Rob Adams, Director at TSR Legal, speaks to Damian Phillips, Partner and employment law specialist at Darwin Gray.
Damian highlights the law firm’s recent growth – including the expansion of its Bangor office – and how its equitable culture, bilingual services and inclusivity initiatives have helped create an aspirational law firm to work in, and with.
Q: What has been Darwin Gray’s 2024 highlight to date?
A: We entered 2024 amidst a really exciting period for Darwin Gray. Over the last 18 months alone, we have grown in numbers by 40%, welcoming new staff at all levels across both of our Cardiff and Bangor offices.
Due to the exponential growth that we’ve been experiencing, in April this year we doubled our Cardiff head office space, providing the team with more space to connect and collaborate.
Alongside our recent growth, Darwin Gray has also been successful in winning several tenders in this year, including for opportunities to work with Cancer Research Wales, S4C, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Adnodd Cyf and Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
Q: How does Darwin Gray LLP stand out from the crowd?
A: Integrity and equitability are at the core of everything we do. As a firm, we are passionate about providing a supportive, positive and progressive culture. This is not only reflected in the way our team works together, but also the support that we provide across our communities and the service we provide to our clients.
As a proud Welsh business, it’s also important to us that we can differentiate ourselves by our commitment and capability to deliver our services bilingually.
The recent growth of the team in our Bangor office underpins our commitment to this, with bilingual capabilities having increased across the spectrum of the firm’s expertise.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Darwin Gray?
A: Undoubtedly the usual clichés apply regarding our fantastic people and clients. Being involved in the management of the firm is significant. The fact that we mould the culture of the firm is important.
We are an ambitious, successful firm but we also appreciate the need to strike a balance between work and family life.
As partners, we practise what we preach, and we empower our colleagues to contribute to moulding our culture and manage realistic workloads.
We want our people to be happy in all aspects of their lives and support them to develop themselves in areas outside of law as well.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring young lawyers?
A: Good communication is essential, whether that be with colleagues or clients. Listen and take time to digest information. Always manage expectations.
It is vital to be realistic and not over promise what is achievable, particularly in terms of time. If you believe that you cannot meet a deadline or that you may have made a mistake, then don’t sit on it.
The sooner that you explain the position, the sooner that you can get support and the better you will feel about it.
Q: What are you doing to create an inclusive workplace?
A: Since I joined Darwin Gray in 2009, we have always worked open plan, with everyone having the same desks/equipment etc regardless of role or status. We encourage a collaborative approach, regardless of a person’s role or status.
We strive to empower colleagues by involving them in some decision making regarding the firm’s progress and also by allowing them to develop their own skills through training and joining external boards/organisations.
We operate a mentoring system, with colleagues buddying up to offer support with both career progression and life generally if wanted.
Q; What can we expect to see from Darwin Gray for the remainder of 2024?
A: The recent expansion of our Cardiff office and the growth of the firm as a whole is an indication of Darwin Gray’s growth trajectory for the rest of the year and beyond. We will continue to nurture the talent we have here and deliver the best outcomes for our clients.
We are looking forward to continuing to deliver innovative events such as the hugely successful Governance Wales 2024 conference that took place in north Wales this May.
There are a number of exciting projects in progress at the moment, including an internal project that will reflect the evolution of the firm that we’ve seen in recent years. Watch this space!
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