How A Master's In Leadership Helped Me Start My Own Law Firm

Joanna Farquharson had spent a career taking exciting turns, from working as a solicitor for an international commercial law firm to spending more than a decade in the British tennis industry, however she came to feel new steps were necessary to advance her skill set. 

Aiming to do just that, Joanna embarked on the Sloan Master's in Leadership and Strategy at London Business School (LBS), and after graduating in 2019, she felt empowered to take the next step in her career: entrepreneurship. 

Utilizing her newfound knowledge and skills, Joanna went on to launch London Law Collective—a corporate and commercial law firm—with her husband, David Farquharson, a fellow lawyer and guest lecturer at LBS.

Here, she shares how her business school journey helped her envision life an entrepreneur and shape the trajectory of her business.

Tell us about your business

London Law Collective is an award-winning, full-service corporate and commercial law firm offering a wide range of services—from fundraising and other kinds of corporate and commercial work to dispute resolution, IP and data protection, and employment law advice.

What makes us stand out is that the legal advice we provide is of the highest quality, but at a price that makes sense for our clients’ thriving businesses.

For us, though, it isn’t just about law; it’s also about having a positive impact on the world around us and developing a positive and supportive culture at the firm. This is why we are a Certified B Corp, a member of 1% for the Planet, and a Green Small Business. We also recently won the People in Law Award for Best Environmental, Social, and Governance Initiative.

What inspired you to start London Law Collective?

I was a qualified solicitor, training and working on a post-qualified basis at the international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. I then worked for 14 years in British tennis, first as head of legal and governance at the Lawn Tennis Association and ultimately as the executive director of its charity, the Tennis Foundation, which was responsible for disability tennis—including GB’s very successful wheelchair tennis team—as well as tennis in education. It was a privilege to work within tennis, but I began to feel that it was time for a change.

My husband, David Farquharson, remained in private practice, building up a large client base (often of innovative start-ups and more established organizations) across a variety of sectors, including media, tech, fashion, health, and wellness.

Having graduated from the Sloan Master’s at LBS, I was considering my next steps. I knew that despite working in sport, my connection with law continued to influence me—almost as if the training I’d received had become part of my professional DNA.

Over dinner with David in a local bistro one evening, it became increasingly clear to me that we should jointly found a law firm that embodied the values and culture we both believed in. I think David thought I would forget about the idea, but a week later, I became increasingly convinced that this was what we should do.

Tell us more about your business today

We have a team of over 20 people—a mix of employees and specialist consultants—and our turnover is on track to reach £2 million ($2.6 million) this year.

What part did your b-school experience play in developing your business idea?

I had worked for many years in tennis (in various roles—legal and non-legal) but reached a stage where I strongly felt the need to be in a different environment. I love learning, but I realized it was the right time to consolidate what I had learned “on the job” with some academic underpinnings. I also needed time to reflect; our three children were on the verge of leaving school, and this felt like the right moment.

I knew that business school would give me the space and time to reflect, learn new skills, and meet new people in a high-quality environment. The Sloan program at LBS provided the perfect solution—a year-long master’s program for senior professionals to develop their strategic and leadership skills through learning, innovation, and experimentation.

In what ways do you draw upon the skill set you developed at b-school?

When I joined the Sloan program, I thought I would return to work in the charity sector in a more traditional organization.

Initially, I never saw myself as an entrepreneur. However, the time and support I received through coaching, engaging with fellow students, and experiencing a wide range of perspectives at LBS encouraged me to expand my ambitions. 

I still use many of these skills today. For example, at London Law Collective, we have embedded a culture of development and training to ensure that everyone has access to opportunities for growth. We are also keen to bring in external perspectives to broaden our awareness of the world around us—whether by attending conferences and events or facilitating work experience for university students.

Tell us about your typical working day?

I cover the business side of London Law Collective. Every day is different—whether it’s managing our finances, supporting and developing the team, ensuring our compliance is up to scratch, developing and improving our communications and brand, meeting our B Corp obligations, or building new partnerships, such as our collaboration with Slovenian law firm NLaw.

Our employed business team is small, and we work with high-quality consultants who help us with all aspects of our work. It’s busy, varied, and rewarding.

How has your b-school network helped you develop London Law Collective?

We were a close cohort and have stayed in touch, with many of us still meeting up five years later. I find it incredibly useful that I can call on this experienced and knowledgeable network for support, learning, and, of course, enjoying each other’s company.

Many of us have gone in different directions, but I’m always intrigued to know what the cohort is doing—and some of them have even ended up as our clients!

What have been some of the biggest obstacles you’ve encountered?

Our team is our biggest asset, and building a quality team with the necessary legal and engagement skills has been one of the hardest things I’ve done.

Alongside that, building and embedding our culture in line with our values—and finding people who want to work in this environment—has been a challenge, but a good one. Five years on, I’m so proud of all of them.

Where would you like London Law Collective to be in five years’ time?

I want our lawyers to be happy, building their own practices, and continuing to develop as outstanding professionals. I can already see this happening, and I look forward to seeing their progress gain momentum.

What is one surprising thing you’ve learned from starting your venture?

When my husband and I founded London Law Collective, almost everyone we spoke to wondered out loud how we would cope working together. Luckily, our skills are complementary, and I’d say London Law Collective has actually enhanced our life together.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting their own business?

Be brave, be organized, and remember the importance of balancing the “boring” organizational work with the more exciting product and brand development.

Interested in how MBA graduates are making the jump to entrepreneurship? Explore our full My Business Story series.