In this edition of Realm Talks To… we spoke to David Owen, Director at Oliver & Co. Solicitors. During our conversation, David gave us an insight into his most interesting case, his go-to vegan meal and his latest read “Work Rules” by Laszlo Bock.
How was your Christmas break?
It was a great break thanks. It was good to spend time with my family and also have some downtime. I took the opportunity to do some reading. My daughter bought me Laszlo Bock’s book “Work Rules.” He was Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google and had a huge impact on Google enabling them to be repeatedly recognised as an exceptional employer. I feel passionate about making the workplace a happy place for employees and this book has many handy tips – so an interesting read and relevant to my work (win-win!).
What’s the most interesting case you’ve worked on?
Without a doubt, when I was 1 year qualified, a client of mine was charged with murder. It was very daunting being involved in such a big case at that stage of my career. My client was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by reason of provocation. He received a custodial sentence of 4 years.
What makes your firm different?
When we interview prospective employees, we want to know whether they will be “Oliver & Co.” What does this mean? Well, we look for candidates who are going to be reliable, hardworking, will be prepared to go the extra mile when required and also get involved in our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. We look for candidates who are friendly and approachable and of course who we think will be amazing or have the potential to be amazing! We want our employees to enjoy working at Oliver & Co. Happy employees make happy clients. We are also extremely passionate about providing our clients with an exceptional level of service as evidenced by our 5-star Trustpilot rating.
Who do you turn to for advice at work?
Currently, I am one of 2 shareholders at the firm. I tend to speak to Kay (the other shareholder) on a daily basis. There are also several senior Associate Directors who I may also turn to for advice and guidance depending upon what the issue/subject is. I am fortunate to have many colleagues I can turn to for advice and I appreciate that everyone has their own strengths and so try to utilise these as best I can, for example, on our CSR team we have a range of employees who all bring different ideas to the table.
What do you like to do away from the office?
Running. I have been a keen runner for years now and have tried to infuse my love for running and exercise into our staff as I know the benefits it has on physical and mental health. We have arranged now for employees to have the opportunity to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1pm and last Saturday a number of us did the 5k Parkrun in Chester.
Is there a particular charity that means a lot to you and that you’d like to raise awareness for?
Each year at Oliver & Co, we choose a charity of the year and throughout the year we organise fundraising events. For the last two years, we have supported Claire House Children’s Hospice. Prior to that it was the West Cheshire Foodbank. Both of these are amazing causes and mean a lot to me and our employees at Oliver & Co Solicitors.
What’s my signature dish?
I have been vegan for over 2 years now and am lucky that my wife is a fantastic cook who prepares most of our meals from scratch and so I can’t compete with that. When I do get in the kitchen, I make a mean pasta with a ragu or tomato sauce, topped with vegan cheese. It’s simple but tasty.
About David Owen
David is a Director at Oliver & Co Solicitors and has almost 30 years of experience working within the legal profession.
He joined Oliver & Co Solicitors in 2000 as the firm’s only Solicitor handling personal injury cases. Since then, Oliver & Co.’s personal injury department has grown into an extremely successful team, dealing with the full range of personal injury, clinical negligence and industrial disease claims. As a Director, David is now heavily involved in the management and business development of the firm.
