11 minute read
The end of an era
1986The end of an era Lodders bids au revoir to Martin Green after 36 years After an astonishing 36 years and six months at the firm, Martin Green stepped back from client work responsibilities and his role as Lodders’ senior partner in June 2022.
Happily it is au revoir and not goodbye, as Martin remains with the firm in an ambassadorial role.
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Described by Paul Mourton as ‘the architect and reason’ why Lodders is the firm it is today, and in tribute to his phenomenal contribution, we asked Martin about some of his personal highlights of his time – so far - at Lodders. He said
“Since I joined the firm on 1st January 1986, Lodders has undergone dramatic expansion and growth.” Thirty-six years ago, the private client team consisted of just me, one other fee earner, and a part-time legal secretary in Henley in Arden.
“It is hard to believe that the department has grown to what is now one of the largest teams in the Midlands.
“We have earned a national reputation and top tier rankings in both the Chambers and the Legal 500 guides, with recognition for our support on all aspects of private client law, from wills, trusts, estates and tax planning, to specialist advice for elderly and vulnerable clients. “For the team to be ranked for so many years as a top tier firm for our work and advice for private clients is without doubt my personal top highlight. It was definitely a ‘real moment’ when we were ranked for the very first time, and the team hasn’t looked back since."
Winning new clients has always given me great satisfaction, and I have had a lot of referrals from other law firms which is always flattering.
Differentiation
Alongside his exemplary client service and legal advice, Martin has been a driving force behind setting Lodders apart and ahead of the competition:
“I have always recognised the value and importance of effective marketing to support the positioning and development of the firm," says Martin.
"Many years ago, I was instrumental in the firm’s first appointment of a marketing and events specialist, and two rebrands, the first one controversially to change the firm’s name from ‘G F Lodder and Sons’ to ‘Lodders’.
“I am very proud of the success of our recruitment, and the professional development of so many members of the private client team and across the firm, as well as developing our financial services operations, the merger in 2017 with Divorce and Family Law Practice (DFLP), and before that enticing George Campion to take on the firm’s first ever non-executive role,” he says.
Private Client
986 Privilege In June 2020, Louise Igoe took over from Martin as head of the Private Client practice. A specialist in estate planning, wills, trusts and probate matters, Louise joined Lodders as a trainee in 2003, qualified into the private
client team, and made history at the firm when she became its youngest partner at the age of 30. She says: “Martin has made an invaluable contribution to Lodders’ growth and the building of a successful private client team. “He is an excellent lawyer who is revered by his colleagues and peers for his knowledge and expertise. “Martin has been my mentor since I joined the firm, and I have had the privilege and pleasure of working closely with him. His ability to identify client’s needs, communicate technical issues in a manner which is easy for them to understand, and offer creative solutions to legal problems, is so impressive. He is such a good listener, approachable and personable.” Architect and reason Managing partner Paul Mourton, adds: “Martin is one of the leading private client partners in the Midlands, if not the country, whose black book of clients never ceases to amaze, among them a number who regularly feature on the Sunday Times Rich List, as well as stars of stage and screen, local heavy hitters in the property world, and the owners or directors and chief executives of listed PLCs. “He is a phenomenal individual, kind and caring, and is the architect of and reason why our firm has such a wonderful culture, and one of those responsible for laying the foundations for the firm’s success. He will be profoundly missed, but thankfully is not leaving us completely. “The Private Client team remains ambitious. Under Louise’s stewardship, its team of experts and specialists continue Martin’s great work and commitment to providing high quality private client services, helping high net worth clients with succession planning, advice on the creation and administration of trusts, assisting clients with deceased’s estates, and advising elderly and vulnerable clients,” adds Paul.
Legal futures
We talk to Tom Ellis about his new role as Lodders’ first-ever general counsel and how this supports our strategy for quality, excellence and innovation.
Tom Ellis specialises in solicitors’ professional regulation, professional liability, and risk and compliance.
Since he joined the firm as an associate in the Dispute Resolution team in 2018, Tom has been promoted to senior associate and partner, and also appointed as the firm’s first-ever general counsel.
Tom explains the new role, how this fits with our strategy and commitment to quality, excellence and innovation, and what this adds to our already highquality client service and experience.
What is the role of a general counsel in a law firm?
All law firms are required to have a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), who has overall responsibility for risk and compliance (R&C). Having a general counsel (GC), though, is not mandatory and, indeed, is a comparatively recent development among law firms. Law firm GCs have become more common in the last ten years or so, and it is true that many of the largest firms now have them in post. Among smaller- and medium- sized practices, however, GC appointments are less frequent. Lodders is definitely ahead of the curve in this respect.
Ideally, a GC will operate from within the firm’s partnership and will be legally trained, skilled in the technical aspects of risk and compliance, as well as – crucially – able to see the bigger picture from the point of view of the firm and its clients. A GC will frequently act as a ‘bridge’ between the equity partnership and the rest of the firm, delivering the board’s risk and compliance vision/agenda, translating this into something tangible, and reporting back as necessary.
What does the role of Lodders’ GC involve?
In short, no two days (or perhaps hours!) are the same, which helps to make my role an extremely interesting and challenging one.
As GC, I am the principal legal adviser to the firm and take overall responsibility for the direction of R&C as a function. Day-to-day, this translates into a hugely varied agenda, which sees me involved with a broad spectrum of activities – from examining new and emerging risks, delivering advice on the many queries that arise in our lawyers’ daily practice, to dealing with contentious matters affecting the firm.
I also work on relevant projects, am involved with our processes and controls, and provide advice on operational issues across the firm.
Finally, I spend time delivering training to staff on key risk and compliance topics.
Above all, I am motivated in everything I do by a focus on the ways in which we, as a firm, can use risk and compliance positively to improve our business, by supporting the delivery of excellent client service and making the client experience even better. In the work we do within the risk and compliance team, this focus is never far from our minds.
What does this new role mean for Lodders?
Appointing a GC, in my view, demonstrates Lodders’ recognition not only that risk and compliance is centrally important, but also that it is something wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary and dynamic.
Historically, law firms have had ‘compliance’ teams. Personally, I am not a fan of that label, for the simple reason that ‘compliance’ seems to imply something passive and reactive – a set of activities that are based solely on rules or ‘box-ticking’, even. In fact, risk and compliance within a law firm is anything but that, and the team’s role in the business is a great deal more positive and proactive.
I think my appointment also shows Lodders’ awareness that risk and compliance can – indeed should – be used in positive ways to the ultimate benefit of the firm’s clients. It is another example of our commitment to innovation, and I am determined that it will assist in furthering a core aspect of the firm’s current three-year strategy, which is centred on a ‘flight to quality, excellence and innovation’, by ensuring that all the components of a high-quality client service are in place.
What impact will you, as GC, have on the firm’s ESG agenda?
I believe that my role will be important. The firm will, of course, need to be prepared to adapt to new rules, regulations and risks, and our strategic approach to risk management means we will be well placed to do so.
Perhaps even more importantly, though, ESG is a vast subject that requires detailed reflection on almost everything the firm does now, alongside a degree of soul-searching about everything the firm aspires to be. Because (as I have said above) my day-to-day role requires me to focus to such an extent on the ‘bigger picture’, I hope to contribute significantly to the process by drawing together the many potential components of our ESG agenda and by assisting in the formulation of policies that make us the best firm we can be.
Our commitment to a cleaner working environment
Central to Lodders’ commitment to reducing our impact on the local and global environment is our Environmental Group. Owen Rees, who leads the group, explains its goals.
As the government aims to achieve 'net zero' by 2050, it is imperative for organisations to start tackling the climate crisis on an individual and business level.
A warmer planet was inevitable, however, through our actions, we have dramatically sped up the process of global warming.
As a firm, we aim to: • Consistently reduce the firm’s carbon output by using data-driven analysis; • Reduce the quantity of paper usage from all our offices; • Work with suppliers to ensure office facilities are sustainably sourced; • Raise awareness among staff of environmental issues, and provide home and office-based solutions to help reduce their impact on the environment.
Lodders active environmental group aims to reduce our carbon footprint to balance out the firms’ emissions.
The group is committed to changing the way our staff view this crisis and teaching the firm how we can improve as individuals and as a collective, with many examples already up and running, and clear evidence that we are reducing our carbon footprint.
Every light in our offices is now LED; this saves up to 75% of energy.
An electric car scheme has been introduced allowing staff to lease electric vehicles for a discounted price. We have installed electric vehicle chargers outside our Stratford upon Avon office.
In July, we undertook a carbon assessment which will highlight the areas where we are using too much or wasting energy and materials. This assessment will give us a benchmark so we can see our progress in the years to come.
Our commitment to a cleaner environment continues.
Top spot
Our winning streak continues with top rankings and award wins across the firm
Not only have we been crowned the best professional services firm in a major regional business award, but we have also retained the top spot in the latest editions of the legal profession’s elite guides.
Best firm
Lodders won the Professional Services Firm of the Year Award 2022 in the Coventry Live Business Awards, which celebrate and recognise the top companies and organisations across the city.
Paul Mourton commented:
The Award is great recognition of our team and the strength of the firm over the last year. We are delighted.
Top rankings, again
Ten members of our senior team are named as among the best lawyers in the UK by The Chambers Guide.
The latest edition of the Guide, which ranks UK individual lawyers and law firms based on their expertise and client feedback, sees Beverley Morris, James Spreckley and Louise Igoe retain the highest Band 1 position for lawyers in their individual area of the law.
It also names David Lodder and Martin Green as a ‘Senior Statesperson’, Dan MacLeod as ‘Associate to Watch’, and recognises Ian Flavell, Mark Lewis, Caroline Dresden, Vivienne Middleton, Jane Senior and Victoria Khandker.
The firm also faired extremely well in the latest edition of The Legal 500.
The real estate, family law, agriculture, and private client teams each took the top spot. Legal 500 also names Dan MacLeod and Jennifer Russell as its ‘Rising Stars’, and Mark Miller, Beverley Morris, and Mark Lewis as its ‘Leading Individuals’ this year.
Best in the world
Martin Green was recognised for his expertise in Personal Tax and Law by one of the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking services in the world, Best Lawyers™ in the United Kingdom, which recognises professional excellence of lawyers in 83 practice areas, with the lawyers named in it selected by their peers.
