How are you managing your work life balance?
Fortunately, MRN are really busy at present and I have found it very rewarding to be able to assist Clients in ensuring the best possible outcomes and keeping on top of cash flow during the period of uncertainty.
I regularly worked from home pre-pandemic so that is not new to me. What has been new is that given that the vast majority of people are now all mainly working remotely, there are a lot of emails after hours! I like to think of myself as a very organised person and able to prioritise my work accordingly.
What’s your work from home set up like?
I am lucky to have my own office at home! So I think that helps to be able to detach myself from work at the end of the day and switch to my other full time job of Mum!
We are lucky in that MRN have always had the systems in place to allow for home working which allowed for a smooth transition to fully remote working. With the introduction of the lockdowns lots of Firms have now also switched to being able to access papers and documents electronically which definitely saves on the floor space of boxes of papers in my home office!
What have MRN been doing to keep up the morale of the team?
The staff at MRN are a really great team, and I have really missed going into the office and speaking to people face-to-face. MRN have combated this by ensuring that we all have regular video calls and catch-ups! It also hasn’t stopped our social calendar and as staff we have been treated to virtual events including pizza making, gin tasting, cocktail making, a magician and virtual horse racing to name a few!
Have you learnt anything new about yourself since the start of Covid?
I think that everyone has had their own struggles with the pandemic, and I am proud of how myself and family adapted to such a huge change. I’ve learned that I’m capable of a lot more than I give myself credit for, fortunately the Management Team at MRN are very supportive and have definitely helped me in realising that.
How have you found communication with clients?
I have always had open lines of communication, whether that be over the phone or email. I think the pandemic has only increased this by making the most use of the technology available and regularly have Client discussions over Zoom or Teams. It’s nice to have a virtual ‘face to face’ chat which may not have taken place previously.
What has been your experience with the Courts?
I think the Courts have coped immensely well given that they have had to adapt to a new way of working virtually overnight. I think the introduction of virtual Hearings has worked really well from my experience.
Have you noticed any change in the way clients are approaching litigation since the start of Covid?
I’ve definitely noticed that there is a more efficient approach to litigation given the introduction of the new electronic way of working. The introduction of mainly electronic working has also meant that we can be instructed and start work on a file in the same day, rather than waiting for the papers to be ready and then couriered. The introduction of remote hearings I think definitely helps in getting the work/life balance right.
Are you noticing any new trends in litigation emerging as a result of Covid?
Following on from my earlier comments as to remote hearings assisting with work/life balance, reflecting back on this period of time I think that whilst the pandemic has undoubtedly impacted litigation, the key point for me is that ‘the show goes on.’ Cases have continued to be litigated even in the wake of a pandemic which is pretty impressive and a testament to the legal industry as a whole.
Further, at the start of the Pandemic, there was definitely a feeling of co-operation between the Parties. I have however noticed that as we have now progressed through the Pandemic, that goodwill seems to be disappearing!
Can you give a glimpse in to the types of cases you have been working on in the last 12 to 18 months?
I have had the absolute pleasure of working on some ‘once in a lifetime’ cases during the pandemic. My forte is commercial work, and I’ve been involved with some really high calibre cases during this period involving high profile Clients and multi-million pound settlements.