Setfords’ Post

"HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED IN BD?" ... ... it was a question asked in my Wilson Browne Solicitors interview (more years ago than I care to remember!) ... I answered honestly ... "Yes, I'd love to get involved. I want to play my part. I'm all in - by which I mean joining this firm, I'd be proud to be a part of it, proud to promote it and raise awareness. To be honest, I'm not from round here, I studied at UCN and saw your name in the Training Contracts Handbook! I want to be able to say I work at Wilson Browne Solicitors and everyone to know who they are"* Of course on reflection it sounds arrogant and also a potentially daft answer as it doesn't follow the usual "praise the firm" your applying to mantra. BUT it was honest and before anyone says it it was way before smart phones and having every detail of a firm at your fingertips. (Of course I'd done my research though!) The firm has always had a fantastic local reputation, but I wasn't local. Nowadays the firm still has that excellent local reputation, but that reputation spreads far wider too - we are, after all, Your Local Practice With National Reach and, of course, All The Help You Need! I've been proud of my involvement in BD and the part I've played in seeing this firm go from strength to strength. The firm has picked up numerous awards, is involved with so many fantastic community projects and business awards, we aren't afraid to make noise and be proud of everything we do, and were arent too shy to have a bear as our mascot! I remember my pride back when I was Head of Commercial Property when the team received Legal 500 recognition for the first time. I had the same pride this year, as a Partner, when the team attended MIPIM - a significant sign of how far we've come. But all of this is a #TeamEffort! You see the question about BD is still just as relevant now, although it is more widely accepted that BD is part of every lawyers role and not just an optional extra. My BD is good for the firm, but it's nothing without our awesome in-house Marketing Team headed by Wayne, my achievement as Head of Team were nothing without the team around me, my accomplishments on the Board of Management wouldn't be possible without current fellow Board Members Kevin and John (and before that Nina who I've also sat on the Board of Management with), the awesome Heads of Team (Neelam, Vicki and Jenny who work with m, our FD Steve continues to drive the efficiency improvements (and let's face it we can do all the #BD we want but unless we're moving with the times and maximising #efficiencies then we're our own worst enemeies) but ultimately the foundations upon which this great firm was built, the exciting journey we've been on, and continue on, would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of all at Wilson Browne Solicitors, past, present and future. *that's obviously paraphrased as even I can't remember that long ago word for word!

So what can I say about this past week: 1. Had a great time at the British Conveyancing awards on Tuesday evening. So happy that Alex Gregory-Chialton won in her category as she works so hard it is fantastic to see this recognised externally. Well done Today's Conveyancer David Opie Allie Jones and your team for an enjoyable evening. So good to be able to catch up with so many people in one place. Fantastic to see so many folks in the Industry enjoying themselves and getting on, 2. Following on from that, it was really good to see Rob Hailstone win the Industry champion award. Hundreds of people voted for him in what was an open contest picked by the public not the judges (who gave their time up for free which should be applauded). Now I don’t always agree with what Rob advocates in conveyancing (nor does he always agree with me) but as “grown ups” we get along and respect each others views. It therefore saddens me that one of the most genuine people I know has been subjected to some very unpleasant comments online this week. Rob being the decent guy he is offered to debate the detractors but sadly his offer seems to have been dismissed. Keep doing what you are doing Sir as you can’t please everyone, 3. Good to have spent a fair amount of time collaborating with other senior leaders in other law firms this week. Always great to share experiences and just to be able to pick other folks brains. Collaboration is a great thing. So this weeks track is in honour of St Patrick’s day which is this forthcoming Sunday. Have a great weekend. #CANveyancers #property #bcawards2024

My little girls are why I’m NOT available for any calls after 6 pm, on Fridays and weekends. Not only is my limit to only work with 10 one-on-one clients at a time (and I’m nearly at capacity) but I’m also committed to ensuring that my two girls also get plenty of my time. On the left is Mayabel and Arianna on the right. Because of the time I give them, how I read stories to them every day, take the time to explain why we tidy the table after lunch, why we put our toys away when we’re finished, neatly put away our shoes away and I show them that I love them every day they are a delight to have around. They still have massive tantrums at times and often don’t do what they are asked of but when they come home from play-school they always call out my name. “Daddy!! Daddy!!!” And come running to me for a cuddle and to tell me about their day. This is because I always have plenty of time for them and my wonderful wife Sofia. If you want to create amazing relationships, schedule time for yourself first and foremost then use a decent part of that time to invest in the people that matter the most to you. It’s only by doing this that you can build a business that enables you to live the life you aspire to otherwise if you don’t, at some point you’ll hate your business. This is a breakthrough my client Kate Burt recently had and on our weekly Zoom call yesterday there was a whole new level of calm and empowerment about her. Kate now has time for herself, her relationships, her colleagues and to build an even more extraordinary HiveRisk business. ❓Do you have yourself scheduled with non-negotiable time for what matters to you❓ 🔴 LAW FIRM PARTNER: Click FREE Profitable Delegation VIDEO at the top of my profile to watch a video that will save you from years of more exhausting workloads and show you how to free up your time, unleash your teams’ potential and greatly increase your profits. Click and FOLLOW #DanWarburton so you don't miss out on more content like this and turn on the 🔔 on my profile to get notified every time a new post is out. #Law #LegalProfession #LawFirms #Lawyer #Legal500 #DanWarburton

The Three Musketeers, Destiny's Child, the (ahem) original Star Wars trilogy… good things come in threes! And it's no different with Jamie Straw, Jo Murphy & Ryan Lightfoot of Leeds-based Simplify conveyancing firm APL - Advantage Property Lawyers, who have been raking in the five-star Trustpilot reviews. The glut of five-star reviews achieved by the three (18 between them during November alone!) reflects the hard work and passion they put into delivering great service to APL - Advantage Property Lawyers happy movers. But it’s also indicative of a wider culture across Simplify of ensuring that all customers receive the best conveyancing experiences and outcomes. It’s little wonder, then, that all of our conveyancing firms have ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot ratings. #simplify #premierpropertylawyers #DCLaw #JSLaw #advantagepropertylawyers #conveyancing #happymovers #5starservice #propertyservices #estateagents

Congratulations to Douglas G. Jackson for his article in the St. Pete Bar Association's Paraclete magazine! See an excerpt from his article below and click the link to read the entire article (pg. 32) and magazine. BYB BUILD YOUR BUSINESS By: Douglas G. Jackson Topics discussed included the following: • Recent “wins”/success personally and professionally • The myth that referral fees can only be given in contingency / personal injury law • How to counterbalance a new LegalZoom referral initiative that will take a cut of referral fees • When it’s strategic to not ask for a referral fee • Ways to motivate yourself to do a difficult motion or task and when to refer it to a paralegal or associate to help get you started • Time blocking for task management to conquer one or two big tasks per day • Customer service is key to client satisfaction and more "Big firms have boards and committees, but smaller practitioners find themselves on an island. This is no longer the case with the St. Pete Bar’s Coffee Collaboration, every first Tuesday of the month. Let our collaboration be your board, as we troubleshoot problems and grow our businesses. We’ll see you November 7th at 8am! Sign up on the bar the calendar today!" Click here to read the entire article and the November/ December Paraclete: https://lnkd.in/g6ZHg2tr #GetYourLegalAction #TheLawFirmofDouglasGJackson #TheStPeteBarAssociation #Paraclete #BetterTogether #KeepLearning #Collaberation

Them: So what’s it like Nic???? Them : You know doing what you’ve done? Moi : What’s that ??? Them: you know going from in-house back to private practice? Moi: …… Having spent 20 odd years in-house from start ups as first in-house sole counsel to global brands with an international team …. I have pretty much done it all and here I am back at my starting point. Back at my roots. Private practice in Manchester. But with a twist. I now have almost 30 years experience (30 years in September I do believe ) and there’s not much I have not seen as a corporate commercial lawyer. Trust me ….. nothing much surprises me. I have been First In-House. I have walked into empty legal departments. I have set up teams. I have been senior support to in-house lawyers straight from private practice teaching them how to do this. To make them successful. I have done quirky. I have gone into ‘Nic this needs someone who thinks outside of the box….. so we thought of you!’ And here I am. Back in private practice. Why? Because I love it. Genuinely. I love business. I love seeing businesses grow. I love seeing in-house teams gain confidence. I love the clients. I do. I love more than anything seeing the young generation of lawyers I lead growing into themselves and gaining confidence. I love leading women into corporate commercial. Come and talk to Beyond Law Group. What can I help you with? What do you need? What can we do for you? #manchester #london #boutique #law #corporate #commercial #businessisbooming.

Record $1.5m fine for contempt – Proctor (qlsproctor.com.au) We believe that people should be cautious before buying into a franchise business. Legal and financial advice are vital. "A franchisor largely controls how the franchisee's business is run and controls the name, brand, and business system the franchisee is going to use. A franchisee bears the financial risk for their franchised business and pays money to the franchisor." (from the ACCC website) We advise potential franchisees, and recently obtained a full refund of a deposit paid to a franchisor when we determined that several misrepresentations had been made by the Franchisor. Buying into a franchise is a substantial investment. Obtaining legal advice BEFORE signing anything is a necessary investment to protect your interests. We can help.

Positive feedback from clients is great 🤩 Sharing this with your team is even better 😍 Building relationships where everyone is on the same page and working towards excellence creates magical moments. In the words of David Goggins, be uncommon amongst the uncommon. We’re not aiming to meet expectations at Convi, we’re creating experiences that leave a lasting impact. Ahmet Uzunoglu setting the bar as usual 🔥 Ps. If you make Conveyancing Referrals and you’re not getting messages like this from your Solicitor, speak to me. #Teamwork #Excellence #ClientSatisfaction

Them: So what’s it like Nic???? Them : You know doing what you’ve done? Moi : What’s that ??? Them: you know going from in-house back to private practice? Moi: …… Having spent 20 odd years in-house from start ups as first in-house sole counsel to global brands with an international team …. I have pretty much done it all and here I am back at my starting point. Back at my roots. Private practice in Manchester. But with a twist. I now have almost 30 years experience (30 years in September I do believe ) and there’s not much I have not seen as a corporate commercial lawyer. Trust me ….. nothing much surprises me. I have been First In-House. I have walked into empty legal departments. I have set up teams. I have been senior support to in-house lawyers straight from private practice teaching them how to do this. To make them successful. I have done quirky. I have gone into ‘Nic this needs someone who thinks outside of the box….. so we thought of you!’ And here I am. Back in private practice. Why? Because I love it. Genuinely. I love business. I love seeing businesses grow. I love seeing in-house teams gain confidence. I love the clients. I do. I love more than anything seeing the young generation of lawyers I lead growing into themselves and gaining confidence. I love leading women into corporate commercial. Come and talk. What can I help you with? What do you need? What can we do for you? #manchester #london #boutique #law #corporate #commercial #businessisbooming.

Spring has sprung 🌸, you’ve probably cleaned out your closet and your cupboards BUT what about your contracts? 📄Don’t know where to start 😰, check out my hot takes here ! #inhouselawyers #contractsmanagement