Adrian Denson
Chief Legal Officer at Fletchers Solicitors
Adrian Denson gives us a snap shot into his working day
Established in Southport in 1987, Fletchers Solicitors is the largest medical negligence and personal injury practice in the UK.
I joined Fletchers in 2011, as Head of Serious Injury, leading the Serious Injury department in tackling cases that involve catastrophic, life-changing events for our customers, and doing our utmost to get them back on track and rehabilitated into a new life.
In 2017, I was appointed Chief Legal Officer and now oversee all of our legal teams, ensuring our customers are always at the heart of everything we do.
Every morning, I help get the children up and ready for school, before walking the dog and setting off for work, leaving my wife to do the hard task of getting everybody out of the house on time!
I actually really enjoy the commute to and from work, as I find it gives me precious time to think about the day ahead, formulate new ideas, deal with calls (via Bluetooth, of course) or even just unwind after a busy day.
Most days, I drive to our Southport office, which takes around an hour or so each way. Occasionally, I’ll get the train to our office in Manchester. I’d like to start spending more time there, as it’s a really lovely office full of great people, and I appreciate having the chance to spend time in the city.
I also work from home one day a week, which is an invaluable opportunity to catch up on tasks which require greater concentration. I make sure to take full advantage of the peace and quiet by saving up certain jobs during the week and then powering through them when I’m at home.
I tend to spend a lot of time in meetings, so when I arrive each morning I try to fit in a short, sharp blast of replying to emails and tackling various ad hoc matters before the day’s meetings begin.
One of the things I love most about my job is the variety it offers. As Chief Legal Officer, I am accountable for more than 300 lawyers stretching across a number of teams that specialise in personal injury, serious injury and medical negligence. We also have a thriving Court of Protection team.
As a result, much of a typical day is spent working with my legal management team and their team members in order to make sure we are optimising every aspect of the services we offer to our customers.
I am also the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), so part of every day is dedicated to compliance matters. I ensure that we are vigilant and prepared on any issues surrounding data protection, regularly check that our systems, processes and policies are compliant and reflect best practice, and look for ways to mitigate all risks to the business.
It is important to find time, if possible, to catch up on emails and keep on top of day-to-day business, but often this has to wait until the evening or my homeworking day, as my time in the office is very rarely spent in quiet solitude.
There is almost never a free moment, and sometimes I’ll have to stop at the end of the day and work out what I have actually spent the day doing, as they pass by in such a blur. Add into the mix other matters such as weekly executive team meetings and monthly board meetings, and you can see that my job certainly keeps me out of mischief!
I do try to get outside every lunchtime for some fresh air, even if it’s just briefly while I pick up something to eat. I really believe it’s important to do this, although I don’t always manage it. Unless I have a lunch meeting or engagement, it’s usually just a case of eating at my desk and getting ready for the afternoon ahead.
On an average day I’ll leave the office at around 6pm, although it does vary, and I then work from home every evening. Often specific work needs to be done, which I’ll do on my laptop, but other times I’ll deal with emails and catch up on reading articles and news from my phone.
Most evenings, I do high intensity interval training sessions on a spin bike I have at home, which I find is a brilliant way to unwind. On Fridays after work I play football, which I absolutely love – this is the start of the weekend for me. A core group of us have been playing together for 15 years, while others have come and gone. My 22-year-old son plays with us now, along with his friends, so it’s getting harder to keep up, but I’ll keep on trying!
