Winter 2015 dsba.ie In conversation with Killian Morris of Amoss Solicitors
20 Minutes With...
Breen Purcell
Be a team player, a support to your colleagues and be willing to roll up the sleeves when necessary. The law is often not black and white, and being able to sound things out with your colleagues and peers is invaluable – and it works both ways
Breen Purcell is a founding partner of McDowell Purcell which has seen huge growth in recent years. He practises in the area of property and banking transactional work and has considerable experience in the financing, acquisition and disposal of commercial and residential property
When did you qualify? I qualified in 1994 having completed my traineeship in a mid-sized firm where I continued to work until we set up practice in 1998. If you hadn’t become a solicitor what would you have done? As a four-year-old apparently, I wanted to be a carpenter having played Joseph in the school play. However, much later in life I knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to be the master of my own destiny. Law was an area I found interesting and a profession that I thought would allow me to work for myself. I am happy to say that I have never had cause to regret that decision. Have you any funny anecdotes from your time as a trainee/apprentice? I have many, but few that are fit for print! On one occasion I remember being asked by my master to attend an investment property that he owned to feed some tropical fish, all in a day’s work! If we asked your best clients to describe
you – what would you expect/hope they might say? I would like to think that they would describe me as accessible, responsive and easy to communicate with. While sometimes it is necessary to adopt a tough stance on matters in order to protect your clients best interests, for the most part adopting a cooperative and respectful approach in dealing with colleagues ensures the best outcome. I enjoy my job and I hope that that comes across in my dealings with both clients and other solicitors. What was your most memorable moment in practice? Putting up our first plate with my fellow partners JP McDowell and Denis McDowell when we set up practice in 1998 was a proud (and scary) moment. We had rented rooms on Wellington Road, met with the bank, bought some second-hand office furniture and off we went with big ambitions. It was a good time to set up and we found a lot of goodwill out there. However, moving to our then new office in
the Capel Building (where we are currently located), was another one. We had lots of space to fill, and it really was a different challenge to us as a practice. Since then however, there has been no looking back. Your firm has seen huge levels of growth in recent years, was this by design or did it naturally evolve that way? It was always our ambition to grow the firm. Our managing partner, Thomas O’Malley has been very instrumental in seizing opportunities to bolt on additional practice areas that enhance the services we can offer to clients. Furthermore, we recognised the need to invest in business development and now have two full-time professionals working in this area. In the last three years alone we have seen McDowell Purcell double in size and we now number over 110 people. Of course that level of growth brings its own challenges, but we are fortunate to have an excellent team and a strong stable of clients who have grown alongside us. Who has had the most influence on your career and why? the Parchment 7
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