MEMBERS NEWS
Reflections of 40 years in IT
As Minerva reaches its 40th anniversary, founder and managing director John Chadwick looks back at how it all happened…
I
n 1983, I was working for a steel company, but the recession hit us hard.
Facing an uncertain future, I decided to set up my own company. I’d always had a passing interest in technology and computers, and could see that this was the future, so I decided to become a reseller for Olivetti’s M20 computers. In the early days, the machines ran a revolutionary accounting software, but it was all very primitive; the computer mouse still wasn’t widely used, so everything on the screen was controlled by the function keys.
At that time computers cost close to £5,000 and with software and training on top, we didn’t need to sell that many to earn our crust. The turn of the millennium proved to be a godsend because everyone was terrified that their systems would collapse when the date moved on from 1999 to 2000 and therefore upgraded their equipment to millenniumproof options. In the end, planes didn’t fall out of the sky and most systems continued to operate perfectly well, but it reminded everyone how important it was to keep everything up to date.
As for Minerva, we recruited a few more people to deal with the demand for software development, and more recently, cloud computing has made some headway and businesses are aware of the growing threat of cybercrime. It’s a constant battle for us and our clients to stay one step ahead, but so far, we seem to be winning. Over the years, Minerva has relocated a few times, but once we’d migrated to Potters Bar, we really thrived. Through natural growth and doing a great job for our clients, we’re now a team of 30 and things are
looking healthy for another year of growth. It’s been quite a journey, but here’s to the next 40 years.
Longmores recognised
A
by The Legal 500
leading Hertford firm is celebrating its best ever results in The Legal 500 UK Solicitors directory.
Two lawyers from Longmores Solicitors have achieved a “first” with a Leading Individual ranking: Victoria Sandberg for her work with rural clients and Richard Horwood for his private client work. Leading Individual is one of the top rankings in the guide which defines them “as true market leaders, with longestablished reputations in their sector, lead roles in multiple recent significant matters, and exceptional, widespread recognition and endorsement from peers in the market and clients alike”. The directory praises Victoria for being “very proactive and robust in negotiations”. A testimonial for Richard singles him out as “the only professional that I recommend consistently to my clients”.
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INSPIRE
One of the firm’s youngest solicitors, Jessica Few, achieved her first ranking as a Recommended lawyer in the family team which is an impressive accolade early in her career and noted in a testimonial that describes her as dealing “with cases with a maturity, insight and forensic precision that is well beyond her years”.
John Wagstaffe in property litigation and Nat Young in dispute resolution retained their Next Generation Partner rankings with a testimonial for John acknowledging his help to “overcome many difficult problems” and Nat being noted at “the man you want with you in the trenches on a difficult case”. Miranda Mulligan in employment retained her Rising Star ranking for her signification contribution to client matters. One of her testimonials describes her as “diligent, efficient, supportive, strong, understanding, and above all else, successful in helping me
stand up for what I believe in and enabled me to fight for change for other women”. Seven of the Longmores practice areas were ranked: company commercial, commercial property, dispute resolution, employment, family, private client and rural. Across these teams, 19 solicitors achieved individual rankings making these the firm’s best ever results. Richard Gvero, joint senior partner, said: “We are once again delighted to have been ranked as a Leading Firm and I am so proud of my colleagues for their well deserved recognition as top lawyers. We would also like to thank our clients and professional contacts who provided so many fabulous testimonials.” The Legal 500 is a leading directory of law firms and solicitors in the UK with rankings determined by independent research, client interviews and the opinions of other professionals.
