Temple Legal Protection’s 25th Anniversary Party
By Laurence Pipkin, Managing Director
(Estimated reading time: 2 minutes 8 seconds)
We were thrilled recently to celebrate a momentous occasion in our company’s history. To commemorate our 25th anniversary, a splendid garden party was held at Middle Temple, bringing together friends and colleagues from across the legal services community. It was a privilege to host the event in such beautiful surroundings, right in the heart of the City of London.
The celebration was more than just an anniversary; it was a return to our roots.
Back in 1999, our founder, Chris Wait, found inspiration for the company’s name during a visit to Temple Tube Station. Although our base has been in Guildford, Surrey, for the past 25 years, and we have expanded our operations to Bristol and Dublin, it felt fitting to celebrate where it all began.
Reaching a quarter of a century in business is a milestone we are immensely proud of. The legal and insurance marketplaces have seen significant changes over the years, and these have presented daily challenges that require agility, creativity, and a constant commitment to our clients.
Listening to our customers and striving for excellence has always been at the core of our operations.
Chris Wait, who founded Temple Legal Protection 25 years ago, understood these principles well. He, along with his wife Joanne, grew the company with an entrepreneurial spirit and steadfast leadership. Chris, who passed away in late 2022, continues to inspire us with his vision and dedication. Many of you remember Chris for his dynamic presence and unwavering commitment to our clients.
We celebrated our past achievements and look forward to a bright future.
A particular source of inspiration for us is a picture in our boardroom. It depicts Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, fighting Sonny Liston in a legendary title fight. The caption reads “Callery v Gray,” referencing a landmark case involving the recovery of ATE insurance premiums that Temple supported to the Court of Appeal. This image symbolises the underdog spirit and the surprising victories that hard work and innovation can achieve.
At Temple Legal Protection, we have always focused on the long term, aiming to earn and maintain our customer’s trust as their legal expenses insurance partner.
As Muhammad Ali said, “A person who views the world the same at fifty as they did at twenty has wasted thirty years of their life.” We are committed to continuing our journey of learning, innovating, and delivering exceptional service to you for many years to come.
Thank you for being a part of our journey.
Click here to read about ‘Temple Legal Protection – 25 Years at the Leading Edge of Legal Expenses Insurance’ and watch a special timeline video.
Laurence Pipkin
Managing Director
Laurence Pipkin
Laurence started at Temple Legal Protection in 2006 where he was IT Manager until 2017, when promotion to Operations Director saw him join the board of the company. This was followed in June 2019 with his appointment as Managing Director to succeed Chris Wait, the founding MD. Following in those footsteps was a challenge relished by Laurence, and one with the full support of Chris, who became Chairman of the board of directors.
Laurence’s hands-on experience at the heart of the business running the IT systems over many years and his proven expertise in a fast-moving ATE/litigation insurance market has contributed to the respected position in the market place Temple now occupies.
Resting on laurels is not Laurence’s style. His passion and determination to provide market-leading legal expenses insurance products and a total commitment to customer service for partner law firms and brokers put him in the ideal position to lead the business.
Prominent litigators, contemporaries and colleagues speak of Laurence’s sound commercial judgement, technical excellence and agility in product development – all backed by a commitment to robust underwriting principles. This has led to Temple building long-term commercial relationships with leading law firms in the commercial litigation, clinical negligence and personal injury sectors.
Laurence is a Chartered Insurance Underwriting Agent, and associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
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