I first joined FW in October 2000 as a junior corporate associate. I left in 2004 to help a friend set up her own law firm but kept in touch with people at FW and it was Paul Osborne who talked me in to coming back, something which I never regretted! I returned in 2006 and worked for FW until retiring on 31 May 2021. Now I’m enjoying retirement and doing all the things I didn’t have the time to do when I was working full time including playing a lot of tennis and golf and travelling more, with recent lengthy trips to Indonesia and India.
There were many memorable times during my 20 years at FW. A couple spring to mind.
I once went to Belgium with Kolvin Stone for a meeting in Louvain. On arrival in Brussels we somehow managed to get on a local train to Louvain-la-Neuve which was at the other end of the country! We were five hours late to the Clients’ office, but thankfully it didn’t have any adverse effect.
I also remember trying to close a funding deal on Christmas Eve and having to get instructions and signatures of clients who were on holiday in Singapore and the Caribbean. If we hadn’t have got the deal completed, the client’s employees wouldn’t have been paid over Christmas, so it was very satisfying that we got it done.
I was the deputy chair and treasurer of Social and Charity Committee for many years and had a very enjoyable time working with Liz Ruff and Jo Chatterton and we raised a record amount of money! I also really enjoyed hosting the quiz night each year as well – even if some people said they went on too long!
First of all, Paul Osborne. I worked very closely with Paul for 20 years and really admire his enormous range of skills, including his amazing commitment and enthusiasm. He taught me a huge amount but maybe what most sticks is that you need to be fully prepared for everything you do, whether it’s a meeting, a discussion or a negotiation, and whether it is with our clients or the other side. I would also mention Peter Faber for his incredible professionalism and humour, Paul Taylor for his ability to get the confidence of his clients, and David Butler for his outstanding knowledge of the law and its application in practice.
To try and improve and learn something new every day whether it is legal knowledge, communication skills, or how to deal with difficult situations. It is also important to treat everyone in the firm with the same respect and decency, and to get to know your colleagues and clients as well as possible, the aim being to provide the best possible service and to get the best from your colleagues.
On the legal side, to approach any drafting or provision of advice on the basis that you may need to defend it in court one day. There is no substitute for accurate and clear drafting.