focus on oxford 33 Experience counts at Henmans
With 2012 marking the five-year anniversary since Oxford’s largest law firm, Henmans LLP, set up in its smart new offices, Malcolm Sadler, the firm’s senior partner, reflects on Henmans’ journey, a firm that he believes invests as much time into the growth and support of its people as it does that of the business
It has been 32 years since Sadler joined the practice, little dreaming that he would experience and oversee the firm’s growth from a team of 25 to an office of more than 125 lawyers and support staff – the firm’s “huge and consistent” growth being one of the things of which he is most proud.
Henmans is well known for its flexible working policies, friendly and “unstuffy” manner, something that Sadler believes was ingrained in the firm’s DNA, even in the 1980s. “The firm was smaller then, but part of the reason I had been recruited was to take the practice a step forward – particularly on the commercial side. This I managed through a good network of clients – many of them who followed me here, and some of whom are still clients 32 years on. Most were in London and I continued acting for them and grew more of the same. So much so, that I recall at least one local building society manager appreciating the irony of being asked to raise mortgage finance in Oxford for property in the City of London.”
Sadler became a partner at Henmans in 1983 and was nominated for the honorary position of senior partner only 20 months ago.
He says: “Although we tried a network of local offices, we found that high-value and high-quality work will travel, and that it’s solid teams of expert lawyers which impress clients. We decided to concentrate our efforts on our Woodstock and Oxford offices and that is when we began to see faster growth. We managed to adapt our offices by taking on more of the same building, growing from about nine people in total to just over 100 in Oxford.” Five years ago, Henmans relocated from its two separate offices to smart, new, open-plan premises at Oxford Business Park, Cowley – one of the biggest changes of Sadler’s career.
Sadler explains how the firm’s growth is largely because it recruited widely and well – experts from major London and City law firms where appropriate and lawyers with special experience and followings. “When I joined, alongside the strengths in property and wealth planning, we had a leading reputation in personal injury, which developed into the field of medical negligence, and then professional indemnity insurance. It was off the back of our expertise in
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2012
sure that human values prevail rather than organisational values. No matter how big an organisation is, it is made up of the interactions of many individuals and to make it work successfully is as fascinating as it is challenging. One of the most satisfying things I have done in my career has been to develop the people that work with me – to help them grow as professionals, to gain confidence to go to a higher level than perhaps they thought they could achieve – and this matters for Henmans as well.”
'We are in a time of change and opportunity, seeing the opening-up of legal business'
these fields that we became one of the leading professional indemnity insurance litigation firms in the region. Since then, of course, the firm’s practice areas have widened to include our corporate and charity practices.”
One of the biggest changes which the firm faces is the advent of what has become known as “Tesco law” – a shake-up of the legal playing field, allowing firms licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to offer legal services, alongside businesses such as supermarkets, banks and high street shops.
“We are in a time of change and opportunity, seeing the opening-up of legal business,” says Sadler. “To face that, we are gearing up to be able to take advantage of new opportunities, to be entrepreneurial, to focus evermore in seeing legal work through our clients’ eyes rather than our own, and flexibly organising the way we deliver our services to meet our clients’ requirements.”
Sadler believes one of the firm’s most important drivers, and a personal priority, is the development of the people within the firm. He says: “I care about making
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The firm’s culture is family-friendly and for the past two years, it has won top awards from leading work-life charity Working Families. It also reaches out into the local community and this year, Henmans has adopted both Cancer Research UK and Oxford’s Helen & Douglas House as its nominated charities for the year, whilst also assisting other charitable groups in practical ways, such as by lending its meeting rooms and conference facilities to them free of charge.
He says: “I try to contribute to the community I live in, too. I believe strongly in local communities and do my bit to help people in my neighbourhood know and support each other.”
With such a strong ethos of giving back to the community and supporting Henmans’ employees, there is little doubt that Sadler embraces the need to achieve a good work-life balance. Away from work, he dedicates his time to his family and to his passion for music – an active performer on the clarinet as a member of several Oxford orchestras and playing chamber music with his wife, a professional cellist.
As Sadler takes stock of the past 32 years with Henmans, he looks forward to developing its future generations, the company and its people’s ensured success.
Details: Malcolm Sadler
malcolm.sadler@
henmansllp.co.uk 01865-781000
www.henmansllp.co.uk
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