IN PICTURES: Long-standing solicitors firm celebrates ‘surreal’ 75th anniversary in Northampton

Max Engel Solicitors, in Hazelwood Road, marked the milestone at 78 Derngate last Thursday (September 12).

Founder Max first qualified as a solicitor in 1938 and set up an office in London, but war broke out within a year and he volunteered for service in the RAF.

He and his family eventually ended up in Northampton, where he met another local solicitor. Max joined him before setting up his own practice in 1949 in an attic off the historic Market Square.

It was seven years later that they moved to the office in Hazelwood Road and, since then, the town and legal world have changed beyond recognition. Many rival firms of that time have nearly all merged or vanished.

The firm’s focus has switched from crime to the complexities of property and commerce, but what has always remained the same is that the client comes first.

Max remained associated with the firm until he died in 2005 aged 93, and he had been in practice for 67 years – making him one of the longest-serving dozen out of 76,000 solicitors in Britain at the time.

Richard Engel joined his father in the sixties and became senior partner in 1980, working hard to maintain the family tradition of top-class service.

It was 11 years ago that Helen Carville, who had trained with the firm, became managing partner and was entrusted with its future in 2020 when Richard started his well-deserved retirement.

Helen, who runs the ship alongside Sara Lawson, spoke to the Chronicle & Echo about the 75th anniversary and what it means to the firm. She has worked for Max Engel Solicitors for 27 years and it has been her only workplace.

Talking about the company’s values, Helen said: “This is a traditional firm and we don’t have a huge focus on profits. It’s more about the people and clients, and doing a good job for them. We don’t rely heavily on technology, we rely more on people and judgement.”

Helen praised the “supportive and friendly” environment that has been created, along with a good work-life balance that provides everything you could want in a workplace.

The managing partner described celebrating the 75th anniversary as “surreal”, and it also happened that it was her own birthday last Thursday too.

“It was set up long before I was around and I don’t even think my grandparents had met,” said Helen. “It’s quite an achievement.”

Though there are other long-standing solicitors, Helen explained many have been tweaked over the years with new names.

The hope is that Max Engel Solicitors will be around for at least another 75 years and will keep its well-known name. “To lose that would be criminal,” Helen added.

The business may have changed its speciality during that time, but Max Engel Solicitors is proud of the continuity it has upheld – with only three managing partners in that time.

The team, which consists of 18 members and two more who are soon to be onboarded, hopes to continue offering a bespoke, supportive and high quality service.

What sets them apart is that the person you initially speak to is likely to see you through to the end, which Helen says has helped build their “traditional and personal service”.

They wanted to use the 75th anniversary as an opportunity to bring past and present staff and clients together, to thank them for their support and hard work over the decades.

To help see them through the next 75 years, the team is already building towards the future. They are in the process of looking for new premises and have their first SQE qualified solicitor – a system which has recently replaced the traditional qualification.

Take a look at these photos from the celebration of Max Engel Solicitors’ 75th anniversary last week…