Going freelance: an insight into life as a contract lawyer
Former Camerons litigation head David Sims on freelance life
November 23, 2016 at 03:05 PM
3 minute read
I've had a really varied and interesting career so far. After graduating in law at Sheffield University and qualifying as a solicitor, I joined Camerons and after only a few years, became a partner and head of litigation at its central London office. Over a 15-year period there, I developed a specialist niche in construction law and dispute resolution.
I then had a complete career change. For the next 13 years, I worked as a government lawyer at the Treasury Solicitor's Department (now Government Legal Department), initially as a construction law specialist working principally for the Highways Agency and the Ministry of Defence. Within a few years, I was promoted to the senior civil service and led a 30-strong team on matters of commercial contracts and litigation support. On paper, my life couldn't have looked better. Trouble was, living that life was another matter.
My first year as a partner coincided with getting married and starting a family very soon afterwards. Being a father to two small children while at the same time heavily committed to developing and growing a law practice – and contributing to the wider firm – created personal challenges. Over the whole 15 years as a partner in private practice, there were also constant concerns about maintaining profitability. Given that I, with my fellow partners, was personally liable for the firm's debts and liabilities, I could even lose my house – the roof over the heads of my wife and children. Added to this, daily time recording and monthly billing were not my favourite activities and the long hours and some weekend working, just to stay on top of things, left me feeling that I was compromising on the time I should be spending with the family.
The move into government work provided relief from a lot of these woes, which was a big reason for the move. But they were replaced by a new clutch of stresses – not least the pressures associated with leading a busy team of 30-plus people. And with this management responsibility, I found I was becoming much less involved in casework – which was the one aspect of the job I most enjoyed.
So now to the third phase of my career, which began in 2013 as a contract lawyer for Vario, Pinsent Masons' freelance lawyer business. All my work time is now spent doing actual legal work and interacting with colleagues (lawyers and other professionals in the construction industry) on shared projects.
I have gained a really helpful work/life balance. What's worked best for me has been to work four days a week (Monday to Thursday) and to therefore enjoy longer weekends. And there's plenty of scope to take holidays as and when I choose. Other colleagues work flexibly in many other ways.
My motivation going in was to achieve this better work/life balance. But now I know what contract lawyering is like, I'd say an even greater benefit is the variety and quality of work I now have, and this interaction with people. I can unequivocally say that I wish I'd made the transition to contracting sooner.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All![How to Build an Arbitration Practice: An Interview with 37-Year HSF Veteran Paula Hodges How to Build an Arbitration Practice: An Interview with 37-Year HSF Veteran Paula Hodges](https://images.law.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=contain/https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/378/2024/06/paula-hodges_C-767x633.jpg)
How to Build an Arbitration Practice: An Interview with 37-Year HSF Veteran Paula Hodges
![Scratching the Entrepreneurial Itch: Linklaters' AI Head On Becoming a Partner and GenAI Hallucinations Scratching the Entrepreneurial Itch: Linklaters' AI Head On Becoming a Partner and GenAI Hallucinations](https://images.law.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=contain/https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/378/2024/05/Shilpa_Headshot-November-2023-767x633.jpg)
Scratching the Entrepreneurial Itch: Linklaters' AI Head On Becoming a Partner and GenAI Hallucinations
!['Relationships are Everything': Clifford Chance's Melissa Fogarty Talks Getting on Big Deals and Rising to the Top 'Relationships are Everything': Clifford Chance's Melissa Fogarty Talks Getting on Big Deals and Rising to the Top](https://images.law.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=contain/https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/378/2024/02/Fogarty_Melissa_publication-767x633.jpg)
'Relationships are Everything': Clifford Chance's Melissa Fogarty Talks Getting on Big Deals and Rising to the Top
7 minute read![The 'Returnity' Crisis: Is the Legal Profession Failing Women Lawyers Returning From Maternity Leave? The 'Returnity' Crisis: Is the Legal Profession Failing Women Lawyers Returning From Maternity Leave?](https://images.law.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=contain/https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/378/2024/01/Maternity-leave-767x633.jpg)
The 'Returnity' Crisis: Is the Legal Profession Failing Women Lawyers Returning From Maternity Leave?
8 minute readTrending Stories
- 1States Accuse Trump of Thwarting Court's Funding Restoration Order
- 2Microsoft Becomes Latest Tech Company to Face Claims of Stealing Marketing Commissions From Influencers
- 3Coral Gables Attorney Busted for Stalking Lawyer
- 4Trump's DOJ Delays Releasing Jan. 6 FBI Agents List Under Consent Order
- 5Securities Report Says That 2024 Settlements Passed a Total of $5.2B
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250