In this second Table Talk, we meet Lisa Connolly, Sarah Strong and Glen Webb, our most recently internally promoted Partners.
Lisa joined our Residential Property team in 2015, having previously worked as a conveyancer in East Sussex for ten years; she qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer in 2015. Lisa is an active member of our charity committee and has completed challenges including The Three Peaks in 24 hours and a 26-mile Walkathon.
Find out more: Lisa Connolly
Glen joined our Residential Property team in 2019. He read law at Homerton College, Cambridge University, graduating in 2013 and trained at a firm in Buckinghamshire, qualifying in 2016. In addition to dealing with the general day-to-day activity of transacting residential property, Glen has a particular interest in rural property and country homes and is a member of the Agricultural Law Association.
Find out more: Glen Webb
Sarah from our Private Client team is celebrating her tenth anniversary with CooperBurnett this year. A full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Sarah assists our clients with the preparation of Wills and advises on Inheritance Tax, including supporting executors. She also advises and assists clients in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney and deals with making applications to the Court of Protection.
Find out more: Sarah Strong
Read the first one here: Table Talk
What does it mean to you to be a Partner and how is it going so far?
Lisa: “It definitely means a lot to me. I’ve followed a non-traditional route to get to this point, in that I didn’t go to university and I’m not a solicitor; in fact, I believe I’m CooperBurnett’s first non-solicitor Partner. Aged 17, I was working for a law firm as an office junior and to have got from there to where I am now, didn’t seem possible. It feels amazing to have got to this stage and for CooperBurnett to have recognised my hard work.”
Glen: “I’m also really pleased to be a Partner. I followed a more traditional path, where you can see the route mapped out. It’s really good to be part of a firm that offers opportunities and rewards ambition.”
Sarah: “Becoming a Partner was part of the dream when I started out as a paralegal. CooperBurnett is very good at providing a career path, if that’s what you want.”
How does being a Partner affect your role here?
Sarah: “As a Partner, you feel more involved with the decision making, strategy and management of the firm, which I’m enjoying. Internally, it’s been less of a change, as hierarchy doesn’t really exist here.”
Lisa: “Externally, I’ve found it’s made a huge difference to how you are viewed.”
Glen: “Others have watched us come up through the ranks and junior members of the team can see how we’ve progressed and that they could potentially follow a similar path. We are now role models and you need to bear that in mind and act accordingly.”
Do you feel that trainees and junior lawyers are well supported here at CooperBurnett?
Sarah: “Absolutely, yes. We’ve all been there as paralegals and trainees and, during our careers, we’ve probably all had good mentors and bad ones. It’s so important to be a good role model; having a bad mentor can really put you off. It’s so important to be supportive and encouraging.”
Glen: “The open-door policy which exists here at CooperBurnett is so important. If a junior lawyer is concerned about something, they can raise any concerns they’ve got at an early stage. This instils confidence and means they are less worried about making mistakes.”
Lisa: “I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day and it said, ‘be the mentor you would have needed when you were a trainee’. That’s so true, it’s exactly what we should all be trying to do.”
You’ve all worked at different law firms during your careers. What makes CooperBurnett different and why did you make the decision to continue your career here?
Lisa: “I had started my career at a High Street firm that wasn’t hugely dissimilar in size to CooperBurnett. I liked it but it wasn’t somewhere I felt I could progress my career. I switched firms a few times and I tried some larger multi-branch law firms but decided that way of working wasn’t for me. I like the personal touch of CooperBurnett and I like knowing everybody, it’s such a supportive environment. In a larger firm, you can feel just like a bit of a number.”
Sarah: “When I came here for my interview, I immediately just felt at home and that’s never changed. I thought ‘this is me’.”
Glen: “There’s a good energy to CooperBurnett and it’s something which reflects outwardly to business contacts and people in the locality. I like that CooperBurnett has a good reputation and that’s something which I enjoy being a part of.”
We talk a lot about the TeamCB culture. One Partner described it as a ‘breath of fresh air’ and another as ‘refreshing and liberating’. How would you describe the culture here?
Glen: “I completely agree. If you have the appetite to succeed then you have everything here to assist you with that. The culture is a big draw of CooperBurnett.”
Sarah: “A lot of us have been at CooperBurnett for a number of years and you form friendships with the people here. We’ve seen each other through many life events and you share all of that together.”
Lisa: “When I came for my interview, they said we have people who’ve been here for 20 years, 25 years, 30 years and I instantly thought it was a positive sign, a good place to work.”
Do you also feel you are supported to be the lawyer you want to be?
Sarah: “Certainly, if you’ve got ideas, you want to do certain things in terms of training or you want to move in a particular direction, the senior partners here are really open to discussing it.”
Lisa: “You are listened to and supported and the senior team are keen to take onboard different ideas or new ways of working, which always feels refreshing. This means, you are never afraid to suggest something in case it gets shot down.”
Glen: “You are free to carve out your own practice and disciplines you enjoy or want to specialise in. This means we can offer a more holistic approach to our clients.”
You have all had experience of networking locally. Do you think it’s important to cement connections and make new ones?
Sarah: “Until I joined CooperBurnett, I don’t think I realised what a strong business community there is in Tunbridge Wells. Networking takes many forms – whether that’s events or just keeping in touch with your contacts, going to lunches or catch up over a coffee.”
Lisa: “The firm has such a wonderful reputation. When I was moving from Hastings to Tunbridge Wells, I looked at where I might work. CooperBurnett clearly had the best reputation, it was well established and had such a strong Residential Property department. I thought I’ll apply to them and have a plan B if that doesn’t work out. Luckily it did. What’s also great is our reputation within the local community and how much we give back.”
Glen: “I agree, Tunbridge Wells is certainly a business hub and it’s very clear that CooperBurnett is a strong part of that.”
Why do you think the Residential Property department here has such a strong reputation?
Lisa: “We are continuing to build on what has existed for many years and a lot of clients come back to us, which is always a wonderful sign that you’re doing it right. We strive to continue providing the high level of service we’re known for, which keeps clients loyal to us and maintains our reputation locally.”
Glen: “A strong reputation, and maintaining it, keeps clients coming back to us, as well as referrals from existing clients and stakeholders within the industry, who recognise the high level of service people receive at CooperBurnett.”
Sarah: “There’s a lot of cross-referrals going on between departments too. Quite often, long-standing clients will call me and say ‘I’m buying a house, who would you recommend’ and I’ve no hesitation in directing them to anyone in our Residential Property department. And I can do that with confidence.”
Lisa: “Likewise; if anyone approaches me needing a Will, I never hesitate to refer work to our Private Client team.”
Sarah, the Private Client team has been running a series of Myth Busting lunches for local professionals. How well have they been received?
Sarah: “We’ve done two so far and received really good feedback and we’ve some referrals, based on what we’ve spoken about, which is great.”
CooperBurnett is recognised for its community/charity involvement. Lisa, you are a member of CooperBurnett’s charity committee.
Lisa: “I’ve been involved in the firm’s challenges since I’ve been here and I think it’s really important. None of the other firms I’ve worked at have had such a strong desire to give back. It’s also really bonding for our team to come together outside of the work environment. The charity committee is currently looking forward to our next big challenge in 2025.”
Sarah: “I think it’s really important. CooperBurnett has always had a really good ethos of wanting to give back. Even if team members aren’t doing the challenge themselves, they get involved. When I walked the Race To The King ultra-marathon (100km) last year, the messages we were getting along the way and the support was incredible and helped to bring everyone together. It’s also a really wonderful personal achievement to take part in these challenges. I’ve completed the Walk Tonbridge Marathon every year so far, and it’s great to see more team members join us each time.”
Sarah, is it busy in the Private Client team at the moment?
Sarah: “Yes, it is busy, nice and steady, but not manic. We have a continual stream of clients coming in for Wills and POA.”
Lisa/Glen, is it busy in Residential Property and do you have any predictions for the rest of 2024?
Lisa: “Compared with this time last year, interest rates are going in the right direction now and coming down, which is certainly making the market pretty busy. Tunbridge Wells is always a bit of a bubble, partly because of our proximity to London and it doesn’t always go as quiet as over areas might. Traditionally, January and February are our slightly quieter months, but this year it was busier after Christmas, as interest rates started to go down again.”
Glen: “Yes, mortgage rates have been falling and buyers are coming out again. Spring is traditionally a good time for sales to be agreed and new matters to be opened, so I think the next few months will be active. In our sector, the rules change quite often, the Law Society comes out with different guidance from time to time and new legislation is introduced. As Partners, we can contribute actively to developing our department, ensuring we are up to speed on the latest developments and are able to provide accurate advice. Over the years, so much has changed around procedures and we are constantly evolving to meet the new expectations from regulators.”
Lisa: “In Residential Property, I think all of us have certain niches within conveyancing which we maybe prefer. I like more of the town conveyancing and period properties, while Glen enjoys more rural and higher value transactions. Across the board, it’s pretty busy. The Building Safety Act has caused chaos when it comes to flats but we are navigating our way through that and are confident in our approach.”
Work can be pressured sometimes. What do you do within the working day to reset?
Sarah: “I will always make an effort to step away from the computer for a little while and enjoy some fresh air. Also, just having a quick chat with a colleague is sometimes enough to feel recharged.”
Lisa: “Every morning Lorraine and I make a point of having a catch-up before our day starts, even if we’re working from home. This provides a good start to the day and then off we go. And, yes, it’s definitely important to make sure you take a little breather here and there throughout the day.”
Glen: “I think it’s vital to keep in tune with your colleagues, as they could be tackling something a little challenging. Very often, a quick chat means you discover they are working on something very similar. You can take solace in that and work through those issues together.”
Sarah: “It’s good to use a colleague as a sounding board, even if they aren’t in your team. Just being able to talk it through can help.”
It sounds like a very collegiate environment.
Sarah: “We’ve held a series of lunchtime seminars internally to find out more about what other departments are doing. Talking to colleagues in other teams in a bit more in-depth about what they do and who deals with what aspects of work can be really helpful when referring work within the firm.”
Glen: “Quite a lot of our work touches other areas and other practices within the firm. I don’t think there’s a department I haven’t referred work to or taken advice from or spoken to about certain matters which have arisen,”
Lisa: Everyone across the firm has an open-door policy; that’s been clear since I started. Also, Jenni [Jennifer Irving, Head of Residential Property] is always there for us or available at the end of the phone if we’re working from home. It’s reassuring to be able to just to pick up the phone and say is this right, what do you think?”
