It was Richard Branson that once said ''if you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.''
It’s a mantra that’s been firmly adopted by a fast-growing, award-winning firm of North East solicitors, whose approach to people development and employee engagement has seen it attract some of the best professionals in their field.
EMG Solicitors started off in a modest way, from a small rented office in Durham, with just a handful of experienced solicitors.
Fast forward a few years and not only does the company have a huge office block in Durham but it also has a branch in Gosforth – and is just about to open its third base in the Lake District.
Overseeing the new Penrith operation is Samantha Edward, a director and head of EMG’s Wills, Trusts and Probate division. Samantha helped launch the Newcastle office – in a prominent position on Gosforth High Street and has now taken on the task of opening in the north west.
If ever confirmation was needed that EMG is not your standard law firm, it’s when Samantha reveals that it was her personal wellbeing that helped Managing Director, Emma Gaudern, make the decision to open a third office.
”My family and I are originally from the Lakes and after spending lockdown working from home in Newcastle we wanted to move back to be closer to family,” said Samantha.
”Emma was concerned about me balancing my work and family life and about me coming back and forth to the North East so she made the decision that we would expand and that meant I could work closer to home.”
Samantha will still retain her role as head of this busy department, but because staff are hand picked for their expertise, she knows that each office is in safe hands.
”We are very lucky to have such a good reputation that many solicitors want to work with us, but we take our time and ensure that we pick the right people,” she said.
Those ”right people” in recent years have included bringing in Stephanie Rodgers, who joined as a senior associate early in 2022.
She had previously worked with Samantha at a top 100 law firm in Newcastle before moving to London to join a prestigious company, handling private client work and advising on wills, inheritance tax and estate planning, the administration of estates, the preparation and administration of trusts and capacity matters such as Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyship applications.
”I always wanted to bring Stephanie to EMG so I was delighted when she came back to the North East and we got the opportunity to have her on our team,” said Samantha.
”As a Senior Associate Solicitor she brings so much expertise, with the added bonus of being really experienced at business development so she’s a complete all-rounder.”
Stephanie is now part of a strong group which includes associate Claire French, who is dually qualified as both solicitor and accountant and specialises in Wills, Trusts Probate and Court of Protection, solicitor Michael Cattermole – who Samantha also mentioned she was lucky enough to bring to the team earlier this year – and Emma Etherington who both Samantha and Stephanie have worked with previously and who is vastly experienced in a range of private client matters but particularly estate administration.
”We’ve gathered together people with a huge amount of experience in the area that they specialise in and who fit completely with the ethos of EMG”, added Samantha, who also works for a range of prominent private clients handling multi-million pound estates and advising business owners on inheritance tax planning.
Recognised each year in the Legal 500, Samantha is also now building up the team at Penrith, ready for the official opening later this year. ”EMG Solicitors really isn’t like any other law firm,” said the director.
”It is such a great place to work with such a positive culture of inclusivity and support, not just of people professionally but on a personal level.
”The fact that people are happy and want to come to work here filters down to the clients, where everyone is so committed to putting the clients first and doing the best job for them.”
As well as their expertise in Wills Trusts and Probate, EMG Solicitors also offers Court of Protection work, employment law, residential conveyancing, commercial property support, dispute resolution and family law.
