2019: What are you doing for Christmas?

We asked some of our ATE team members and solicitor partners how they will be spending their Christmases…

17th December 2019
Tell us about your Christmas plans. What will you be doing on the big day? Do you have any particular family traditions?

Enrique Gomez, DAS UK Group: As usual I will spend Christmas with my wife and son. As he’s only five we’ll probably spend a bit of time setting a trap to catch Father Christmas!

Geoff Silva, Silva Legal: Christmas Day will be spent with the family. My father in law will join myself, Sangeeta, and our two boys Rio and Zac on Christmas Eve. We will then open gifts on Christmas morning.

I will then take the boys to Mass, and following that we will all go to my mum’s for Christmas lunch, where we will be joined by my sister and her two grown up children. We will spend the day celebrating the special festive season and hopefully will enjoy the day.

This year Sangeeta and myself want to show the boys that sadly Christmas is not the same for everyone and we will head out and assist those not as fortunate as ourselves. It is important to think of those not as fortunate.

Julie Taberer, AO Advocates: This year I am flying off to spend Christmas in Australia with my husband’s children.

We are not sure quite what the plans will be for Christmas day itself as we have left the plans in the hands of my stepdaughter and stepson. I suspect it will involve a Christmas morning trip to the beach! This will be the first time we have visited them in Australia, so it will be a very special Christmas for us all, and probably the start of some new family traditions!

Nicholas Lee, Paragon Costs Solutions: I am one of six and my wife is one of five. Christmas usually means spending Christmas Day with one side of the family and Boxing Day with the other side. Usually I end up hosting as I have the largest dining area, but thankfully the in-laws are hosting Christmas Day this year and then I will have my immediate family over on Boxing Day.

It is usually a bit of a mad house involving board games, computer games, drinking games and of course a good Christmas movie. It wouldn’t be Christmas without watching Home Alone, the Grinch and the Polar Express.

Paul O’Connor, O’Connors: Trying to get a pound of flesh from a reluctant participant – this time with a carving knife.

John Durbin, DAS UK Group: I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year, not least as I get a bit of time off! I have two small children (six and three) and I think this year will be the first time they really grasp it and I can already sense their excitement bubbling.

For me Christmas is all about family and on the day itself we will be staying at home and my parents will be coming round for Christmas dinner before the rest of my family join us for the evening.

2019: Achievements, fears and tech in law and ATE

We asked some of our ATE team and solicitor partners what their achievements were, what their fears are, and what they thought of the latest technological developments.

December 2019 Learn more
2019: The highs and lows in law and ATE

It’s been another interesting year across the clinical negligence, civil litigation and personal injury sectors. We asked some of our ATE team and solicitor partners for their thoughts on 2019.

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