1. Don’t Be Afraid To Do Things Differently
Traditional law firms charge eye-watering fees, but I always knew I wanted to work differently. Now a decade later, Starford has grown in size but our affordable pricing model remains. It allows us to become a true extension of our clients’ teams and combine legal expertise, people insight and organisational context to deliver the best results.
- The Best Legal Advice Is Human
You’re not just advising a case, you’re advising a real person who wants to do the right thing by their organisation, by the law, and by their people. Clients require empathy and confidence, especially in high-stakes issues like when dealing with internal grievances or Tribunal claims..
- Collaboration Creates Confidence
One of Starford’s most successful milestones was the introduction of our unique pairing model, where Senior HR Consultants are partnered with Employment Lawyers to deliver dual insight and support. Clients feel more confident that all advice is backed up by legal expertise, problems get solved more holistically, and our team continuously learns from one another.
- Don’t Kick The Can Down The Road
Problems rarely resolve themselves, but they can be shaped early and I’ve seen first-hand how timely HR intervention can prevent tribunal claims. Acting decisively on poor performance or redundancy planning leads to far better outcomes than delay.
- Clarity Beats Complexity
Whether drafting policies or handling grievances, always aim for clarity. Legal jargon creates confusion, so I’ve always found that breaking down complex issues into simple, pragmatic advice builds trust with clients and their employees alike.
- Empower Managers To be Your Front Line
Managers are your culture in action. I’ve seen the strongest HR and legal frameworks still fall apart without confident, capable managers. It’s not just about training, it’s about equipping team leaders to spot issues early, hold difficult conversations, and uphold values when it counts.
- Learn To Grow By Letting Go
As Starford grew, I knew the goal wasn’t to build a hierarchy and I believed in empowering our experts, not micromanaging them. I completely trust each of our brilliant consultants to lead, make decisions, and shape the client experience. Real business growth happens when you create space for others to thrive, not when you try to do it all yourself.
- Compliance Is Culture
Policies don’t keep people safe, culture does. You can’t policy your way out of a toxic workplace. Over the years we’ve helped many organisations align legal frameworks with values and leadership behaviours, especially around dignity and respect at work.
- Never Underestimate the Impact of One Good Conversation
As a trained mediator, I’ve seen how the right conversation, at the right time, can prevent a claim, realign a team, or save a career. Whether it’s between two colleagues in conflict, a manager and employee on the edge of burnout, or a senior leader unsure of their next step, conversation creates space for resolution.
- Celebrate the Wins, But Own the Hard Lessons Too
The tough cases often teach you more than the easy ones. We’ve supported clients through difficult redundancies, whistleblowing cases, and leadership investigations; each one has taught us important lessons in resilience and refining judgement.
These lessons have shaped who we are at Starford and how we work with every client. Whatever the next decade brings, I know that keeping people at the heart of decisions will always be the right call, and that resilience is not a luxury - it’s a necessity. That’s why I’m especially excited that our flagship Making Life Work conference returns on Thursday 2nd October and this year’s theme, Building Resilience, couldn’t be more timely or important. For HR leaders and business decision-makers, building resilience is not just about weathering the storm, it's about creating cultures that thrive through change, uncertainty, and pressure. Find out more about our amazing line-up of guest speakers and RSVP for your free ticket at https://www.starford.co.uk/events.
