INTERVIEW


finance, commercial contracts, commercial property, dispute resolution, those types of areas,” explains David. “Within the firm we have always had a very strong element


of private client work, by which we mean doing wills, trusts, tax advice for private individuals and in recent times we’ve added family law work and residential conveyancing work. We don’t stray into criminal law work or into volume work like personal injury stuff; a lot of firms have gone down that track. Our raison d’être is to do bespoke work for people.” The East Midlands is fortunate to have a large number of


high-profile, successful law firms operating on its patch. So what is it that helps Geldards stand out? For David, quality is king, while the organisation’s outward-looking focus and company values are also of fundamental importance. “We have a reputation for quality and are obsessed with


‘We want to be the Waitrose, Jaguar, BMW of the legal profession. We won’t always be the cheapest but we have to ensure the clients know they are getting the absolute best’


like to come here. It seemed like a new challenge, so I uprooted the family – including our one-and-a-half year old with another on the way – and have never left, nor would I ever want to leave. Like a lot of people, I came to Derby and couldn’t ever consider leaving it.” As well as his primary position as Chairman of Geldards,


David sits on a number of boards which ultimately exist to make a positive impact on the region, including high-profile positions at the D2N2 local enterprise partnership (LEP) and The Arkwright Society. It’s clear that, as well as his day-to-day professional


responsibilities, David is passionate about the area he calls home and equally passionate about enhancing it. “I have a sense of place and my part in the place, which


leads you to think that you want to make the place even better,” says David. “That’s a large reason behind why I have quite a few


external responsibilities. I also want to make the business environment better, because that’s ultimately good for Geldards. There are lots of virtuous circles there.” Geldards itself enjoys a strong reputation. Recognised as


a leading law firm in the Chambers & Partners 2017 report, the annual guide to UK law firms, it is recognised across 22 specialisms and practice areas. So what is it that makes Geldards the exemplar organisation it is today? “We’ve always been a commercial firm, which generally has meant providing services for businesses; corporate


delivering it. We want to be the Waitrose, Jaguar, BMW of the legal profession. We won’t always be the cheapest but we have to ensure that clients know they are getting the absolute best. “We also have to have a personality. We can’t be


faceless, we have to have something that marks us as different. The personality comes from the individuals so we have to recruit and employ interesting characters who will engage with clients. “You’ll come across lawyers who are intellectual geniuses


that know all the law there is to know but if you can’t impart that as advice to a client it isn’t worth knowing it. It is critically important that we get people who have that fit, someone with a personality but also very able practitioners as well. “As a team, we’ve grown up very collegially because


those of us who came here to set up the Derby office stayed together and built a business together and we feel a sense of responsibility to each other but also to everyone else in the business. We’ve expanded into Nottingham and the same applies there. Fundamentally, Geldards is a group of decent people.” Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, continues to play


an ever-increasing role in the business world, with firms of all sizes and all sectors acknowledging the tangible benefits they can make by taking a proactive role in the communities they serve. Geldards is no different and David is adamant that the effects of CSR are mutually beneficial.


business network April 2017 27


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