Rollits 180: “I love my job and the people I work with”

We’re delighted to be working with Rollits to create a series of heritage articles that celebrate the law firm’s 180th anniversary. This time we had a chat with Kerry Horton, who has been with the firm since 1993.

Kerry Horton works in the Records team with her colleague Adam Oldfield, having first joined Rollits back in 1993 when she was just 17. With almost thirty years of service at the law firm, she’s seen enormous changes in the way day-to-day operations are carried out.

“The Records department is where all of our clients’ matters are documented and archived,” says Kerry. “Part of my role is to open and maintain the records, look after the wills, EPAs and LPAs, retrieve a client’s deeds when a partner needs to access them, manage archived files, deal with enquiries, and of course answer constant emails. It’s a very busy department that allows the entire firm to run smoothly.”

Kerry has remained working in the office during the last year in order to put all of these documents onto the system, allowing other colleagues to work remotely.

“The pandemic has been a hectic time for everyone but the last 14 months in particular have seen a lot of changes for Rollits,” says Kerry. “This is because we installed a new practice management system last year that increases productivity across the board. Getting used to the new system has been a learning curve but we’re now in full flow and reaping the benefits.”

Kerry also tells us that she’s seen Rollits transform from multiple branches across Yorkshire to two main bases in Hull and York. Meanwhile, the individual office layout where each lawyer had an office has been replaced by an open-plan format:

“It was a massive change but it was well worth it. All of the partners and wider teams work together now, which benefits communication and teamwork. It felt a bit strange at first and even now I sometimes walk in and feel like it’s a brand new office, even though we moved here almost six years ago.”

This most recent move, back in 2016, saw Rollits relocate from Wilberforce Court (opposite Wilberforce House) to its current home at the other end of the High Street, at Citadel House. The law firm has invested a lot of time and effort into creating a welcoming space that clients can visit to discuss their legal matters, which simultaneously offers them an opportunity to admire artwork by local photographers on the walls of the reception area.

“I’ve always enjoyed being part of Rollits,” adds Kerry. “ I love my job and the people I work with. I’ve never known it to not be busy and there’s always plenty to do, so it’s a very rewarding place to work.”

Hull Is This is sharing regular articles and interviews to help Rollits celebrate their special anniversary. Keep checking our Heritage section for new updates and exciting announcements.