Midlands solicitors Wright Hassall’s former Managing Partner Peter Beddoes is to retire from the law firm.
Peter will retire following 35 years at Wright Hassall, 17 years of which he was the man at the helm of the company helping to transform it from a traditional solicitors’ practice into the modern, multi-disciplinary law firm it is today.
His career at Wright Hassall, based in Leamington Spa, has coincided with its growth from 30 staff and five partners, to 230 staff and 35 partners.
Peter said: “It’s the end of my working life at Wright Hassall but I leave with Wright Hassall in great shape.
“We have a fantastic team across all the sector disciplines, which I believe is one of the strongest in the country. I think we are ideally placed to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to the firm in the future.”
Peter Beddoes first joined Wright Hassall in 1979 after training with Brindley Twist, and within three years he was a partner, and then a part owner two years after that.
Peter adds: “I was made managing partner in 1991 and, supported by young and progressive partners, we really shaped the company.
“In the past management had been top down and the partners simply did not have the people or management skills and training. That is no criticism of them and they were very good at their jobs, it is just how it was done back then.
“I have always been interested in management and the way that companies work. In fact even though I studied law, I would regard myself first and foremost as a businessman.”
What has developed from that early reshaping is a law firm which stands firmly on four legs – litigation, corporate/commercial, private client and property.
The largest visible change to Wright Hassall during Peter Beddoes’ time at the helm was the move from Leamington town centre to its current headquarters on Europa Way.
“It was a move which had to be done for many reasons, and one of the primary drivers was to change the culture. We are open plan with partners working in the midst of their teams, and that is particularly important for building a good team ethos,” he said.
“It was too easy in our last building to work in silos and that simply did not fit the way we were progressing. It was vital that we did it, and it has worked well.”
While Peter may be retiring from his working life at Wright Hassall, he will remain busy in retirement.
He is the chairman of developer and builder A C Lloyd, a non-exec director with medical needle and equipment manufacturer, Entaco, and he runs the Queens Street Group, a development and investment firm. He also advises a major Midlands based advertising agency and is also a trustee of a large local charity.
