For nearly 16 years, I have worked as an Axiom lawyer in London, collaborating with over 30 diverse clients. My current engagements include supporting a prominent small-kitchen-appliance manufacturer with European marketing, compliance, and commercial activities, and acting as Data Protection Officer for a consortium of software and tech-based companies, operating in the health sector.
My professional life at Axiom and within my engagements is deeply fulfilling, allowing me to build robust work relationships, even when working remotely. Axiom's flexible engagement model has allowed me to support family members with long-term health issues and also facilitated my role as a minister at a city centre church, serving a vibrant business and residential community.
My legal expertise spans commercial, media, intellectual property, and IT law, complemented by a data protection certification.
From Science to Law, to Business Partnership
My initial academic pursuits were scientific. While deeply engaged with science during my schooling, I realised that the extensive laboratory work University study was not for me. I then explored law, finding it compelling. My interest lies in understanding underlying mechanisms and how legal frameworks underpin daily life. The ability to apply consistent rules in varying contexts to yield distinct outcomes particularly resonated with me.
Post-graduation, I became a broad-based commercial lawyer and partner at two London city firms, focusing on commercial, intellectual property, and information technology law. However, as my career progressed, I found a disproportionate amount of time dedicated to administration rather than direct client work and business support, which I preferred.
Discovering Axiom's Unique Model
I began seeking alternative career paths. Axiom was introduced to me via a legal recruitment agency. At that time, Axiom was a nascent organization in the UK and no one knew too much about it. Having only known traditional partnership or in-house roles, I found their innovative approach highly appealing and was ready to commit within minutes. Axiom's unique blend of law firm flexibility, role variety, and the ability to transition roles while maintaining in-house proximity, was precisely what I sought.
While enthusiastic, I had initial reservations about the new model's viability and work consistency. However, discussions with Axiom's senior leadership instilled me with confidence in choosing Axiom as the next step in my career direction. While some friends and colleagues, viewed it as a temporary solution, my decision proved right and over a decade and a half later, I remain with Axiom.
A Different Kind of Legal Practice
The contrast between my previous partner role and my work at Axiom is striking. As a partner, work delegation is standard; at Axiom, I am directly involved in execution, negotiations, and direct engagement with business stakeholders. This hands-on approach demands strong communication skill, on-the-spot problem-solving, and the ability to devise business-oriented solutions – not just legal opinions or analysis.
My diverse client portfolio, from sole proprietorships to international organizations, ensures continuous intellectual engagement, I acquire new knowledge almost daily. The cross-pollination of ideas across various clients and industries has been particularly valuable.
Over my time with them, I have witnessed Axiom's evolution, while it has remained faithful to its original core values and openness. I have contributed to training, development, and new business methodologies, including pitching for large teams of Axiom lawyers.
Axiom's work-life balance differs significantly from traditional firms. While demanding, the pressures are distinct, and my role is clearly defined: to facilitate client business. The extra administration and non-productive time is kept to a minimum, meaning work is as productive as it can be. The flexibility of engagements has aligned well with my personal life, allowing efficient time management and breaks without career impediment.
I believe Axiom is ideal for curious, broad-based lawyers interested in their clients' businesses. It requires comfort operating independently without relying solely on extensive precedents or a support team for all answers. For those willing to embrace jumping in at the deep-end, being flexible, and self starting, yet seek significant reward for successful outcomes and job satisfaction, Axiom is an ideal environment.
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Building Relationships as an Embedded Business Partner
I firmly believe lawyers can offer valuable business advice beyond transactional services or disconnected advisory. As an Axiom lawyer, I am deeply integrated into my colleagues' daily work, working directly with business and being considered one of the team. Even though I work remotely, I am as embedded in my client's business as their office-based staff, having built relationships across legal functions and wider business units.
Connecting on a Human Level as a Minister
I balance my legal work with my role as a Church of England minister. Axiom's flexible schedule enabled me to undertake ministerial training, which was impossible during my private practice years. As a minister, I participate in Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, and counsel parishioners. This dual role has been possible solely due to Axiom. My ministry work, I find, fosters deeper human connections with business colleagues during challenging times, and my corporate experience positively informs my ministry.
The perceived incompatibility between business and ministry is frequently raised, yet I find them highly compatible. Many corporate responsibility initiatives in ethics, social, and environmental responsibility align with the passions of many within the church. I have found the issues I and my colleagues have faced in business provides insights allowing me to integrate my professional experience into my ministry.
The Future of Law and the Role of ALSPs
I view Axiom, an ALSP, as exceptionally well-positioned for the future of legal services. The disconnect between large law firms and businesses' day-to-day operational needs is widening. As client budgets tighten and demand for value increases, large law firms with high overheads are less suitable for day to day support of business functions and legal departments. I anticipate a greater shift of work in-house, becoming leaner and relying on AI, technology, and flexible resourcing—precisely Axiom's offerings. While big-ticket work will remain for large firms, the operational legal work for businesses will increasingly be in-house.
For lawyers considering a transition from traditional firms to in-house roles, I recommend considering Axiom. Working with Axiom is highly beneficial for sharpening in-house and business skills and gaining cross-fertilization from diverse experiences. Experience gained at Axiom, I believe, would take three times as long to achieve elsewhere. The flexibility that Axiom offers with its portfolio of clients simply cannot be matched by most in-house roles. It really is the best of both worlds. The diversity and range of private practice with the business focused problem solving challenge and reward of in-house.
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