Marilyn Stowe Blog

A law unto herself…

I have been profiled in the latest issue of Yorkshire Today magazine.

The full interview is after the jump.

A LAW UNTO HERSELF

Marilyn Stowe is one of the most renowned female lawyers in the country. Her pro-bono work on high profile cases such as Sally Clark – the woman falsely accused of murdering her two baby sons – has earned her a formidable reputation. Yorkshire Today met with the Yorkshire woman to see what makes her tick.

• I’d like to begin with how you got started in law. Was it something you always aspired to do from an early age? And how did your career develop.

At Leeds Girls High School I used to enjoy English and acting in school plays. We had to learn Shakespeare by heart every week which I liked. It tremendously developed my memory. And I particularly liked being Portia in the Merchant of Venice, so I decided I wanted to be a lawyer! I graduated in the top tier at Leeds University then went to teach English law at a French University in France thereafter qualifying as a solicitor. I initially handled a lot of commercial cases. When my son, Ben was born I had to ease up a bit. At the same time, commercial clients started asking me to handle divorce work. It was an excellent move – I found divorce was far more interesting than commercial law, because it centred on working with people.

• Your family law practice is 25 years old this winter, did you always believe it would be so successful? And why do you think it has been so successful?

I never expected that Stowe Family Law LLP (formerly Grahame Stowe Bateson (Private Client) Family Law Unit) would become as successful and high-profile as it has. When I started out in business in 1982, female company directors were a novelty in Yorkshire. Launching my practice meant taking out a second mortgage on our home and a bank loan – which resulted in “pre-emptive” action from a cynical and incredulous bank manager. He made weekly inspection visits to my East Leeds office, based in a converted cobbler’s shop, to scrutinise every detail of how I ran my firm.

I attribute the firm’s achievements to self-belief, determination and always going the extra mile. I am extremely discerning when it comes to recruitment – to ensure that Stowe Family Law LLP attracts the top talent. One of our lawyers, Julian Hawkhead, is among the UK’s leading specialists in “collaborative divorce”: a new method of resolving divorce matters that has already attracted a great deal of positive attention. Other lawyers such as Frank Arndt specialise in international cases and our specialist forensic accountancy unit headed by Nick White is expert at tracking down spouses’ concealed assets which range from secret bank accounts to entire property portfolios! Christine McVeigh and Judith Routledge are very experienced top women lawyers – we have a professional team of 20 and I’m very proud and confident in them all. Many of our clients are Yorkshire-based, but others come from all over the world; our expansive range of top-flight legal expertise is all-important.

• What prompted you to set up in Yorkshire and not London?

I am a Yorkshire lass through and through. It is a dynamic environment, which is currently enjoying a period of renewed prosperity. In my opinion, Yorkshire is also the most beautiful region in the UK. Why leave?

• Probably your most high profile case has been that of Sally Clark. Can you explain how you become to be involved in this case, what it meant to be involved and also how it felt when the case was finally quashed (also how you felt when Sally passed away in March this year).

I have always been committed to pro-bono work. In fact, I met my husband in 1981 when he and I were both doing voluntary work at Chapeltown CAB and I still take on pro bono cases where the client has hit a brick wall and I feel my legal expertise can extricate people out of a crisis.

With this particular case, I felt very strongly as a mother that something was horribly wrong. I have had friends who had experience of cot death, and what I had heard about Sally Clark’s case coupled with that implausible cot death statistic just didn’t add up. On an impulse, I wrote to Sally Clark’s website offering to help. I obtained from a hospital in Macclesfield, where Sally Clark’s sons were taken after they died, a large file of documents relating to their deaths. A pathology report from that file, which indicated that one of the boys had died of a viral infection, had not been produced at Sally Clark’s trial or appeal. Her own lawyers had not been able to obtain that information.

I was thrilled when Sally Clark was released, and very proud when she thanked me from the steps of the Court of Appeal. I was also deeply saddened to learn of her death. It came as a great shock.

• I imagine the world of law can be a very male dominated one, would you agree and have you ever come across any prejudice?

When I founded my law practice, we had already witnessed the introduction of equal pay, anti-discrimination legislation and the election of Margaret Thatcher as our first female prime minister. Even so, women still had to behave like macho men if they wanted to be taken seriously. There were 2 categories of professional men; – the paternal types who made it clear that they regarded females as players rather than competitors. The second category comprised the downright rude: I was called a “bitch” on more than one occasion. Thankfully, such behaviour is now (almost!) unthinkable.

When Ben was born, there was still a stigma attached to working mothers, and nursery facilities were few and far between. Notching up 100-hour weeks, I often had to bring my son into work in a carrycot and was derided by many who said I should have stayed at home with him. Juggling everything was a constant challenge: mentally and logistically. Whenever a client arrived for an appointment, a member of my staff would have to bundle the carrycot outside and take my baby for a walk. Fortunately, attitudes to businesswomen and working mothers have improved dramatically.

• And finally, what would you put your success down to?

I am a true Taurean so I think one of my strengths is tenacity. Once I have something I won’t let go if I think I’m right. I will go the extra mile and spend hours at work and at home thinking my way round a case, not just in a straight line. Once a client paid me a huge compliment and said “May I say you have a fabulous…… brain!” and I laughed. I am still able to remain detached and my style enables people to move forward, leave the trauma behind – and see divorce as a new beginning.

Clients do want straight-up advice and they want to win. That is why they are paying their fees. I am a Yorkshire person and a straight-talker who helps them through the process. The reputation of our practice speaks for itself: we constantly deliver and we are one of the biggest firms of our kind throughout the UK.

My level of commitment to the business does mean sometimes my brain acts like a computer, backing up in the middle of the night.

I have often woken up and had a thought which solves a case that has been puzzling me. In one case at 3am I realised there must be a dual company and non disclosed partnership being run together – and I was right. Once I started an injunction in the middle of the night, when I realised what was happening within a particular case that had not been disclosed to me. I had until nine o’clock the next morning to secure the injunction. In the end, I got a judge on the phone and sorted it by half past seven with an hour-and-a-half to spare! The solicitors on the other side paid all my costs.

When I really do want to leave it all behind I go distance running – it clears my head and relaxes and energises me and Yorkshire is the perfect place for running.

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