Long-serving partner marks 40 year milestone

The Senior Partner of leading law firm, Longmores Solicitors, is celebrating 40 years with the business. Anna Baptist joined the Hertford office as a trainee in September 1976, before qualifying as a solicitor in 1979.

Anna made the decision early in her legal career to specialise in Family Law and rose through the firm’s ranks, becoming Head of its Family practice area. She was made a Partner in 1981 and became Senior Partner in 1999.

During her long and successful career, Anna has dealt with all aspects of family law matters, including divorce cases, preparing cohabitation and nuptial agreements, civil partnerships and dealing with issues involving children.

She is renowned for her expertise in handling complex financial cases involving substantial assets and incomes.

Although Anna is known for her empathetic approach to her clients, within legal circles she has gained a ‘Rottweiler’ reputation for her fierce tenacity in protecting client interests.

Anna said: “In this day and age it is increasingly rare to stay with the same business, but Longmores is a very special law firm, supporting me from my early days as a trainee and encouraging me to carve a niche in family law.

“Although Longmores is steeped in history, having served the local community since the late 1700s, it is not a stuffy, old fashioned firm and I am very proud over the past 40 years to have played a part in helping to make it the vibrant and successful law firm that it is today.

“I have personally seen a lot of changes in family law over the years and one of the most encouraging developments has been the introduction of arbitration which offers a faster and more cost-effective alternative to the struggling court system.”

Anna was amongst the first in the country to achieve the new qualification of Family Law Arbitrator in February 2012. Her forward thinking approach was also instrumental in the firm’s recent expansion which saw it open a new office in Harlow, Essex in April 2016.

Head of Employment, Richard Gvero, said: “Anna has a formidable reputation in the court room but as senior partner she is very supportive and is a pleasure to work with.

“She instils great loyalty from her colleagues and in turn her own loyalty and passion for the firm and her clients is amply demonstrated by the fact that she has devoted 40 years of her life to Longmores. On behalf of everyone at the firm, I offer my warmest congratulations to Anna and wish her continued success here at Longmores.”