Leona Briggs, partner and head of real estate litigation at law firm Osborne Clarke, on how she got started in the property sector, her top book and music recommendations and what she would do with a million pounds.
How did you join the property industry?
I did about 18 months of property seats when I trained, as the property litigation partner was on maternity leave. As such, I effectively ran the property litigation practice in the last six months of my contract, as there was no one else in the firm who could. The mix of work was interesting and it was clear to me from a very early stage that I would focus on property.
What does your job entail?
I deal with disputes and pre-dispute/strategic advice on property-related issues for a wide range of clients across the industry.
What do you like most about the property industry?
I like the breadth of the legal and commercial issues involved. It is very dynamic, deals with very tangible things that everyone can relate to and is central to our economy. I cannot think of any other industry or sector I would want to be involved in.
And what do you dislike most about it?
I don’t like the perception that those outside the industry sometimes have of it. They miss the fundamental importance of the property industry to the economy and are blind to the technological advances and the focus on sustainability across the industry.
What would you change about the property industry?
It is still very male dominated. It is much more diverse than when I started out but it is still a long way from other sectors.
I would like to change that or would at least like to understand why it does not attract more diverse interest as a career choice, as it is such a great industry to be a part of.
What barriers or challenges have you overcome?
Being a woman in the early years. And being from a very ordinary background, which when I started was very unusual but is much less so now.
What are you most proud of in your career?
The clients I act for and have built strong relationships with over the years and the team/practice I have built up over a number of years – my team is absolutely first-class.
I would never get a job in the team if I was being interviewed now as they are very bright, engaging and have a great moral compass in wanting to make a broad contribution at work, in the legal/property sector and in their communities.
What do you value in people?
Transparency, integrity and an ability not to take themselves too seriously.
What advice would you give someone starting a career in the property industry?
Go for it! If you embrace all that it offers then there is no better industry to choose for a career.
Top recommendations
Something to read:
I like The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell for three reasons: she always writes so well and in a way that makes me lose myself in the book to the exclusion of everything else; having loved studying history at school and college, I found the historical background and detail compelling; and I admired the sheer determination, single-mindedness and passion of the central character.
Something to listen to:
I love the band Everything But The Girl, as they were very much a part of my teens and twenties – a constant in those early years. I love their song Missing in particular, as it was playing on the radio when we drove our eldest son home from hospital after he was born. So, there are lots of great memories from that song and the band, and it is something we all still now listen to as a family from time to time.
If I had a million pounds:
If I had a million pounds, I would donate half to a charity like St Mungo’s, which tries to address and help resolve the underlying issues and causes of homelessness rather than just the immediate problem. I would use the other half to buy a small vineyard in the south of England, where some of the best sparkling wines are now made. I would also take my team on a trip to go wine tasting and for dinner at a vineyard in the South West.
If I had a super power?
If I could have one superpower, it would be to slow down time. On a day-to-day basis at work, I would get so much more done – and it would be nice to be able to slow down the ageing process more generally, of course.
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