Structure and Leadership

What do you think sets Freeths apart from other law firms?
Our culture – I call it our magic dust. We are a place where people are helpful and supportive, we don’t tread on each other’s toes and this all creates a positive, friendly environment. We are very relaxed and family-friendly – if you have a school sports day or something you don’t need to take time off, just go and enjoy. The client is always key, but alongside we offer a lot of freedom to be yourself and be the best you can be.

From a client perspective, it’s about offering targeted advice rather than presenting a range of options. We nail our colours to mast, there’s no hedging our bets when we advise clients. If you are paying someone you want to know you are getting the best advice, and I believe that’s exactly what we offer.

What are the qualities of a good lawyer?
You definitely need a keen eye for detail. Reviewing cases, making sure there are no errors, it’s quite a detail-heavy job. You also need to be a people person, because you have to have clients trust you and you need to explain all that detail so that everyone can understand. And you need to be persuasive. Ultimately, a lot of the role is persuading your client that what you are recommending is the right course of action. And a liberal sprinkling of commitment and passion will take you far!

What do you like most about being a lawyer?
I completely love the intellectual challenge – trying to work out from a litigation perspective who’s right, who’s wrong, what risks are your clients prepared to take and how you manage those risks, and how you get the best solution for your client. It involves a lot of strategy and tactics, it’s a bit like putting a jigsaw together. I also love the people part, explaining things to people, getting the fantastic results – I love the buzz of that. It’s all about being inquisitive and curious and I like to think I am both.

What’s the best professional compliment you’ve ever had?
A client once said to me, “What I really like about you is that you listen to what I need and then help me get there”. I think it’s important to keep going, keep digging when you are convinced you are right, to get to the truth of the matter. You’ve got to be a bit of a chameleon, but the most important part is always to act with integrity.

What’s different about Freeths that makes us special?
In some ways, that’s a particularly difficult one for me to answer as I am a “one firm man” since qualification so I can’t make direct comparisons from personal experience at other firms. Of course, I love to talk about what we have achieved and how, and indeed a significant part of our growth has been through successful lateral hires, but I’m often told by people who joined us from other firms that I undersold how special a culture we in fact have!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do the job you do?
Be careful what you wish for!! But more seriously, make sure you understand what the role entails and you are clear on what you can bring to it. It’s important to recognise your key strengths and make sure that the roles you take on as your career progresses really do play to your strengths, as well as broadening your experience and skill set, and ultimately help you to deliver your best to the business, its people and clients.

Do you miss being a corporate lawyer?
I can honestly say that I don’t pine for an SPA but I do miss the adrenalin rush of a corporate deal. When I took on the managing partner role, it was important to me that I retained some of my key client relationships, even if I wasn’t going to be “on the tools”, because that’s something I really enjoy and it’s an important way of keeping in touch with what’s happening at the coalface.