Jeremy Thring turned 90 this year, yet his office door remains open. The veteran solicitor, who began his training in 1957, still meets clients and colleagues at his Bath-based firm, Thrings. Colleagues celebrated his birthday with a gathering, but he preferred the funds be redirected to staff or employees. “The people here are terribly kind,” he said. “They want to do a good job — which is really what I want them to do.”
Thring’s career began in an era of phone chords and landed estates. In 1962, his firm served farming families and trusts — a niche that limited growth. “We were too small,” he admitted. Over 17 years as senior partner, he oversaw acquisitions and expansions to Bristol, Swindon, and London. A key move was merging with Titley, Long and Co. to bring in Thomas Shepherd as managing partner. “He gets it done,” Thring said. “I’m more naturally a chairman.”
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The legal field has transformed since Thring’s early days. He praised some changes but criticized the “speed of communications.” “A lawyer has to be bloody brilliant if they have no communication skills,” he warned. AI, he noted, could benefit firms but might not replace human effort. “Training juniors is as important as adopting new tech,” he said. “I’ve always been a people person.”
Workplace culture has shifted, too. “We didn’t have HR to monitor workloads,” Thring recalled. “Bosses are more educated now — a nice point, but also a necessity.” His career had its quirks, like hiring a punt to rescue a client from floodwater. But his path was once altered by his father, who urged him to leave the army during the Cold War. “He said it was time for me to grow up and come home,” Thring said.
His early days as a trainee were “miserable,” but meeting his wife Cynthia changed his outlook. “When you love someone, you want to do your best for them,” he said. The couple shared 60 years together, raising two daughters, five grandchildren, and a great-grandchild. “We are a very close family,” Thring said. “It’s a blessing.”
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Legacy and Looking Ahead
Thring’s firm remains a fixture in Bath, though the legal field continues to evolve. He sees both challenges and opportunities in modernizing the profession. “Technology is a tool, not a replacement,” he said. “People are the heart of it.” His legacy, he believes, lies in his family and the colleagues he’s mentored over decades. “We didn’t have HR back then,” he mused. “But I think we had something better — a sense of responsibility.”
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Notes on the Profession
Thring’s views on the profession’s shifts reflect a balance between tradition and adaptation. While he acknowledges the benefits of modern HR practices, he also values the “old ways” of encouraging loyalty. “Bosses are more educated now,” he said. “But I think they’re also more cautious.” His career, spanning wars, mergers, and technological leaps, shows a belief in resilience. “You adapt, or you’re left behind,” he said. “But you never stop caring.”
