Life, Lemons and the Law

Both Clare Gregory and Mamunul Wahid knew from an early age that they wanted a career in law.  But neither came from what the industry, and perhaps society, would see as a typical background for becoming a lawyer.  Clare and Mamun talk about their individual and very challenging journeys to becoming lawyers, from the expectations of family, friends and teachers through to understanding their own s...

Umar Farooq and Chelsea Mace sit down with Ed to discuss their journeys as Trainee solicitors and focus on their future aspirations in the legal environment.  The UK’s lack of social mobility can manifest itself in many ways and Umar and Chelsea talk about the lack of encouragement they received from the education system and how their families didn’t have the experience to support their career asp...

Tabitha Candy and Sam Harkness join us to discuss their experiences and the challenges they’ve faced in pursuing a career in law. The issue of social mobility has been significant for both Tabitha and Sam, proving an obstacle first as school, then university, then again when it came to finding a training contract. The conversation touches on touch on the vital importance of personal connections in...

Tom Costin works as an IT trainer at Clarke Willmott, while Ryan Rahim is a solicitor in the business recovery unit. This episode explores the experiences and challenges they have faced in their respective careers as a result of the issue of social mobility. Tom and Ryan share a story of struggling within the education system, while Ryan faced additional obstacles as an immigrant student. The conv...

In the next chapter of our look at the problem of social mobility in the UK we hear the stories of Charlotte Murray and Karl Brown, both lawyers at Clarke Wilmott. Charlotte and Karl discuss the challenges they faced in attempting to enter and advance in the legal sector, from a lack of role model, to the ill-considered advice of careers advisors, to landing that elusive training contract. Both Ch...

As our new series of Life, Lemons and the Law focuses on Social Mobility we knew we wanted to invite former guests Clare Gregory and Mamunul Wahid onto the pod again. In many ways Clare and Mamun's experience encapsulates the problem of social mobility and the reasons that Clarke Wilmott has partnered with the Social Mobility Foundation. Neither Clare or Mamun come from what we might perceive as a...

‘Positive Partnerships’, features Karen Higgins, Head of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) at Clarke Willmott; Peter Swinburn, CEO of Clarke Willmott; and our special guest, Sarah Atkinson, CEO of the Social Mobility Foundation. In this episode, we delve into why social mobility matters to us as firms and why shedding light on this topic is crucial. Karen, Peter, and Sarah share their thoug...

Charlotte Murray knew from a young age that she was adopted. She always had access to her adoption papers, but it wasn’t until she was a teenager that she felt affected by what was written in her notes. She talks about fear of rejection, meeting her birth father for the first time and why she would love to adopt a child in the future.

Building and exiting a business can be a rollercoaster. Joe Cripps and John Lam share the highs and lows of their business journey, including their initial inspiration, why they exited and what they learnt along the way. Joe talks about the impact of the pandemic on Trail, an app designed for the hospitality industry, and seeking co-founder relationship advice. John shares how he forged ahead with...

Would you recognise the symptoms of menopause in yourself, your colleagues or your loved ones? Lauren Chiren ( Women of a Certain Stage ) and Juliette Staunton didn’t know what was happening to them when they entered menopause and peri-menopause, leading to worries about early onset dementia and whether they’d be able to continue with their careers. From sleepless nights to suicidal thoughts, in t...

Starting a family isn’t always plain sailing and adding a pandemic into the mix brought new challenges. Kristian and Grace both had difficult entries into parenthood during lockdown. Kristian and his wife began IVF treatment just as covid hit and Grace’s son spent one month in a neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) after he was born with significant health complications. They talk about welcoming...

Many of us dream of living ‘The Good Life’ and for good reasons - spending time outside can fire our imagination and aid our mental health. In this episode Helen Wallwork talks about how, over lockdown, her passion for food, her husband’s love of gardening and a successful crop of lettuce led to a small vegetable patch becoming a bigger part of their life than they’d planned.

Good friends are a lifeline at the best of times, even more so when life gets stormy. Joe Campbell and Ruth Preston share how over lockdown, their professional relationship blossomed from discussing business development to supporting each other virtually through challenging and life changing periods of their lives. They talk about multiple sclerosis, the death of a parent, and the of value of open...

Former England rugby players Damian Hopley and Christian Day talk about the psychological and emotional impact of retiring from the game under very different circumstances. They share the challenges of giving up their identities as professional players, the lessons they are grateful for and the positives of retiring. Both are still deeply involved in rugby through their work with the Rugby Players...

Running has helped Kat Quinton and Philippa Hann to keep going through difficult times and find a new perspective. In this episode they talk about their love of running and how it has changed their lives, helping them deal with experiences including the death of a close friend, life-limiting medical conditions and relationship breakdown.

Beth Evans and Martin Palmer share life changing experiences related to their mental health. Beth was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at the beginning of the pandemic. She talks about the significant impact of her intrusive thoughts and how she manages them day-to-day. Martin remembers his ‘beautiful breakdown’, how it hit him more than 20 years ago and how he moved – and contin...