The pursuit of Flowers and Law

ARTICLE

The pursuit of Flowers and Law

Thanks to Sarah Bradd (Editor-in-chief of the CWHLS CLL Magazine) who had an amazing time at the CWHLS party in December 2021, where she enjoyed making Christmas wreaths and chatting with Farima Perry who runs her own legal practice and owns a Florals and Events business – that we decided to interview her for this edition.

1. Tell us about your journey into law

I had a slightly different journey. I first completed a degree in Banking, Insurance and Finance and then I completed my CPE. As an Indian female in the late 90’s it was very difficult to secure a training contract in any of the top magic circle firms and I wanted to have a different and an additional qualification under my belt to try to set me apart from other applicants, which I think that I achieved. During my Banking degree I interned in Lehman Brothers and UBS where I think that I really got a taste for working in Banks and in-house which I swiftly moved into to practice law after qualifying.

2. How did you become a lawyer?

I was first a paralegal at Shearman & Sterling after which I did my New York Bar and then qualified as a Solicitor later on.

3. Did you decide to establish a law firm and did you find the process easy or challenging?

I don’t have a law firm but thanks to the SRA reforms in 2019, I practice as a Freelance Solicitor where I provide non-reserved legal services under my company – Perrys Law. I specialise in the legalities relating to the Hospitality, Wedding and Events industry, which includes advising both venues and businesses and individuals within the industry. The wedding industry is worth £14 billion and it is only in the pandemic, that it gained recognition as an industry itself, due to the major financial catastrophe wedding businesses went through. I also sit as General Counsel to the Government appointed UK Weddings Taskforce.

4. What area of practice do you specialise in?

I used to specialise in Derivatives and Structured Products for a long time until I left the City, now I specialise in Commercial Law.

5. We understand you have a floral business; can you tell us about your floral design and wedding and event planning?

Yes of course. In 2015 I decided to take a little pause in the law and undertook floristry diplomas and wedding planning accreditations both in the UK and in the US. I just wanted to do something creative after 17 years in the City and I had always had a passion for flowers. After completing those diplomas, I didn’t really know what to do, and my husband (who is also a lawyer) encouraged me to open a flower boutique. I very naively took up the challenge! Not having a clue whatsoever as to how to run a business. However, I got extremely lucky having recruited the most amazing staff, and we have grown from there to now being one of the top floral designers in London. Once I had established the business for floral design and we had created a brand, as such, I then launched the wedding planning business so that people could see what we were capable of producing. And now we produce weddings all over the world. Of course, we have our challenges every day and the pandemic hit us and the industry hard, but we have to keep on going.

6. What is it like practicing law and running your business?

Extremely Hard Work….no other way to describe it!

7. What is the synergy between both?

Well I’m lucky that I have been able to gain experience in the Events Industry and then apply that working knowledge in my legal practice which is quite rare. So it works very well.

8. What challenges (if any) do you face as a freelance solicitor and floral business owner and how has the knowledge of law assisted?

The knowledge of law has been vital in assisting my wedding planning clients negotiate their contracts with venues and suppliers and to simply be able to guide them through their legal rights. I think that being a lawyer has definitely attracted clients to the business as they feel that they are in safer hands. On the other hand, advising clients in my legal practice, about an industry I have a very good working knowledge of, and being able to see the argument from both perspectives, is priceless.

9. Employees – do you have the same employees that assist in the floral business and as a freelance solicitor, if no, how do you manage the distinction?

I don’t have any employees in the legal business as I am not allowed to as a freelance solicitor, but I have employees in the Florals and Events business – who are of course the backbone of the business and I wouldn’t be here without them.

10. How did the Pandemic affect your businesses and what steps did you take to address the issues caused?

We actually opened another floral boutique in August 2020 in Essex, in the middle of the pandemic as weddings and events were halted which really affected us. I wanted to find a way to keep the brand alive and growing as we are still young in the industry. It was a huge financial burden to take on, but I think we can see the light at the other end now.

11. How has diversity & inclusion and/or socio-economic issues played a part in both of your businesses?

It doesn’t really play a part in the Florals and Events businesses as we hire the best people we can irrespective of diversity and socio-economic background. However, as a young Indian female lawyer when I started out, there were definitely struggles and prejudices, and I feel I had to work twice as hard to prove myself and show my abilities.

12. How do your clients react when you tell them you’re a lawyer and a florist/events planner?

They love it. I think it gives them a lot of comfort.

13. Have you faced any stereotypes in the legal industry as a result of your business and vice versa?

No, I don’t believe that I have. I think most people love the fact that I can do both. I also think that it helps that I was a lawyer for a long time before I started my Florals and Events business. So hopefully I have credibility in both fields.

14. Has the growth of either your legal practice or the floral business affected the other and how did you manage the result?

I feel I am always time-poor, but then you have to manage your cash flow and make sure that you can employ more people to manage growth. That is always a struggle to get that balance right.

15. What achievements are you most proud of and why?

I am hugely proud of the fact that I achieved both my dreams of becoming a lawyer, doing well in it (hopefully) and then being able to build a business which I absolutely love.

16. What tips would you like to offer young solicitors struggling with their career, businesses, etc.

The only tip I have is to surround yourself with people that lift you up and are better than you. People that you can learn from. You should always be learning. As the saying goes, we are the average of the five people that we spend the most time with. I live by that rule.

17. What would be your advice to a lawyer seeking to pursue both law and business?

Go for it. But remember that it is not a walk in the park and involves focus and extremely hard work. You do everything at the start and wear every hat. The Believer, the Money Manager, The Salesperson, the Planner, the Decision Maker … the list goes on. Be prepared to do that. It is very different to being an employee. ■

Farima Perry

Kene Onyeka Allison

Kene Onyeka Allison

CWHLS Editorial Board and Guest Editor of February edition