My legal life: Hayley Anderson, Square One Law

I grew up with a solicitor mother. The dining room table was often strewn with files. I didn’t really understand at the time, but she must have been working from home on occasion during school holidays and no doubt in the evenings after we went to bed. She was a generalist, as was common in the 1980s and early 1990s. She did conveyancing, matrimonial work and civil litigation. I remember the pink ribbon wrapped around briefs to counsel and green treasury tags strewn about the place. It was organised chaos!

Occasionally, my mum was called into the office and took me with her. I loved playing with the stationery at her desk and chatting with the secretaries. On longer visits when I was older and could read, she would set me up at a side table in her office and I would help with filing and make cups of tea and coffee. I remember vividly the smell of the old Victorian building and the echoes of the big entrance hall. 

Without a doubt, my mum inspired me to pursue a career in the law. She said that even if I didn’t choose to be a practising lawyer, the skills I would develop from a law degree would serve me well for any career I wanted to pursue, such as analytical thinking, handling large volumes of documents and information, critical thinking, problem solving and so on. Mum was proof of the skill sets built from a law degree (although now I realise those attributes are largely inherent in her!). 

'I loved helping dad and the dental nurses. A favourite job was clearing out the impression trays used to make moulds for dentures. Using a metal probe to pop out the dried impression mixture was very satisfying'

If I wasn’t a solicitor, I might have been a dentist. I used to help out on Saturday mornings at my dad’s dental practice. It wouldn’t be allowed these days, but I absolutely loved helping dad and the dental nurses. A favourite job was clearing out the impression trays used to make moulds for dentures. Using a metal probe to pop out the dried impression mixture was very satisfying. When I was a little more experienced, I helped with aspiration (the suction tube that the nurses use during procedures), ran the computer when dad was doing an examination/check-up, and mixing up fillings. 

Most of all, I loved dad’s interactions with his patients and him proudly introducing me to them. Almost without fail, they would joke: ‘I hope he pays you well.’ That prompted me to ask for wages. ‘20p a day – that sound OK?’, dad said. I graciously accepted, but my main reward was lunch at a local Italian or in the cafe at the nearby department store, followed by a trip to the toy department in the basement. It was lovely father-daughter time. When patients suggested that 20p a day was a bit low, it was raised to £1. In the end, I struck a deal. Dad bought me a doll’s pram that I had admired in the toy department (a double pram with a red and white hood), and I would work in the surgery to pay it off. It cost £35. I don’t know if I ever completed 35 Saturday sessions. 

I started my legal career as a paralegal. It was my first proper job and I had the best team at a firm in Leeds. It was a small team and many of us were junior but we all gelled and developed a lovely friendship. The partners treated us to drinks every Friday night in the local wine bar that was way too pricey for me on my paralegal salary. We even had a trip to Paris for our Christmas do. 

I was fortunate to get exposure on some very high-profile insolvency cases. I drafted an application on a case that was later reported and is still (I think) a leading case in insolvency.

I joined Square One Law in 2013 and have been head of commercial disputes since 2022, having effectively done the role since 2021 when I returned from my first of two maternity leaves. It was a shock to the system at first. It took time to adjust to the idea that this was my team to shape in the way I wanted. 

The firm supported me with a mentor who helped me process ideas. They helped me to think about business planning, team structure, and other aspects I had previously been involved in on the periphery. It’s been a learning curve, but I’m happier now than I have ever been.