As Murphy’s Law Accident Lawyers celebrates its 10th anniversary, Founder Donna McManus reflected on a decade characterised by significant challenges, key milestones, and invaluable lessons, with Lawyers Weekly.

This article was originally published in Lawyers Weekly, viewable here.

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After a decade of successful operation, Donna McManus, founder of Murphy’s Law Accident Lawyers, spoke to Lawyers Weekly to reflect on the transformative journey of establishing and growing her law firm.

In this reflection, she shares her insights on the key factors that drive a firm’s growth and success, discusses the invaluable lessons she has learnt and offers advice for those aspiring to start their firms.

A journey of challenges and growth

McManus reflected on the challenges and significant milestones she has encountered since the firm’s inception and during its ongoing operations.

She expressed that, “it wouldn’t be ‘Murphy’s Law’ if our story wasn’t one of challenges, ironies, and humour. I think any small business owner could relate to that!”

From the outset, McManus highlighted that one of the most significant challenges she faced was the overwhelming necessity of wearing multiple hats during the firm’s early operations.

“By far, the biggest challenge from the outset was the sheer volume of responsibilities right from the start.

“When building a new firm, you’ve got to be head of accounts, head of IT, head of marketing, head of HR, and so on it goes, with so many hats to wear and so little time!” she said.

Additionally, she emphasised that the challenge of assuming multiple roles was compounded by the necessity of managing her family responsibilities, all while ensuring that everything was accomplished within a limited 24-hour time frame.

“Throw in your share of family responsibilities on top of that, which for me included getting three kids to school, and it’s a daily challenge to make sure your 24-hour days don’t stretch into impossible 36-hour ones,” she said.

However, she elaborated on how the firm’s growth led to a shift in challenges, as she could appoint skilled individuals to positions that she had initially filled herself.

“As the firm grows, challenges change, and it’s natural to also gradually set your standards higher. We have highly skilled people in key roles now, though, who can support us every day,” she said.

Read the full article here.