Spotlight on… Lizzie Judd

This month, we shine the spotlight on Lizzie Judd, Legal Director in the firm’s Commercial team. She tells us about her career working both in-house and in private practice, her number one tips for clients and why she’s firmly rooted in the Thames Valley.

How long have you been a lawyer and why did you become one?

I took on my first role in law as a paralegal in 2011 and haven’t looked back since! I was always drawn to law because it was a vocation and there was a clear career path to follow.

At school I was quite studious, enjoyed working with the written word and was a good listener – so I thought my skills would be quite well-suited. My parents always encouraged me to pursue a profession – they run and own a property business and wanted me to do something outside of this which would support my independence.

Being around the business – which they ran from the family home – meant I took an interest in business matters from an early age, and I knew I wanted to do something complementary with my own career.

What attracted you to a career in Commercial law specifically?

During my training contract, I spent my first rotation in a busy commercial team. I loved the variety in the work and the fact that no two matters were the same. In commercial matters, you’re typically working towards a common goal which is linked to a business’ strategic priorities.

The context of the project is so important, as well as the personalities involved, and while there are key legal principles involved in drafting contracts, there is also a lot of psychology and creativity involved in getting from A to B. I’ve worked on projects relating to deals from hiring of spaces in cigar humidors to virtual reality gaming concessions in shopping centres.

As a solicitor in commercial law there are also lots of opportunities to spend time on secondment as part of a companies’ in-house legal team or in a sole legal function, if none. I’ve been fortunate to compete several of these with companies such as Coca Cola, Three Mobile and Honda, as well as smaller organisations.

Tell us about your most memorable case

Some of my most memorable projects have involved large and complex contracts that are part of high value, strategic projects. Not long after I had qualified, I was invited to assist a senior Partner with an IT project for a telecoms client. The client had spent a lot of money to onboard three IT service providers to develop and transition to an entirely new customer network. Within a matter of months, the relationships had fallen apart and we were to help the parties re-visit and re-negotiate the contract.

My role was to assist with the technical schedules. This was no mean feat, as there were hundreds of pages of detailed technical scope items which did not make much sense to anyone outside of the industry. My role was to go through each line item, clarify with the parties who was to be doing what going forwards, and re-draft the clause; involving three weeks locked in a room with the programmers from each party’s technical teams. It’s safe to say we all lost our minds at one point or another!

At the time I’m not sure I’d say it was enjoyable, but we did get a huge sense of achievement when we completed the task and when the project was finally resolved.

What is it about the Thames Valley specifically which led you to work there?

Having grown up in Oxfordshire I have strong roots in the area and my life here has unfolded organically. My first role as a paralegal was in Reading, followed by my training contract and qualification role.

I then met my husband at work, and we found that this area was a perfect middle ground between our families, and has everything we need in terms of career opportunities, proximity to London and other great towns and cities, and access to beautiful countryside.

While I always thought I might live in London, I was able to dip my toe in during a six- month secondment to a package travel company. As much as it was a fun experience, I missed being close to the countryside and found that I spent much longer getting from A to B on public transport than I expected!

What’s your number one top tip for clients?

Working with a lawyer should be an enjoyable experience! It’s important to choose someone you connect with and trust, and then invest in the relationship.

When you’re not working with clients, what else are you working on/doing?

I have a young toddler, so much of my spare time is dictated by his routine and needs at the moment. I seem to spend forever making food and snacks for the family which invariably don’t get eaten! As a family we enjoy getting out into the countryside and seeing friends and family where we can. We are lucky to live near a few farm parks and national trusts which do just the job, and if there’s a good café with strong coffee, I’m happy!

Aside from that I try to fit in ‘me time’ where I can, a quick walk, lunch with girlfriends or a yoga class tend to do the trick.