Expanding law firm names new partner

Lucy Mignot has been made a Partner at award-winning law firm Blanchards Bailey LLP.

Lucy, a contentious probate solicitor, recommended by Legal 500 as an expert in her field and one of just a handful of regional lawyers with such a specialism, becomes the expanding Dorset firm’s latest Partner.

The busy mum of three splits her time between Blanchards Bailey’s head office in Blandford and its Poundbury base and works closely with the private client team.

She specialises in advising on trust and probate disputes, Inheritance Act claims and contentious Court of Protection matters, overseeing three junior fee earners in the litigation and disputes department.

She said: “I am honoured, and extremely pleased, to have been promoted into this new role and I thank the firm for believing in me.

“Although I will be taking on more management responsibility, I will continue running my day-to-day files because I love my work and helping clients.

“Contentious probate – Will disputes, inheritance claims and contentious Court of Protection matters – are a bit niche and therefore I am proud to provide this specialist legal advice here in Dorset. I feel really lucky to have been able to practice in a subject that has always fascinated me, and proud to be training more junior lawyers within my team in the same.

“I find it particularly interesting because it is so human – clients are grieving and they are in a dispute, which is most likely to be with their own family. They are also often challenging, multi-faceted, technical disputes with a lot of law in them.

“They can prove hugely expensive for clients so it is my job take a pragmatic approach to help diffuse situations and resolve matters as quickly as possible to the best satisfaction of all parties and avoid going to court.”

Lucy, who first joined the Blanchards Bailey litigation department in 2002, took seven years off work to raise her three children and has now been back with the firm for eight years after returning to law.

“It was really daunting when I started again but it is amazing how quickly everything comes back to you. I was so lucky to have Paul Dunlop as the head of my department because he is so caring.

“When I came back, my youngest was not even three and the firm has been so brilliant and open to flexibility. I worked part time and did all different kinds of work patterns to fit around the children’s needs. They allowed me to do what I could on the basis that family requirements would change.”

The Legal 500, the independent guide to legal firms and solicitors in the UK, has singled out Lucy as being recommended in the Commercial Litigation team.

Lucy is described as being ‘approachable and compassionate’, with the contentious trusts & probate team having ‘an in-depth knowledge in their field and taking time to discuss matters and agree on direction collaboratively’.

Blanchards Bailey Managing Partner Paul Dunlop said: “Lucy completely deserves this promotion. She is a thoroughly professional and empathetic lawyer whose expertise in contentious probate enables us to offer this specialist service – a rarity among most law firms.

“She is also a shining example of how to balance family life and enjoy a successful career. At Blanchards Bailey we want to retain our talented staff and therefore work with, and support, our employees by offering flexible, remote and hybrid working models.”

Lucy is also an unpaid director of expanding Poundbury-based Wessex Multi-Academy Trust, which has five schools – Thomas Hardye, Dorchester Middle, St Osmund’s Middle, Damers First and Bere Regis School.

She said: “I started as a governor of the children’s first school and gradually became more involved. It’s quite a full-on role with big responsibilities, attending meetings and dealing with mountains of paperwork, but I enjoy it as I am passionate about helping to create a good future for all children.”

Now over one hundred strong, Blanchards Bailey is ranked by the Legal 500 – making it one of the top firms in the South West – and is based in Blandford, Poundbury, Shaftesbury and Weymouth.