Meet Fran Beecroft

Fran works in a busy and demanding team and is praised for always being cheerful, friendly and approachable however much she has on. She won Employee of the Year in 2019 where she was described as the ‘glue that makes the team work’. She tells us about her role, how much she enjoys helping people and the benefits of living and working in the South West.

What is your role at the firm?

I am a Legal Support Assistant in a very busy Corporate Team. I primarily work for our Corporate Team Leader and three lawyers in our Private Equity Team. Within this role I am responsible for managing team records including the holiday chart, the weekly work capacity spreadsheet, and the Corporate team’s work pipeline document.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

One of my favourite things to do is look after the clients that have appointed us as Company Secretary. This is a varied part of my role and involves incorporating new companies and running weekly reminders of upcoming deadlines. I have really developed into my role, and together with my colleague Hayley, I regularly teach lawyers in the team how to use our company secretarial software which I really enjoy. Having this responsibility makes me feel like I am a valued member.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted a to be either be a post office worker on the counter or work in a library. I liked the idea of helping people and making use of my organisational skills. I went on to work in the bank for 27 years ... not quite a post office but close!

How do you use your lifestyle hour each week?

This flexible-use hour is perfect for fitting things in around a busy working week such as for personal appointments. It is also just nice to finish up early sometimes and have a break!

What do you enjoy about living and working in the South West?

It’s a lovely place to live and work. Having family in many other parts of the country really makes me appreciate how lucky we are with our warmer weather, lovely walks, and being near the sea.

How have you found working remotely during this time?

I feel I have adapted well to working from home and have surprised myself. I was initially reluctant as I have never worked from home before and very much enjoy the office camaraderie. However, my team are very good at checking in with each other and we have regular team updates and Zoom meetings. Some colleagues make a point of just checking in to make sure other team members are doing okay. Being provided with all the tools and equipment to make working from home possible has also made the adjustment much easier and I enjoy it much more than I expected!