Partnership Aspirations

I knew from a young age that I wanted to become a lawyer and just like most other aspiring young lawyers, my plan was always to become a Partner of a law firm at some stage. For me that would be the pinnacle of my career and the goal I would always aim for.

After completing the legal practice course, I worked for a brief time at my father’s law firm in Portsmouth but soon realised that I wanted to be living and working in London. I worked as a Paralegal at a law firm in Clapham before joining Tucker Turner Kingsley Wood LLP (TTKW) in 2006. I was given a training contract with TTKW and worked in the residential conveyancing, company/commercial and employment departments. The majority of my training contract was spent in the company/commercial department which, very quickly, became the area I enjoyed the most and the area into which I wanted to qualify. Fortunately for me, I was offered the role of Assistant Solicitor in the company/commercial department upon qualification.

With partnership always being the goal, as a newly qualified solicitor, I focused on not only working hard, but also on developing other qualities such as the ability to maintain good client relationships and the ability to build up a network of clients and introducers. I also considered it important to show an interest in all aspects of the firm and not just my department and to show a willingness to become involved in the operation of the firm as a whole.

After a few years of being qualified, I was asked to become a Partner of TTKW (now Taylor Rose). Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled and it was a moment I will always remember. Becoming a Partner meant that, in addition to my usual work, I also became involved in certain areas of management and had a responsibility to help mentor our junior lawyers. I am now the Training Principal of Taylor Rose, which means I am responsible for overseeing the training and development of our trainee solicitors, as well as being part of the Partnership Selection Committee which considers and decides upon nominations for partnership.

In addition to these roles, there is a responsibility to drive the business forward and it is therefore essential for a Partner to be able to align themselves with the company’s characteristics and strategic objectives and at all times act in the company’s best interests. It is also important for a Partner to be able to build and maintain strong client relationships and have the ability to help find and develop new clients as good client relationship management is obviously vital in such a competitive market.

Having these responsibilities as well as carrying out my day to day work has made an already enjoyable role within the business even more so and continues to keep me challenged and motivated.