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Hat-trick of newly qualified lawyers at LCF Law
LCF Law has welcomed three newly qualified lawyers into its ranks after Holly Jordan, Jonathan Gardner and Melanie Parsons all completed their training with the firm and successfully passed their final exams and legal qualifications several months ahead of schedule.
All three will now continue their careers in different departments at LCF Law, across the firm’s Leeds and Bradford offices. The trio have also taken an active role in organising and participating in many of LCF Law’s charity and social events, which they plan to continue doing.
Melanie graduated from the University of Leeds with a LLB Law degree and joined LCF Law as a paralegal before starting her training contract. The experience she built up as a paralegal enabled her to complete her training contract six months early. She originally worked in the firm’s disputes and corporate teams before joining the real estate department in Bradford.
Melanie now mainly advises on the sale and purchase of freehold and leasehold residential properties and assists with commercial transactions including leases, licences to assign and surrenders of commercial property. Over the last 12 months, Melanie has been involved with buying and selling almost 50 residential properties throughout the UK on behalf of a national charity.
Jonathan joined LCF Law as a paralegal after completing his legal masters at the University of Manchester and LPC at the University of Law. He worked in the firm’s commercial property and personal law teams, before finding his calling in LCF Law’s disputes department specialising in commercial disputes and insolvency in its Leeds office.
After completing his training two months early, he now advises on corporate disputes relating to contracts, banking, directors’ claims, liabilities, intellectual property, professional negligence, partnerships and shareholder disputes, as well as a wide range of corporate and personal insolvency matters.
Holly joined LCF Law after completing her Legal Practice Course (LPC) at BPP University in Leeds while working full time and her qualification concludes eight years of legal studies. During her two years of training, which she completed two months early, Holly worked in LCF Law’s real estate, litigation and contentious probate departments before choosing to join the corporate team in Leeds.
She now advises on disposals and acquisitions, directors’ duties, corporate governance, business structures, restructures, partnerships, LLPs, joint ventures, succession planning, exit strategies and employee share ownership.
Holly said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my training and gaining practical experience across so many varied departments, whilst having exposure to clients and responsibility in a fast-paced environment, with the guidance and support of both senior colleagues and partners. After talking with my peers training at other firms, many haven’t had the same level of involvement and responsibility as trainees at LCF Law, so we’re extremely lucky in this regard.
“I’ve been trusted to complete on various large property transactions, speak with clients daily, draft instructions to counsel, attend hearings and site visits alongside counsel, draft notes of advice and get involved in business development, and even represented the firm at a mock employment tribunal where I was the claimant’s advocate. Everyone has always been very supportive and approachable, which is very inspiring for trainees, and I’m now really looking forward to the next stage of my career at LCF Law.”
LCF Law’s managing partner, Ragan Montgomery, said: “As a firm we pride ourselves on supporting and nurturing the legal industry’s future talent through both the traditional university route and our apprenticeship programme. We’re very pleased to see Holly, Jonathan and Melanie complete their training months ahead of schedule and join so many other talented solicitors who have completed their qualifications with us.
“All three are popular with both clients and their colleagues so we’re delighted that they are all continuing their careers with us.”