John Nattrass Retirement

25th Oct 2021

This October John Nattrass, an admired colleague of the McHale & Co team, will be retiring. John has had a successful career in law in which he spent his last few years in our Private Client Department dealing with Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney. Within this blog, we will have a look back on his career, time at the firm, and seek to wish him all the best with his plans for the future.

Growing up in a farming village in Leicestershire, John studied at Ashby-de-la-Zouch Grammar School and later studied Law at Durham University, graduating in 1978. He then went on to complete his Articles of Clerkship (training contract in modern language) with Rowlands solicitors in central Manchester in 1979 and was admitted as a solicitor in April 1981. From 1982 John worked as an assistant solicitor for Hills Solicitors before he eventually became a partner of the firm in 1987, where he stayed till its closure in 2013. Finally, in 2013 here at McHale & Co, we had the pleasure of taking him on as part of our team.

Throughout his working life, John concentrated mainly on non-contentious work: property (residential and commercial), wills, probate, powers of attorney, and business law, after realising the contentious side of law did not suit his personality. John credits the longevity and success of his professional life to “being friendly, approachable and conscientious towards clients,” which helped him “build up a rapport with them,” keeping him in good stead as the years passed.

When asked what he enjoyed about working in a High Street firm of solicitors, John remarked on the opportunity to build up relationships with local clients and act for them through many years. “Getting to know families was a great pleasure, in some cases acting for three generations of the same family”. John also very kindly expressed his pleasure at being “able to retire confident in the knowledge that any of my clients who contact McHales in the future will receive a good service from whoever they deal with. I am leaving my clients in good hands.”

We wish John all the best in his retirement and hope he will enjoy the extra time for his favourite pastimes, which include walking his rescue lurcher on the riverside footpaths on the outskirts of Northwich, cycling ( a rediscovered childhood hobby), and football. As a keen follower of football, both a premiership and non-league supporter, John is especially looking forward to getting back to watching more Manchester United games and welcoming back Northwich’s non-league side, Witton Albion.

Again, we would like to thank John for his time and service here at McHale and Co. As partner of the firm Andrew McHale commented he was “delighted that John spent nearly 8 years with us. He is an absolute gentleman and fantastic role model for our younger colleagues”.

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