Karen: I started my recruitment career in London, specialising in commercial recruitment London but then moved into legal recruitment in the city and quickly loved it. I stayed working in London for some years but moved back to Wales to be with my father who was dying with cancer. I didn’t want to miss that time with him.

I had moved back into Commercial recruitment again as there wasn’t a legal recruitment market in Wales – firms worked with agencies in England. I was devastated not to be in that world and felt Wales needed local, specialist support and knowledge. Which is when I met Rob Adams, my business partner.

Rob had recruitment experience in the medical world, and it was his ambition to make my vision come into life that really was the start of TSR. He saw the potential, in both the legal market and in my skills and experience.

Rob: I had recently been made redundant, and rather forced the opportunity! I sold my car for cash to start TSR in the back bedroom of my house. I designed a website, bought a laptop and Karen said, ‘you kick it off and I’ll come and join you’. And she did! It’s strange to think that was 20 years ago – the start of a home for legal recruitment advice and support in Wales.

Karen: We set up in 2004 and created TSR as a lifestyle business from our homes but later that year we got an office to cater for staff and it all took off from there.

The team has grown and we remain fully director-owned and focused on legal – the sector I have always been so passionate about and inspired by. We started at the right time – we worked with big law firms as I understood their needs after those years in London, and around the same time we saw an influx of other large legal brands moving into Wales looking for talent.

I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with amazingly supportive clients – many of which have been with us through thick and thin – from recessions to the pandemic. We have the perpetual motion of candidates becoming clients – and our biggest advocates.

When we opened TSR 20 years ago, people from outside of Wales had an old-fashioned idea about what we can offer as a nation – especially in terms of professional services. That absolutely isn’t the case now – and it should never have been either. Just look at the companies that see Wales as an opportunity and how many more brands have moved here and invest in our people. However, we do differ culturally to England.

I think we are more accepting in Wales, more supportive and as individuals and businesses, we are more close-knit. We’re able to access influencers and the Welsh Government more easily than UK Government or decision-makers. That has made a real difference to move things up the agenda, to showcase what we can do and to be able to serve those institutions with legal support.

It’s an attractive prospect. So much has changed, but culturally I think the positive aspects have remained the same – and progressed further. To the extent of Wales often being the ‘first’ to make more sustainable moves, to be more inclusive and more transparent.

Our candidates have always in the main, been recommended to us. We have always invested carefully in marketing but haven’t invested huge sums because we’ve always been so lucky to have such excellent and consistent referrals.

Over the years, we split the divisions of expertise to match those in law firms, and for specific roles – to help recruit lawyers at all levels, in all practice areas, for volume recruits, and for operations staff. We have a specialist team focused on equity partners and directors too.

The motivators for partners to move are more nuanced and complex, which takes more consultation time and demands experience and sensitivity from a recruiter.

You need a really experienced, professional and specialist partner recruiter who can give the right career advice and offer the time to look after that individual.

Karen: Our relationship has evolved. At the start, we knew about recruitment, but we didn’t know about running a business – not many start ups really do – but I’ve always had Rob by my side to learn these things together.

We found out we’re good at different things so we let each other get on with what they do best. You need to trust your business partner and allow them to flourish in the areas they enjoy most.

The legal market has always been dynamic and fast moving. Lawyers are always looking for the next growth area and are great at spotting opportunities – you can see this in the diversification of practice areas and services on offer over the years. We have always been aware of this pace of change and have adapted our business to thrive. No month or year is the same but actually, that’s what has kept us all inspired by the business, even after all this time!

The biggest lesson we’ve learnt though is to stick to our values. We have always said we want to help people, to make considered, sustainable opportunities that work for both candidates and clients, and to ensure that people come before profit.

We are acutely aware recruitment decisions directly affect people’s lives – and often their family’s lives – and never underestimate the need to make sure a move is right and works for everyone.

Rob: That’s absolutely our core mission and it hasn’t changed in 20 years.

Karen: The impact we’ve had on the legal profession in Wales, and on people’s lives. I look at partners in law firms who I’ve worked with since they qualified and see the value they have added to their firms, their clients and the communities they serve. It’s quite powerful.

Recruitment is often scoffed at in professional services – and there are agencies who are less qualitative about it all but at TSR we are so genuinely passionate about what we do and who we help, that we can’t help but care about the long-term impact of our advice.

I’m equally as proud of our fantastic team at TSR – some of whom have been with us from the start. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them, and we’re all able to juggle our personal commitments and needs because we work as a team.

I’m proud of my relationship with Rob. We have grown as individuals and as business owners – as corny as that sounds. In truth, we rarely take the time to reflect on how far we’ve come so this year is a special moment to do that, and for us to celebrate what we have all achieved.

Rob: I’d also add that I’m proud of our relationships with other specialist legal recruiters – we socialise together and respect each other. It’s a competitive market but the decent recruiters work alongside each other.

The benefit of this is that it makes the market better for everyone. It saves law firms from multiple, annoying pitches and a seemingly disjointed recruitment market in Wales. I’ve always valued the respect we have from our peers.

Karen: You have to be resilient – selling people is difficult. A cup is a cup. Selling one is pretty straightforward but people are fluid – they change their mind.

You need to be able to relate to people and understand their motivations for moving on – even if they don’t see that themselves. It can be a very emotive time and that can take its toll on you as an individual.

That’s why I’d also add that working with the right team, in an agency with the right culture is imperative.

Rob: You also need to be honest and have the confidence to say difficult things in a constructive manner.

We’re talking about someone’s life; their career. These decisions affect everything they do and plan for.

Karen: We are currently going through a period of growth, and of course plan for that to continue! We are also focused on succession planning within TSR Legal, having appointed new directors looking ahead to a time when Rob and I can retire!

In all seriousness, we have put plans into place to ensure those who have helped us build and expand TSR have similar opportunities themselves in the long term. It’s an exciting time, and another period of ‘business owner growth’ for us two.

In Wales, and in England – from Bristol, to the Midlands and in London – we’re seeing huge growth for our clients and the obvious recruitment and retention challenges that spike us all. We’re actively recruiting new consultants and to support and train those looking to join us.

Ultimately, we’re proudly Welsh grown and enjoying watching the market evolve in Wales – and the amazing opportunities on offer – which aren’t such a big secret anymore. TSR are, and will always shout the loudest about the joys and riches of forging a life here in Wales, and working with firms and teams across the nation.

On a personal level, I consider ourselves really fortunate and want to thank our clients and candidates over the years for their support, advocacy and business they give us. We genuinely see it as an honour to work with our clients and never take anything for granted.

Rob: We’re going to celebrate with our amazing team to thank them for all they do – from those who have been with us for a long time to our new starters.

I enjoy coming to work, I love working with our team and enjoy seeing them happy too. It never feels like work; that’s what I think any business owner strives for, for themselves and their employees.

Our team is amazing and I’m grateful to each one of them, every day.

For everything legal recruitment

TSR Legal is the exclusive legal recruitment agency partner with Legal News Wales. Click here to view our latest legal sector roles in Wales and England.

For more information and to contact the team, visit tsrlegal.co.uk or call 02920 388100.