Gorvins Solicitors prides itself on the top-quality legal services we offer to our clients. We can only achieve that with the very best people guiding clients through every stage of their legal matter.
In our Meet the Team series, we shine a light on the people behind the work. This time, we meet Sarah Lee, Partner in our Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, who specialises in insolvency law.
What’s your role at Gorvins?
I’m a Partner specialising in insolvency law. Historically, much of my work has been for insolvency practitioners, such as liquidators and administrators, helping them with investigations, litigation, asset recovery and realisation.
At Gorvins, my role involves supporting a range of different clients who are involved in or affected by insolvency matters. That includes insolvency practitioners, directors whose companies are facing financial difficulties, individuals defending insolvency proceedings, and creditors trying to understand their position when a customer or supplier becomes insolvent.
Insolvency is a difficult process and can have significant commercial and personal consequences. A lot of what I do is about helping people understand their options and navigate what can often be a complex and stressful situation.
What led you to a career in law?
My route into law wasn’t a traditional one. After university, I worked in sales and marketing for a specialist packaging company. This allowed me to travel across Europe and was a great experience. After a while, though, constantly being on the move takes its toll and I was ready for a change.
I’d previously completed a business course that included a law module and found myself really enjoying that side of things. The idea of a legal career was attractive to me and law was something I knew I could do well at given the opportunity. I decided it was time to make the move.
I completed my Diploma in Law at the University of East Anglia before studying part-time at Nottingham Trent while working as a paralegal and raising a young family. From there, I secured a training contract and qualified as a solicitor.
How did you end up specialising in insolvency?
As I’m sure most insolvency lawyers will tell you, I didn’t set out planning to become an insolvency lawyer.
I initially found myself working in the field because that’s where the opportunity arose. As luck had it, it’s a really varied and interesting specialism. Insolvency law touches on many different areas of legal practice, and you’re often working alongside colleagues from other specialisms to solve complex problems.
No two situations are ever quite the same.
Why Gorvins?
The longer I’ve worked in insolvency law, the more I’ve found myself interested in helping the people on the receiving end of insolvency issues, not just the professionals involved in the formal insolvency process itself.
I’ve worked with directors and individuals facing claims that can have a huge impact on their businesses, finances and wellbeing. Being able to help those people through a difficult period, not only brings the human element of the process home, it’s incredibly rewarding to provide support at what is a difficult time for many people.
What attracted me to Gorvins was its strong connection to the local business community. It’s a firm that genuinely serves the people and businesses around it, and that creates opportunities to provide the kind of practical, supportive advice that I enjoy delivering.
It’s also a very welcoming place to work. Everyone has been incredibly friendly and supportive since I joined.
What advice would you give to clients facing financial difficulties?
Take advice early.
It’s probably the most important piece of advice I can give. People often hope that a problem will resolve itself or that circumstances will improve if they wait a little longer. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case.
The earlier you seek advice, the more options are likely to be available. Whether you’re a director, a creditor or someone facing financial pressure personally, getting professional guidance early can often lead to better outcomes and help avoid problems becoming more serious.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
My family and I spend a lot of time walking, particularly hill walking, which is a great way to get out into the country and enjoy nature. There’s no better way to clear your head.
I also enjoy gardening and find as much time as I can to exercise my green fingers at my allotment. It’s a great sense of achievement to nurture something and bring it home to enjoy with the rest of the family.
If you’re thinking about starting out growing your own vegetables, I’d recommend starting with something like courgettes. As long as you give it a good glug of water when it’s hot, it’s difficult to go wrong and you’ll get lots of courgettes from a single plant.