Our Employee Stories

Don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what our employees have to say about working at Barcan+Kirby.

“I joined Barcan+Kirby in 2023, having worked at another law firm for many years and in a variety of roles. Prior to that, my career was in retail banking, so I have not entered the legal profession via the usual routes, as well as entering at an older age than most!

The values here strongly align to how I believe clients should be at the heart of everything we do. It is great to be able to give excellent service to clients in our local community who value face-to-face interaction.

The firm also provides a supportive and nurturing working environment for staff. I have a good work/life balance which is important to me as a working mum. I feel genuinely appreciated and valued here at Barcan+Kirby. The firm is encouraging of staff of all ages and backgrounds to progress their legal careers. So, although I entered the legal profession later in life, I can work towards goals that I might never have thought possible.”

Virginia Palmer | Paralegal

“My first interaction with Barcan+Kirby was at a law fair hosted by the University of Law in Bristol. My first impression was that this was a firm who truly valued their employees and encouraged their career progression with utmost loyalty. Since then, my views have not changed and I have come to realise how lucky I am to be a part of Barcan+Kirby.

I applied for the Summer Vacation Programme and it was the most amazing opportunity in which I visited all the offices and learnt from Paralegals, Trainee Solicitors, Associates and Partners in every department. I noticed that every office had the same ethos and values, which is a true reflection of the unity of the firm and its employees.

Towards the end of the programme, I spent a day in the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence department. Upon receiving feedback for a task I completed, a Partner asked if I had thought about applying to be in their team, and a month later I joined the firm as a Paralegal! I recently started studying for my LPC part-time whilst working full-time as a Paralegal. It has been really challenging to balance my work and study commitments but everyone has been so incredibly supportive. I couldn’t have a better team!

I look forward to further developing my career with Barcan+Kirby and my next step is to apply for a training contract.”

Sinéad Dangerfield | Senior Paralegal

“Since I started at Barcan+Kirby I’ve had their full support in allowing me to progress further with my career and supporting my CILEx studies.”

Abi Harrison | Paralegal and Team Leader

“The culture here is very pleasant and everyone is very helpful and responsive to any queries I have. I am loving cycling to work every day.”

Rachel Sidery | Receptionist

“I joined Barcan+Kirby as a Receptionist in 2016, later moving to the Client Relationship Team which helped me to gain more knowledge and understanding as to the different areas of law the firm offered to clients. As a result, I decided that a career in law was something I wanted to pursue. I was successful in becoming a Legal Secretary in the Residential Conveyancing team in 2017 and moved into a Paralegal role to cover maternity leave just over a year later. In 2022, after passing my Level 3 CILEx exams, I was promoted to Senior Paralegal.

Barcan+Kirby has been really supportive of my studying whilst working; I work flexibly so that I can balance my working days with time to study.

The thing that makes this journey enjoyable is the people that I work with. I work with the best team and have colleagues who have become friends both inside and outside of the office. It is the knowing that people actually care for you as a person and want to see you achieve your goals.”

– Robyn Eamer | Senior Paralegal

“I never imagined I could find a job in corporate law where working flexibly was a ‘real’ option. Having worked at large city firms, I knew the score. You may be paid part time but you very rarely worked part time.

I moved to the West Country from London in 2017. At the time, I was commuting to my job there but wanted something closer to home given my young family and the constant juggle that brings. I love my sport and being able to commit to the things that keep me balanced and fit in body and mind has always been a priority for me.

I found it incredibly refreshing to find Barcan+Kirby and a really satisfying role where I could balance work and family life, and I was trusted to do my job in whatever way suited me. Yes, there are still demands and pressures on me as a result of heading up a busy corporate and commercial team, but those pressures are largely imposed by my own standards. I have found throughout my years here that everyone respects and recognises the importance of personal boundaries and a healthy work/life balance.

People are at the very heart of everything we do here – our top priority is to provide a fantastic service to our clients, and the key way to achieve that is to ensure all employees are as happy, fulfilled and stress-free was possible. It sounds cheesy but we really do believe in ‘happy lawyers = happy clients’.”

– Georgina Bryant | Partner

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Thinking of joining us? Check out our current legal and business support vacancies.