An interview with Liam Whitfield

We caught up with Liam Whitfield, senior associate in the regulatory team to discuss his career at TLT Manchester. 

Why did you join TLT? And what makes TLT different to other law firms?

I joined TLT in 2016 as a trainee and on qualification joined the Regulatory team – fast forward seven years and I am a Senior Associate and have enjoyed every minute. What originally drew me to TLT was that it was emerging in the market as a modern and progressive law firm that wanted to stand out and do things differently. TLT stood out from other firms due to what came across to me as a desire to punch above its weight and build a client list full of household names that most firms would be envious of. We’re different at TLT due to the culture, it may seem a cliché but the people at TLT really make the firm what it is, and we all want each other to succeed, and we work to achieve this. Finally, the biggest difference for me is how the firm has taken a really bold decision to place people first and initiatives such as TLT World mean that TLT employees can get the work/life balance that so many places don’t offer.

How has the firm developed since you joined?

TLT has grown massively since I joined, from our Manchester office having lots of empty desks to now moving to our brand-new office at Eden in 2024. We’ve managed to grow our client list with lots of new and interesting clients working across many different sectors but deepened our relationships with those clients who have instructed us for many years and helped us to achieve the success we’ve experienced. TLT has also invested heavily in young lawyers through alternative routes to qualification and ensuring junior lawyers receive the training and guidance that is so vital. This is something I’ve been proud to support both internally through interviewing and assessing the next cohorts of future lawyers and also in my role on the committee of the Manchester Young Solicitors Group.

What are you looking forward to in the next ten years in your role as senior associate? 

I’m excited to see where the next ten years takes me at TLT– I’ve really enjoyed my first 7 years at TLT and being a part of the Manchester office as it has developed and grown to become a leading firm in Manchester. I really believe that we will continue our strong financial performance and build on our reputation as a modern and progressive law firm. I also think that we will continue our success across the board in the national and regional legal awards where the firm, individual teams and individual lawyers have received recognition for the quality of work over the last few years – hopefully scooping Regulatory team of the year at some point!