Louise
Norbury-hall

Louise is a Director in our Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) Team.  Known for her general commercial litigation work, Louise has a great deal of experience resolving disputes through alternative dispute resolution as well as litigation.

Louise thrives on the variety that comes with her workload of commercial disputes and pre-dispute advisory work, focusing on pensions litigation, technology/digital disputes and company (shareholder/director) disputes and partnership disputes.

Asked who her typical client is, Louise says that CDR doesn’t have one – “and that’s the beauty of the job”. Her work also covers a broad range of sectors.

“I always keep in mind the client’s goal”

Louise describes much of her work as “like a very complex problem-solving exercise” which she finds a way through “within the tools and constraints that the law provides”.  But, she says, “I always keep in mind the client’s goal, which is often different in every case”.

Describing her approach to client work as “hands on, approachable and an extension of their internal team”, Louise points out that there’s no point working against your clients and she always endeavours to find a way to work with them collaboratively, because even in difficult circumstances it’s possible to find a solution if you’re all pulling together in the same direction.

Louise believes this is especially important in the post-pandemic world we’re navigating: as an advocate for flexible working at Walker Morris she is passionate about making work and life work together, as well making sure we’re available to our clients when they need us.

Getting to know clients is key

Approachable and down to earth, Louise is able to grapple with very complex factual and legal issues, keeping all the moving parts in mind and finding a way through the ‘noise’ to help her clients.  She is clear though, that sometimes it’s important to acknowledge that there isn’t a perfect solution and she’ll always be upfront with clients when that’s the case.  She says, “I take a methodical approach, spending time to get inside my client’s business or head, so that I know what makes them tick, what they’re really looking for and what to avoid. This is a really important part of being able to present solutions that will be the best fit for their unique needs”.

Louise describes her working style as ambitious, dedicated and flexible and she notes that she often sees her own confidence and positivity reflected in the client relationships she takes the time to build.  Her working style suits life at Walker Morris because, she says, “it’s a firm that isn’t interested in churning out suited clones, we’re a firm that actively embraces change, creativity, individuality, uniqueness and above all, people-skills.  And you can’t have good people skills if you’re not your authentic self!”.