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A steady hand at the helm
In the latest of our regular series profiling the leading figures of the Leeds business scene, we meet senior lawyer, Barack Obama fan and wannabe Caribbean flotilla skipper Andrew Leaitherland
Tell us about your formative years.
I was born and brought up in Southampton.
My dad worked in Saudi Arabia for most of my youth, which meant my older brother had a hard task keeping me in line!
We spent a large part of our summer holidays with my gran in Hood Green, just outside Barnsley – she was a major influence in my life, given her desire for hard work and constant support. I studied at Lancaster University and undertook a Masters degree at Leicester, then trained with a smaller law firm in Manchester from 1992-94.
Tell us about DWF and how you came to the firm.
I originally joined DWF in January 1994, staying only two years before moving to Davies Arnold Cooper in 1996 to create an employment law department.
Fortunately, DWF did not hold it against me and in 2000 I was back with the firm, having rejoined as a partner. I realised I liked the core philosophy of the firm. I felt I could progress within that type of framework and I was right. Within six years, I had become the firm's managing partner – the first in its history.
An initial priority was to work with our Strategic Board to formulate and implement a growth strategy. As part of this, in January 2007, we undertook a highly successful merger with Ricksons, already established in Leeds.
DWF has continued to flourish and grow ever since, through our policy of investing in top legal talent and building upon our strengths, and in 2008 opened an office in London.
We are now in the top 50 UK law firms and we aim to enter the top 30 in the next few years.
Leeds remains an important strategic location for us.
Since 2007, the office has quadrupled in size and turnover and succeeded in attracting strategic high-level recruits. Throughout 2008 we have continued to attract new talent to build expertise in key areas.
New recruits include regulatory specialist Rupert Nevin; head of family law Carol Grundell; head of business recovery and debt recovery Andrew Howard; commercial litigation partner James Haddleton, who joined from DLA Piper along with a team; and corporate partner Gavin Maddison, who joined from Addleshaws, together with Nic Crocker and Simon Meek from Hammonds.
We now have over 100 people here, with more on the way.
Our expansion into much larger premises in Bridgewater Place last summer demonstrates our commitment to the city and confidence in its future growth.
Explain your business philosophy.
DWF is a meritocracy. We reward our people not according to how long they have been with us or who they know but what they contribute.
There aren't that many professional services firms out there that would have let a 36-year-old take such a senior role.
We also place a high priority on client service and know that we need the best people to deliver the kind of service that clients deserve.
If you weren't doing the job you are doing now, where might you be – or where might you like to have been?
As a flotilla skipper in the Caribbean looking after holidaymakers as they enjoyed themselves!
Sailing is one of those few pastimes that make me switch off from work. I'm not very pushy with my kids but they've both been sailing since they were three – I guess I'm making sure they do all the hard work when I'm older.
What are the major business issues which affect Leeds and the country in general?
Cash and confidence are the two things that are most lacking in the UK.
We talk ourselves into positions worse than they are – a very English thing to do, it seems. Some of our Eurozone colleagues have suffered a far greater contraction in their economy than we have and yet they do not beat themselves up as much as we do.
Our economy will only start to grow again if we regain our confidence, and we will only regain our confidence if we stop talking about all of the bad things that are happening at the moment and focus on some of the good things.
Some businesses are actually doing very well at the moment and yet feel almost embarrassed to publicise their success. This can't be right for them, for consumers, for business, or the economy.
If you had the power, how would you tackle the issues listed above?
Success breeds success. We need to showcase businesses that have managed to structure themselves in such a way that they can survive and even grow in the current economic conditions – the more examples we can find, the better.
How do you do this?
You actively promote a climate where businesses are not embarrassed to talk about their successes and share their approach with others to build upon this success.
What challenges face the legal sector in Leeds, and how will you address them?
Leeds has a large number of lawyers for the size of the local economy that it serves.
Many have spent their time boosting their firm's presence outside of the region, particularly in London, and some are now returning.
Corporate lawyers, for example, may no longer be needed in the capital given the drop in the number of mergers and acquisitions, so they are now focusing their attention on the region.
However, having more corporate lawyers competing for fewer corporate deals within the local economy will inevitably lead to fall-out and that seems to be what is happening as some of these firms have been reducing their headcount. Firms need to call their investment decisions right.
We have been expanding our litigation, insurance, construction and private client businesses for the last 12 months and will continue to do so – but we will also be brave enough to look for investment opportunities in other areas, perhaps those where we are under-represented as a practice, with a view to building our critical mass in these areas over the next 24 months.
What we have already seen is a large number of firms casting aside what they see as non-essential support teams including areas of business development and corporate responsibility.
I think that this is a shame – these people play an important role in law firms today and to lose their talents is a retrograde step in my view.
Overall, Yorkshire has seen a growth in medium-sized firms like DWF which are creating and seizing opportunities at the expense of the larger ones.
These new firms are focused on the region they serve, have greater flexibility on costs – which is key in these difficult times – and are often staffed by people who trained at the bigger firms and understand the client service requirements.
The slowdown means many good lawyers at well-respected larger firms cannot progress and are looking to new challenges at firms like DWF.
Who in the world most impresses you a) in business and b) in life generally?
I think Barack Obama is an individual who is capable of doing great things.
I followed his progress through his election and became increasingly impressed by his approach and openness.
In life, my wife continues to impress me through her constant support, guidance and friendship.
Away from the office, where are we most likely to find you?
When I'm not working or entertaining clients, I'm most likely to be at our home in Appleton, Cheshire, with my wife, daughter aged seven and son aged four – otherwise, I'll be with the family, hopefully enjoying a fair wind coming down Lake Windermere on our boat.
You're hosting a dinner party and can invite one extra person from history – either living or dead. Who would you invite and why?
My gran. I never got to say goodbye before she passed away and she played such a positive part in my life.
MY CV
Andrew Leaitherland
Managing partner of law firm DWF in Leeds.
Became one of the youngest managing partners in the country when elected in 2006 at the age of 36.
Since then, successfully led the firm through a period of major growth.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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