Welcome to the first in a series of interviews by our headline sponsors, Groundsure with some of our judges and nominees for this year’s British Conveyancing Awards. To kick things off Celia Candebat, Events Manager chats to judge Rakeebah Rahim, Managing Partner at RFB Legal.
CC: Hi – great to spend some time chatting with you about your role as a judge at the British Conveyancing Awards 2024. Firstly, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself and your role in the industry?
Rakeebah: My background is less in conveyancing and more in law firm management and development. I’ve overseen the development of our own teams at RFB, mostly in more specialist sectors and am always focused on continual change and improvement .
CC: What motivated you to be part of the judging panel this year?
R: It’s a privilege to be asked to be a judge again. Hopefully I can add value to the process with a business-oriented perspective rather than a legal one. It’s fascinating to see a cross section of the work these ambitious and innovative firms are putting into the development of their businesses.
CC: What have been your impressions of the calibre of entries this year?
R: As high as ever, with some stand out entries.
CC: What would you say are some of the big themes that are coming out of the submissions?
(eg tech innovation, customer service, workflow efficiency, ESG/social/community)
R: The main takeaway for me this year is the work going into training and development of existing and new conveyancers . We saw several terrific training programmes which will produce the skilled and motivated teams needed to meet the challenges of the future.
CC: To what extent has the focus on the social good of what conveyancers do influenced you? (enabling life chances for homebuyers, unlocking opportunities, guiding and advising around pitfalls and getting resolutions, making it a seamless, comfortable experience, etc)
R: The significance of the customer experience grows every year. The way forward is going to be a combination of excellent communication, which customers expect as a given these days and embracing innovation in delivery of the service.
CC: In your view, what sets shortlisted nominees apart in the crowd?
R: Mainly their energy and forward-thinking attitude. There will be winners and losers in the market going forward. The firms here are among the winners ,always looking at ways they can adapt and improve the service to their clients.
CC: What are your hopes and expectations for the remainder of this year in the industry?
R: We all hope for a pick- up in the market and volumes coming through . It’s been a difficult year and firms have invested so much in their people and IT in particular that we want to see it put to use and for the industry to grow and improve .
CC: One word of advice for nominees on the big night?
R: Have a great time and enjoy your success!
For next year I’d advise to show more evidence of what they’re doing . A well-documented submission is more likely to grab the attention of the judges.
