60-second interview with Yasmin Hoque

What is your role within your firm?

I am the Director of Legal and being a qualified solicitor I provide the legal expertise in delivery of our accessible private client services where some work is conducted in-house, and other work is through being a consultant at specialist law firms supporting delivery of high quality advice and a collaborative input for the client needs. This means we can offer something which is suitable for every client need while championing educating, training and raising awareness of more complex topics. I am the specialist advisor for Islamic Wills, Muslim estate planning and Sharia Inheritance through a combination of religious studies qualifications and a litigation background where I can now channel my non-contentious experience to advise on philanthropic and succession matters across a global audience. 

How did it feel to win a STEP Private Client Award (PCA)?

We were following the awards via social media and feeling very inspired by the other award winners. We were already feeling very blessed to achieve being a finalist as Boutique Firm of the Year and it was a really special moment to then go on and win the award! After the initial shock, we were extremely grateful to receive this prestigious recognition of our unique approach which really motivates us to dream big and be true to our beliefs. 

Why is winning a STEP PCA important to your firm?

Our firm is intentionally different, we are faith-inspired and inclusive to all – putting the client at the very centre of our purpose demonstrates that leading industry experts recognise and value the holistic perspective which we bring to the private client table. For a firm that set up in 2021 with the aim of ensuring high quality and expert advice could reach diverse communities it was very heartwarming to know that we have achieved the ultimate accolade in succeeding amongst submissions from across 29 countries. As our opening statement is to bring sacred values to modern times, we have set the bar high, and this is just the beginning of our journey, it seals our foundation strongly as we continue to build onwards and upwards. 

What are the main challenges facing your organisation/ practitioners at the moment, and how will you deal with them?

I attend focus groups and try to support organisations and practitioners that may be facing challenges, the main challenges tend to be around improvement with efficiency of systems and services to reduce completion times in a comprehensive manner and ensure smooth transactions – often by having time out to talk collaboratively with peers across different firms and industries can help facilitate meaningful discussion where all perspectives are captured. This should be followed up by setting dates for action and review to keep the momentum going on the identified challenges to reach solutions.

What do you like best about your job?

I always say the same thing when asked this question which is the variety; I have taken a career pivot which is a conscious decision to participate in the private client industry after in-depth study through faith and law and it is because I previously had a preconceived idea on what the role would be about that I continued with my research for some time. However, since embarking on founding AL-HQ Law & More, I have truly appreciated the full spectrum of work involved and recognised that private client services impacts every individual and every business and in that way there is so much variety by creating tailored solutions and getting to know each case makes every day a new start, you just never know who or what is coming next and navigating the complex and challenging cases is what keeps me active, engaged and motivated for more. 

...and what do you feel is most worthwhile?

Knowing that a high quality and professional service has been delivered to get to the final point of signing is always a rewarding moment of reflection in every case. When we have been able to assist our clients to fulfil our faith-based inspiration which provides a clear instruction 'not to let two nights pass without having your last Will and testament written and with you' is very worthwhile, I am always so happy to find those that are like-minded and compelled to take such action and although in the reality of modern times it may take more than two nights to get from instructions to final attestation at least it gives us an everlasting motivation that we will continue to strive to achieve this completion for every person without discrimination as they are worth it and we hope they will value themselves enough to want the best available advice too. 

What would you say to a young person thinking of a career in this industry?

Start by signing up to newsletters and industry specific insights to find out what the important and current issues are, this should keep your interest and get you thinking like the leading practitioners and then seek out a mentor or role model who inspires you or who you would like to work with. I personally enjoy to see the enthusiasm of a new joiner and like to support capture this energy towards beneficial career development opportunities such as work experience with the charity sector or business sector to get the flavour of how private client work operates in practice. The combination of reading recent cases and industry updates with practical skills of understanding client needs from any work dealing with people and property will provide an excellent foundation to build upon.

Where do you see future growth, both in terms of sectors and jurisdictions?    

There is a real move towards digital and electronic services across all sectors and the private client industry needs to keep up with this at the pace it is advancing. It is much better to be prepared and plan for changes rather than having it sprung in due to necessity and I see great growth opportunities to bring communities together by becoming more digital and electronic in terms of secure methods of signing, verified witnessing and storage of historical and current paperwork – the technology is already there and us humans we need to get our thinking caps on to enable safe and secure adoption of these possibilities. With my specialism of Sharia inheritance and succession laws I keep up with changes in Muslim-majority jurisdictions to ensure I have the best advice to hand for those in Muslim-minority jurisdictions such as England & Wales, there are great learning opportunities for both outward growth and inward reflection.

Entries for this year's STEP Private Client Awards are open until 12 April.

Find out more about how to enter: https://pca.step.org/2024/entry-kit