It was way back in the 80s when we first started working with the team that is now Edmonds Judd, so it’s not surprising they feel like part of the family.
We needed legal advice when we bought our first herd so contacted Malcolm Brown, who we knew through badminton. Since then the whole family has benefited from the guidance they give for all sorts of things, for personal or business decisions.
Ours is probably not a simple straightforward job as there’s a group of entities, with businesses, holding company, farm and family trusts. But with the different needs, Edmonds Judd is perfect for us as they have such a broad and knowledgeable team. They have the ability to draw off each other and specialists in certain areas.
Our kids now have their own dealings with Edmonds Judd and they treat them as individuals, not just children of clients. Should anything arise that is a conflict of interest within a with transaction, Edmonds Judd is always strongly ethical around not representing both parties.
We’re guided by what they tell us. We trust that they have the knowledge and that they’re up to date in these changing times with current law.
What’s also important for us is they work well alongside our accountant – they understand each other’s terms and what and why things need to be done.
The team there are fantastic about being responsive and you get a prompt answer to any question. They answer emails quickly and you feel like you have ready access – sometimes if you need an answer, you need it right now.
And that’s probably because we’ve built up that familiarity over the years, which is the key to our relationship with them. We know most of them outside of the business, which is the advantage of small town.
Over the years, we may have changed from one partner to another, such as when one has retired, but the transition has always been seamless.
It’s nice to have meetings in their new offices, face to face. There’s ample parking, and of course, the free coffee. (You smell it when you go into reception.)
Meetings are always reassuring and Mandy is really good at explaining the reason they do things in our terms. She has a good team under her, good legal execs and secretaries.
We feel like we’re in safe hands with the whole team.
It would have been the early 90s when I first needed to find myself a law firm. I was already farming but went to them when I was looking at farm ownership and was recommended them by some friends.
They were always a reputable firm but there was one particular lawyer people recommended and I knew his name from rugby. Richard Grey was a good first 5/8. He was in the 1st XV while I was a mere mortal in the 3rd so it appealed to me that he could be my lawyer!
Throughout my working life, as a real estate agent and previously as a dairy farmer, the Edmonds Judd team has been there to help on a range of matters.
They’ve helped with farm purchases, Will and Trusts – all things related to farm ownership or running a farm. They’ve definitely got strong knowledge in that area.
One thing I really appreciate is how Edmonds Judd never lets the jargon get in the way.
When we put the farm in to a company, it was quite intensive so we were reliant on them to help us through the process step by step. They paint pictures using easy clear terms. They literally doodle on paper so I can understand from illustrations how it all works and goes together.
It’s always a painless process, for Trusts in particular. They work well with the accountant and become like business partners. In a small community like this, you can’t afford to get things wrong – if it goes wrong, people talk. That’s why their reputation is so valuable.
When you’re involved in the community you get to bump into them, to get to know and trust them. They care about our community too. They’re giving back, so they get back, and that’s a definite strong point for me.
It’s the personal relationships that stand out too, especially working with mutual clients through my real estate work.
We tend to put lawyers on a pedestal, but we chat to the team at Edmonds Judd and they’re just like us. I feel I can call them up and ask a question any time. No question too small. They’re open. And that builds strong relationships for life.
I wanted a law firm who would be there through the future with me, that I could be confident I am getting the right advice. Someone who would get to know me.
So, even before I started Red Kitchen, buying my first home about 20 years ago now, I chose Edmonds Judd.
Simon B is our first go-to, but we work with others in the team who specialise in different transactions and advice too.
Chris does all the HR legal work for us. Getting staff contracts done properly fits with our philosophy of how we’re not here to be average, we’re here to be amazing. We make sure everything is well taken care of at the beginning with new staff.
There are so many different areas we’re not experts in. Should I rent or buy? How do I manage license agreements with suppliers? As a small business owner, I can’t know all the ins and outs of the law – that’s why we have people like the team at Edmonds Judd.
Edmonds Judd is big enough to have all these specialists, but they’ve not lost touch with the fact that they’re in a small town. I can reach out to my lawyer or his assistant any time. The legal aides are all knowledgeable. I don’t worry if I don’t get Simon or Chris because I know that whoever I am referred to will have the skills to answer my question.
Sometimes they pop in a car and see me, or I nip up there. You don’t get that in the city. And I love their new offices – it feels like we’re in their living room. Face to face is so much easier with complicated things than talking about it on the phone.
We’ll sit in a meeting with them and talk things through – it’s the power of the round table meeting. They listen and we all talk about the options. You kind of feel like they are mentors, guiding us more than just giving us legal advice – it’s a partnership. They’re interested in where we’re heading and what we’re thinking.
