Value Added Partner Stories

This month, the spotlight falls on Caroline Watkins, Partner in the construction team at Thomson Snell & Passmore.

Tell us your story

Thomson Snell & Passmore is one of the preeminent law firms in the South-East, and the oldest law firm in operation in the world. We pride ourselves on offering practical legal advice, combined with expert business insight in order to help our clients to adapt and thrive in the face of change.

We have been supporting families and businesses since 1570 and our legal advisors provide a comprehensive range of services to both organisations and individuals across areas including corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, real estate, employment, family, residential conveyancing, estate planning, wills, probate, Court of Protection, clinical negligence, and personal injury.

I am part of the Construction Team and have been practising non-contentious construction and commercial law for over 15 years. I have worked with clients in a wide variety of sectors and industries, in particular the water industry. I have expertise in drafting, negotiating, advising on and producing construction documentation deriving from a wide range of industry standard forms including JCT, NEC, FIDIC, CIC and BPF, including drafting complex bespoke amendments and creating substantial portfolios of documents such as consultant appointments, collateral warranties, bonds and guarantees, flowing down specified terms throughout to the client’s requirements.

What has been your greatest or proudest business achievement to date?

On a firm-wide level, I am proud to work at an ambitious and progressive firm, which has recently celebrated 11 consecutive years of growth. One of the reasons we have lasted so long is because we’re always looking one step ahead, to adapt and continue to deliver excellent service to our clients.

On a personal level, pursuing ambitions for a successful career in law despite some significant hindrances (such as recession and restructuring, a pivot into advising in-house in an industry that was entirely new to me, and some pretty savage curve balls in my family life) is something of which I am very proud.  When you persevere against the odds, it leads to a greater certainty that you are where you’re meant to be in the end.

What type of clients do you currently work with and who are you looking to meet?

The firm works with individuals and business clients across a wide spectrum, from innovative start-ups and ambitious owner-managed businesses to high net worth individuals, land owners and multi-million pound companies with global reach.

In the Construction Team, I predominantly work with commercial operators in a variety of sectors (such as food and drink, education, insurance and workspaces). I work on both sides of the coin (consultants, contractors and developers alike) which is really useful in gauging when a party is being unreasonable! 

I’m very interested in local development, sustainability and renewables (which Sussex has a great deal of investment in).  In my career I’ve worked on a number of complex contracts and engineering projects that have required significant flexing of drafting muscles – I’d like to offer those skills out to  innovative businesses who are making real changes to the area, and who need efficient, practical legal support with appropriate technical expertise to make those changes happen. 

Tell us a story/fact about yourself that people might not know

I am a drama graduate and spent most of my final undergrad year doing stand-up comedy.  No, I am not going to do it again.

How do you define success?

This is a good question, and it’s not the first time I’ve been asked to consider it in recent times. I believe it has a lot to do with balance and knowing what you want to aim for. Inevitably, some objectives will need to be sacrificed in the name of achieving others along the way, and not ticking everything off the list shouldn’t be seen as a failure. I think people (and businesses, naturally) evolve quickly and the person that goes to bed at night isn’t the same one that woke up that morning, so you need to let your surroundings (and the people that surround you) influence you in a positive way. 

Continually reflecting on and refining your aims and objectives, opportunities and losses according to who you are is a good exercise in getting the balance right for you – which leads to contentment, which to me is the definition of success.