Tell us more about you and Forbes
Forbes is a 200-year-old heritage law firm. Originally a general practitioner firm, it evolved to become a classic high street firm, and when I joined in 2002 as a paralegal it was very much still a Lancashire firm, with offices throughout the region, to service local people.
Since then I’m really proud of the growth that we’ve seen as a business, and today we’re recognised as a full-service firm working across three key pillars; consumer, commercial and public sector. In 2022 I was proud to take on the role of managing partner, and we’ve since grown revenue to £22m.
Most recently we’ve undertaken a big rebrand project to really capture the essence of Forbes, and identified a new purpose; to redefine how people feel about law and show them that Forbes offers much more than law.
What’s special about the North?
As part of our rebrand project we did a lot of research with our clients, employees and our wider network to understand what it is they like about Forbes and why they keep coming back to us. We found the same reasons over and over; we’re empathetic, we’re personable, we’re authentic.
These are values that resonate with businesses and people across the North – and you can feel that when you work with businesses here. They don’t just want a good service – that should come as standard – the business community here wants more than just a business partner, they want long lasting, meaningful relationships.
What’s your biggest achievement to date?
I was the first in my family to go to university, so to do that and then go onto secure a training contract was a huge achievement. The next big milestone in my career was being made a partner and more recently I’m incredibly proud to be managing partner of a firm that holds such a special place in my heart.
From a Forbes perspective, moving into our Gordon House office earlier this year was a big moment. We went from 8,000 sq ft to 32,000 sq ft, which gives an indication of our growth ambitions for the future and was key to bringing together teams from different offices into one space creating a more united team.
Personally, my biggest achievement is my children. I’m incredibly proud to be a mum of two children and managing partner. Some days are easier than others, but I’m still able to do the school run and be present for them. It’s so important I set the example that their mum can do both, and also for my team at Forbes to see that you can be a present parent and excel in your career too.
Where do you find your motivation?
Ever since I was young, I’ve been self-motivated. I always wanted to prove to myself that I could do hard things. As I’ve grown up, where my motivation comes from has changed and now my children are a big part of that.
I can also see the huge potential that Forbes has, and I feel so proud to be the custodian of a firm that means so much to me and to others, which also motivates me to help us reach our full potential.
In your opinion what’s next for the North?
From a legal perspective the North has already evolved so much. It used to be back-office support for London-based firms, now there’s so many big firms, particularly in Manchester, because there’s such a great business community and so many client opportunities.
Because there’s so much work available I’d like to see firms across the North, and Manchester in particular, being more collegiate. If we’re to continue to break down barriers and prove that the North has the standout legal offering that we know it does, we have to work together and bring more collegiate responses to challenges we face and the clients we service.
Looking specifically at Lancashire we’re working with a number of firms to create a robust mental health support system for junior lawyers, so that we can protect and nurture the great legal talent that we have and ensure it stays within the region.
Ultimately, the North has so much to offer from a legal perspective and we have to work as one to ensure we all continue to rise together.
Written by Pauline Wild, Managing Partner at Forbes