Paul Chamberlain, Head of Employment - Manchester, Brabners LLP

1. Firstly, where do you work and what is your role?
Head of Employment, Manchester office of Brabners.

2. Why did you choose a career in law?
Industrial chemists don’t get paid very well!

3. What attracted you to your particular specialism?
A great training principal who was both very talented and very enthusiastic.

4. What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
Winning new work and helping develop the junior members of the team.

5. What particular challenges are you or have you faced over the past couple of years?
The reduction in the number of tribunals.

6. What do you think will be growth opportunities for the legal profession moving forward?
Providing proactive advice and training to prevent problems before they arise – and being flexible on fees.

7. What’s been your most enjoyable or high profile recent piece of work?
Acting for a recruitment agency in their defence of multiple claims under the agency workers regulations - and seeing our advice around implementation vindicated.

8. What inspires you when it comes to your work?
JS Bach on the car CD player!!

9. Do you work by a particular mantra or motto in your business life?
‘Patience is a virtue’.

10. Can you give one piece of professional advice to your peers?
If you draft an e-mail when you are in a bad frame of mind, walk around the block and get input from a colleague before you send it.