We sat down with gunnercooke Corporate and Commercial Partner Simon Williams to look at life behind the practice, and delve into the reasons why he became a lawyer, all the way through to what his proudest moment as a lawyer has been so far…
Why did you become a lawyer?
I knew I wanted to be involved in business and I have always liked the structure of law, problem solving, and relationship building. My favourite part of being a lawyer is being able to innovate and add value to clients whilst building long term relationships.
What is your proudest moment as a lawyer so far?
Interviewing a trainee solicitor at the time (Alex Connah) in 2015, I had worked with him for a number of years, and I work alongside him today at gunnercooke after he joined my team as an Associate last December. I take a lot of enjoyment from seeing him develop and being a part of his journey.
Has gunnercooke exceeded your expectations?
In every way; the flexibility of it, the collegiate approach of everyone working together in the same direction, working in a business within a business, and the internal marketing opportunities. If I had to summarise the ethos at gunnercooke in two words it would be “passion” and “spirit”.
Do you refer work to, and enlist support from, colleagues at gunnercooke?
I am regularly referring work to colleagues within the network and on corporate deals, we get others involved, for example in terms of employment and property support. It is good to work as part of a team and of course there can also be the benefit of a referral fee and the goodwill that goes with it.
How is the social life at gunnercooke?
There are plenty of opportunities to meet and mix with colleagues; from a recent wine tasting event, I attended at the Manchester office to a Meet The Teams event in London and the upcoming Symposium in September. There is always something going on socially, which keeps it interesting.
What is your favourite thing to do outside work?
Spending time with my little boy, Hugo, who was born in April 2021 a few weeks after I joined gunnercooke – he took part in some of my first Teams meetings at a few days old! I will always be glad that I made the move to gunnercooke, as it enables me to spend so much quality time with him.