Spotlight on our people – meet Lynne Rathbone

Our Spotlight on our people interview series allows us to showcase our legal professionals and reveal more about the people behind the expertise. This time, we spoke with Lynne Rathbone, one of the newest members of our Corporate team. Lynne joined Harper James as a Corporate Partner in September 2024. Before joining us, she gained valuable experience at several top 100 law firms, including Weightmans, Stephens Scown LLP, Browne Jacobson LLP, and Trowers & Hamlins.

How did you begin your career?

‘I’ve always been interested in law, but my first inclination wasn’t actually to become a lawyer,’ says Lynne. ‘I joined the police straight after leaving school and went on to work as a police officer in Liverpool for a couple of years before I moved into the business world as a manager with Coca Cola & Schweppes. It was only later that I decided to retrain as a lawyer.’

Did you have any expectations of the legal industry? Has working in the legal industry lived up to your expectations?

‘I didn’t really have any fixed expectations about the legal industry,’ Lynne shares. ‘I knew it would be a challenging and hopefully stimulating career path, and my main concern really was whether starting my legal career later than most might hold me back or limit my progress. However, that hasn’t been the case at all and if anything, I found that having prior life experience has been a huge advantage – for both myself and my clients. Especially given how varied my client base is as a corporate lawyer, I feel my previous commercial experience has helped me to better understand the business drivers and pressures that impact them daily.’

What were your first impressions of Harper James?

‘Moving to Harper James has been fantastic – it has been exactly what I hoped it would be. Making a change in your career can be daunting at any stage, but everything I hoped would be true actually is true,’ says Lynne. ‘The firm is like no other I know of; it operates in a very unique and refreshing way, with huge emphasis on client satisfaction and employee well-being. Everyone I’ve interacted with since joining has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. Despite the remote-working model, which you worry may be a bit isolating, there’s a strong team support structure in place.’

‘The Corporate team has clearly worked hard to ensure we stay connected with regular weekly meetings and daily interaction. Even though we are a remote team, I never feel isolated – support is always just a phone call away. I also really appreciate the flexible working model and Harper James' genuine commitment to work-life balance. It’s not just a selling point to attract lawyers – it’s a core part of how the firm operates and something we experience daily.’

What’s the best piece of legal advice you could give a business?

‘Take the time at the outset to really consider all of the options available to you. Make sure you are fully informed so that you can weighed up all of the pros and cons properly so that you can make an informed decision. Making a decision in haste without taking proper advice at the outset can be very costly in the long run.'

What are your most memorable transactions you’ve worked on in your career so far?

'The most memorable for me would still be the first big corporate transaction I worked on as a newly qualified lawyer, which was the sale of Juice Games to THQ Inc. A big learning curve for me, working with a US buyer, and a gaming industry client, but the sellers were an absolute pleasure to work with. It was fantastic when we completed the sale, making them millionaires overnight, and the existing management team were retained by the US parent to carry on doing the same job - happy days!'

'At the other end of the spectrum, one of my favourite transactions was a tiny investment for an innovative start-up that I went on to work with as a trusted advisor for the next 6 years, taking them through several higher investment rounds and ultimately advising on the sale of the business.'

'I do love a challenge, and for that reason my the third choice would be a transaction that started out as the sale of a care home group, acting for the foreign and domestic shareholders of the BVI parent, which morphed into the sale of the individual trading companies to different purchasers, one of whom was separating out the trading business and selling it on in a back-to-back transaction on completion. There were so many moving parts to co-ordinate to ensure a successful completion that it was certainly a challenge but ultimately very rewarding!'

What are three things on your bucket list?

‘I’d love to walk at least part of the Great Wall of China,’ Lynne says. ‘The romantic in me also loves the idea of enjoying a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar of the original Raffles Hotel. Ultimately, though whale watching in Alaska would be incredible – that would be an unforgettable experience.'