Life At Keoghs

Neil Southern, Associate, Large Loss, Bolton

I joined Keoghs in June 2005 as a solicitor, assisting one of the senior equity partners in dealing with catastrophic injury claims. Prior to that, I had spent about 6 years on the other side of the fence, acting for claimants.

The quality of the work has been excellent and I’ve gained valuable experience in a wide range of complex and high value matters, including many multi party cases and/or matters in which liability has been in dispute. I have played an active part in cases involving brain damaged claimants, amputees and a whole host of spinal and other orthopaedic complaints, many of which give rise to care, aids and equipment and/or accommodation needs.

It’s a demanding but enjoyable role. Although I am an assistant to a lead fee earner, I play an integral part at every stage of a case, from preparing the initial reports, advising on reserves and determining the strategy with the client, to the gathering and analysis of the documentary and medical evidence, to negotiating on issues of liability and quantum or fighting through to trial. Along the way I usually deal with all the procedural steps and interlocutory hearings. Reporting to and advising the client tends to be fairly evenly split between myself and the lead fee earner but this means that I get the opportunity to build good working relationships with the clients whilst also benefiting from the (and she won’t thank me for emphasising it!) many years of experience that my supervising partner has amassed. I also manage a small number of my own cases with values up to about £500,000.

One of the things I like about the firm is how dynamic and forward thinking it is. Keoghs is always looking for ways to improve itself and keep ahead of the game. Coupled with that, it seems to recognise the fact that its staff are one of its most important assets and the firm strives to make sure that the staff are happy and that everyone is reaching his or her full potential. There’s plenty of scope for personal development here.

Tejal Varu, Solicitor, Coventry

I joined Keoghs 3 years ago and am a solicitor in the Specialist Claims Unit. I deal with investigations into fraudulent insurance claims including staged and contrived accidents, bogus passengers and fraudulent exaggeration.

I think it’s the staff who are so important and make Keoghs a great place to work. I also think that our management teams do believe in supporting their staff and helping them develop to their full potential, especially when we have to adapt to several changes in working practices.

Debra Brookes, Personal Assistant, Bolton

I joined the firm in December 1996. My career with Keoghs began in the typing pool as a legal secretary working for various fee earners. After a couple of years, I began working for a fee earner on a one to one basis, which involved typing but also any legal assistant / admin duties.

Keoghs opened its Specialist Claims Unit in 1998, and the fee earner I was working for at the time moved into that unit, and I followed. My role progressed, and I eventually began working as the PA to the Head of the Department. I have now been in this position for almost 6 years, and have seen my role grow in many ways. I have been on a number of courses which have all helped me to develop the role that I am in. In addition to the Head of the Department I also now work for the Business Unit Director.

Keoghs is a good place to work. They offer you the flexibility and support to further your career. The social committee is extremely good and there are always things going on throughout the year. I have made a number of good friends throughout my time at Keoghs.

Mathew Gray, Legal Executive, Bolton

Everyone at Keoghs really does care that the work that we do is of a high quality. It adds to the feeling of job satisfaction when you know that what you have produced has been properly considered at every stage. Every member of staff, whether senior management, fee earner, support or other staff, also seem to care that this is a pleasant place to work - the atmosphere at work is good.

I joined Keoghs in September 2004 as a trainee legal executive, working in a fast-track team in the Delegated Authority Unit. I was immediately impressed with the standard of work that was expected. I had worked in other firms where quality seemed to give way to profit in the list of priorities and morale had suffered as a result. I transferred to the Commercial Litigation Department just over a year ago and my experience and knowledge have grown substantially. I have been given the support, time and attention needed to grow within the team and am now hopefully a valuable member! I handle some of the lower value claims as well as assisting and being involved in more substantial matters. I have now qualified as a Legal Executive and am in the latter stages of working towards qualifying as a solicitor.

Keiron Fulop, Litigation Executive, Bolton

The opportunity for progression at Keoghs is excellent. If you want to develop your career within the firm they are happy to provide support and training to help you achieve your goals. In fact, this is positively encouraged by the firm. I was only looking for a summer admin job when I started with Keoghs 7 years ago. At that point I didn't really know what I wanted to do. However it quickly became apparent that there was a career path on offer if you wanted to pursue it. I became a fee earner's assistant shortly after starting, and I have now been fee earning myself for over five years.

I handle small and fast track cases and have worked for most of the insurers that the firm represents. I am currently acting on behalf of 2 transport companies and have my own handling authority. The relationship between Keoghs and a client is key, and helping maintain this is an enjoyable aspect of my work.

Keoghs genuinely does appreciate that its staff are an asset and the rewards, both work related and financial, reflect this.

Jackie Locke, Support, Coventry

The thing I like about Keoghs is that you really do feel like you belong and the work you carry out really does count. You are asked for your input and ideas in relation to how things may work better for the firm. There is also a Social Committee which has some great outings where you get to know people from different departments and really get to relax.

I joined Keoghs in September 1994 and have honestly never looked back. I started as an audio typist in the typing pool and within a couple of months had become a secretary to a senior Associate and then John Whittle (who is now the Chief Executive). It was whilst working for John as his secretary that the office in Coventry was opened, and I relocated. My role changed at this point and I became the supervisor of the secretaries at Coventry. Keoghs invested in me and I undertook my CIPD course at Henley College. I am now the assistant to the Office Manager and am also Team Leader to the legal secretaries.

My duties vary within my role. I ensure the smooth running of the legal secretaries department and check that we are working to our best capabilities by undertaking our key objectives. I also carry out HR/Team Leader tasks such as producing contracts and offer letters, annual reviews, back to work interviews after sickness absences, etc. I help to train any new members of the secretarial team and am always on hand to help all other members of the team with any queries or concerns they may have.

The thing I like most about my role is that I am in daily contact with all members of staff. It is good to know who is who in the office. I also feel that the department I work in all work well together and have gained a bond over the last few years of working together.

Richard Marshall, Trainee Solicitor, Bolton

I am a trainee solicitor at Keoghs and have worked here for just over a year. Before starting my training contract, I undertook a couple of other roles as a Legal Information Assistant and then later as a Court Clerk.

There is a strong teamwork ethic here at Keoghs. You would be hard pushed to find another Top 100 law firm that has managed to retain its sense of identity through a period of such rapid expansion. Despite its size, Keoghs has managed to retain the close knit atmosphere usually only associated with smaller firms. As a leading national law firm, Keoghs can truly say that it provides its employees with the best of both worlds.

Perhaps the firm’s biggest virtue is that it really listens, whether that be through feedback from participation in the Times Top 100 survey or the recent “Excellence at Keoghs” workshops, during which senior figures at the firm gave everybody a chance to say how Keoghs can continue to improve for the better. This ongoing process of continual monitoring and improvement really does make Keoghs a better place to work.

Training at Keoghs
Without doubt this is a great place to undertake your training contract. A typical day for a trainee may involve presenting / defending an interlocutory application at Court, meeting with a witness, liaising with clients and drafting an array of pleadings. I can assure you that those law school stories about trainee solicitors slaving over photocopiers for two years do not apply at this firm! Here, trainees are encouraged to take responsibility. This does not mean being thrown in at the deep end though. There is always someone on hand to guide you through the more intricate tasks and perhaps most importantly, to provide you with insider ‘tricks of the trade’. In keeping with the firm’s willingness to listen, trainees are given the opportunity to ‘have their say’ in weekly trainee meetings. These weekly meetings, in combination with the superb support provided by the firm’s trainee mentor, ensures that the quality of the training here at Keoghs remains continually excellent.

To summarise, I guess the fact that so many of the senior members of the firm commenced their training contracts here will tell you everything that you need to know. If you have a keen interest in litigation, are prepared to work hard but also reap reward, I cannot recommend a career with Keoghs highly enough.

Daniel Hughes, Legal Information Assistant, Bolton

Keoghs was ahead of the game by integrating a business-like structure with a Chief Executive at the top of the tree. Amazingly, despite the introduction of business values and objectives, the firm has retained its family atmosphere and it is no coincidence that Keoghs has performed well in the Sunday Times 'Top 100 Companies to Work For' survey.

I joined the firm after gaining LLB (hons) at Coventry University and a subsequent gap year spent travelling the world. Initially my responsibilities included the provision of legal research services to the fee earning staff and also the set-up of a library database to catalogue paper and electronic titles. My role has developed greatly over the last four years and I now take charge of the firm's intranet and also head up a team that monitors the use and development of the knowledge management system.

I have provided training on legal research skills to support staff and I give an induction talk on legal resources to new starters every fortnight. This enables me to meet every new fee earner and take on board any comments they may have eg they might suggest that we purchase a product that we don't currently use but they are familiar with from a previous firm. This is one example of the firm being proactive and ensuring that we don't rest on our laurels.

During my time at Keoghs I have been encouraged to attend technical training sessions to further my knowledge of various areas of law. I have also provided write-ups of numerous social events for the firm's internal newsletter.

Overall I feel that I am able to make a significant contribution to the way that the firm works and my achievement is recognised through the use of employee recognition schemes both at team and departmental level. The way the partners and CEO display a willingness to listen to new ideas in an ever-changing insurance market is the main contributing factor to me remaining at this firm.

Laura Buckley, Trainee Solicitor, Bolton

I am a trainee solicitor at Keoghs. My training contract started in September 2006, although prior to this I had worked at Keoghs during university summer holidays under the university scholarship scheme. Whilst working here as a scholarship student, I had the opportunity to work in a variety of different departments and with a range of different people. I attended court with some of the trainee solicitors, did legal research, helped in the Legal Information Department and gained a better understanding of how a law firm operates. My work over the university holidays reaffirmed my desire to become a solicitor, and ultimately, my positive experience of working here made me decide to apply for a training contract.

I am working in the large loss department at the moment. My role is very varied - I assist solicitors, associates and partners on their files, for example in drafting witness statement and applications, dealing with disclosure, reviewing medical records and with legal research. I also attend court on applications and case management conferences where I do the advocacy, and sit behind Counsel at trials taking notes.

The cases that the large loss department deals with are high value and complex cases. For me, the best part of my job is the opportunity to work on such interesting and technical cases. The team are great to work with - I feel I can ask anybody questions about the work I am doing, the systems Keoghs uses and about the law generally. People really have time to answer queries (however basic) and to check my work. The trainee support structure is excellent - we have weekly trainee meetings which are a good informal opportunity to talk about how we're doing. The other trainees are really willing to help with precedents, trickier court appointments and research, and the culture is very supportive. Everyone makes a real effort to feedback on work done, and the responses I have had have been extremely useful and constructive and I feel that I am learning a lot. People appreciate the work you do, and make a point of thanking you for it.

I am thoroughly enjoying my job - being a solicitor has been an ambition of mine for many years, and Keoghs is providing me with a varied, challenging and interesting training contract.