public firm working in London, MD Pryke Notary Public LLP are often asked to clarify which types of certificate require legalisation, and which can be processed without Notarial involvement.

Essentially, there are three distinct types of Police Clearance Certificate in the United Kingdom and their legalisation requirements vary.

The Subject Access Letter does not require the signature of a Notary to be legalised, as a signature from an officer of the Criminal Records Bureau will suffice.  The Foreign and Commonwealth office hold the signatures of the relevant officers on their database for future reference.

The Police Certificate for use in Immigration matters is relevant only for the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa and does not require additional legalisation or further certification of any kind, therefore a Notary will not be required.

In Scotland, however, the Criminal Records Bureau issue a document called Disclosure which must be certified by a Notary Public (or a practising Solicitor, Barrister, or certain types of Legal Executive) before they can be legalised.

Should you require further information concerning any aspect of Legalisation, Notary Services in London, or the Notarial process in general, please contact MD Pryke Notary Public LLP on 0207 6364422 or via the contact form on our website.