New Direction for Legal Professionals

Posted: 30th January 2024

Two new arrivals at a Penrith law firm, EMG Solicitors, have highlighted the different routes into the profession.

Natalie Spedding and Phil Capstick have come from different directions but are equally driven in their new roles.

Associate solicitor Natalie qualified 13 years ago and was working in Kendal before joining the firm. She had studied geography at Lancaster University and converted to law at the College of Law in York before training in Carlisle.

She specialises in commercial litigation, employment law and dispute resolution relating to business and probate.

Natalie grew up on her family’s dairy farm near Carlisle, is married to a farmer and has her own flock of North of England mules and Dutch spotted texel sheep.

“I joined EMG for new opportunities and because the firm’s values resonated with me. Working in a law firm often means being ready for whatever issues come through the door and our aim is always to help people,” she said.

Phil, from Penrith, spent 14 years in the motor trade, as a mechanic then in sales, before deciding to pursue a new career. He took A level equivalent qualifications then a law degree at the University of Cumbria while working as a paralegal for a firm in Windermere.

Aged 35, he is one of the first solicitor apprentices, a relatively new three-year training programme which will see him qualify in 2025. “I had always considered a career in law, but I followed in family footsteps first. The apprenticeship suits me because it’s on the job training with one day a week at university.

“I found out about EMG and loved the way the firm is run and the emphasis on helping people within the firm and in the local community, which was a big draw for me.”

Samantha Edward, Director and Head of Wills, Trusts & Probate, leads the Cumbrian office and is delighted with the recent expansion of the Litigation team, which further strengthens the firm’s exceptional service offering and client experience.

EMG Solicitors opened on Duke Street in Penrith over 15 months ago and has teams specialising in family law and mediation, wills, trusts and probate, Court of Protection, employment law, disputes and litigation including contentious probate, commercial property and residential conveyancing.