A day in the life of….an equity Partner

Andrea Smith is an equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors and heads up our Business Services Department. In this blog she explains why she has chosen to progress her career within Franklins and what her role entails…

I joined Franklins Solicitors nearly 21 years ago as a Trainee Solicitor and was offered a position post qualification, working alongside Simon Long, who is now our Managing Partner. I worked very hard and became a salaried Partner (referred to within the firm as a Level 2 member). I continued to work diligently and was invited to join Level 1 as an equity Partner. I now own the Firm equally with Simon Long, Scott Wright and Lee Holmes, who have all been with Franklins for many years and progressed their careers within the Firm.

In my role as Partner I head up the Business Services offering and oversee the Corporate, Commercial, Employment and Commercial Property departments that provide services to the Firm’s corporate clients.

There is no “typical” day for me. In addition to my role as Head of Business Services, I also look after HR, Marketing and I am the Trainee Supervisor so in addition to speaking to clients in relation to a sale or an acquisition of a business I can be making decisions about marketing or recruitment.

I love the fact that my job is very diverse. I get to be involved in many things in relation to the running of the business and speak to lots of people. I’m also able to do what I enjoy most which is corporate transactions.

The biggest challenge is fitting everything into the working day that I need to complete. I would also say that recruitment and staff retention is becoming increasingly challenging because recruiters are constantly calling our employees and trying to entice them to new pastures. In many respects, this is an opportunity to ensure that our offering to employees remains competitive.

People sometimes ask me why I have chosen to stay with Franklins for over 20 years. I’ve worked with many people over the years who have left and discovered the grass is not always greener. I like the work that I do and the people that I work with. Many people that I have trained have stayed with the Firm and it is rewarding to know that you are contributing to the growth and success of the business.

When I’m outside of work, I enjoy running. Although I recently slipped two discs so I’ve been out of action but I can’t wait to get back to marathons again. These days I spend time in the pool doing hydrotherapy exercises. I also spend time with my children and my puppy Woody.

For further advice and assistance please contact our Business Services Team on 01604 828282 / 01908 660966 or email info@franklins-sols.co.uk