French to English Translator | Leading Lawyer-Linguist
Legal and Business Translation Specialist

About Me
I’m Nicole, a qualified French to English legal translator and one of the UK’s leading lawyer-linguists. I’m so happy you’re here.
I’m a multilingual Yorkshire lass who’s turned my love for languages into my dream job. Yorkshire folk are renowned for being friendly and honest, and I’m no exception. So, expect to be treated like one of the family.
I’ve been called Coley for almost as long as I’ve loved languages, so it seemed like the perfect business name. The rest is history!
Speaking of history, I used to work in the legal profession, where I acquired a wealth of useful experience in legal and business translation. I’ve also lived and worked in both the English and French legal jurisdictions before settling in Barcelona.
Enough about me. I want to know more about what I can do for you. That’s why you’re here, after all.
- Do you want to marry the love of your life in a French vineyard?
- How about offering your legal and business services to English-speaking clients?
- Are you taking your business global and want to break into English-speaking markets?
- Have you got your eye on that dream home in the French Riviera?
Don’t let a language barrier stand in the way of your dreams. Get in touch and I’ll take care of the paperwork, so that your dreams become a reality
Where can you find me?
I’m lucky enough to split my time between my Barcelona and UK offices because my business is location independent. So, regardless of where you call home, our location won’t stop us from working together.
Why does a French to English translator live in Barcelona, I hear you ask?
Dedication to language learning. It’s as simple as that. You don’t fully understand your native language until you understand another. But why stop at just one.
Being an expat in a post-Brexit world will tell you something about how seriously I take breaking down language barriers. You want me on your side.
Why should I stand out from the crowd?
I never stop learning. If I’m not teaching legal English to French lawyers, avocats and notaires you’ll usually find me learning the lingo on my travels or mentoring emerging translators.
I have an edge. Not only can you benefit from what I know, but who I know. My unique contacts in the legal and business sectors guarantee that my knowledge and language skills are always bang up to date. This is a huge bonus for you and makes me so much more than your average translator.
I also never turn down an opportunity to immerse myself in all things French, especially if it involves cheese and wine. Whatever you need, I’m always ready to offer you an effective solution in a language you understand.
When I’m not obsessing over words, grammar, or dogs, you can usually find me perusing a budget airline’s website for the latest deals or putting the world to rights with family and friends.
Professional Memberships
- As a Chartered Linguist and Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), I strictly adhere to the CIOL’s Code of Professional Conduct.
- I’m a Member of the Mediterranean Editors and Translators (MET). This is a forum for language consultants to exchange information in the interest of improving our ability to meet the needs of clients within institutions, governments, corporations, and NGOs.
- I’m a Member of the European Legal English Teachers’ Association (EULETA) which unites Legal English teachers from Europe and beyond to promote effective teaching, networking, and the sharing of experience and information.
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I’m a Member of the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), which represents plain language practitioners worldwide and promotes clear communication in any language.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Language isn’t a static phenomenon.
Luckily for you, I’ve always loved learning, so I’m committed to developing my legal and business translation skills to reflect changes in the legal and business sectors.
I ensure that your legal and business documents always achieve their intended purpose by providing innovative and relevant translation solutions for legal and business documents in English.
Examples of my recent CPD activities:
- Legal expert at the Women in Localization Freelancers’ Spa 2022
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ITI webinar – Understanding NDAs and contracts of service
- Speaker at the CIOL Conference 2022 empowering other linguists to “do business on their own terms”
- The ITI‘s Raising the Bar in Legal Translation course
- Maggie Richards’ Introduction to Copywriting course at City, University of London
- The 2019 and 2020 Translating Europe Forum held at the European Commission in Brussels
- “Progressing your career as a legal translator: a day of theory and practice”, CIOL Translating Division
- MET workshop on successful, efficient proofreading
Professional Publications
In a world where ‘cat-fishing’ really does exist, I’m happy to share some examples of recent publications which I’ve worked on or where I simply discuss my work and how much I love it.
- In 2019, I was really proud to be acknowledged as one of the two official translators of a UN report on the recruitment of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read the report entitled “Our Strength Is In Our Youth”: Child Recruitment and Use by Armed Groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2014 – 2017.
- Read a blog post I wrote for the Chartered Institute of Linguists entitled “Protecting children through words” where I talk about my experience translating this UN report. This is now on the recommended reading list for the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies at the Open University.
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Tune into Legal Translation with Nicole Fenwick. In this episode of the Meet the Translator podcast, I talk about the wonderful world of legal translation, my journey and offer you some top tips on following in my footsteps.
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Read my article “Don’t get lost in legal translation” for Núria Masdeu Translations’ blog.
- Read my contribution to Profound Content‘s article on AI copy – a writer’s best friend or evil nemesis?
- Read my Freelancing Insights interview with pricing mentor, Susie Jackson.
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Read my interview with Linguamore about “Freelance Life: Behind the Scenes”.
- I have also featured on ProZ.com‘s “Translators of the World” series.