South Coast: Frettens celebrates 30th birthday

Frettens Solicitors celebrated 30 years of trading with a party at The Old Vicarage Hotel on the July 17. Over 240 clients, contacts, past employees and friends of the firm attended.

Senior partner Ian Fretten commenced practising as a sole practitioner on January 1, 1978 and has spearheaded the development of the firm since then.

He commented: “The firm today is very different to the business I started. In 1978, I had no conceptions of how the business would grow but felt strongly that there was an opportunity in Christchurch and the conurbation for a solicitor’s practice that would offer great service at affordable prices. The subtext was that it was essential to form good working relationships with both clients and introducers – not something for which solicitors were not renowned some 30 years ago! I did not envisage that the firm would grow to its present size of five partners and over 70 staff or that it would occupy a large, prominent office in the heart of Christchurch, plus a second ‘satellite office’ in New Milton. I am immensely proud of what we have been able to achieve.

“I would like to thank our clients and introducers who have supported us over the years. I would also like to pay tribute to the long serving partners and members of staff (past and present) and to thank them for all their efforts. Some, including David Walton, Paul Solomons, Jane Warr, Chris Paterson, Sarah Baron and Julie Frampton have been with the firm for over 10 years, and in some cases over 20 years. They are some of the pillars of our firm and I am grateful to them for their hard work and loyalty over the years. Indeed all of our staff make the business what it is today, not least my four partners, Paul Solomons, Ianthe Slinger, Oonagh McKinney & my son, Matthew Fretten, each of whom play a highly influential and pivotal role in shaping the business. A law firm is only as good as the people within it and ours are some of the best in the area. Our firm has been very fortunate to have been able to rely upon deeply committed staff down the years.”

The next year or two will not be the easiest in the firm’s history given the way in which the global credit crunch has affected the economic climate and property markets in particular. However, 2007 was one of the firm’s best to date: the partnership was joined by Oonagh McKinney, who has significantly built up the commercial property case load and two highly experienced employment lawyers were also recruited to further strengthen our commercial offering. In 2008 the Matrimonial & Debt Recovery teams were reinforced with more new recruits. The partners are confident that the firm will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years to come.