For Danielle Lane, staying power has never been about standing still.
Having spent almost two decades with the business through expansions and rebrands, Danielle has seen Cavendish and the wider Movera brand evolve dramatically over the years. But her focus on solving problems, supporting clients and helping colleagues navigate the complex side of conveyancing has never wavered.
Danielle first joined one of the founding brands of Movera nearly 18 years ago as a consultant solicitor, already qualified and building her career in property law. Initially, she had planned to work closely alongside her father, who was also part of the firm at the time. “That was the plan, I was supposed to take over some of his clients eventually, but he never stopped working, so that never really happened.”
Instead, Danielle built her own long-term career within the business, developing a reputation as someone colleagues turn to when transactions become more complicated than expected. “The part I probably enjoy most now is helping people with things they haven’t dealt with before,” she says. “When there’s a difficult or unusual situation, people will often come to me to help work through it.”
With 20 years’ experience as a solicitor, Danielle has seen almost every type of property issue imaginable, something she believes becomes increasingly valuable in a fast-moving industry where no two transactions are ever the same. “Sometimes it’s about experience more than anything else. You’ve probably seen a version of the problem before somewhere along the line.”
Today, Danielle manages her own caseload alongside a team of paralegals, balancing client communication, transaction management and oversight of files at various stages of progression. Regular pipeline reviews help ensure cases continue moving forward and clients remain informed throughout the process. “For me, communication is probably the most important skill in the role. That’s most certainly the case with the clients but also with the other parties involved in the transactions we work alongside every day. It’s often about working as a team with your counterpart to meet both a Buyer and Seller’s expectations; not about proving who knows more, or who’s right or wrong as things are changing all the time. Never be afraid just pick up the phone and discuss an issue with your counterpart because if you haven’t come across it, they might have, so you can utilise their experience which helps to build valuable relationships and earn respect.”
Over the years, one of the biggest changes Danielle has noticed has been the level of operational support now available across the business. “I think the biggest shift came as the business grew. There’s much more support available now, which makes a huge difference to work-life balance and to managing pressure.”
That flexibility has become especially important as Danielle has balanced her legal career alongside family life. “The flexible working arrangements are one of the biggest reasons I’ve stayed so long. There’s trust there. As long as the work gets done, there isn’t unnecessary micromanagement.”
She also points to advances in technology and systems as a major factor in improving both efficiency and consistency across conveyancing teams. “The case management systems make a massive difference. It helps us ensure the files keep progressing, make sure nothing gets forgotten and gives structure to the process.”
For Danielle, though, the most rewarding moments still come back to client outcomes rather than internal milestones. “When things have been difficult or stressful and you still manage to get a client moved within the timescales they hoped for, that’s probably the best feeling.”
That focus on consistency and service is reflected in the feedback she receives from clients, something she admits she takes particular pride in. “I think my lowest review score last year was nine out of ten; I was pretty proud of that.”
Looking back across her career, Danielle believes one of the biggest mistakes people make early on is focusing too heavily on short-term decisions rather than long-term development. “It’s easy to make decisions based purely on money or what seems best right now. But you have to think about the bigger picture and where you want to be five or ten years down the line.”
For those starting out in conveyancing, she believes patience, attention to detail and strong communication skills matter far more than trying to progress too quickly. “There’s plenty of time to build your career. Early on, it’s the learning, support and hands on experience which are the most important things.”
And after nearly two decades with the business in all its different forms, Danielle still believes Movera offers people the chance to build exactly that. “Because it’s such a large organisation, there are lots of different opportunities available. You’re never limited to just one path.”