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Lissa Delf is the entrepreneurial business woman
who decided to ‘go for it’ in the crux of a recession.
Back in 2008 Lissa took the jump with the support
of her husband Brian and resigned from her role as
Cost Manager with North East firm Winns to start
their business Quantum Elite, here Lissa explains the
drive behind her decision.
“At Northumbria University I studied law with a view
to being a Barrister, never got my honours though,
my dissertation was based on the Hillsborough
tragedy, and I was deemed to be too scathing of
the police, maybe I should ask Northumbria to reevaluate their scoring?” Shortly after commencing
her costing career Lissa realised there was a market
opening for a legal costs software and developed her
own. “LAWCalc is my baby, it’s grown over 20 years.
I decided when I was asked to draft bills there must
be an easier way and hence LAWCalc was born, I’ve
spent many hours huddled over the computer coding,
I’m now looking for someone to take it to the legal
marketplace to benefit more than just Solicitors who
instruct us.”
“I’ve worked for various large legal firms in their
Cost Department, with Eversheds at the time being
the largest but wanted to create something. I was
interviewed by a small firm in Byker, by their MD Jeff
Winn, a really lovely guy who explained there were 22
members of staff and no cost department, all of their
work was outsourced, my canvas would be blank.
That really appealed and Jeff said I’d never make
him serious profit, I’ll not say how much and provided
me with what became the norm of unrealistic targets.
It took me three months to reach that first magic
number, I got so excited I jumped up, fell over on my
high heels and broke my foot! After that in the six
years I was with Winns I failed to meet my target only
twice but exceeded it so many times that I think I can
be forgiven.”
As Winns grew Lissa took over the role of IT
Manager as well as Cost Manager and assisted in
their relocation to the ‘Law Supermarket’. After that
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I really needed another challenge Lissa reminisces,
“I’d built a successful Cost Department from nothing
and I was so proud.”
“Leaving was hard but I knew what I wanted. Brian
was totally behind me but that first month when we
still had a mortgage to pay and no one else to rely on
for an income was scary.”
Starting with nothing and an unknown entity didn’t
charm lending banks. They require assurances about
dates of payment which, in litigation, can’t always be
given. S o it was always a risk, “but belief overcomes
all” Lissa affirms. “As a team we have created over
15 jobs, we work for Solicitors in a changing market,
with recent reforms their maximum recoverable costs
for low-value claims are being slashed from £1,200
to £500. Our role is to streamline their recovery, we
stick with our remit – ‘Our business is to maximise the
profit in your business’ After all successful recovery
for them is a fee for ourselves”.
Recently relocating to purpose designed premises,
Quantum Elite are now venturing into the non-fault
accident market. “Not everyone wants to speak
directly to a Solicitor when they have had an accident,
many want to talk to someone like them and that is
very important to us”, this is alongside endeavouring
to become the leading company in the North East for
Legal Cost Support. “I’m determined to ensure that
Solicitors can navigate the changes, our Specialist
Budgeting Team and Advocates unit is paramount
to that, and ‘LAWCalc’ is a wonderful bonus to our
team.”
When asked what the future held Lissa confirmed
that the creation of more jobs was the drive, that
alongside the expansion of the business, so she
states, “if you’re a Solicitor reading this article and
think yes I could do with some cost guidance, please
get in touch. We don’t litigate, we specialise in costs”.
Could this niche North East Company benefit you, I
dare to say they could.