20 years
supporting businesses in the region
The Business Magazine’s birth was around the same time as Christopher Avery became managing partner of Pitmans, one of Reading’s best-known law firms. As an ambitious, young entrepreneurial businessman in the Thames Valley, we interviewed him for our first edition . . . and again recently
20-year insights
Christopher Avery: Still a dynamic, ambitious leader
In 1993, Avery was perhaps the youngest managing partner of a significant law firm in the UK. Now, 20 years later, the Pitmans group is virtually unrecognisable; having expanded into a business expected to turnover in excess of £20 million this year.
“Pitmans is five times larger and has a rapidly expanding office in the City of London. We are a founder member of MI Interact, an international legal network, which I am currently chairing. We are presently interviewing law firms in major centres around the world, in order to continue to expand our reach and increase our range of services,” says Avery.
“We have seen a huge change in the Thames Valley over the period and there is a constant requirement to evolve expertise in response to new businesses coming into the region and their corresponding impact on the law.”
Avery appears little changed over the years. The suits remain immaculate, the energy infectious, and his ambition, for Pitmans and the Thames Valley, still burns brightly. He is not satisfied yet.
Avery explains: “Given the optimism of the ‘80s and ‘90s that suggested the Thames Valley would become an internationally respected furnace of innovation, research and development – a quasi European ‘Silicon Valley’ – the reality has rather fallen short.
“The bright, pre-millennium excitement has been tempered considerably by the realities of three recessions, European economic problems and the commercial shift of focus towards China and South East Asia. Many businesses have had to adapt extremely quickly in order to survive.”
Avery believes that the Thames Valley still has the potential to fulfill the original ambitions. “In some sectors there has been tremendous business growth and also significant infrastructure investment. The Thames Valley needs a coherent and joined-up approach by all the stakeholders; in business, education, politics and banking. It will require the latter to support and nurture business and resist the current inclination to stunt and inhibit growth. There are many questions to be answered.”
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2013
Why has Crossrail stopped at Maidenhead, rather than Reading, the natural capital of the region? Why are there delays in building a third runway at Heathrow? Why build offices that have virtually no car parking?
best companies in the region, so Avery is well positioned to comment on its future. “I remain optimistic that the Thames Valley will achieve its original ambition. The challenge is to continue the work of the past 20 years. To do that, it will need vision and collaboration from leaders within the community. Like every successful business we have had to change, react and adapt.
“The Internet has brought huge change, both in practice disciplines within the legal sector and in the nature of the businesses serviced by law firms. The increased speed of information dissemination has spawned a ‘now’ business generation, demanding faster response and advice by return.
“Twenty years ago law firms were mainly reactive and at arms length. Pitmans broke the trend in the early ‘90s and focused on developing close partnerships with clients. To succeed a law firm needs to deliver commercial advice, aligning professional guidance with risk management, mindful of the reputation and business targets of each individual client.
“We tend to lurch cyclically in this country from unbridled optimism to dark pessimism, often generated by the national media. We have some great companies here in the Thames Valley and many are doing extremely well. Some have, however, recently shied away from long-term investment or growth in this region and the politicians and banks need to focus more on encouragement and support.
“Sentiment, confidence and enthusiasm play such an important role. It is essential to have independent, impartial reports, networking forums and informed debate provided locally by communicators, such as the Thames Valley edition of The Business Magazine, to give both sides of the story.”
Pitmans has sponsored the Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards since their inception, and ‘rubbed shoulders’ with the
“We work alongside our clients with cross- disciplinary teams facilitating progress; being partners in the process. These days it is important to adapt and adjust your counsel to respond to the economic conditions, as transactional or legal aspects change. We have strong relationships with our clients, facilitating mutual success. Business is a team game.
“Pitmans’ success is the product of a truly outstanding group of partners and staff, who are totally committed to the success of its clients and work tremendously hard in pursuit of that goal.”
Like the Thames Valley, the Pitmans project is still evolving. Avery believes the 220-strong firm still has much more to achieve. He continues to identify and recruit niche firms or highly-talented individual lawyers, in order to strengthen its professional offering.
“Over the past 20 years, like every successful business, we have had to change, react and adapt in order to thrive in this dynamic Thames Valley region.”
www.businessmag.co.uk
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