Being in a position to build trusted relationships with my clients and deliver high quality legal advice without the constraints of a traditional law firm, is my favourite thing about working at Leonard Curtis Legal. I work alongside a really talented team with years of top quality experience and we deliver an exceptional service to our clients, but acting for owner managed businesses is a skill in itself, and sometimes you have to be part lawyer part therapist! M&A transactions in this space can often represent the culmination of someone’s lifetime of work and you need the skill set and emotional intelligence to support them through it.
We’re going through a really exciting phase in the wider Leonard Curtis group at the moment, and it’s giving us the opportunity, support and confidence to think bigger. For Leonard Curtis Legal, the next year is about growth. Instead of just focusing on organic growth, we’re actively looking to acquire firms that complement what we already do and can bolt onto our existing offerings. The legal market is still very fragmented and there’s real scope to bring together like-minded firms that share a similar culture, values, and commitment to client service and relationships. We’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake, it’s more about adding real value for clients by offering them a broader service, while retaining the personal relationship-driven approach that sets us apart.
As with many sectors at the moment, the legal landscape is changing, fast, thanks to AI. I’ll be honest, AI scares me. Not because I think it will replace lawyers entirely, but because it’s changing the way we work so quickly that ignoring the fact it’s here simply isn’t an option anymore. In corporate transactional law, there are now tools that can review contracts and analyse due diligence in a fraction of the time it would take a human lawyer. That’s both exciting and frightening, but we have to accept it. When I started out, due diligence meant trawling through rooms full of lever arch files but now AI can review thousands of documents, flagging change-of-control clauses and termination provisions almost instantly. It means I spend less time buried in PDF documents and more time advising clients on what those red flags actually mean to them commercially. Clients aren’t stupid, they know these tools exist and they are expecting us to use them, as this ultimately means faster turnaround times and lower costs. It puts pressure on all of us in the legal field to adopt AI just to keep pace, and people who are not willing to embrace it will get left behind. The challenge is balancing this efficiency with the judgment and commercial knowledge clients still pay for. AI can assist with drafting a clause, but it can’t tell you how hard to push it in a negotiation, what the market position is in that sector, or how a subtle shift in risk allocation might affect a deal.
The increase of private equity and alternative funding options across the last 10 years, has totally transformed the M&A landscape for owner-managed businesses. I’d say that historically at this level, trade sales have dominated, but we are now seeing far more routes available for business owners considering exits, succession or growth funding. I think this has created more competitive deal processes in transactions generally. The impact has been positive as not only is it is giving owners more choice, but it has also increased the need for experienced advisers who understand not just the legal aspects but also the commercial drivers behind deals.
Early in my career, I learned that you can’t let other people’s perceptions define your potential. I was told more than once that I wouldn’t make it in law because I didn’t fit the “traditional model”, but I kept going and proved that theory wrong. I didn’t know anyone who had navigated their career journey like I had. It taught me the importance of self-belief and perseverance (some would say stubbornness…!), and these are definitely qualities I draw on daily in both my professional and personal life.
I’m inspired by people who succeed against the odds, particularly those who do so whilst balancing their career with personal responsibilities. As a mother throughout my journey to qualifying as a lawyer, I had to navigate that balance myself and it was tough. I didn’t know anyone who had gone through a similar path. I admire people who have achieved their ambitions and broke generational cycles without fundamentally changing who they are.
I really struggle to relax and switch off but as I am getting older, I am forcing myself to get better at it. I love spending time with my family and friends preferably in a sunny climate, and I am also a big Man City fan, so you’ll often find me watching the match (although I’m not sure that’s relaxing)!
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Leonard Curtis is a trading style of Reach Commercial Finance Limited, registered at Riverside House, Irwell Street, Manchester, M3 5EN. Company Register number is 09056450. Reach Commercial Finance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN: 753686. Reach Commercial Finance Limited is an authorised credit broker and not a lender. We work with a an unrestricted number of lenders to find a potentially suitable arrangement for your consideration. ICO registration ZA069234 and you can check via www.ico.org.uk. We will receive commission from lenders. Different lenders pay different amounts depending on different commission models. For transparency we work with the following commission models: fixed fee, fixed rate of commission, percentage of the amount you borrow and rate for risk (this is based on the risk profile of the business). Further details of the commission model, calculation and amount will be disclosed to you throughout your customer journey. Privacy notice.
Leonard Curtis Legal Limited is a limited company, registered in England and Wales with registered number 09820186. Registered office: Riverside House, Irwell Street, Manchester M3 5EN. Leonard Curtis Legal Limited is registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority with number 626004.