Logging On With … Steve Allen

IN our latest Logging on With…we speak to Steve Allen from the Birmngham office of solicitors Mills and Reeve.

Organisation: Mills & Reeve

Job title: Head of commercial disputes

Describe yourself in a Tweet: Modest!

Career highlights:
Leading the best team of commercial litigators I’ve ever worked with at Mills & Reeve and winning the “International Solicitor of the Year Award 2010” at the Birmingham Law Society Awards

What’s on your iPod?
100 best BBQ songs (for the summer!)

What has been your favourite/worst job?
Favourite job – the one I’m in now.
Worst – packer at a crisps factory during the academic summer vacation.

Who is your ideal dinner guest and why?
Ideal dinner guest would be David Niven (if he was alive) – a great raconteur.

Are you worth what you’re paid? Why?
Yes and much more. I just am!

What has been your biggest business mistake/achievement?
Biggest achievement: retaining one of the world’s largest oil companies as a client for more than 20 years and joining the Board of the British American Business Council, both in the Midlands and in New York.
Biggest mistake: Not appreciating the benefits of joining a networking organisation like the British American Business Council until later in my career.

What is your pet peeve both in and out of work?
In work: Negativity.
Out of work: Drivers failing to indicate when they change lanes on the motorway and the increasing cost of using the M6 Toll.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
David Birch, consultant at Addleshaw Booth and Amarchand & Mangaldas – a great role model.

What do you enjoy most and least about your role?
Best: Working with some great clients and international business development
Worst: Administration

What’s the key to managing people?
Showing respect, providing them with every opportunity to succeed and not thinking that you have all the answers because of your job title.

What are the biggest barriers to your organisation’s success?
We have very strong corporate and commercial teams in Birmingham, who are advising some fantastic UK and multinational clients. However, we are sometimes faced with the parochial view that the office predominantly services the public sector only. We have a well deserved national reputation for the cutting edge work we do across the public sector but we’re doing the same in the private sector too. We’re working really hard to change this perception and ensure that market place understands our strength in the business sector.

What would make the West Midlands an even better place to live and work?
If Manchester City FC was nearer – I have a season ticket and it’s a long way to go every other weekend.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what alternative career would you choose and why?
I’d liked to have worked for Jaguar cars. A great example of a local business succeeding internationally through technology, quality, design and image.