What was your route into the profession?
I joined the legal profession later in life, qualifying at the age of 29 after working for several years in banking and insurance. While less traditional than other routes, this path gave me a rounded understanding of business before deciding to become a lawyer, and I draw from that experience daily as managing partner of the firm.
My professional approach was also informed by my earlier life, as I was involved in our small family business growing up. When it ran into difficulties in the 1990s, I worked hard with the help and support of friends and colleagues to turn the business around. The recovery process wasn’t easy—it took around eight years, and was a really important test of resilience for me. In many ways it defined who I am today and how I approach my role at Blake Morgan.
It was also these collective experiences that led me to initially train as a commercial litigator upon qualifying as a lawyer, before moving on to practise employment law.
What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
It’s a privilege rather than a challenge—but being elected managing partner back in 2016 was a pivotal moment for me. In a position like that, you’re driven by the responsibility to those who rely on you. You want to make a success of it on behalf of everyone at the firm.
The UK’s economic landscape since 2016 has rarely been simple, and in particular, navigating the pandemic was an immensely challenging time to lead. Turnover was dropping across the sector, and work patterns were undergoing fundamental change, but the board and I had built a strong and trusting relationship, and together we were able to maintain a strong position at that critical moment. We did not have to make a single redundancy during the pandemic, which is a testament to that unity and drive.
Which person within the legal profession inspires you the most?
I’m inspired by so many people that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one individual. I take inspiration from those who share my values—which are fundamentally about courtesy and respect.
That applies to many of my colleagues at Blake Morgan. Not just those at partner level, but also in the next generation who show their brilliance time and time again. I’m fortunate that my role means I get wide exposure to people across the firm and the opportunity to learn from everyone.
These young people, the future of our profession and of our country, are endlessly inspiring. I’m also proud to work with a number of schools and colleges along the south coast, and meeting these talented students—so much bolder and more mature than many of us were at that age—is a privilege.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternative career?
When I was a teenager, I wanted to study medicine and become a doctor, and I even took A-levels in biology and chemistry in a step towards this. Ultimately, I chose a different route and went back to night school to retrain. It’s crucial that people are given the space to develop at their own pace, and to acknowledge that many of us benefit from taking less traditional career paths.
My early years were not always easy years, and I found personally that going to university later in life, and the work I did in the meantime, were the best things that I could do for my own development.
Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?
My favourite fictional lawyer is Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. He embodies the principles of fighting for truth and justice, even in opposition to a society that is rife with prejudice.
I’m a big fan of legal dramas, too, and thought the BBC show Silk was fantastic, capturing the intensity of life in the legal sector in a thoroughly entertaining way.
Rumpole of the Bailey is also a classic—his love for the law makes him a fascinating character and, with an excellent screenplay by John Mortimer, an endlessly quotable figure.
What change would you make to the profession?
As a profession, we need to create more opportunities to enable young people to get into the law. There are many real and perceived barriers that prevent many bright young people from entering the profession. If you can demonstrate a good work ethic and intelligence, then you should be able to access the law regardless of background.
I do worry about the debt that many young people leave university with, and I can’t help but feel we put too high a financial burden on people so early in their careers. I believe in mixing together traditional and non-traditional routes to the profession, and I’m proud of our apprentice programme at Blake Morgan, with six training currently—and many more to come.
How do you relax?
Like many of us in the legal world, I occasionally find that relaxing and switching off can be one of the hardest things to do.
I do try to be active and have taken up a number of sports over the years, including paddleboarding and cycling, which I find refreshing, and I’m fortunate enough to have been able to take part in sponsored cycle rides with Blake Morgan on behalf of a number of charities.
Mike Wilson is managing partner of Blake Morgan LLP, & was recently appointed chair of the CBI’s South-East Council.
