Team Story – Shay Moore
I pursued my LPC part-time while working here full-time, which was a challenging but valuable experience.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role as a Solicitor at Butcher & Barlow?
A: I’m Shay Moore, and I work as a Solicitor at Butcher & Barlow. My work mainly involves handling corporate and commercial matters, such as share purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and commercial property transactions including buying and selling commercial buildings and dealing with commercial leases.
Q: When did you qualify as a solicitor?
A: I qualified in March 2023.
Q: Did you do your training at Butcher & Barlow as well?
A: Yes, I did. I’ve been with Butcher & Barlow for three years now. During that time, I pursued my LPC part-time while working here full-time, which was a challenging but valuable experience.
Q: How did you manage working full-time and studying for your LPC simultaneously?
A: It was definitely a juggling act. I started as a Paralegal and had my Training Contract lined up, so they allowed me to work as a Paralegal while completing my LPC. It was demanding, with work during the week and studying on weekends, but it helped me gain exposure to the job while learning the academic side of things.
Q: Do you think pursuing work and study simultaneously is a useful approach for aspiring Solicitors?
A: It can be useful because it bridges the gap between theory and practice. But not all of the academic content may be directly relevant to your job, so it’s a mixed experience.
Q: Can you describe a typical day in your role?
A: Typically, I start the day in the office with a morning coffee and address urgent matters. I try to tackle emails in the morning and focus on drafting tasks. As the afternoon progresses, I tend to handle less demanding tasks. However, there are times when urgent matters arise, and I have to shift my focus.
Q: How did you decide on your area of specialism?
A: It happened quite naturally I suppose. During my Training Contract, I had the opportunity to experience various seats, including Dispute Resolution, Agricultural law, Commercial Property, and Corporate law. I think that quite often you have an inclination of what you’re geared towards. When I was doing my electives in university, for example, I always used to go for the commercial modules rather than personal areas of law. I was more geared towards helping a business achieve its objectives. Towards the end of my training, I realised where my interests and strengths lay, which naturally led me to my current area of practice.
Q: What skills do you believe are essential for a career in law, especially in your specialism?
A: I’d say time management, organisation, effective communication, dedication, and empathy are crucial skills. But I also think in my particular area, having commercial awareness, understanding the business and the market your clients operate in, can be incredibly valuable.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: I like being challenged. I don’t think I could come into work every day and not be challenged. Every day, I encounter tasks that require me to expand my understanding, and this continual learning process is rewarding. I’m always expanding my knowledge base.
Q: How does Butcher & Barlow support your training and growth as a Solicitor?
A: I have had a positive experience with Butcher & Barlow. There are multiple Solicitors and Partners I can turn to when I encounter issues or need guidance. You work under a Partner and my supervising Partner, James Hodgson, is always available to just pop into his office. I’ll give him a call and ask him a question and he’ll point me in the right direction. But if he’s not available or it’s not within his area of expertise, then I can pick up the phone to anybody. This support has been really beneficial in my growth as a Solicitor.
Q: Do you see a clear career path within Butcher & Barlow for progression?
A: Yes, there is a path to partnership, and many Partners have a long history with the Firm. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can see a clear trajectory for your career.
Q: Is the Firm’s long history and retention of staff appealing to new recruits?
A: Absolutely. The fact that many employees stay at the Firm for extended periods suggests that Butcher & Barlow is doing something right, and it’s certainly appealing to potential recruits.
Q: How does the firm prioritise work-life balance, both in your role and generally?
A: While we’re not expected to work outside of our regular hours, as a newly qualified Solicitor, I sometimes choose to do so to meet targets but it’s certainly not an expectation, but rather a personal choice.
Q: Do you have any standout moments or accomplishments in your career so far?
A: I’ve had the opportunity to assist on significant transactions, which has been rewarding. Additionally, the autonomy I have to manage my files on a day to day basis and the responsibility I’ve been given have been valuable learning experiences.
Q: What are your career ambitions moving forward?
A: Ultimately, I aim to become a Partner at the Firm and to achieve that goal as swiftly as possible.
Q: Any advice or tips for individuals starting at Butcher & Barlow or pursuing a career in law?
A: Keep an open mind when exploring different areas of law during your training contract. Don’t pigeonhole yourself too early; your interests and strengths may evolve as you gain more experience.
Q: Did you always want to be a lawyer?
A: No, my journey to becoming a lawyer wasn’t straightforward. I didn’t study law at A levels, and I initially pursued a law degree as I felt it would maybe provide quite a few transferable skills if I didn’t pursue law as a career – it seemed like a versatile option. I even considered a career in teaching after my degree. I applied to be a geography teacher but when I realised part of the interview process was teaching a year 7 class about the rainforest, I thought this isn’t for me! Eventually I realised that I should actually just use my law degree.
My three words to describe Butcher & Barlow are: Traditional, Modern, Experts