From Post Room to Partner: A Conversation with Grant Sanders of Stephen Rimmer

Few leaders in the legal sector have a career story quite like Grant Sanders. Now Partner and Practice Manager at a successful East Sussex firm, Stephen Rimmer LLP, Grant began his law firm career in the post room - with no family in law, no traditional legal route, and no sense of just how far his journey would take him.

Today, he oversees operations, IT, compliance, people, and the strategic direction of a 115-person law firm that values independence, long-term client relationships, and continually improving how legal work gets done.

In this edition of Managing Partner Diaries, Grant speaks candidly about leadership, tech, culture, and the future of the high-street law firm.

You took a non-traditional route into law - literally starting in the post room whilst studying. Tell us a bit about your journey into law and how that has shaped your view of how a law firm should operate.

Yes, one of my first jobs was an administration role at Eastbourne Magistrates Court, and whilst working there, I discovered the CILEX route to becoming a lawyer. In my search for a firm of solicitors who would support me, I wrote to every firm in Eastbourne, Hailsham, Bexhill, Hastings - everywhere. Only two replied, and the job I chose was here at Stephen Rimmer as an Office Junior. I didn’t really know what a law firm did, so I thought the post room was the best place to learn. It absolutely was.

From there, I moved into the finance team, then eventually into a private client. I basically annoyed every Partner until someone gave me a chance. Those early years were invaluable: seeing how the money moves, how files are handled, how teams work.

And I owe a huge amount to Nick Manning, who was Head of Private Client at that time. He taught me how to deal with clients, how to manage people, and how to run a department. I absolutely wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

Later, when I spent eight years at Co-op Legal Services, I stepped fully into operational roles and learned corporate leadership, case management development, process mapping, tech vetting - all the things you don’t get on the high street. Whilst running a team of 30 in Bristol, I set up their first Probate office in Manchester. Whilst I learned a huge amount from this experience, I also realised that there is still very much a place for your traditional high-street firm of ‘family’ solicitors.

That then brings me back to where I started. I returned to Stephen Rimmer in 2018 as Practice Manager and was made a Partner in 2020. My role today is varied. I’m responsible for operations, marketing, people, compliance and IT. I’m also the firm’s COLP and Data Protection Officer. 

With IT as a key part of your role at Stephen Rimmer, have you always been interested in IT and technology? Or was this discovered along the way?

I’ve never been a “techie” in the hobby sense. What I do love is continual improvement. I love finding ways to make people’s lives easier. And often, technology is the most effective way to do that. My passion for harbouring good technology grew naturally out of wanting things to work better. I’m always looking at where inefficiencies are to free people from admin to focus on clients - re-keying, slow processes, duplicated effort - and asking how we can remove that friction. Technology is usually the answer.

I’ve learned that tech isn’t the goal - it’s the enabler. The goal is efficiency, good culture, and better outcomes.

What are some of the most transformative tech projects you’ve worked on at Stephen Rimmer?

Xperate has been a huge part of our tech journey. There are several projects we have worked on together over the years, including replacing end-of-life integrations from our CMS, building multiple bespoke integrations to streamline our processes, and one of the most transformative projects – building an automated review request API. Xperate linked our case management system to our review website so that requests automatically go out at the end of a matter. It transformed the volume and consistency of our reviews, which is such an important trust indicator for clients selecting which firm to instruct. We saw a remarkable 45% collection rate instantly.

We continue to work with the Xperate team. Currently, we are in the early stages of a joint development project with another law firm. This came from a conversation at the LawNet Conference. This kind of quiet innovation and collaboration is what really moves the sector forward. More on that to follow!

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned when rolling out new systems?

Change management. Plain and simple.

About a third of people love change, a third tolerate it, and a third initially resist it.

On change management, how do you get lawyers genuinely engaged?

Lawyers generally don’t want to be first. But once someone else has done it, there’s a race to be second. And I’d always prefer to be first!

My approach is to demonstrate the benefits clearly, get buy-in from Partners at the top, then build steering groups and departmental champions to carry the message through. Supporting people through the early stages is key – then let the results do the talking.

And honestly, the best persuader is colleagues seeing others get results. When 70% of the firm are doing things faster and easier, the remaining 30% eventually come along.

How do you measure success with tech projects?

I keep it very simple:

• Time recording
• Utilisation
• Financial outcomes

Since 2018, we’ve improved year on year across all of those measures. But there’s also a cultural measure: if our people are happy that their life has been made easier, and they feel more efficient, then the project is a success.

What’s one piece of tech you couldn’t live without at your firm?

I wish the answer were more glamorous, but honestly, email and Word. Lawyers live in Outlook and Word. 

Where is Stephen Rimmer on the AI train?

We certainly use it. We realised the importance of giving staff an approved AI tool, and quite early on, we developed our AI policy. We trialled Protégé by Lexis+ AI, and within two weeks, the team told me, “We have to have this.” It was the easiest piece of tech we’ve ever rolled out! We aren’t using AI for running cases – it’s purely for sparking ideas, prompts and sense-checking, and because it's closed source, we trust where the data comes from.

How are client expectations changing - and how does legal technology help you meet them?

Clients now expect immediate updates because every other industry delivers immediate updates. But the reality of legal work is different. You can be working diligently on a matter for days, but if you don’t tell the client, they assume nothing’s happening.

So, communication is absolutely critical. Proactive updating is more important than ever.

We pride ourselves on excellent client service, and communication is top of the list for delivering an excellent service.

What kind of leader are you? Is there anyone who has influenced your leadership style?

According to all the leadership training I did during my Co-Op days, I’m very much a “yellow” leader - positive, people-focused, naturally optimistic… probably a people-pleaser to my detriment sometimes! The best way to lead is by example. I’ve always strived to be the hardest-working person in the room. It’s not the hundredth blow that splits the rock, but the ninety-nine that came before it.

In terms of influences, Nick Manning was my first real mentor. He was a fantastic teacher who taught me so much, and I’ll forever be grateful for his trust and guidance.

In the wider profession, I really respect people like Simon McCrum and Sean Jardine - they genuinely walk the walk. And internally, our Senior Partner, Leta Kerin, is extraordinary. Her work ethic, her care for clients and the team - she sets the tone for the entire firm, which she started back in 1981 with Stephen Rimmer.

Fundamentally, everything I do comes back to people. We sell time, yes, but what clients really buy is trust. And you can only build trust if you treat your people well. People will do business with those they know, like and trust. 

What’s next for Stephen Rimmer?

We are now a firm of 115 with two offices in Eastbourne and Hastings. The plan for the years ahead is careful, considered regional growth. 

As a firm, we’re fiercely independent. We want to grow, but never at the expense of the culture or the independence that defines us. We are a team in the truest sense of the word – a place where people genuinely look out for each other, feel seen, supported and valued.

And most importantly: we want to be here. When people need us. Because very few people come to a law firm when things are going well.

Finally, what’s the difference between a good law firm and a great one?

People. Always.

The “know, like, trust” principle is absolutely true. Clients want to sit across from someone they feel confident in, especially in moments of stress. If you can build that trust - not once, but over a lifetime - you can truly be their firm for life.

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