Employment law specialist Karen Coleman qualified 20 years ago and before joining Excello Law in 2016, worked at a private practice firm in Stoke-on-Trent as the head of its employment practice. At this point in her career, Karen had the choice to either stay with her current firm or look beyond to another way of working.
At that time, Karen was introduced to Excello Law and the prospect of increased autonomy in the way she wanted to work, as well as the types of client she wanted to work with, is what made her move to consultancy. At Excello Law, there are no managerial pressures, office politics, or billing targets.
Karen is now more in control of choosing the clients she works with. Furthermore, she is able to provide one to one services and ensure excellent and dedicated client service, without the burden of managerial and administrative pressures.
A new way of working
Karen’s client base comprises businesses and she likes to visit them and meet them at their offices, but she wouldn’t have been able to do that in a traditional firm, as she would have been tied to her desk. Since her move to Excello Law, she now not only has the freedom to decide who she works with, but also how she works, to the great benefit of her clients.
“You attract a certain client that you like and work well with, and I chose to focus on advising only employers, which at a private practice firm I would not have been able to do.”
“In private practice you typically refer clients to the relevant department within your firm and your reputation is on the line as they may have a different way of working which might not gel with your client. Whereas at Excello Law, I know the lawyers here think and work like me and I’m able to refer clients with confidence and trust.”
Karen remains active in the way she develops her business and often attends networking events to expand her network.
“Before I joined Excello Law, business development would have taken longer and would need to align with a firm’s wider objectives. But now I’m able to be flexible and proactive and I’m fully in control of my business development objectives and the central business team are always supportive and happy to help.”
Round the clock support
Although the number of hours Karen works since moving to Excello Law may not have changed, and during the coronavirus pandemic her workload increased by 40%, thanks to the increased level of autonomy here, Karen is better able to manage her time at work and at home, as she wishes.
Karen also counts the friendly and supportive team within Excello and the many tools and resources they provide as a major draw to the firm. There is also a strong feeling of collaboration with the wider team; if Karen needs a second opinion on a matter, she knows her colleagues are always there to help.
She notes another great thing about Excello Law is that they are always open to exploring new initiatives. It’s not a top-down business and “there is a genuine sense of collaboration and working together within the firm, no matter where we are in the country!”
