Duncan Gadsby is managing partner and head of Commercial Property at the Essex firm Foskett Marr Gadsby & Head. He shares his daily routine with The Brief, beginning with a start so early it would make a milkman wince!

Established in 1920, our firm practises from offices in Epping and Loughton in Essex, advising businesses, organisations and private individuals from the region and beyond.

Although the legal landscape has changed enormously over the years, the principles the firm was founded on – excellence, reputation and trust – are still central to everything we do, shaping how we work with clients and with each other every day.

As well as being managing partner, I also head up our Commercial Property team. The team’s work covers acquisitions and disposals, development projects, commercial leases and property investment for corporate clients, public sector organisations, SMEs and high-net-worth individuals.

No two days are ever quite the same, which is exactly how I like it.

An early start

Much to my wife’s annoyance, my day starts at 3.15am.

I’ve always been more lark than night owl and for years I’ve been getting up early, cycling to our Epping office and starting work before most people are awake. Living just five minutes away, by 3.30am I’m at my desk with a quiet office to myself.

Those first couple of hours are incredibly productive. No emails, no phone calls, no meetings – just uninterrupted calm in which to think and work.

At around 6.00am I leave the office to go swimming.

In summer there are a few mornings when it’s already getting light on the ride in, which makes the early start feel slightly less extreme.

At around 6.00am I leave the office to go swimming. My wife and I have completed a few triathlons together and we have another coming up soon – a super sprint, or “mini” triathlon, as it’s our first for a while and we’re easing ourselves back in.

I’d love to say the training is going perfectly, but there’s definitely still work to do.

Breakfast and back to business

By 7.00am I’m back home to get ready for the office and have breakfast with my young son. Weekday breakfasts are typically yoghurt and berries. I’m a relatively recent convert to black coffee, though my first drink of the day is always tea.

I’m at my desk again by 8.30am, by which point the office is properly alive.

I would find repetitive work intolerable. The variety is one of the things I enjoy most about commercial property law.

While there is a typical structure to my day, there’s really no such thing as routine client work. I would find repetitive work intolerable. The variety is one of the things I enjoy most about commercial property law.

At any point we might be advising a corporate client on a development project, helping a family business negotiate lease terms and assisting private clients buying high-value homes. Fundamentally though, the role is about helping people solve problems.

I’ve always believed there are negotiators and litigators in life and I’m firmly in the negotiator camp. What motivates me is finding solutions and achieving the best possible outcome for the client.

Every transaction is different

One of the interesting things about commercial property work is that few transactions are as straightforward as they may first appear.

Our current work includes advising on a joint venture development involving a former school being transformed into residential units while preserving the listed structure and creating shared community space within the grounds. Alongside that, we’re working on option agreements for landowners dealing with developer interest and acting for clients taking new high street leases to create office space.

What might appear to be a relatively modest transaction often carries enormous importance for the client involved.

Every matter comes with its own commercial pressures, legal considerations and human dimensions.

What might appear to be a relatively modest transaction often carries enormous importance for the client involved. Equally, scratch beneath the surface of a seemingly simple property transfer and you can uncover issues that haven’t been considered yet but could become hugely problematic later on.

That’s where experience matters. Clients come to us because they trust us to spot risks, guide them through complexity and deliver a high standard of service throughout the process.

We’re often described as “punching above our weight”, which I always take as a compliment. Most of our work comes from existing clients or recommendations and I think that says a great deal about the relationships we build.

Managing people as well as property

Alongside client work, being managing partner inevitably involves a significant amount of operational management.

I’m not a fan of meetings, but there are always important decisions to be made around technology, recruitment and the broader running of the firm.

Like many businesses, we’ve adapted to more flexible ways of working in recent years. Fee-earners can work remotely if they choose, but most colleagues work in shared offices, which creates real benefits in terms of collaboration, mentoring and knowledge sharing.

It’s not unusual to bump into clients in a coffee shop or around town, and I think there’s something positive about being part of the community you serve.

There are times when everyone needs quiet space to focus, but some of the most valuable learning moments happen thanks to a quick conversation across a desk or a discussion after a client call.

We work hard to create a collegiate environment and make the office somewhere people genuinely want to be.

I think my sense of connection to the firm is also helped by living close to where I work. I used to think I’d never want that, because I saw the commute as an important way to decompress, but I’ve come to enjoy it.

It’s not unusual to bump into clients in a coffee shop or around town, and I think there’s something positive about being part of the community you serve.

Lunchtime habits and sausage rolls

I know many people find stepping away from their desk at lunchtime helps productivity, but I’m the opposite.

Once I’m immersed in work, I tend to stay there, so lunch is usually something like chicken and fruit, eaten at my desk.

The office culture in law firms has changed enormously since I started out, with the days of dictating work in the morning and disappearing for lunches with colleagues long gone.

That said, office birthday celebrations remain important – and while I generally try to eat healthily, I’ll admit that if Greggs sausage rolls appear at a birthday get-together, my self-discipline can disappear quickly.

Switching off

By around 5.00pm, my concentration levels are dipping, so that’s when I call it a day.

I remember attending a Law Society course years ago where we had to map our energy and productivity levels throughout the day. Mine clearly peak very early so by late afternoon I know I’m better switching off and recharging.

Evenings are family time. After dinner, and whatever activities we have planned, my energy reserves are generally pretty depleted.

After dinner, and whatever activities we have planned, my energy reserves are generally pretty depleted.

When the weekend arrives, football takes over.

I’ve been a season ticket holder at Luton Town F.C. for many years and go to matches with my brother, nephew and some school friends. More recently my son has started joining us, which has given match days an entirely new dimension.

A lot has changed since I first arrived at the firm for a summer job while I was at university. I couldn’t find suitable work in Norwich, where I was studying, so my uncle – one of the founding partners and the reason my surname is in the firm’s name – offered me a role.

I certainly didn’t imagine then that I’d one day become managing partner.

But what has remained constant throughout my career is the satisfaction that comes from helping clients navigate important decisions, solve problems and move forward with confidence. That’s still what gets me out of bed so early each morning.

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