CV

Employment History

2022 – Present:

Business Improvement Consultant Hopkins Legal Consulting

Senior Associate Consultant cpm21

2018 – 2022:

Regional Director Ince Group PLC
www.incegd.com

UK Lawyer Top 50 law firm. Reporting to the UK Managing Partner, I had specific responsibility for the development of Bristol, Cardiff, and Wandsworth Common offices.

Specific achievements include successful stewardship of the regional business through the pandemic: maximising fee income generation and reducing costs; managing a move to hybrid working across the regional offices supporting managers and staff with the changes, and rebranding the regional offices as Ince - aligning them with the main brand.

2015 – 2018:

Chief Executive B. P. Collins LLP Gerrards Cross, Bucks
www.bpcollins.co.uk

UK Lawyer Top 250 firm. Reporting to the Strategic Board, I was responsible for managing the firm’s operations and strategy.

Specific achievements included devising and implementing a new four-year firm wide strategy and leading a critical project to agree and implement a career development scheme for lawyers. I addressed succession issues including the process by which a partner progresses in the business and the transition from one senior partner to another. In addition, I oversaw two major IT projects - one a migration to a new Cloud provider and a second to implement Peppermint, a new practice management, document management and CRM system.

B P Collins was named Regional Corporate and Commercial Firm of the Year by Legal 500 in 2015 in recognition of the capabilities in corporate law.

2010 – 2015:

Chief Executive Debenhams Ottaway LLP St Albans,
www.debenhamsottaway.co.uk

UK Lawyer Top 250 firm. Reporting to the Executive Partner I was responsible for managing the firm’s operations and strategy.

At the time of my appointment the firm had grown because of a recent merger of two long established St Albans firms. The challenge was to complete the integration and develop a unified vision and strategy for the combined firm.

Collaborating with the partners and senior stakeholders the business was transformed over a five-year period, into a multiple award-winning law firm, doubling turnover in the process.

My achievements included conversion to LLP; delivering Lexcel, CQS and WIQS; introducing performance management and a transparent career development programme for lawyers; migration from the firm’s Videss practice management system to Peppermint Technologies Cloud-based practice management system and platform.

Third party recognition of the firm’s progress and development included winning the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the St Albans Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards 2011, and also winning the Best Medium to Large Business of the Year prize at the Inspiring Herts Business Awards 2014 where the judges were impressed by the firms “growth which is consistent and sustainable investment in, and development of, their people and constant improvement to commercial and corporate services.”

My contribution to the leadership of the firm was recognised by the St Albans Chamber of Commerce as finalist in the Business Leader of the Year at the annual business awards.

2007 - 2010:

Managing Director Warner’s Law LLP Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, Kent
www.warners-solicitors.co.uk

Reporting to the Chairman and Board, I had responsibility for managing the firm’s operations and strategy. As Managing Director, I had stewardship of the firm through the 2008 financial crash.

Collaborating with the partners and senior stakeholders a post-recession strategy was developed, supported by business plans at firm and team level.

As a result of the strategic review the historic approach to marketing and business development was transformed with the firm being more proactive and outward looking in its approach to marketing resulting in an increase in new business.

1997 – 2007:

Managing Partner Leo Abse and Cohen Cardiff, Swansea, Newport

During a ten-year period, I was able to energise the firm to develop into a regional heavyweight with the opening of offices in Swansea and Newport, building a clinical negligence team from scratch to Tier 1 in the legal directories, significantly improving the firm’s private client and commercial law capabilities, all resulting in the firm’s fee income growing by 200%.

Leo Abse and Cohen was awarded the Western Mail Law Firm of the Year prize in 2003 and finalist in the Law Society Gazette Awards for Best Marketing Contribution as recognition of the progress and development of the firm.

In 2005 my leadership contribution to the firm’s development was recognised by the Leading Wales Consortium where I was awarded the inaugural Leadership of a Business with Fewer than 250 Employees Award with the judging panel including Rachel Rowlands, consultant at Rachel’s Organic Dairy Limited.

1987 – 1997:

Solicitor/Partner Leo Abse and Cohen Cardiff

I joined the Personal Injury team at Leo Abse and Cohen upon qualification; advising victims of industrial accidents and disease through their trade union membership in South Wales and the West Country.

I developed an expertise in asbestos and industrial asthma litigation and rose to become Head of the Personal Injury Department. High profile cases included membership of the Severn Tunnel train crash steering group following the 1991 accident where 185 passengers were injured.

1985 – 1987:

Articled Clerk Dakers Seymour and Co Brighton, East Sussex.

1982 – 1984:

Trainee Conveyancer London Borough of Southwark Town Clerks dept.