My Path into Housing - Susie Rogers, Capsticks

I always knew that I wanted to be a lawyer who makes a difference.  My social values ruled out the City for me, and so I joined Capsticks from university to specialise in healthcare.  At that time, Capsticks was even more niche that the healthcare/housing firm that it is today, and the clients were all healthcare organisations.

During the traditional two year training contract, I quickly realised that my heart lay in making deals happen – specifically deals involving bricks and mortar.  So, when I qualified as a solicitor in 2002, I focused on building new hospitals and healthcare facilities.  It was a role that I loved, and I advised on numerous partnership arrangements between the NHS and local authorities and/or the private sector.

When I returned to work from maternity leave in 2012, I had the fantastic opportunity to get involved in the housing sector.  We had reached the decision that healthcare and housing are so closely interwoven that to excel in either we needed to excel in both.  We acquired the housing practice of Coffin Mew in 2013, and my role involved integrating the team into the firm and embracing the new sector.

It is safe to say that I haven’t looked back since.  More than 5 years later, I am embedded in the housing sector, advising housing associations up and down the country on stock rationalisation and security charging projects.  18 months ago, I was fortunate enough to be involved in the integration of the development team from Clarke Willmott into Capsticks’ housing team.  This puts us as the fourth largest legal provider to the sector, with further growth planned for the coming months and years.

I feel incredibly privileged to be involved in the housing sector at such an exciting time, where our clients are being encouraged and supported to innovate and grow.  We are fostering a “can do” practical approach to play our part in delivering the growth targets in the sector, and no two days are ever the same.  Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the next stage in my career with great anticipation.