FBC Manby Bowdler is a relatively new client of Thornton Legal, who fit very well into the profile of firm we have good success with. They are a leading full service law firm in the West Midlands, Shropshire and Worcestershire.
Many thanks to their Managing Director, Neil Lloyd, for taking part in our Q&A series.
Click here for his website profile and here for his Linkedin profile.
- Tell us a about your background, and your role at FBC Manby Bowdler?
I spent the best part of 20 years leading teams at both head office and within the West Midlands for Lombard, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland. I joined FBC Manby Bowdler 5 years ago as their Sales Director, with a brief to grow the Commercial offering. I became Managing Director April 1st 2020.
- How’s business?
Not bad considering the challenges this year. I have a really well engaged team that are going the extra mile to deliver for our clients. It has helped being a full service firm and the strategic investment we made last year in a new core technology platform, has held us in good stead over the past 12 month. Our offices have remained open by appointment only throughout and certain teams such as Private Client and Conveyancing have been extremely busy.
- What has the last 12 months taught you?
A couple of things jump to mind. Firstly remaining calm, focusing on our firm, not what others were doing and giving our leadership complete clarity on the direction we chose to move in. Secondly solid consistent communication which has probably been the main lesson. Weekly messages, monthly round ups and quarterly all staff calls have been crucial in keeping everyone informed of our progress throughout the year.
- What is the outlook for the next 12 months?
Positive. We have a great team and wonderful client base both of which are supported by some of the best technology in the legal sector. We’ll continue to invest in talented people and technology to maximise our position.
- How does FBC Manby Bowdler stand out from the crowd?
For years we have said we deliver Stellar Service for our clients – and we train that into our teams from the minute they arrive. We give every client the chance to provide feedback and subscribe to ReviewSolicitors which has given me lots of proud moments over the past 12 months.
- What working practice changes will continue post pandemic?
The most obvious one is agile working. Pre-pandemic we already had some teams working from home on occasion, myself included. In fact I have no desk/office to call my own. Clearly over the past 12 months everyone has now experienced working from home. It’s suited some but not all. We won’t be back in the office 5 days a week but I can see us asking everyone to do at least a couple of days in an office.
The other one I hope continues is the use of video conferencing. Don’t get me wrong I’m looking forward to meeting people in person but no-one can say it hasn’t been an important tool in our communication tool kit.
Finally, as a sector we’ve made massive strides digitally and if all the firms in the UK are using 70% less paper, such as we are, then that’s good for both our client journey and the planet.
- What opportunities can you see?
The biggest one I can see is that the talent pool that used to be restricted to the West Midlands so you were close to the office can now be UK wide. I can see no reason why lateral hires need to be bound by geography – especially given our technology platform and how we’ve had to adapt to ensure supervision is still constructive.
- Recruiting is a challenge for all law firms, why should someone choose FBC Manby Bowdler?
For almost 200 years FBC Manby Bowdler has provided legal advice to individuals, families and businesses of the West Midlands. We offer candidates the opportunity to work with some of the best lawyers, and non-lawyers in the region where they can develop their skills within a business the prides itself of delivering the best client service.
- What do you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your career?
That the path you begin on might not be the one you end up going down. I spent 20 years in banking and always thought I’d spend the rest of my career there. When FBC approached me 5 years ago I knew very little about the legal sector but have listened and taken every opportunity to learn from those around me. Becoming Managing Director 12 months ago was a dream come true and I’m fortunate to have a great team around me.
