What attracted you to join Carbon Law Partners?

Having worked in small, medium and large law firms over a 20 year career, I was finding that no matter the size of the firm or the culture it claimed to have, there was no opportunity to work in the individual, flexible, creative and collaborative way I needed to work. At Carbon, I saw the opportunity to do just that: to work with like-minded people, who like me are not just amazing lawyers but who share the same innovative approach I have always tried to bring to my work – but which just doesn’t happen within the culture and approach of corporate, traditional law firms!

How would you describe your first day here?

Exciting and daunting! There are so many great people to meet and so much to learn at the start, but the team around me have been absolutely brilliant in helping me to navigate all of this. I would say to anyone joining that the opportunity is tremendous and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by how big an opportunity it is, but you will quickly find your feet and really fly!

Can you share a highlight from your first month with us?

Launching the Agriculture Sector and presenting to my fellow consultants felt amazing. There has been such a great interest from others at Carbon and desire to work with me to grow the sector into something truly amazing. I quickly found the people who have a great deal to bring to the sector and who share my enthusiasm for it and we are already working really well together, sharing clients and ideas.

How have you found the support from your team and other colleagues?

Tremendous and totally unlike anything I have encountered in other firms. One worry of mine was that I might feel isolated or might struggle to feel connected to my fellow consultants, but the opposite has been true. There is a lot of really genuine support, we are all there for one another, wanting and helping one another to succeed. Believe me when I say it can be far more lonely working in an office with the wrong people around you!

In what ways has working here met or exceeded your expectations?

The sense of camaraderie and shared purpose is huge. I have found a culture that is truly supportive and committed to delivering the very best service to clients. The culture of connecting with and supporting one another is directly linked to that. Culture is, in my view, impossible to create through training or pushing out soundbites: it happens organically through putting the right people together with the right direction from the top level, or it doesn’t happen at all. Carbon absolutely has that right kind of culture.

Working as a self-employed consultant is hugely motivating, to see the business I’ve created grow is enormously satisfying and to know that my success feeds into the success of my fellow consultants as we share work and ideas is really beautiful.

How does your role here at Carbon differ from previous positions you’ve held?

The most obvious difference is in the simple fact that I am my own boss, who can choose who I work for, how, when and where I work for them. This is of huge benefit to my clients: in the agricultural sector, clients like to see me in person and a lot of time has to go in to building the relationships. I now spend a lot of time going out to clients, taking time to to know them, their families, their farms and businesses, and giving more strategic, risk management advice. For that, I charge far less than my standard rate – had I suggested this to previous firms, they’d have been horrified! Yet investing that time at the start is invaluable. It enables me to put myself and other consultants to work on exactly what the client needs: wills, partnership agreements, transfers of land, etc. I’ve been delighted at how many referrals to other farming families have come from existing clients, through adopting this simple, really human approach.

Are there any aspects of your job now that you find more fulfilling compared to past roles?

Absolutely! Every day I feel so much more motivated to get to work, knowing I’m building my own business and that my success helps feed into the success of my fellow consultants. There is no competition between us, we all share in one another’s success.

What are some goals you’re hoping to achieve in the next year with Carbon Law Partners?

Growing the Agriculture Sector is my priority. I want to see this become something really cohesive with Carbon consultants working within it who are committed to building a great reputation for our offering within the industry, as strong as some of the most well known agricultural legal teams in traditional firms. Indeed we can use our unique ways of working to stand out from the crowd and above the rest!

How do you think being at Carbon will help in achieving these goals?

This comes down to the flexibility we offer and the uniquely human, individual approach. Our clients see that when they instruct us, they get us, working one to one with them. Plus, because we’re in business ourselves, we understand the challenges in business they face from our own direct experience.

What advice would you give someone considering a move to Carbon?

Be bold. It is a big step to take, but the advice I was given that you’ll never look back and wish you’d done it sooner is absolutely right. The more senior I became in the law firms I worked within, the more disillusioned I became. At Carbon I’ve rediscovered the joy of delivering a great service for my clients in a way that is truly flexible, unique and liberating, with a supportive culture around me that is full of mutual respect. That might sound twee, but it’s absolutely right!

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience so far?

Just a big thank you to all the Hub team who have been marvellous!