From reception to Partner: Becky Pickford on finding her own career path
In the first of our Career Conversations series, Becky Pickford shares how an unexpected start at Stephens Scown led to a career in law, Partnership and nationally recognised intellectual property work.
Careers rarely follow a straight line. In Career Conversations, we meet people from across Stephens Scown to hear about the different routes their careers have taken, the opportunities that have shaped them and what they have learnt along the way.
We begin with Becky Pickford, who joined Stephens Scown’s reception team without a clear idea of where her career might lead. Today, she is a Partner and leads our specialist Intellectual Property, Data Protection and Technology team. Her journey has taken her through different roles, an alternative route to qualification and significant legal work, but it began simply with wanting a change.
Finding her path
Did Becky imagine a future as a lawyer, let alone a Partner, when she first joined Stephens Scown?
“Absolutely not,” she says. “I’d just left a job in Bristol working six days a week in property and, honestly, I was looking for a Monday-to-Friday job. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career. Being at Stephens Scown opened my eyes to the opportunities available and, with a lot of hard work along the way, I found my path.”
Starting on reception gave Becky the chance to get to know people from across the firm and understand more about the different teams and roles within it.
“Working in reception gave me a strong grounding in how the firm operates and the value of building good relationships. It helped me understand the business and introduced me to people across different teams.”
Those relationships proved important. Colleagues encouraged Becky to think about where she might go next and gave her the confidence to explore other possibilities.
“People I worked with, both in my immediate team and around the firm, would say I should look at opportunities to progress,” she says. “That gave me the push to ask what other roles might be open to me. Once I’d taken that first step, I had more confidence to put myself forward when opportunities came up.”
A different route into law
In 2015, one of those opportunities took Becky into what was then a relatively small Intellectual Property and Data Protection team. She joined as its sixth member and progressed from secretary to paralegal, continuing her training alongside her day-to-day role.
Having already completed a degree in the Study of Religions at Bath Spa University, Becky went on to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive through CILEX while working full-time.
“Qualifying while working full-time was challenging and required commitment and resilience. I got through it by being consistent, being clear about my long-term goals and having the support of colleagues around me.”
That experience has influenced how she now thinks about career development and why she is passionate about showing that there is more than one way to build a career in law.
“I’m passionate about championing alternative routes into the profession and showing that there are multiple paths to success.”
From opportunity to opportunity
Today, Becky leads Stephens Scown’s specialist Intellectual Property, Data Protection and Technology team. Her role combines client work with supporting and developing the people around her.
“No two days are the same. Most days involve supervising and catching up with members of the team, working on more complex IP litigation matters, supporting clients with larger portfolios and projects and advising on data protection.”
Her career has also brought opportunities that would have been difficult to imagine when she first joined reception. Among them was working on the landmark Thatchers v Aldi trade mark case, which ultimately went to the Court of Appeal. Stephens Scown’s Intellectual Property and Data Protection and Commercial Dispute Resolution teams went on to win UK Impact Case of the Year at the 2026 Managing IP Awards for their work on the case, with Becky among the lawyers recognised.
“It was such a rare experience and one I’ll always cherish,” she says. “It was an incredible amount of work, but not every IP specialist gets the opportunity to take a case all the way to the Court of Appeal. I felt very lucky to work with such a great team on it. Seeing the case cited by other lawyers when they are making arguments on trade mark law is something I’m really proud of.”
Becky’s own standing in the field has also been recognised externally. In 2026, she was named a Notable Practitioner in IP STARS, Managing IP’s specialist guide to intellectual property practitioners.
But some of the most rewarding parts of Becky’s role now come from helping others develop.
“The most rewarding part of my job is developing people within our team and across the firm through my role on the training panel.”
It brings her story neatly back to where it began. Early in her career at Stephens Scown, colleagues encouraged Becky to consider opportunities she might otherwise have overlooked. Now she has the chance to support others as they consider where their own careers could take them.
Progression means different things
For Becky, career development is also about more than promotion or job titles.
“Whenever I tell people about my career journey, it’s usually met with some disbelief. Going from reception to Partner isn’t a particularly common route,” she says. “But I think the bigger point is that opportunities are open to everyone, and progression doesn’t always have to mean promotion in the traditional sense.
“There are so many ways to get involved in initiatives and projects outside your day-to-day role. They give you valuable experience, help you work with people outside your immediate team and can open doors you might not have considered.”
And while her career at Stephens Scown has taken her through different roles, qualification and ultimately into Partnership, Becky says there is another reason she has stayed.
“I think the best part of the firm is the people. I have made friends for life from working here and believe this is our biggest differentiator and benefit.”
Her advice to someone at an earlier stage of their career is to be open about where they want to go, without assuming there is only one route to get there.
“Have confidence in your ability and don’t feel limited by traditional career expectations. Building strong relationships is really important too. Talk to people about your ambitions, seek out opportunities and be open to learning. With the right support and mindset, progression is achievable.”
Becky may not have arrived at Stephens Scown with a long-term career plan, but her experience shows how far being open to opportunities, and having the confidence to take them, can lead.
For anyone interested in developing their career in a supportive and dynamic work environment, please contact our Recruitment Officer, Izzy Shannon.