How Emma Digby aims to champion enterprise in her new role at Ward Hadaway

New executive partner Emma Digby plans to raise the profile and influence of law firm Ward Hadaway, writes Deputy Business Editor Greg Wright.

IT really pays for lawyers to see the world through the eyes of clients whose life is dominated by the cut and thrust of commercial pressures.

Emma Digby, the new executive partner at the Leeds office of top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway, has an instinctive understanding of the stresses and strains entrepreneurs face. She wants to become their champion because business is in her blood.

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“There is huge entrepreneurial spirit in the region,” said Ms Digby. “I’m from a manufacturing background; my father was a director of Stanley Tools and I spent a lot of time in the office with dad and going on tours of the factory.

UK Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed experienced commercial litigation partner Emma Digby to the role of Executive Partner of the Leeds office.UK Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed experienced commercial litigation partner Emma Digby to the role of Executive Partner of the Leeds office.
UK Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed experienced commercial litigation partner Emma Digby to the role of Executive Partner of the Leeds office.

“During my childhood, I would often listen to my dad as he prepared a presentation as he was about to fly out to the States.”

This grasp of commercial reality will shape her role as the ambassador and spokesperson for Ward Hadaway in the region. Litigation partner Ms Digby is relishing the opportunity to represent her colleagues and raise the profile of Ward Hadaway as a full service legal provider.

“I will be emphasising to intermediaries and membership bodies in Yorkshire that we are more keen than ever to work together, to innovate, and to support businesses, organisations and individuals in any way we can, as we all tackle these unprecedented challenges and seize any opportunities which emerge,” she said.

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“I look forward to helping to drive and promote each team’s growth plans, so that as a firm we can continue to adapt to the needs of our clients. And I aim to actively support the firm’s recruitment efforts to attract further talent from the region to join our growing legal teams.”

She is also looking forward to the latest instalment of the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards, which have honoured the region’s brightest and best entrepreneurs since 2011.

The list, which highlights the success of Yorkshire’s fastest growing privately-owned, profitable businesses, celebrates companies of all sizes and from across all sectors.

Ms Digby loves to shine the spotlight on fast-growing firms which have brought jobs and investment to the region during times of upheaval.

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She told The Yorkshire Post: “Gone are the days when solicitors could operate from ivory towers. I always say to our teams, ‘be authentic, be you’.”

She started her career at Favell Smith & Lawson, which specialised in high street criminal law, and soon realised that she was naturally a litigator. She ran her own niche commercial litigation practice before joining Ward Hadaway, which has had an office in Leeds since 2008.

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Revealed: The Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 for 2021

“I’ve always been very much a people person and don’t believe that I know everything,” she said. “At Ward Hadaway we work on a virtually flat structure and I believe in the core qualities of authenticity and empathy.”

Litigators need to understand the pressures faced by a wide range of companies, including family businesses, where relationships can become strained.

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“Their relationships can be in tatters by the time they come and see us,” she said. “We have to make sure that we deal with that vulnerability in a fair way. I’m a great believer that prevention is always better than cure.

“Clients will sometimes come and see you when they are on their knees, which is not the best bargaining position.

“We have to consider how to minimise the risk to the business and try to control the external pressures.”

Anyone can start trading but there are many facets to running a business, including dealing with supply chains, premises, people, finance, and marketing.

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“There is no training offered,” said Ms Digby. “People are just expected to be able to spin all of these plates and turn their passion into a successful business.

“It is not always that easy. I always reassure people when they come to me that it is normal for problems to arise and it is more important to reach for help than to bury your head.

“As solicitors, we must not look at the clients’ needs from our silos; we must understand the perspectives of the business owners and the pressure they face.

“What they have to deal with can be mind-blowing. We are aggressive litigators when we need to be, but I never see that as our primary role.”

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She joined Ward Hadaway’s team in Leeds in January 2020, eager to meet new clients and colleagues. Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

“Within 10 weeks of me arriving in Yorkshire, Britain was locked down and I spent four months unable to meet my colleagues. I’m not ashamed to say that I found that incredibly difficult,” she said.

“You have to focus on the things that you can control. We have been busier than ever over the last two years.

“Hard times always leads to an increase in disputes. I love business growth as much as litigation. The support I have received has been unbelievable.”

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Over the last decade, the Yorkshire Fastest 50 has charted the rise of dynamic entrepreneurs who have faced obstacles that would have overwhelmed the faint-hearted.

“The Fastest 50 really is a reflection of the tenacity of Yorkshire’s business people which is more important than ever,” Ms Digby added.

“All of these stories show how great things can be achieved in the face of adversity.”

UK Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed experienced commercial litigation partner Emma Digby to the role of executive partner of the Leeds office.

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The appointment was made following the decision by previous post-holder John Murray to relocate to the North East.

Martin Hulls, the firm’s managing partner, said: “I am delighted that Emma has agreed to take the reins of this important role.

“She joined the firm just after the pandemic sent us into lockdown, a time when getting known in a new firm was more difficult than ever.”

Mr Hulls added: “However we have been struck by her contagious energy, enthusiasm and tenacity.”

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