Zainab Porbanderwala is a Paralegal in our Commercial Department. Here she shares her thoughts about working for a firm that is 100% employee owned.
In October 2022, David and Kay, the former owners of Oliver and Co, announced that the firm would become an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). All of us were extremely excited about what this would mean for us as employees as well as the firm as a whole.
Working in other law firms prior to joining Oliver and Co has helped me realise that everyone here has a very positive outlook and gets involved in different activities other than just work. The firm encourages each of its employees to develop not only professionally but also individually. Oliver and Co love to engage its employees in and out of work, be it through charity work or social events. There is something for everyone at Oliver and Co!
By becoming an EOT, Oliver and Co have further reinforced its ethos that we all are in this together as one big family. There is a safe space for each “family member” to raise any ideas or concerns and become more involved in the day-to-day functioning of the firm, not just their immediate department. And as a plus, you reap the benefits of your contribution and working as a team when the firm declares its dividends, as it did just recently, right in time for Christmas! It is a great feeling to be a part of a firm that puts the interests of its employees at the forefront and values their contribution.
Rome was not built in a day, and I am aware that we all are learning about how and what it takes to run an EOT, and this process is not going to be overnight. Nonetheless, the firm have involved us in the process every step of the way and I am very excited for what the future holds for each of us at Oliver and Co as we grow and learn.
