McKinnells was established in Lincoln in 1960 as the branch office of a Leicester firm, McKinnell, Ervin and Holmes. The resident partner was Keith Holmes, who started on his own with one secretary from offices at 35 Silver Street, Lincoln. After a number of years the Lincoln branch separated from the Leicester firm, although close links were retained. By 1973 the firm had become too large for the premises at Silver Street and moved to brand new offices at 188 High Street. This enabled further growth to take place.
A man ahead of his time, Keith Holmes adopted efficient business practices in contrast to the then rather traditional approach used by most solicitors. This enabled a prompt and cost effective service to be provided to the firm’s clients. That philosophy still applies to McKinnells today.
Keith Holmes retired in 1980, and a few years later the firm changed its name to McKinnells. Building on his platform, McKinnells continued to grow with many clients from those early days remaining with the firm today. Over the next few years more partners and staff were taken on. Much of this growth was internal. Five of the eight current partners trained with McKinnells and a number of members of staff have been with the firm over 25 years.
In 2005 McKinnells expanded further when three partners and nine other members of staff from Page Nelson joined the firm. By this time the accommodation at 188 High Street had become impossibly cramped and temporary further office space had had to be rented. In July 2005 the present offices at 17-23 West Parade were bought. A major refurbishment was carried out and the new offices were opened to the public on 3rd January 2006. All members of McKinnells now work under the same roof. The offices have a large private car park to the rear for use by clients. With car parking space in Lincoln at such a premium this is a significant feature, giving McKinnells the advantage of City centre offices but with car parking. The offices also have full disabled access and facilities.
As well as the West Parade offices, McKinnells has a branch office at 17 Neighbourhood Centre, Jasmine Road, Birchwood, Lincoln. Set in the Birchwood Shopping Precinct, this office provides a full range of legal services. Easily accessible from the Lincoln Bypass and with a large adjacent free car park this office is especially useful to clients who live to the south of the City. Like the West Parade office, there is disabled access. Interviews at the Birchwood office are available by prior appointment by telephoning 01522 541181.
McKinnells also has a high profile in the community, sponsoring:-
- Lincoln Book Festival
- Lincoln Film Society
- The Lincoln and District Cricket League
- The Lincoln Youth Cricket League
- RSPB
- Lincoln University Law School Mooting Trophy
Members of McKinnells also advise and help local schools, Lincoln University Law School, charities and Parish Councils on voluntary basis. Two of the partners are Council members of the Lincolnshire Law Society.
McKinnells has invested in modern IT equipment, operates an up to the minute case management system and has a state of the art digital dictation system. All these are designed to provide top class service to the clients. Even more important than the technology are the people in the firm. Everyone is encouraged to attend frequent training courses to keep skills up to date and to enhance their knowledge. Many of the lawyers are members of specialist groups and panels.
McKinnells has a Legal Aid franchise for civil and personal injury, family and criminal work. These departments also act for private clients. Conditional fee arrangements are available for accident claims, employment matters and other types of litigation. Fixed fees can also be agreed for this kind of work. For residential conveyancing McKinnells give a quote which includes all costs with no hidden extras or nasty surprises. The expertise in commercial property law is second to none and either an hourly rate or a fixed fee can be quoted for this type of work.
McKinnells prides itself on putting clients first. We look forward to being able to help you.
