An Interview with Linda Ly

Linda explains what it means to be a Professional Support Lawyer within the firm and shares insights on how she contributes towards the success of the firm’s residential property team, by staying ahead of key developments in the world of residential property. 

Pardeep: Linda, could you walk us through your route into law (if you still remember that is!) 

Linda:  Gosh it seems a lifetime ago. I didn’t grow up thinking I would end up being a lawyer and decided on a law degree when I left school because it offers flexibility within and outside of the legal profession and would be valuable across a range of industries.

After my degree Law degree, I decided to get a job for the summer and ended up working for a national firm in their conveyancing department in 2005. I realised within a couple of months in conveyancing that I really enjoyed the satisfaction of helping people achieve such a big milestone in life.  It is fast-paced and varied, as no two properties are the same. Whilst working I completed my LPC and started a family so with a baby in tow I decided to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive as I could do this in my own time whilst working full time and raising a young family.

Pardeep: How does residential property work in 2025 compare to what it was like when you first started working in this area? 

Linda: I’m sure most of us that have been around for a while will say that it is so much more complex than when it was when we first started. The increase in regulation and legal complexity means that transactions are taking so much longer than they used to. There is a lot more to consider and analyse.

That said, when I first came into conveyancing a large percentage of the properties were unregistered and nowadays it seems to be a bit of a dying art to review old deeds and the weird and wonderful covenants that we used to see in those.

Most correspondence was by post or fax, unlike today where most correspondence is by email and so a same day response to correspondence was not expected in those days.

Pardeep: You, along with Rebecca Howard, started off working as client-facing lawyers within the firm, and then your role evolved into non-client facing. What attracted you to the role of a PSL and step away from client-facing work? 

Linda:  Family life mainly and also over the years I have realised that I enjoy the challenge of the critical thinking, research and problem-solving side of conveyancing rather than dealing with the everyday interactions with clients, agents and other solicitors.

Pardeep: What does your role as a PSL in the residential property team look like on a day-to-day basis?

Linda: It can vary vastly from day to day. It might be assisting my colleagues with the more day to day tasks to assist with their capacity/ holiday needs to a legal issue with a complex title or it could be assisting a colleague with a complex source of funds issue.

Pardeep: Your role involves helping the team with complex and non-standard AML matters. But you also use a rota which helps you focus on a particular lawyer’s work, before moving onto the next lawyer in the department. What do you most like about this?

Linda: I like that I am able to give the fee earner a fresh set of eyes on their matters. I’m not involved in the everyday back and forth of emails between the parties involved and so can help to see what the path to progress a matter forward looks like and also pick up on anything that needs to be reported to a client and lender.

I also have the time and mental capacity without the distractions to deep dive into complex AML arrangements and guide the teams as to what questions to ask to ensure that we are compliant with our obligations in terms of AML.

Pardeep: In your view, how does your work support the client-facing lawyers within the firm? 

Linda: As I work in the background, I have the space and time to focus on the more complex issues, and I am able to advise the lawyers as to the key information that needs to be conveyed to the client and advise as to how to overcome a particular legal issue.

I’m often asked for a second opinion on legal issues, which offers our client facing lawyers reassurance and knowledge if it is something that they haven’t come across before, it will give them the confidence to explain the issue to the client and deal with it if they come across it again.

I also have the capacity to be able to research and check any issues that I may not have ever come across before. Every day is a learning day and even having 20 years’ experience under my belt, I still see things that I haven’t before and there are still opportunities for growth and learning within my own knowledge.

Pardeep: Do you have any tips when keeping up to date with new legislation, legal updates, knowledge sharing and updating policies and precedents?

Linda:  I keep a good eye on the news and any developments within the legal news and consider how this may impact the work we do, I subscribe to legal publications and undertake a lot of training to ensure that we are as up to date as possible and that any information is passed onto fee earners and our reports to clients are updated as necessary.

Pardeep: If there was one thing you could change in residential property, what would that be and why?

Linda: I wish it could be a more simplified process that is efficient and that there was more of a unified standard across the industry. How many times have we all dealt with a transaction where we are having to go back and forth many times over the same issue unnecessarily because the lawyer on the other side is perhaps lacking in experience and knowledge and so the transaction drags out for weeks on end causing all parties to be at an impasse?

Pardeep: What’s your top tip for someone that wants to get into a professional support role?

Linda: Knowledge is key and this comes with experience and training. You are the go-to person and so having a bank of knowledge and an approachable manner is essential to be able to do well in this role.