What is a year at gunnercooke like? A Q&A with Katy Wedderburn

Scottish qualified Employment Partner Katy Wedderburn recently celebrated her one year anniversary with the firm. To celebrate her time at gunnercooke, she sat down for a quick Q&A.

What has been your highlight at gunnercooke so far?

When I joined, I had only touched the surface of the business. I have been most impressed by the people and ways of working. Every person I have interacted with has been interested, interesting and extremely capable. From lawyers to essential “back office” services, and support from paralegals, they reached out, offered a friendly chat or gave guidance. Because of the fee share model, everyone benefits from good client work and happy clients. The way people get things done has really stood out.

As a relatively new business, set up to meet modern challenges, the innovative ways of working have made it easy for me to focus on doing the job I enjoy with minimal admin, I have time to get things done.

Work-wise, I have had some of the most interesting and challenging work in my 25-plus years of being a solicitor so I am not going stale!

What do you wish you could tell yourself a year ago?

It will be better than you can imagine.

Have there been any hurdles you’ve had to overcome in your time at gunnercooke?

I was curious how I would find working without “a team” around me, having worked in a large group for many years. The first partners I met made me feel very welcome. One, based hundreds of miles away in London, rang me on one of the first Friday afternoons for a chat and that made a lasting impression – who has time to pick up the phone to a stranger on a Friday afternoon? [I hope you know who you are!]. We have a really supportive group of employment (and other!) partners and share our experiences.

I was anxious about working remotely from others on the admin side to collate and produce large tribunal bundles! I was introduced to a paralegal early on who I now work with, who is a whizz [you do know who you are!]. “Remoteness” is not an issue. We also have excellent admin support options for document preparation and printing managed by a really friendly and capable inhouse team.

Is there anything that you’d love to accomplish in the coming years?

Continued growth and to welcome others to our Scottish team – they are a great bunch!

What do you remember about your first day/week/month?

I wanted to get on with things and that happened very quickly.

How has your practice changed over the last year?

I have been able to focus on client work, which is why I became a lawyer. I hardly spend any time on admin.

How has the firm changed over the last year?

It is bigger. I like the way it is boldly developing overseas. We have great opportunities to meet and work with our foreign colleagues.

What would be your advice for people thinking of joining gunnercooke?

Come join us!

What have you learnt since being at gunnercooke?

Change is good. It challenges and is rewarding.