Coming Home
Property
By Lucy Barrott, Communications Executive
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Originally from Winchester, Louise Richardson has joined our Property Team, working on both residential and commercial matters. When she qualified as a Solicitor in 2014, she was working at a prestigious City firm with prominent clients such as The Crown Estate and Sainsburys.
Why did you decide to become a Solicitor?
I did jury service when I was 18 and that sparked my interest in law. I was doing an English degree and the analytical and communication skills I was building really lent themselves to becoming a Solicitor. I did my conversion course at the University of Law in Guildford and then did my LPC in London. After my studies, I completed my training contract at a City firm and qualified into the Commercial Real Estate department in 2014.
What drew you initially to Commercial Property Law?
The firm that I trained at specialised in Commercial Real Estate and they had lots of prestigious clients such as the Crown Estate and Sainsburys. I loved working in a large team; we worked collaboratively on each matter. It was varied, academically challenging and we were always needing to learn new things and look at issues from different viewpoints.
The transactional and tangible nature of both Commercial and Residential Property Law really appeals to me. Too much ‘Grand Designs’ maybe!
Why did you transition to Residential?
I took 5 years out while having my two daughters and when I decided to return to work, I decided I wanted to work locally. I really like the client contact of Residential Property, in large scale commercial property it is a lot more impersonal, most contact is with agents.
I really like working in Winchester. I grew up here and after nearly 20 years of living away, it is fantastic to be back. It’s really nice to be working on files for properties that I know and walk past all the time.
What is your favourite part of your job?
So many people have such a stressful time moving house and it doesn’t need to be that way. Helping people have a better, calmer experience of moving is really satisfying.