Interview: Lawyer in Focus: Andrew Barrowclough, HCB Widdows Mason

As the son of a builder and childminder from Southampton I didn’t have any legal heritage.

I recall that when I was about 12 I decided I wanted to be a solicitor and just stuck at it from there. I was lucky in that respect as so many young people struggle to find their career path; I just stuck to mine from so early.

I studied law at Cardiff University to include the LPC. I didn’t get an early training contract and I recall sending hundreds of emails to every law firm I could find in the UK in my final year.

I was incredibly lucky to secure an immediate training contract with SinclairsLaw in August 2005 in its Penarth office. It was a brilliant hands-on training contract where I got exposure to a lot of litigation. Penarth is such a lovely town to work in too.

The plan I suppose was to be a partner of a law firm. I was able to progress from trainee to Director at my previous firm to do this and achieved it before I was 30 (having a mid-August birthday helped with this!).

I would say you’re always propelled by those around you, supporting you and leading by example on what it takes to succeed.

Over the years, within education law, I have enjoyed the SEN work the most. Supporting families to help their disabled children is incredibly rewarding.

You need to have the usual solid skills in drafting, client care and advocacy but I would say the most important thing is to be passionate.

I had developed a reputation across the UK in my specialist field and eventually was headhunted to create an education law department within another firm.

I’d been at my previous firm for 10 years and was incredibly loyal but the timing was right.

I always wanted to create something that would last, help as many families as possible and be a firm where people were proud to work.

My philosophy is that you work to live you don’t live to work. We want people to enjoy their jobs but ultimately of course everyone would rather be home with their loved ones.

I would frankly say that on the whole lawyers are not the best managers naturally. It also isn’t a skill that’s taught or encouraged early on in most careers.

A great leader or partner has to lead by example and work hard but I think people can take this too far. If staff look at the senior partner and see someone exhausted and always shouting then it doesn’t encourage them to aspire to progress within that firm.

Listening is important and trying to encourage each and every person in the firm to be the best they can be and to progress as far as possible.

I trained for a year in general litigation under Rob North and then trained under Mike Charles learning Education Law. They both helped shape the lawyer I am today, and I am forever grateful for that.

In my personal life I sadly lost my father 10 years ago before I joined HCB and I like to think how he would have been proud of what we have built but he would have also told me constantly that I should be doing more!

My wife and three kids are always the biggest inspiration.

We promote internally for training contracts and it is amazing to see former paralegals who are now qualified solicitors.

It’s also brilliant when you can see those former trainees’ personal lives change over time to the point of them getting married and starting their own families.

Don’t give up, be confident and strive to be the best.

Also, remember that in everything you do there is an element of ‘sales.’ You’re selling yourself in interviews, you’re selling the services of department on a new client call or the firm at events.

It takes time to develop as a lawyer and a leader but I’d advise to listen more and don’t expect everyone to be you.

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For Andrew’s full profile, click here.