Profile
Brigid Napier Napier Solicitors, Belfast
Brigid Napier
B
rigid Napier is Vice President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland and talks to Bhini Phagura about her career. Brigid has been practising in Insolvency and Commercial Litigation for over 30 years. She is a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner and a Notary Public.
Bhini Phagura
When did you decide to become a lawyer and what were your reasons? Law was very much part of my family life growing up. My father was a lawyer in a family-run firm, which had been established by his grandfather in the late 1920s. As I was growing up, I worked throughout the summers and Easter holidays in my father’s office often undertaking clerical work and doing deliveries. I always found every facet of working in a law firm of genuine interest. Although my real passion during my youth was art and it was not until I received my A-level results that I made the final decision to become a lawyer despite receiving an unconditional offer to the art college in Belfast. How did you decide to pursue that aim? When I decided to pursue a law degree it was with the sole aim of joining and becoming part of the family practice. I was therefore very happy to study law at Queen’s University, Belfast and I focused on Northern Irish law. After completing my professional training with the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen’s University on a Friday I started working in the family practice on the following Monday. What was your experience of being a trainee and junior solicitor? I think the first 5 years of being a trainee and young qualified lawyer were challenging as it was a small practice and my caseload included litigation, matrimonial, criminal, conveyancing and insolvency law. This did give me a good grounding in those areas, particularly when I went on to specialise in commercial litigation and insolvency, becoming a licensed Insolvency Practitioner in 1994. I found that working in the area of insolvency, particularly reconstruction and business recovery extremely rewarding. Why did you become involved with your local Law Society and how did you and the Society benefit from this? As a young Lawyer I was involved with the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors Association (NIYSA) which brought me into direct contact with the Law Society of Northern Ireland. I was co-opted onto a number of committees which allowed me the opportunity to understand the important role of the Society. The whole experience was very rewarding in terms of engaging with senior solicitors and representing the interests of the younger members of the profession at various levels. Following work and family commitments I once again found myself back with the Society after being elected to serve on the Society’s Council.
How and why do you think lawyers should get involved with the Law Society? Northern Ireland remains a small jurisdiction and the Law Society remains very effective as both a regulatory and representative body representing over 3,000 members. The Society is at the epicentre of the legal professions in Northern Ireland affecting change and contributing to the wider community. Solicitors can get involved by standing for Council, putting themselves forward to serve on committees, contributing to policies and consultations and feeding into the numerous solicitor groups which showcase the wide spectrum of diversity within the solicitor profession in Northern Ireland. Solicitors in NI can also involve themselves in the numerous conferences, events and social occasions which contribute to the collegiality of our profession. What do you want to achieve during your time as Vice President? Undoubtedly my year as Junior Vice President has been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and this will continue to impact on my Presidential year in 2022. There are many challenges ahead not least the return to ‘normality’ for everyone including solicitor firms and the Courts, but we also have to be mindful of the outworking of Brexit in this jurisdiction moving forward. I feel confident that we can meet the challenges ahead. I hope to do so as the Society marks its Centenary next year by looking forward to the next 100 years. What tips would you have for junior lawyers wanting to follow your path in the profession? Work hard, keep focussed, recognise that you will make mistakes and that is part of learning and never be afraid to ask for advice and assistance from members of the profession who in my experience have always been willing to give generously of their time and expertise. What work is The NI Law Society undertaking relating to mental health? As Vice President, I have worked closely with the President in addressing the wellbeing of the profession through his chosen charity partner, Action Mental Health. The Society remains committed to highlighting the wellbeing of Solicitors with the aim of encouraging colleagues to recognise the extent of the problems of anxiety, depression and stress which are relevant within the profession, particularly in the first five years post qualification. I look forward, during my presidential year, to continue the work and for the society to understand and address the extent of the problem within the profession, which I believe has been exacerbated by remote working and COVID-19 restrictions. The Society operates through an elected Council of 30 members, all practising solicitors, who serve on a voluntary basis. ■ LegalWomen | 29
