Meet Rose Macfarlane, leading Irwin Mitchell’s private client offering in Brighton

Rose’s journey to law started in her teens, spending school holidays answering phones in her mother’s small family law practice.

A decade and a half later, with a business degree and two careers under her belt (financial markets, and music video production), and a newborn baby in tow (literally!), Rose embarked on becoming a Solicitor.

Now, 19 years on, Rose is thrilled to be leading Irwin Mitchell LLP’s private client offering from their newest office in her home city, Brighton.

Wait, baby literally in tow?

I started the Graduate Diploma in Law when my daughter was a month old, so she had to come too.  I studied part time attending BPP law college on weekends. My husband gamely joined us and cuddled our daughter during my lectures and classes so that I could feed her between times.  It sounds mad, but it worked and I don’t regret a moment.  She’s now all grown and in her first year at uni.

You’ve had a couple of career changes?

What prompts us to pursue different professional and economic roles, and by whom and how have we been inspired? Why a teacher, or an entrepreneur?  I’ve always been fascinated by people’s career choices and I love to ask my clients. I believe there is more than one career in everyone.  Last September I was invited to join a panel of lawyers giving the first lecture of the year to law students at the University of Brighton.  I encouraged the students to see themselves as free to choose different paths at different stages of their lives.  In my area of law, having other world experience is beneficial.  The incredible loyalty shown by my clients suggests they appreciate my multi-focus view, looking way beyond just the legal, even if they aren’t aware of my background influencing this approach.

So, what is private client law?

People will be familiar with Wills, trusts and powers of attorney, and the preparation of these documents is often an outcome of my work.  I’m really all about people and their families.  I’m interested in what motivates them, the mark they hope to leave on this world, and the wealth they wish to pass to their loved ones.  I advise on ownership of assets, the taxes which apply to them (particularly inheritance tax), and how best to prepare for succession.  This can include steps to mitigate tax, but I find clients are most interested in protecting their loved ones, including by providing for disabled, elderly or dependents, and enabling their business which they’ve worked hard to build to flourish.  It’s a real privilege to get to know my clients, families and businesses in the way that I do and I love that I often advise all generations in a family, in their 80s to those in their 20s.

Do you advise women in business?

You may already notice that amongst your friends and family, there will be women who are the main or only household breadwinner, carving exciting and dynamic careers, or just carrying the family finances through tough times.  Women are already economic superheroes. 

In 2021, women investors in Western Europe controlled around a third of total assets under management (AUM), or €4.6 trillion. This share is expected to increase rapidly over the next few years, reaching 45 percent of AUM and a total of €10 trillion by 2030.  With increasing independent wealth, the sphere of influence of women can expand and become more meaningful.

My firm Irwin Mitchell’s attention to the female space is firmly in support of our clients and communities.  We have launched our Female Voice initiative in which we bring together women from professional networks and beyond, putting us at the forefront of supporting women with their wealth planning and protection.  We also have a partnership with The Women’s Chapter, a movement for high impact women in business to connect, inspire and thrive; raising our profile beyond our immediate connections.

On International Women’s Day, how are UK women in law fairing?

The historical inequities for women in the legal space is well known and men remain dominant in management and ownership of law firms, despite 63% of law graduates being women. Pockets of good practice are around, but the overall stats still reflect woeful inequality.

I am proud to be part of a firm which is standout amongst its peers.  We have circa 255 partners, of which over half are women.  This makes us the leading UK top 50 law firm for UK female partners, according to Law.com.  Half our firm’s executive committee and over two thirds of our 900+ lawyers are women. We still have ground to travel in this space, and being recognised in Great Place to Work surveys as one of the UK’s best workplaces for women (not just in law) for three consecutive years shows that the firm is taking strides ahead of the curve.

So Irwin Mitchell has opened an office in Brighton?

At the photoshoot for this special IWD edition, it was a privilege to meet the amazing women who are also being featured.  Most hadn’t heard of Irwin Mitchell.   I want that to change.   We’re one of the largest law firms in the UK, home grown (so not a big international) and we offer a full range of legal services to individuals, families and businesses.  We’ve been covering this region from our offices in Gatwick and along the coast.  Now, with a number of brilliant colleagues living in or near Brighton, it’s absolutely the right time for us to be on the doorstep of the vibrant and energetic communities we serve here.

And what next?

For the first time in my career, it’s just a short bus ride from home to office which leaves more time to spend in this inclusive city, forging meaningful connections.  There is such a buzz of economic and creative energy; it feels like right now is the time to thrive.

If you’d like to know more about me or Irwin Mitchell, or have a legal matter for you or your business you need help with, please contact me on the details below.  Always happy to meet for coffee or have an initial chat.

Rose Macfarlane – head of private client for Brighton
+44 (0)7867 131498
rose.macfarlane@irwinmitchell.com