Lorna Carter – Cambridgeshire Law Society’s Partner of the Year
On 18 June 2020, Lorna Carter of Greenwoods GRM was announced as the winner of Partner of the Year at our first ever virtual Legal Excellence Awards.
Lorna joined Greenwoods GRM in February 2019 as head of their Construction Team and a CILEX Partner having joined the legal profession at 18 years old as a trainee legal executive. Lorna is named as a “standout construction partner” and a “leading individual” in the 2020 edition of the Legal 500 and since joining Greenwoods GRM she has continued to represent diversity both in the law as one of a limited number of CILEX partners and in her niche practice area of Construction law.
Lorna deals with both contentious and non-contentious matters and works closely with Greenwoods GRM’s Real Estate Team to offer a comprehensive Construction offering to their clients. As part of this work, Lorna runs a “Construction Forum” designed to offer clients and connections of Greenwoods GRM a roundtable opportunity to discuss themes, trends and issues in the Construction sector. She is also a committee member of the Cambridge satellite committee of “Women in Property” and a well-known presence in the Cambridge construction scene with her regular attendance at local events including the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry and the Society of Construction Law. Lorna also sits as an independent member on the Standards Committee of the Federation of Master Builders as part of her pro bono offering to the legal community offering guidance and encouraging good practice within the construction industry.
Since Lorna joined Greenwoods GRM she has also shown a dedication to training junior members of staff and those just entering the legal profession including taking on a trainee solicitor in the Construction Team for the first time and developing the skills and knowledge of existing junior lawyers.
After reading the submission made on Lorna’s behalf for Partner of the Year in January 2020, it was clear to the Judging Panel that she was more than deserving of the award having made a major contribution to the development of Greenwoods GRM since she joined just 12 months prior both through her legal excellence and her contribution to the leadership of the Construction Team and their presence in the Cambridge market.
Following her success at the awards, Lorna took some time out of her very busy schedule to talk to us about her work and life in Cambridgeshire and to give us an insight into the reasons why she was voted our Partner of the Year.
QWhat made you go into the law?
Whilst at Sixth Form college I attended Cambridge Magistrates Court with my group of Ranger Guides – we were completing a crime prevention course. I liked the look of the job of the magistrates clerk and wondered if there was a career open to someone after sixth form in the law. I found out about Legal Executives (now Chartered Legal Executives) and the idea of being an apprentice and taking my exams whilst practising law appealed to me. I had some work experience with the litigation department of a local Cambridge firm and the rest is history!
QWhat advice would you give to someone thinking about becoming a lawyer?
Get as much work experience as possible to see if this is really for you. Being a lawyer is a very rewarding job on many levels but can also be demanding. It requires a long training commitment and you don’t want to find it isn’t for you after all of that. Although, of course, the skills learned are very transferable.
QWhat is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
It is only in relatively recent years that Chartered Legal Executives have been able to become partners. Whilst I went into the profession knowing that; it was sometimes difficult to see those you had trained become your boss! It is great that CILEx have broken down that career barrier and that CILEx has now gained the recognition it deserves.
QWhat is the highlight of your
career to date?
Advising the Claimants in the leading case on net contribution clauses that went to the Court of Appeal – I realise that only construction lawyers will see net contribution clauses as interesting! However, it was a wonderful experience to have two weeks in the Technology and Construction Court at trial and another day in the Court of Appeal. This also opened up lots of professional doors.
QWhat do you find most satisfying about your job?
Two things – resolving disputes as I love problem solving and the second is training new lawyers and seeing how their careers progress – particularly of course if they decide to stay in construction law!
QWhat do you do when you are
not at work?
You will generally find me in my garden with my roses, herbs and my cat Willow. I love to grow chillies too. In non-Covid times I enjoy theatre and the cinema.
QWhat’s your favourite thing about working and living in Cambridgeshire?
Cambridge is my home town and my family is mostly here. I have a lovely group of colleagues at Greenwoods GRM and it is great that the office banter is back as we try blended working.
Kate Harris
Associate Solicitor, Irwin Mitchell
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