Jordans Company Secretarial PrecedentsPeter Van Duzer, Cecile GillardJordans, £120

I was delighted when I was asked to review Jordans Company Secretarial Precedents, as it is a book I have always had to hand.

Some years ago, having been away from the law for a while, I set up a small law practice on an overdraft facility of £1,000. With such limited funds available, I had to choose my resources carefully. Online subscription services were out of the question and, having trawled the bookshelves in Blackstones, I selected the then current version of this book. Compared with many other books, it seemed to represent very good value for money and the same holds true today. It obviously stood me in good stead and my small practice grew steadily.

Years later, and after relocating to Cornwall, I am now an associate partner at an award-winning law firm, heading its corporate and commercial department. We do, of course, have easy access to numerous online resource services, but Jordans still sits within easy reach on my desk.

The reason for this is simple: Jordans is a mine of useful information for any practising corporate/commercial lawyer. It is set out in a user-friendly fashion that is easy to read and to locate the topic you are interested in. The text is always informative and concise, and the precedent forms (which are usually filled out by way of example) and sample resolutions are invaluable when teaching trainees. They are useful too for experienced lawyers who, on the odd occasion, might find themselves in uncharted territory.

The book also has a CD that contains all of the precedents in electronic format for ease of use. In sum, this is a valuable publication. In fact, in my department it is the only hard-copy publication used on a regular basis by members of the team at all levels of qualification.

Congratulations to the authors – keep up the good work.

Penny Paddle is an associate partner, and head of corporate and commercial, at Follett Stock in Cornwall