Meet the Team: Angela Cross

Our ‘Meet the Team’ articles aim to let you learn more about our staff, who are the foundations of Oliver & Co and our excellent client feedback and reviews.

Angela Cross is a valued member of our Personal Injury Department. She prides herself on obtaining the best compensation for her clients, whilst providing excellent service.

We asked Angela why she wanted to become and solicitor and what makes Oliver and Co special for her.

Why did you want to become a solicitor?

I worked in a law firm from the age of 16 as a typist and then secretary. I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated doing work for solicitors when I knew I was capable of doing this myself and therefore at the age of 29 I embarked on legal studies to become a Solicitor. At the time I had two young children so embarked on the Graduate Diploma In Law on a part time basis whilst working as a Paralegal.

Which areas of law did you train in?

I actually didn’t take the personal injury elective on the Legal Practice Course as I had worked in this area of law since the age of 16 and already had a vast amount of knowledge. In addition Personal Injury was already a core element of the training course so I chose to supplement my knowledge by studying family law, welfare benefits and immigration and employment law.

Why did you want to specialise in personal injury law?

Having worked in personal injury since a young age, I decided to specialise in this area, helping people who had been injured due to no fault of their own and suffered not only injuries but also financial losses which have a detrimental impact on not only them but also their families.

How long have you been part of the Oliver & Co team?

I worked for Oliver & Co many years ago around 2001 before embarking on my legal studies to become a Solicitor. I worked on a freelance basis at Oliver & Co as and when required working in almost every department as a secretary gaining experience in family, conveyancing, crime and personal injury. After leaving, I always vowed to return to Oliver & Co as I have never found a company so loyal to their employees and somewhere where going to work each day is not a chore, it is actually something to look forward to. I returned to Oliver & Co immediately after qualifying in January 2011 as a Solicitor joining their Personal Injury Department.

What sets Oliver & Co apart?

I have worked for many law firms during my time as a freelance secretary and I can honestly say that Oliver & Co is an outstanding firm, it is just one big family where you are made to feel like a valued part of the team. I had a serious bout of sickness and was off work for 3 weeks in January 2020. To receive a huge bouquet of flowers and card wishing me best wishes was such a lovely gesture which shows what a caring firm they are. This in turn is exactly how they treat and care for their clients.

Oliver & Co prides themselves on great customer service. Can you describe a time you received amazing customer service?

It is the small inconsequential things that make customers remember who you are and return time after time. One time that stands out for me was when I took my daughter to a restaurant for her birthday lunch. I had mentioned in passing when booking over the phone that it was my daughter’s birthday but it literally was a passing comment. We had also ordered from the gluten free menu and at the end of the meal, a gluten free birthday brownie decorated with ‘happy birthday’ and a candle was brought out by the Manager. This was completely unprompted and unexpected. It was such a lovely thought that has stayed with us since and we have returned on many occasions.

If you hadn’t become a solicitor, what would you have done?

I did have thoughts about becoming a secondary school teacher teaching IT. After studying a 2 year National Diploma in Computing followed by a 3 year degree in Business Information Systems I seriously considered this route but the pull of a career in law was too strong and I decided to follow my passion for working in this area and helping people.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

We live in the countryside in North Wales and I love nothing more than being outdoors on a day off work, whether it is walking with our spaniels, caring for our ex-battery rescue chickens, ducks and quails or working in my allotment. I also enjoy renovating old furniture and giving it a new lease of life.