President’s message

Introducing Law Society President Brigid Napier

Brigid Napier graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1985 and joined her father in the family practice of Napier & Sons, a firm established by her grandfather in 1930. Since its inception, the firm has been renowned for its expertise in Insolvency and Brigid proudly took up this mantel, becoming one of only 3 solicitors in the jurisdiction to be licensed as an Insolvency Practitioner. She is currently a Director in Napier Solicitors and advises on all aspects of Personal and Corporate Insolvency and is regularly appointed as a Trustee in Bankruptcy or Liquidator in complex insolvencies. Brigid’s daily work as a practising solicitor with over 30 years’ experience involves working at the coalface with individuals and businesses in crisis.

One of Brigid’s key goals is to give back to the profession and to encourage and inspire her peers as well the next generation of lawyers. From an early stage in her career, Brigid was involved in the Young Solicitors Association, and was a popular speaker at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. She is particularly proactive in promoting women in the law and was proud to take part in the Law Society’s mentoring programme. In recognition of her dedication to this cause, Brigid was honoured to receive the “Best in Professional Services Award” from Women in Business Northern Ireland. She also undertook bespoke training with the Institute of Leadership and Management and attained Advanced Coaching status.

Brigid cherishes her client relationships and values integrity, loyalty and professionalism. She also understands the highs and lows, and the trials and tribulations of private practice in the SME sector as well the personal sacrifices which many have to make for career advancement. This insight has informed her contribution to the work of the Law Society as both an advocate for members and a regulator. She was elected to the Council of the Law Society of Northern Ireland in 2017 and has since served as a member of a number of regulatory committees, including the Professional Conduct Committee and as Chair of the Professional Liability Committee.

In her free time, Brigid has a passion for travel with recent, pre-pandemic trips to Argentina and India, aimed at expanding her horizon and learning more about other cultures. Closer to home, Brigid enjoys hosting and entertaining friends and colleagues as well as exploring the sights and sounds of Northern Ireland, relishing long walks in Portstewart or the Mourne mountains.

Brigid sits on the Board of Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI which will be the President’s Charity of the Year.

President’s Message

It is an honour to write my inaugural message to you as your President. As I begin my term in office I do so mindful of the continuing pressures that face the Society. Still, I believe that there are very many reasons for us to be optimistic as we prepare to celebrate our centenary in 2022.

My optimism stems from the knowledge that the one constant over the last 99 years of the Law Society’s existence is its ability to embrace change and to adapt to the economic, political and social challenges the Society has faced, no more so than during the current Pandemic. This has required an agility of mindset, systems and practice on the part of the whole profession which was unprecedented. The continuing fallout from Covid has led to a displaced workforce, which has become our default working norm. It has also required us to fast-track law tech in our practices.

The younger members of the profession in particular have been affected by the changes in practice thrust on them by Covid. It is incumbent on those of us with experience behind us to properly mentor, nurture and support our new solicitors and to ensure that we hand the baton on to guarantee the continued success of the profession. Indeed, the well-being of the entire profession will be at the forefront of my year in office.

Our increasing use of law tech also brings with it challenges. We live in an everchanging world of social media, a time of cyber bullying and a cancel culture. As lawyers we have a duty to defend freedom of speech, to advocate for justice and to have an abhorrence of abuse, intimidation and bullying whether cyber-related or not.

Our reliance on technology also means that we all are living with the spectre of our systems and security being compromised, and we know that crisis management and disaster planning are essential to protect our clients and our practices.

However, I firmly believe that the members of this profession are more than up for these challenges and welcome them as an opportunity to grow and strengthen as we move into the next Centenary.