Matthew Ramsey

Matthew joined Macfarlanes as the Employment team’s first dedicated Knowledge Lawyer, a role that has evolved to include practice management and internal advisory work. 

What does a typical day look like?

I wear a few different hats so no two days are the same. I do all the classic knowledge lawyer work – training, knowledge management, thought leadership – but I also help our HR team with their work too. As the practice manager, I get involved in work allocation, liaising with the PAs and managing elements of the appraisal process amongst other things. I’ve also been a practising lawyer since 2003, so I do some client-facing work, which is something I enjoy. 

What brought you to Macfarlanes – and to this role in particular?

I was looking for a part-time role (I have two little ones in primary school so I work three and a half days spread over four) and as this was the first knowledge manager role in the Employment team, we could start from scratch and shape it to what the practice actually needed. 

What helps people stay connected across the firm?

As the firm has grown, there’s been a real effort to invest in things that help glue people together. That includes “all hands” days where everyone, whether that’s across the firm or in a particular team, is encouraged to be in the office. We also have a whole range of social events and clubs. I help run the cycling club, along with someone from Tax and someone from Marketing. There are all sorts of activities that give people the chance to connect outside of their usual teams. 

What would you say about the working culture at Macfarlanes?

At Macfarlanes there’s a lot of trust – people just want to help each other succeed. The lawyers I’ve come across here are really good – not just academically – they put things in a pithy, client-sensitive way that really hits the mark. They see points other people don’t see and make clever, technical arguments – but in a way that gets to the heart of the matter and gives the client what they’re actually looking for. Whether you’re a lawyer or in a business team, if you want to get really good at your job, it’s a great place to be.