Team Story – Daniel Woodcock
We're like a family where everyone knows each other's strengths and specialties, making teamwork effective and enjoyable.
Q: Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Butcher & Barlow?
A: Sure, I’m Daniel Woodcock, a Commercial Property Partner based at the Gadbrook Park office.
Q: Can you share your journey at Butcher & Barlow, where you started, when you started, and your progression through the Firm?
A: Absolutely. I joined Butcher & Barlow at the end of 2018 after being approached due to my experience as a senior Commercial Property Lawyer in the Manchester and Cheshire area. I met with Jonathan Aldersley and immediately hit it off. And having come on board every expectation has not only been met but been exceeded – it’s a fantastic Firm and a great place to work. It’s extremely well managed, has a good mix of clients and work, and good investment in technology and training which really helps in your day-to-day job.
Q: Describe a typical day for you, if there is such a thing?
A: Every day is quite varied in my role. I could be working on various real estate transactions or providing different types of advice to clients. Commercial Property tends to be a bit of a hub where a lot of things spin around us as well. So we’re often the spider in the middle of the web on deals or with referrals to clients. We’re an entry point into the Firm, I suppose, for many client enquiries. It’s a dynamic environment that often involves interaction with colleagues in different departments and offices within the Firm. So that could involve Commercial Dispute Resolution, Corporate and Commercial, Employment, Wills, Tax, Trusts and Estates teams, or Agriculture.
Q: What aspects of your role do you enjoy the most?
A: I enjoy the technical aspects of being a Commercial Property Lawyer, especially in a constantly evolving market. Creating bespoke documents and solutions for clients and seeing deals come to fruition is actually exciting. And it’s also an evolving and ever-changing landscape which is quite exciting. In the last five years, for example, we’ve seen the growth of things like battery storage facilities for energy providers, electronic electric vehicle charging point leases and solar farm leases. These things didn’t exist in the past. People sometimes have the perception that Commercial Property is a stale, traditional, conservative area of law, when in fact, it is quite dynamic and ever changing. And a good Commercial Property Lawyer needs to be constantly keeping themselves up to date and needs to be a good draftsman who can draft to client requirements and be aware of changing assets and structures, transactions and categories of deals that perhaps didn’t exist even a few years ago.
Additionally, being a hub for clients to access other services within the Firm and engaging in business development activities are aspects I find rewarding as well.
Q: Do you enjoy the collaborative approach at Butcher & Barlow?
A: Absolutely. Having had experience of working in large corporate firms where cross-team collaboration is either non-existent or at best difficult, at Butcher & Barlow we seem to have that nice Goldilocks zone – big enough to have the expertise and specialisms required but not so big that you don’t know or work with people that are not in your department. The Firm’s structure allows for easy collaboration across teams and offices. We’re like a family where everyone knows each other’s strengths and specialties, making teamwork effective and enjoyable.
Q: Did you always want to specialise in Commercial Property?
A: No, absolutely not. I struggled with Property Law as a subject at undergraduate level and when I was doing my legal practice course. I did my training contract at an international firm, and they had a rule that any Trainee had to do a seat in both Property and in Corporate. I tried to talk them out of making me do a Property seat, but having got there, I actually realised that the day-to-day reality of working in a Commercial Property Department, particularly a busy and active commercial firm, is a world away from the quite dry, archaic law that you learn when you’re at university. It’s a dynamic working environment. There’s lots going on. There’s a lot of human interaction. It’s quite an exciting place. It’s very different in reality than it is in the textbook, so don’t write it off until you’ve tried it!
Q: What advice would you give to Young Lawyers starting their careers?
A: I’d advise them not to prejudge their career path and to explore different areas to find what it is they enjoy and like doing. Building relationships, enjoying the work environment, and continuously learning are all important factors in achieving a fulfilling legal career.
I’d also encourage them to focus not only on technical skills but also on building relationships and maintaining a positive attitude. Clients want to work with people they trust and enjoy collaborating with, so being a considerate and empathetic lawyer goes a long way.
Q: Do you act as a mentor to the Young Lawyers?
A: Yes, mentoring is something I’m passionate about, and it’s encouraged at Butcher & Barlow. We invest significant time and effort into training our Young Lawyers, and I find it rewarding to see them grow and succeed.
Q: How do you maintain a work-life balance?
A: It can sometimes be quite difficult, but the Firm encourages a healthy work-life balance, which is crucial for maintaining well-being. We have reasonable working hours; we don’t work weekends – unless absolutely necessary – and you’re encouraged to take breaks. It’s certainly not expected that you should be burning the midnight oil every week. It’s about prioritising tasks efficiently and enjoying downtime outside of work.
Q: Do you think initiatives like pay-day lunches contribute to the Team feeling valued?
A: Absolutely. Small gestures like payday lunches are really appreciated and enjoyed by everyone. It allows that downtime in the office to just stop and have a chat with your colleagues and find out what’s going on with them. It’s a tangible way of showing that everyone in team is a valued member of the Firm. Having your birthday off is always well received.
Q: How does the open-door policy at Butcher & Barlow contribute to a positive work environment?
A: We operate as a collegiate Team in Commercial Property, well right across the Firm to be honest. We don’t really have an identifiable, obvious hierarchy. We work as a team of people together. Yes, we know people have certain responsibilities, but there isn’t any kind of deference or snootiness or people observing rank too much. Trainees are encouraged to speak to colleagues and Partners for guidance, and I think they appreciate that.
My three words to describe Butcher & Barlow are: responsive, reflective and effective.