Spotlight on: Patrick Wetherall, Partner at Birketts LLP

Occasionally we like to shine the spotlight on our members, and in this case one of the members of the Bristol Initiative. We sat down with Patrick Wetherall, Partner at Birketts LLP to talk about their work and their relationship with the Bristol Initiative.

Tell us about your role – what do you have responsibility for? What does a typical day look like?

I’m a Partner in Birketts’ Property Disputes team here in Bristol. With over 25 years of experience, I work on a wide range of commercial property disputes, advising clients on development and infrastructure issues, dilapidations and other property matters. As well as my day-to-day client work, as a senior member of the Bristol team I support the growth of our expanding office, building local connections to cement Birketts’ position in Bristol and the South-West. A typical day involves advising clients, mentoring colleagues and meeting others in the region’s business community.   

What does your organisation do? Why do you like working for them?

Birketts is a UK Top 50 law firm, with seven offices, from Bristol across to London, the South-East and East Anglia. With a heritage spanning over 160 years, we advise businesses, organisations and individuals across four principal practice groups: real estate, corporate services, dispute resolution and private client. Defined by our next level law proposition, we work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face. 

It’s an exciting time to be at Birketts. The firm has a distinctly supportive culture alongside ambitious growth plans for our Bristol office at EQ, and it is already making its presence felt in the city. I look forward to playing my part in driving forward the development of the firm’s real estate and property disputes practice in the South-West and nationally.

Why have you joined the Bristol Initiative?

Joining the Bristol Initiative is an important step in cementing Birketts’ position in Bristol’s business community. We’re keen to play a role in positively helping the way our region is shaped, managed and developed. Through the Initiative we’re looking forward to connecting with other local organisations and getting involved in projects that will make a positive difference. 

Alongside this, joining the Bristol Initiative will provide our people with more opportunities to meet and collaborate with others in Bristol’s business community while helping them to stay informed about what’s happening in the region. 

What are the key agendas you’re looking forward to getting involved with?

Of course, we’re looking forward to the prospect of helping to promote Bristol as a great place to live, work and do business. But our role in the Bristol Initiative will go wider than that. In fact, there are some clear areas of overlap with our own values and way of doing business which present some exciting opportunities for our people to be involved. Birketts has always placed great emphasis on positively impacting the local communities in which we operate, so we’ll be getting involved in community and inclusion initiatives and taking part in conversations around responsible business and sustainability. Our deep sector expertise also means that we will be able to share insights and learning from different sectors, including clean energy and residential development, across the region, while collaborating with other members on local events and networking. There’s a lot to look forward to! 

Where is your favourite place to visit in Bristol?

Bristol is a wonderful city, with many lovely places to visit. I will always have a soft spot for the Downs, where my older kids first learned to ride their bikes. I am also a big fan of the Watershed, for its endlessly interesting films; and finally, a shout-out to George, the proprietor of Baristas, and the best coffee shop in Bristol, if not the world! 

If you'd like to follow Patrick on social media you can do so on Linkedin here, and you can follow and find out more about Birketts there too. Also if you are a member of The Bristol Initiative and would like to be featured in a blog just like this one then you can get in touch with Jenny.