5 Years On with gunnercooke Partner Angela Brumpton

Five years ago, I was ready for a change. However, I was confident a move into another traditional law firm would not offer that change. It would be very much a case of the same deal, with different letterhead. I had options, but none of them excited me.

I didn’t know much about gunnercooke until a friend and former colleague made the move there and was thriving. I knew what a good quality and highly ambitious lawyer he was (and is), which gave it credibility. So, I made my mind up to join pretty much then and there.

The first few months can be scary, mainly because moving from salaried employment to self-employment feels like a huge leap. However, my colleagues had all been there and done it. They were hugely helpful and reassuring. The culture is very different from that of a traditional firm. Everyone benefits from helping each other, referring clients, and sharing opportunities, so there is a fantastic collegiate and entrepreneurial spirit.

I can best summarise my experience at gunnercooke with a series of facts about where I am now as opposed to five years ago. 

1. I earn more money. Keeping the majority of my earnings has made a big difference to my pay.
2. I work fewer hours. When you take away the commute,  internal team and management meetings, and attendance at events I don’t want to go to (!)  I generally don’t work the hours I used to.
3. I take my children to school every morning, and most nights I am there when they get home.
4. I have grown my client base. With over 200 partners, support for external marketing, and a growing reputation for quality, I expect to grow it further.
5. Since moving to gunnercooke, I have acted for clients in the most high profile and complex cases of my career. Any concerns that I would not attract the highest quality work and clients at gunnercooke were put to bed quickly.
6. It took a while to become deinstitutionalised, but I now embrace the flexibility this model gives you and it has really improved my quality of life.
7. Never say never, but at this time I cannot imagine ever going back and working in a traditional model again. Which perhaps is all you need to know!

Find out more about the benefits of working at gunnercooke here. Or contact our recruitment team for a confidential chat by filling out the form below: