In our latest edition of Realm Talks To… , we caught up with Katie McCann, Managing Partner of Lowry Legal. In the interview, Katie explains the expansion plans for Lowry Legal, the biggest obstacles she has had to overcome and her favourite places to eat out in Manchester
What do the next 12 months look like for you and your team?
We are riding a bit of a high at the moment, having just created Lowry Legal! The next 12 months for Lowry very much look like hard work establishing the new brand, growing our reputation and having lots of fun whilst doing so, because I really believe that having fun whilst doing something you love is so important. We will be looking at growing the team as soon as we can, but this is very much on the cards.
What is the best thing about your job?
The best thing about creating Lowry for me has been the ability to live true to my values, and to create a brand from the ground up. A brand that holds the values of freedom, creativity, integrity, resilience and courage at its heart, both for those that will work for the brand and also for those that experience the service. I really do want to create something that offers something different in the market as it currently stands, both for clients and employees.
What’s the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome in your career so far?
One of my biggest obstacles has been managing my condition. Those that know me, know about my challenge with ehlers danlos syndrome and everything that goes with that. Right now, I am battling what looks like a nerve impingement in my neck and shoulder. Fun! Managing the ebb and flow of this has presented me with some obstacles as I have gone along. Being very driven and ambitious and the strains that can put on your body can sometimes clash with genetics pulling you back. As I have got older and hopefully a bit wiser and more knowledgeable about my condition, I have got much better in managing this alongside a demanding career. I’m a huge advocate of living well and treating mind and body with a healthy dose of respect whilst still not backing down and succumbing to limitations but working within and pushing them to achieve your best.
Who do you turn to for advice at work?
Great question! I am of the view that you are never too senior to ask for help! Even the most experienced of Silk like to bounce things off colleagues. In matters of law, If I’m stuck, I like to turn to counsel that I have instructed and worked alongside for years for their opinions. I love to learn from younger colleagues, who have such an amazing perspective on things that I might have been viewing from one particular angle for years. I also look to senior leaders, and the skills, knowledge and experience of things they have outside of the law that can be so useful in business and in life.
What do you like to do away from the office?
I love to exercise when I am able. It keeps me strong and fit and able to function!
Where’s your favourite place to eat out?
Right now, it has to be The Ivy in central Manchester. How fabulous for us all to now be able to venture back out to restaurants after all this time! My favourite place in the world though is a little place in Sorrento called Fauno. You can just sit outside and watch the world go by. That’s definitely my happy place.
What’s the last book you read/film you saw and what did you think of it?
I’m just at the end of Matthew McConaughey’s Green Lights. What a book. Creating Lowry for me and the start of my business journey is definitely a green light for me! Such a brilliant book, about rationalising life’s events told in such a gripping way. Well worth a read.
Which three people would you invite to your dream dinner party?
OMG this is a hard one, as I could invite 100! Piers Morgan for the controversy and explosive conversation and debate, Rick Stein to talk about his extensive travelling and all the fabulous things he has cooked and eaten and Peter Kay for the laughs.
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
Believe in yourself a bit more, and never forget to live life true to your values and beliefs.
About Katie McCann
Katie McCann is a Family Lawyer and Managing Partner of Lowry Legal.
Katie specialises in all aspects of family law, with a particular interest in high-net-worth divorce, private children matters and wealth protection, (pre and postnuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements for living together couples). Katie has a particular interest in acting for sports and media personalities, business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs.
