Alumni Network - Issue 4

The Charity Challenge Helmets, hiking boots and wetsuits 10

Alumni Network 4 Where are they now?

We catch up with past members of staff who have moved on to pastures new.

18 Spotlight on From Talking IP to Top Tech Yorkshire, we look at the latest initiatives at Mills & Reeve.

Issue 4 2019

23 We’ve got a brand new look Check out our lively and dynamic new brand.

Inside this issue 18

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4 Where are they now?

Life after Mills & Reeve.

We catch up with three alumni members to find out more.

18 Spotlight on This issue we look at our In-house In Focus seminars and Talking IP in sport.

10 The Charity Challenge 106 staff from six different offices travelled to Coniston in the Lake District to raise money for charity.

21 Top Tech Yorkshire Returns for 2019, find out how it has progressed over the last year.

16 The numbers

22 News round up All the latest from around the firm.

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Brian Marshall Head of Alumni Network brian.marshall@mills-reeve.com

Welcome to the fourth issue of our Alumni newsletter As well as making it onto The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to work for list for the sixteenth year in a row, we were also pleased that our own staff survey returned some fantastic stats, showing just how great our colleagues are. You can read more about this on page 26.

Culture is at the heart of everything we do at Mills & Reeve so we are always looking for ways that we can improve the working environment across all of our offices. That could be by upgrading our surroundings – Birmingham has had a major makeover and we have just moved to a new office in London. The new office is only about a five-minute walk from our old home in Monument Place, so hopefully no one will get lost on their first day in the new building!

We’ve also recently recruited a diversity, inclusion and wellbeing manager, Natasha (read more about her on page 24), to help us make sure everyone feels happy and can be themselves while they’re at work.

Hopefully these changes will make sure our people know they’re our most important asset.

We were also really pleased to retain the top spot as RollOnFriday Firm of the Year 2019, except this year we didn’t have to share the accolade with anyone!

We love hearing from our alumni and keeping up to date with your news – if you want to get in touch to let us know how you’re doing, or you want to appear in our “where are they now” feature please let us know! Email us at alumni@mills-reeve.com, join our LinkedIn group or follow us on Twitter @Alumni_MR. We’d love to hear from you! And if you know of any other previous Mills & Reeve people who might like to join the network please do point them in our direction!

Eileen Howells It is with great sadness that we have to share the news that Eileen Howells, who was for many years a friendly face in our Birmingham reception, passed away recently. She had been poorly for a while but had been making good progress so the news came as an awful shock.

Eileen was part of the firm since November 1998 when she joined the team from the Lewington Partnership and was much loved by everyone. She was always cheerful and chatty and made everyone who worked in or visited the Birmingham office feel welcome. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

Our thoughts are with her husband David and her daughters Lauren and Rebecca.

The Alumni Network

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Where are they now?

Alumni from Mills & Reeve pop up in some of the most unexpected places. This issue we catch up with three past colleagues whose journeys have taken them far and wide...

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Jacquie Haines Position Head of Legal Services, Portsmouth Hospitals Position while at Mills & Reeve Senior solicitor, contentious health Dates employed by Mills & Reeve 1991 - 2014

Changing times I began working at Mills & Reeve in 1991 as a newly qualified solicitor and was initially based in the Cambridge office where I specialised in health litigation and patient related legal matters.

I actually resigned from Mills & Reeve in 1999 as I had decided to move back home to Hampshire; I had a small child at the time and wanted to be closer to my family. Within a couple of weeks of my resignation, Mills & Reeve found out they’d won the tender for the legal work for Portsmouth Hospitals and I was asked if I was interested in staying with the firm but working part time in a quasi in-house capacity based at the hospital, but as an Mills & Reeve employee.

I have always considered myself very lucky to have worked for such a forward thinking and imaginative firm as Mills & Reeve, certainly in 1999 very few firms allowed fee earners to work part time, let alone 150 miles away from the nearest office!

I worked for Mills & Reeve until 2014, albeit in a virtual office based here in the hospital. I now work for the NHS, I am a non-practising solicitor but head up the Legal Services Team at Portsmouth. I am still involved in inquest work and clinical negligence claims but I also get involved in a wide variety of different projects within the trust.

I have always considered myself very lucky to have worked for such a forward thinking and imaginative firm as Mills & Reeve

My time at Mills & Reeve had a significant impact on what I‘m doing now – without that experience and the firm’s flexibility, I wouldn’t have been here.

I have lots of very fond memories of Mills & Reeve – in particular summer punting parties in Cambridge, which were great fun. They were quite laidback, which is the polite way of putting it. However, I certainly don’t miss the time sheets!

It is great to work so closely with a wide range of different professionals; lawyers generally think very differently to clinicians and I think they really value the different perspective I bring to situations and issues.

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Ian Mellor Position Head of Office for Dual Asset Underwriting Position while at Mills & Reeve Senior solicitor Dates employed by Mills & Reeve October 2007 to February 2012

Making experience an asset I joined Mills & Reeve in 2007 as a newly qualified solicitor in the Norwich Real Estate team before relocating to Cambridge where I worked in the Projects and Real Estate teams. I gained some great experience across a broad range of property related transactions while at Mills & Reeve which I still draw on today.

the way). Moving into new teams and practice areas (and on occasion jurisdictions!) is always challenging, but I was able to navigate each transition using the clear and linear thinking I learnt by observing the partners and senior lawyers I worked with at Mills & Reeve.

I also had my first taste of working in-house while at Mills & Reeve when I undertook a seven-month secondment to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s legal team (then based in Bath). My time with DIO allowed me to experience some of the challenges of being an in-house lawyer and get a glimpse of a world without time-sheets(!). It also indirectly led to me meeting my now wife who by chance was studying for her PhD at Bristol University.

Mills & Reeve’s emphasis on striving to produce the highest quality of advice and delivering the best service remains with me and is an aspiration that has served me well as my career has progressed

Mills & Reeve’s emphasis on striving to produce the highest quality of advice and delivering the best service remains with me and is an aspiration that has served me well as my career has progressed. After leaving Mills & Reeve in 2012 I spent seven years at Aviva where I continued to broaden my experience first into lending and security, and latterly insurance and outsourcing (with time spent in working in international markets and supporting M&A activities along

Earlier this year I moved on from Aviva to join legal indemnity underwriter DUAL Asset. DUAL Asset was established just six years ago but is already the largest legal indemnity underwriter in the world outside of the US (a large and unique market). The team I lead in Norwich focuses primarily on UK and European property risks, and contains a sub-team that supports our innovative online channel (my-

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legal-indemnity-shop). My office also works closely with colleagues based in London who look at a broad range of transactional risks and have to date issued policies in over 40 countries across the globe.

Something that really excites me about my new role at DUAL Asset is the opportunity to again work alongside professionals in the legal property market and draw on my experiences as a transaction property lawyer at Mills & Reeve.

Not only is it rewarding to use those experiences to have a better appreciation of the issue facing the lawyer we are working with and how we can help, but also brings back memories of colleagues and clients from my time at Mills & Reeve!

I enjoyed lots of great evenings supporting various BD initiatives and charity events with peers who I am still friends with today. I also fondly remember many an evening relaxing with colleagues after work at Take Five just down the road from the Norwich office. Some of the most vivid memories are perhaps from the matches at Brooke Cricket Club. I never actually played but it was a great spot to spend a summer evening!

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Matthew Arrowsmith-Brown Position Business coach Position while at Mills & Reeve Solicitor, then Partner Dates employed by Mills & Reeve Solicitor April 1979 – May 1981; partner June 1981 – May 2006

It is amazing where a career at Mills & Reeve can get you!

My legal career began at Slaughter and May in London, working in their “trust department” and specialising in capital tax planning just when a brand new form of death duties, capital transfer tax (now inheritance tax) was introduced in the mid1970s. My wife and I escaped to Norfolk in 1979 and I ended up as an agricultural lawyer in what was then the private client group.

In the early 2000s, I became interested in coaching, and the firm paid for me to do an MSc in Coaching and Development while still working as a full time partner.

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In 2006, I left the partnership and was employed for two years as a consultant, to practice my coaching skills on the firm. It is still a client, and I am now a business coach.

Instead of telling my clients what to do, I now help them to think through the answers for themselves. As my former partner, and well known author, William Barr, says in his seminal work, Troyboys, “coaching involves spending long hours with you saying little and offering nothing, so that you can solve your own problems, almost as if you didn’t have a coach to help you.”

I have always been interested in driving cars, and when I left the partnership, my private client colleagues generously gave me a motor racing helmet. It took me a long time, but eventually, in 2012, I competed in my first motor race – the annual Classic Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race at Snetterton in Norfolk. Since then I have competed each year in the UK 2CV 24 hour race, coming fourth twice, as well as doing two 24 hour races in a slightly souped up 2CV on the F1 circuit at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. Last year we won our class at Spa, so I can say I am a Spa winner!

It is amazing where a career at Mills & Reeve can get you!

This season I have shared a car in the 2CV sprint championship and finished second in the standings for the Seniors Cup (for drivers over 65, of which there are 14). I am off to Spa again in October to see if we can replicate our class win.

There are lots of good Mills & Reeve memories – great colleagues and clients, and plenty of successful outcomes. I guess though that my abiding memory is of lots of laughter.

For instance, Jonathan Barclay’s description of being senior partner, which I frequently quote to others.

He likened it to being the only lamp post in a street full of dogs.

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For this year’s charity challenge, over 100 intrepid members of the Mills & Reeve team donned helmets, hiking boots and wetsuits to raise almost £11,000 for the Albert Kennedy Trust.

The Charity Challenge 10

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We travelled to Coniston in the Lake District for this year’s charity challenge, with 106 Mills & Reeve staff and family members involved across all six of our offices. Each of us took part in three activities - a hike to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston, a canoe trip across Coniston water and last but not least, donning wetsuits to ascend Church Beck, which involved ducking under obstacles, traversing and jumping into deep pools and climbing waterfalls.

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After a very wet week in the buildup, the weather held out for the most part. The clouds parted in the afternoon to reward some of our hikers with fantastic views at the top of the Old Man of Coniston.

Unfortunately those hiking in the morning were faced with harsher conditions, but spirits were high and we persevered nonetheless!

In the words of one team member: “I never want to see a wetsuit or pair of XL shorts again…”

The Church Beck scramble involved for some a daunting (20 foot+) jump down a narrow gorge and a climb up a waterfall. We experienced the “invigorating” temperature of the water in the beck, while clad in a fetching combination of wetsuits, shorts and climbing helmets. In the words of one team member: “I never want to see a wetsuit or pair of XL shorts again…” We were all extremely glad of the warm showers, camaraderie and hot meals back at the youth hostel afterwards!

This year’s organising committee of Alasdair Dougan, Eilish MacDonald, Gabriel Swales and James Edmonds said:

“We started planning for the challenge in October last year and we were really keen to organise an inclusive event for everyone at Mills & Reeve that was both challenging and fun.

“We are thrilled that the event turned out to be a success and it was great to see everyone working in teams, enjoying the challenge and socialising with colleagues they wouldn’t normally get the chance to. The Albert Kennedy Trust is a fantastic charity supporting vulnerable people and communities so we are delighted to be able to raise such a significant amount on its behalf.”

In support of The Albert Kennedy Trust The Albert Kennedy Trust was chosen as the charity for this year’s Charity Challenge as it is the national LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity, which helps provide safe homes and better futures for young LGBTQ+ people who are homeless.

One in four young homeless people identify as LGBTQ+ and The Albert Kennedy Trust focuses its efforts on prevention and early action. Since 1989 the charity has supported over 50,000 people.

awareness of the work that the charity carries out and the allimportant funds to support them in the provision of their services. These events have included a talk at our Cambridge office from one of The Albert Kennedy Trust’s speakers, who provided us with an insight into the work that the charity carries out and the impact this has had on a personal level. We have also held fundraising events such as office dress downs.

Working closely with The Albert Kennedy Trust, we have put on a number of events across all six offices in order to raise both

So far we have raised over £20,000 including gift aid and these funds will provide vital support to young and homeless LQBTQ+ people.

The money raised will go towards safe homes, mentoring, training, advocacy and support to young people who are homeless or living in a hostile environment after coming out to their parents, care givers and peers, therefore helping to provide them with better futures.

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Firmwide fundraising Our CSR team have been busy over the last few months! We’ve had dress down days, bake sales, bingo, quizzes, auctions, taken part in legal walks, and some of us have even dressed up as a banana... all for a good cause of course.

Amazingly, staff have raised over

£20,000 for deserving charities: Cambridge Cyrenians Children’s Liver Disease Foundation Whitechapel Mission for the Homeless Toynbee Hall Barnabus Centre Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

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The numbers 2018 led to another record set of numbers for Mills & Reeve. Our financial results have confirmed that our turnover has now reached a record £110.9 million, which is a 4.3% increase on last year. As a result of the strong performance, the firm announced an all staff bonus, which works out as £1,500 for every full time employee who has been with the firm for at least a year. The bonus is pro-rated so part-time employees also receive a bonus as well as staff who have been with the firm for less than a year.

Dawn Brathwaite named diversity champion

The results follow a year in which the firm won a number of accolades in recognition of the progress it has made in delivering its ambitious 2020 strategy.

Over the last 12 months, Mills & Reeve has been named: • UK Law Firm of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2018/2019 • Law Firm of the Year by the legal industry website RollonFriday • 24th in The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work For list – appearing for a record 16 years running

Partner Dawn Brathwaite has been named as diversity champion at the Birmingham Black Lawyers ball 2019. The group was founded in 2010 with the aim to embrace and encourage diversity in the Birmingham legal community.

Dawn is the first recipient of the honour and was nominated for her work in diversity, both at Mills & Reeve and in the wider community.

Partner promotions On 1 June 2019, M&R promoted 7 principal associates to partner, boosting the partnership to 132.

Carol Couse will be made up to partner in the sports team, Joanna Davies in the corporate real estate team, Lucy Collins in the projects and construction team, Melanie James and Andrew Secker in the employment team, Junaid Haroon in the corporate team and Doug McDonald in the commercial disputes team.

We’re thrilled to be able to share our success with you and look forward to continuing the upward trend in 2020!

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Carol Couse

Junaid Haroon

Andrew Secker

Doug McDonald

Lucy Collins

Melanie James

Joanna Davies

About our firm 2019

Office locations 1

London

2

Birmingham

3

Cambridge

4

Leeds

5

Manchester

6

Norwich

International reach Our lawyers engage with 87 jurisdictions across the globe working with our trusted international network of independent law firms

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Turnover

Award winning

Innovation

We have been named UK Law Firm of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2018/2019

Our staff have posted 250+ ideas to our innovation hub to help improve our client service and business

Our people

Best place to work

Staff satisfaction

We have more than 1,000 staff and over 500 lawyers

We have been named as one of the 100 best companies to work for in The Sunday Times' annual survey for a record 16 years running

97% of our staff would recommend Mills & Reeve as a good place to work

£110.9m Charitable donations

£103,000

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If there’s a subject you think we should feature in the next issue of the Alumni Magazine get it touch and let us know.

It could be a sector or a team you think deserves recognition or an event that was a particular success

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Here’s just a few pieces of feedback we’ve received about recent workshops from seminar delegates: “ The case study was definitely more relevant/informative than usual updates.” “ I liked the interactive nature of the session.” “ The use of case studies and exercises was great.”

Spotlight on: In-house In Focus Our Autumn In-house In Focus workshops Our In-house In Focus programme is designed to ensure that our community of in-house lawyers are able to keep abreast of legal developments and can access a toolkit for dealing with the multitude of issues that will come across their desks.

Achieve more. Together.

With a network of over 2,600 inhouse lawyers, we recognise the importance of bringing our in-house legal community together on a regular basis. Our events in Spring and Autumn are a key feature of our In-house In Focus programme. Our events usually follow a theme, for example, we’ve held workshops which have focussed on navigating issues around crisis management.

The events provide an excellent opportunity for our community to network and make connections with one another Our experience is that these workshops provide a valuable forum for our community to discuss issues that they, and their business, face.

The events also provide an excellent opportunity for our community to network and make connections with one another.

Other hot topics that we’ve covered in previous sessions have included employee benefits, international contracting, cybersecurity, GDPR, and contract law updates. We also often involve insightful third

party presenters in our events.

For example, our Autumn 2019 workshops will include speakers from the Competition Markets Authority (CMA). This will enable attendees to hear the CMA’s perspectives on a range of competition and consumer law issues.

We have also developed our In-house In Focus hub. This is regularly updated with legal know-how relevant to our in-house lawyer community. The resources on our hub are divided by topic and include: • • • • • • •

IP, data and technology Corporate governance People and talent Commercial relationships Regulatory Property Dispute resolution

If you would like access to our In-house In Focus hub click here.

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Spotlight on: Talking IP The theme for this year’s World Intellectual Property Day on 26 April was Reach for Gold: IP and Sports.

The campaign focused on how businesses, sports membership organisations and sports personalities use patents, sponsorship deals, image rights and other elements of IP to protect them and also secure the economic value of sports.

What better way to celebrate the day than by sending some of our sports lawyers out with a film crew to chat with some of our sports clients and friends about what IP means to them and their organisations!

You can visit our website to view Head of Sport, Mark Hovell chat to Lionesses and Manchester City Captain Steph Houghton ahead of the Lionesses hugely successful campaign in the FIFA World Cup 2019. Steph talks about using her personal IP and brand and “IP for good” in her support of The James Milner Foundation and the NSPCC. Mark also talks to Steph and

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PFA Director of Player Management, Matthew Buck, about IP, social media and how they manage the brand.

Partner Carol Couse visited the Manchester Velodrome to talk IP with Rod Findlay, Integrity and Compliance Director at British Cycling, which is the main national governing body for cycle sport in Britain.

In the world of e-sports and gaming: Head of Sport London, Julian Moore, talked IP with Anthony Marcou, CEO of Sports Revolution and sports lawyer Laura Canham talked with Craig Santiccia, Partnership Manager at Fnatic.

Take a look at our Talking IP page and watch out for new releases.

Top Tech: Yorkshire

Top Tech Yorkshire 2019

Innovation 50 is back for 2019!

Top Tech Yorkshire 2019 – The companies putting Yorkshire on the map for technology.

The original Innovation 50 launched back in 2017 was a great success, showcasing companies from all over the West Midlands who have made innovation a priority.

Technology is one of the key focus sectors at Mills & Reeve and spans all of our other sectors including Healthcare, Real Estate and Construction, Education, Life Sciences, Sport and more. Whether you love it or not, you cannot escape technology. Our offices sit close to many science parks, and Cambridge along with Manchester and Birmingham are key centres where technology firms gravitate.

While some cities shout about the technology companies based there, others are a little more reserved.

This is why we launched Top Tech Yorkshire in 2018. A campaign that acknowledges and celebrates companies that are putting Yorkshire firmly on the map for tech, whether through developing a technology or applying a technology to an environment to deliver excellent customer service or giving a company a competitive edge and disrupting the market.

While Yorkshire has a rich history of innovation over the years, we were at first wary that we might not get many entries. Fears put aside, before long we were inundated with submissions, and the quality and unique ideas and applications were simply amazing.

Yorkshire did not disappoint!

Companies including AppCheck, BigChange, CuratorSpace, MoodBeam, MTag, Panintelligence, Synap and TribePad to name a few, came forward to claim their title as companies putting Yorkshire on the map for technology. The all-round team of judges included Richard Faulkner of Silicon Valley Bank, Dr Mark Wyatt of Mercia, Phil Smith of SP Angel, Mark Fahy of Rickett Mitchell, Josh Robson from the Scale Up Institute, and Richard Carter of Equiniti Credit Services.

Having been through the journey of start-up, to growing and selling on a business, Richard, also gave a candid and heartfelt speech at the launch evening held at the Shears Yard.

View the Top Tech Yorkshire Report 2018 here.

Whether they were animation studios using cutting edge equipment, macaroon makers employing marginalised young people, or a music group making affordable plastic instruments, all the companies on the list had innovation at their heart.

Birmingham is starting to make a big noise on the global business stage. With HS2 on the horizon and HSBC moving its head office to Birmingham, it’s no surprise the city was identified as an ‘International Middleweight’ alongside the likes of Melbourne and Tel Aviv by the World Economic Forum.

It’s vital that Birmingham continues to position itself as a hotbed of innovation and nurtures a business community that can respond to challenges from across the markets with bold ideas that drive real economic output. There are lots of fantastic businesses, organisations and charities doing amazing work across the region, which is exactly what Innovation 50 2019 aims to highlight.

To find out more about the Innovation 50 2019 and find out who our top companies for innovation in the West Midlands are, check out www.innovationfifty.com.

Top Tech Yorkshire 2019 launched early September – to view the featured companies and find out more, check out www.toptechyorkshire.co.uk.

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Innovation update

Awards and accolades!

Innovation at Mills & Reeve is about building strong connections, encouraging collaboration, harnessing technology and working with our clients to solve their business problems more effectively. As a cornerstone of the 2020 strategy, building a culture of innovation has been at the heart of our recent activity.

Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to lately.

Legal Week Awards 2019: We were the most shortlisted firm, with our submissions being shortlisted in six different categories. On the day, we were successful in the Marketing Innovation category for the sports team’s inventive Reevaldo blog.

Solving client problems through innovation Controlling the noise As a result of last year’s first ever Mills & Reeve Hackathon, we’ve developed a new client-facing product, “Volume Control”, to help inhouse teams control and triage their legal work.

Flexible resourcing We’re talking to our clients more about how we can provide flexible resourcing solutions to meeting their ever-changing needs. For example, we’ve recently supported a client that needed additional resource on short notice by agreeing an innovative secondment arrangement.

Innovative tendering We’ve recently used our online legal project management platform, Collaborate, to provide an electronic tendering portal successfully for an NDPB / regulator client needing one in a hurry – the first time we’ve ever used it in this way.

This is the first time the firm has been included in the top 50 of the FT Innovative Lawyers and we were commended in two categories: strategy and changing behaviours, and new products and services.

Describing the hugely successful innovation week, the report states: “[Mills & Reeve] implemented a programme to encourage innovation in the firm that includes a hub built on the Crowdicity platform. Multiple ideas have been posted and voted on, nearly 75 per cent of which have been developed.”

New appointments To ensure we continue to lead the way in developing innovative solutions for our clients, the firm has decided to appoint three full-time innovationfocused roles. As alumni, these names may well be familiar to you!

We’d love to hear from you!

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FT Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards 2019 We have been ranked 36th in the top 50 most innovative law firms in Europe by the Financial Times.

Emma Jackson – Client Innovation Advisor Jodie Hosmer – Client Innovation Project Specialist Victoria Sears – Innovation Engagement Advisor If you want to know more about our approach to client innovation, or have any ideas to share, get in touch!

And on the successful Friday Fraud initiative: “According to the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority, 75 per cent of all reported cybercrimes in 2016 were ‘Friday afternoon frauds’, when large sums are handled at the completion of property conveyancing transactions, worth a total of £85 million. [Mills & Reeve] has set up a service with insurance client Pen Underwriting to streamline responses to notification of a fraud, reducing reaction time and recouping more 50 per cent of its 2018 losses, amounting to £2.5m.”

We’ve got a brand new look!

You may have noticed from the new look of our alumni magazine that we have had a rebrand.

To try and show what sets Mills & Reeve apart from other law firms, we have created a lively and dynamic new brand, with industry focused icons and illustrations.

encapsulates our distinctive culture and the way we work collaboratively with ourselves, others and our clients. It’s also ambitious and confident. Through our work, our culture and our people there is a clear sense that we are building something special at Mills & Reeve.”

As well as the new look, we’ve also created a new website with a bright modern feel that is distinctive and brings our “Achieve More. Together.” brand position to life. Having such strong visual elements will also help us communicate consistently and effectively, particularly in an increasingly digital world.

We worked with people throughout the firm and with clients to guide the new direction and help us define a visual identity that represents how we work today and our future direction. Managing partner Claire Clarke said: “Our new visual brand

Delving into the Underworld with Coronation Street Our Manchester office got involved in some real drama when they advised the team at Coronation Street on the legal aspects of several plotlines involving Carla Connor and the Underworld textiles factory.

The plots involved Carla’s plans to shut the factory and outsource production to China, as well as the collapse of the factory roof and the relocation of the works.

Principal associate Rachael Somerset and partners Chris Ross and Sara Barrett worked with the producers to help ensure the scripts were accurate and the legal issues true to life. Keep your eyes peeled for some of the juicy storylines concerning the factory coming to your screens soon!

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In the news Diversity manager appointed To demonstrate our commitment to diversity and wellbeing we have recruited a Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager, Natasha Broomfield-Reid. This is a brand new role for the firm and will hopefully help us to make sure everyone who works with us feels welcome and able to be themselves at work.

Natasha is a diversity, inclusion and wellbeing specialist with over 20 years’ experience in both paid and voluntary roles. Her experience includes conducting Inclusion audits, developing and delivering diversity training, development and implementation of inclusion policies and strategies.

She is responsible for embedding inclusive practice within the organisation and working to ensure the company remains a good place to work.

Natasha was the winner of Stonewall Cmyru’s LGBT+ ‘Ally of the Year’ 2018 award and Runner up/Special mention - National Centre for Diversity 2016 ‘Inspirational person award’.

Natasha is also qualified in British Sign Language level 1 and 2 and is currently working towards level 3.

Natasha shares her top tips for being a more inclusive manager • Challenge inappropriate behaviours – this can be done in a really positive way without judgement.

• Ensure you are demonstrating inclusive leadership behaviours eg: be approachable, flex your style and approach to match others (one size does not fit all).

• Talk about diversity and inclusion – raise appropriate issues in meetings, when having a coffee/tea – the more we talk about it to each other it then just becomes part of ‘business as usual’ and not a taboo subject or an ‘add on’.

• If you are able to, mentor or coach others who require support.

• Be a positive role model and ensure you are authentic and consistent – if you are saying you value diversity and inclusion ensure your behaviours match what you are saying.

• Create positive communication channels – it will really make a difference.

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Staff survey Our colleagues have given us another glowing report!

Every two years we do an internal staff survey to find out how our colleagues feel and whether there is anything else we should be doing to make sure people are satisfied in their roles.

We released the results from our latest staff survey in July and we were chuffed that our colleagues love working at Mills & Reeve so much! Here are some of the stand out stats from the survey:

97% would recommend the firm as a good place to work

90% of staff believe the firm creates a culture which helps them succeed

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92%

96%

99%

of staff agree they hear important information about the firm quickly

of staff said they understand the firm’s policy

of staff believe managing partner Claire Clarke and senior partner Justin Ripman are doing a good job of leading the firm

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95% of staff feel “I can be myself at work”

87% of staff feel supported to give their best performance

75% of staff love working with talented colleagues

72% of staff agree that if they perform well they will receive opportunities for career progression

95% of staff feel the firm values people’s differences

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Promotions Partner promotions

Associate promotions

Senior Paralegal promotions

• Joanna Davies

Principal

• Douglas McDonald

• Neera Malde

• Jo Newport • Deanna Blythe

• Carol Couse

• Fiona Longden

• Lucy Collins

• Tom Nash

• Junaid Haroon

• Emma Harrison

• Melanie James

• James Thompson

• Andrew Secker

• Aasha Choudhary • Amanda Narkiewicz • Ellie Milner • Alex Hunt • Tim Whitney

Senior • Alexandra Clark • Laura Goldson • Namita Matkar • Louise Tromans • Emma Nash • Edward Hadcock • Patrick Wisheu • Phil Hutchinson • Emma De Meyer • Christina O’Brien • Sarah Whyman • Stuart Lloyd • Frances Iwaschkin • Sara Hanna • Lindsey Hill • Daniela McDonough • Sam Thornton • Miriam Guilding • Tom Causer • Andrew Jeffcoat • James Badger • Nikki Reid • Chris Gough - Head Of Casualty • Christopher Brennan - Head Of Regulated Procurement

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Legal / Business Support promotions • Aaron Batchra - IT Support Analyst • Allison Livingstone - Senior Executive Assistant • Amanda Brotherston - Senior Executive Assistant • Amber Abbs - Senior HR Assistant • Amy Parkins - Senior Executive Assistant • Angela Stevens - Senior Risk & Compliance Paralegal • Ashley Clelford - Senior Executive Assistant • Becca Nolan - Senior Executive Assistant • Caitlyn Lloyd - Senior Finance Assistant • Charlotte Dixon - Senior Executive Assistant • Charlotte Whyman - Senior IT Trainer • Claire O’Connor - Senior IT Trainer • Clare Marshall - Senior Executive Assistant • Dalla Ghuman - Senior Business Development Assistant • Danielle Sullivan - Administrative Assistant • Dave Bradshaw - Head Of IT Infrastructure • Debbie Watts - Senior Executive Assistant/Paralegal • Elizabeth Edden - Senior Executive Assistant • Emily Frampton - Bid Assistant • Emily Grounds - Senior Executive Assistant • Emma Rushbrook - Senior Executive Assistant • Eve Taylor - Document Production Assistant • Halima Butt - Senior Administrative Assistant • Hardeep Johal - Senior Executive Assistant

• Heather Oliver - Senior Executive Assistant

• Lia Simpson - Senior Administrative Assistant

• Helen Adcock - Senior Document Production Specialist

• Linda Nawoj - Senior Executive Assistant

• Jack Guiney - Senior IT Applications Analyst

• Linda Stoddard - Senior Business Development Advisor

• Jackie Spalding - Senior Conveyancer Assistant

• Lisa Karahousou - Senior Executive Assistant

• Jacqui Burgess - Senior Executive Assistant

• Lizzie Costello - Senior Events & Marketing Assistant

• James Windley - Senior Central Inception Team Advisor

• Luke Burgess - Senior Administrative Assistant

• James Coote - Senior IT Support Analyst

• Maggie Deathridge - Senior Executive Assistant

• Jasmine Didymus-Baines - Senior HR Systems Assistant

• Maria Snedker - Senior Central Inception Team Assistant

• Jeanette Elfellahi - Senior Document Production Specialist

• Melissa Gosling Wheeler - Senior Executive Assistant

• Jennifer Allen - Senior Executive Assistant

• Minda Cerkasas - Senior Facilities Team Leader

• Jennifer Squibb - Senior Professional Support Paralegal

• Nicola Turner - Senior Executive Assistant/Paralegal

• Joanna Jackson - Senior Executive Assistant

• Nicole Smith - Senior Central Inception Team Assistant

• Joanne Siviter - Senior Executive Assistant

• Oliver Phelan-Betts - IT Support Analyst

• Joe Wood - Senior Assistant Buyer

• Patricia Taylor - Senior Executive Assistant

• Joseph Bowers - Central Inception Team Advisor • Julie Ogle - Senior Document Production Specialist • Julie Thorndyke - Senior Facilities Team Leader • Karen McGonagle - Senior Executive Assistant • Kate Butler - Financial Controller • Kate Emms - Senior Events & Hospitality Executive • Kirsty Stonebridge - Senior Executive Assistant • Laura Rowlett - Senior Executive Assistant • Lauren Hyde - Administrative Assistant

• Rachel Chapman - Graduate Recruitment Manager • Rachel Scott - Senior Executive Assistant • Rosa Evans - Senior Central Inception Team Assistant • Roy Carus - Senior IT Support Manager • Samantha Liptrott - Senior Document Production Specialist • Serena Hanks - Senior Executive Assistant • Sian Jones - IT Support Analyst • Sophia Dunkley - Senior Executive Assistant

The Alumni Network

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Hatches and Matches Congratulations to our colleagues who have hatched and matched since the last issue!

Victor Brooks Ella Brooks

Samuel David Cambridge Lindsay Sutton

Oscar David Ellingham Alexandra Clark

Maxwell Gunn Deborah Gunn

Theo Elliott Waughman Laura Waughman

Jasmine Leila New Sara Hanna

Sebastian Giles Middlewick Stephanie Middlewick

Lottie Mae Hobley Clare Hobley

Jude Dieter Deuer Surj Deuer

Arthur Thomas Bernard Marie Barber

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The Alumni Network

Alex Clark and husband Rupert Ellingham Married 16 February 2019

And finally…

Life in retirement... cliché after cliché – How did I find time to go to work?

Haven’t felt so well in years...All true!

...what you miss about work is the people – my very dear colleagues in the Birmingham marketing team who are lifelong friends...

My six months to just take it easy before the next project has just been extended by another six months and potentially permanently! The things taking up my time? Getting fitter (3-4 exercise classes plus swimming and gyming twice a week), improving my bridge and some long trips away. All with some degree of success – I can now do a proper front crawl breathing on both sides and have my first bridge Master’s points. And I spent seven weeks in the Caribbean last winter and have a similar trip to India planned for Jan/Feb 2020.

In my last 18 months at work, I cried whenever I talked about retiring. I couldn’t quite imagine it even though I knew it was the right time for me to go. And of course what you miss about work is the people – my very dear colleagues in the Birmingham marketing team who are lifelong friends – those legendary team nights out (carnage) have turned in to cake baking sessions for the kids at mine and gardening club for the adults!

Nicola Duke Position Retired Position while at Mills & Reeve Head of Client Care Dates employed by Mills & Reeve April 2004 (I think!) – December 2018

The broader marketing team – bigger team nights out and the tequila shot glasses in my handbag the next day??

And the client partners and clients I worked so closely with over so many years. It was a privilege to be so involved. I loved my job and Mills & Reeve But it was definitely the right time to retire. I don’t miss the various IT systems - give me an A4 sheet of paper anytime! Or “agile working”.

Or those tall chairs in the conservatory. Or... You can see why it was time to go!

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Get in touch People www.mills-reeve.com/people Careers www.mills-reeve.com/careers Events www.mills-reeve.com/events Remember to let your former colleagues know about the Alumni Network.

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