News & Insights

ArgoGlobal and Keoghs – a top 50 UK law firm specialising in insurance – have begun a unique scheme for cross-training employees.

The secondment is the brainchild of Stewart Muirhead, ArgoGlobal’s head of legal, who is also registered as a training principal with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and tasked with development and training for his team.

“Saying you take career development seriously is one thing,” Muirhead says, “but we wanted to demonstrate that ArgoGlobal actively invests in its employees and focuses on their career aspirations. It makes sense, because employees who see a career path will invest in their future and will stay long term.”

Bradley Hogg joins Keoghs

Bradley Hogg is a member of the compliance team at ArgoGlobal. Having initially trained in law, his legal knowledge brings considerable value to the team and he is keen to progress his legal qualifications without having to leave a job he loves.

“I need contentious litigation experience to qualify as a solicitor, which I can’t get at Argo,” explains Hogg. “Six months with Keoghs will tick that box, and I’ll be working on some really interesting in-depth property and liability litigation cases.”

Training contracts are hard to come by within the legal industry, and Keoghs only offer a limited number per year. Bradley feels privileged to secure a rare opportunity and believes that his industry knowledge and experience with Argo was an important factor.

Neil Trayhurn, partner at Keoghs London office, agrees.

“Bradley has a strong compliance and regulatory background and in-depth knowledge of the insurance industry, which gives him a significant advantage over candidates straight out of university,” he says. “To qualify as a solicitor normally takes two years, but with his qualifying experience, Bradley could fast-track in 18 months. Programmes such as these offer both secondees the opportunity to learn and develop skills that will benefit them in their future careers, which is something Keoghs is keen to support as part of our firm-wide learning and development commitment.”

Thomas Long joins ArgoGlobal

Muirhead and Trayhurn were also keen to realise the secondment in reverse. One of Keoghs’ trainee solicitors, Thomas Long, has just joined ArgoGlobal for six months on a reciprocal arrangement.

For Long, the opportunity provides real-life experience and the chance to get to know the insurance industry much better – including the acronyms!

“As a trainee solicitor, you usually only spend a day or an afternoon with a client and it’s not always easy to get a handle on their business,” Long explains. “Now, I am getting to see things through their eyes and benefitting from an in-depth exposure to the business. It will help me get to the point more quickly and ultimately drive efficiency.”

The secondment has been viewed very positively within the business and may open up similar opportunities for cross-training employees.

“This imaginative scheme really aligns with Argo’s objective of enabling people to develop their careers,” says Dominic Kirby, ArgoGlobal’s managing director. “The knowledge and experience that Bradley will bring home will also benefit our business and strengthen our legal base.”

Find out more about career development opportunities with Ascend With Argo.