A day in the life – Alan Meiklejohn

My day starts, as I am sure everybody else’s does, fairly early, checking emails, but I have also enjoyed not having to do the commute every day. However, and as I’m sure most of us are also finding, as lockdown eases and society reopens, the commute may become a bit more regular, but this does also bring with it the opportunities to actually meet up with others on a much more regular basis.

If it is a day that I am in the office, I usually grab a coffee and one for whoever else in the team is also in. I then deal with any pressing matters or emails and then I’ll try to get on with my “to do list” which I usually try to sort this out the evening before. As with all best laid plans, whatever you intended isn’t usually what you end up doing!

At some point, usually as soon as possible after getting into the office, I try to catch up with our trainee, the team’s PA and/or other members of the team that I am working with, so we can agree and finalise what needs doing for the rest of the day.

I have a fairly mixed/varied caseload, including both personal and corporate and contentious and transactional matters, and I find myself dealing with some fairly obscure insolvency related queries – let’s face it, if they were easy, then our clients and colleagues could do it themselves!

There is always variety – I could be drafting and negotiating a sale agreement and the supporting/associated documentation, to include the preparation of appointment documentation and their filing at court, and/or reviewing documentation and papers, preparing a court application and the supporting witness statements in relation to a claim to recover funds into an insolvent estate.

Amongst all that, I find myself fielding calls from clients, the other side, new enquiries and from colleagues looking to “pick my brains” and, just as often, me asking to pick theirs. I like to take a collaborative approach when working with clients/external advisors/colleagues; it’s very much a team approach.

I do also try to make time to have a catch-up with a contact, though we regularly have a team on team via zoom for the Worcester office with other professionals within the city.

At some point I try to take myself away for an hour or so to concentrate on that piece of drafting, document review or whatever, in other words away from any interruptions. I’m sure my colleagues reckon I’m skiving……

Finally, if there’s anybody around at the end of the day, colleague or contact, I’ll see if they fancy a glass of something on the way home – it’s better than going to the gym!