AI Issue 8 2017

104 Acquisition International - 2017 Excellence Awards Ferguson Legal is a law firm based in Scotland, doing things differently. We invited Carole Ferguson to tell us more about the firm and what makes it so successful. erguson Legal is a commercial law practice specialising in health and safety, regulatory and compliance, alongside doing a lot of work in the oil and gas industry, construction and transport. The practice recently launched “Outsource” which allows companies the luxury of an in-house lawyer without the commitment. Many of the firm’s clients need a part-time legal advisor or someone to boost its in-house team when there is a period of activity and so the firm fulfils that market need. Carole sets about ensuring the team are happy, as she believes it will make them work harder and smarter. Discussing the firm’s overall mission of providing clients with the best service possible, Carole outlines what steps the firm plans to take in order to reach their goals. “Working hard for our clients, our mission is to provide real world legal advice and make working together a pleasure. Law can be very dry and while the team and I relish the detail, we are aware our clients simply want someone to provide solid advice which allows them to make risk-controlled, commercial decisions. As a firm, we hold the work- life balance in very high regard. I believe if the staff are happy then they will work harder and smarter, it is simple really. I am a working mum and many of my staff have commitments outside of work, so we respect this. In return my staff give 100% - and we have a laugh too!” The law industry is very competitive, meaning it is important to stand out from competitors in order to attract the best clients. The culture of the practice is something Carole identifies as a way of marking themselves out of the others. The personal and Company: Ferguson Legal Contact: Carole Ferguson Email: contact@ fergusonlegal.co.uk Phone: 01224 900025 Web: fergusonlegal.co.uk getlawsavvy.com Best for Health & Safety - Scotland F GE170033 genuine approach of the staff is evident, as Carole highlights the care the team put in when dealing with clients. “People genuinely enjoy working with us, so I would like to say it is our culture. We have a sense of humour but we’re also highly trained and award- winning lawyers. It is a cliché to say ‘we go the extra mile for our customers’ but I recently got a call about a health and safety incident in the south of Scotland while at a lunch event in Aberdeenshire. I dropped everything to drive down. The team could have handled it, but I could tell it was going to be a complex case and I wanted to get right on top of it. The client really appreciated how quickly I responded and how organised I was! Also, I wouldn’t manage to do it without the support of my fabulous team who take the strain off me and help with other matters allowing me to focus on providing best help when required.” Brexit is a big issue for law firms and the wider industry in Scotland currently. Carole lists the specific issues affecting the firm and how the team are going about to ensure that clients are kept up to date with changing regulations. “The biggest issue we are facing in Scotland right now is Brexit. We have been writing a blog series explaining the likely impact on each area of the law as we know it is the main thing on our clients’ minds. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety law violations have also recently been updated, so the penalties are much higher. We have been breaking that down for clients too, just to underline the importance of compliance and preventative action.” Carole tells us what techniques the firm employs to keep up with new developments within the industry and keep staff alert. Networking and employing specialist staff, the company is able to keep tabs on future developments enables the practice to concentrate on the next big thing. The firm invests in the client and concentrates hard on its customer based relationships. “The team is very switched on. We all read a lot and keep our social media streams updated with information about changes in the law or cases that set a precedent. We have a dedicated PR and Social Media Manager too who makes sure our communications strategy is on point and writes our monthly newsletter. She’s a trained journalist so she’s particularly good at keeping us relevant – our June newsletter was a Grenfell Tower special, “The culture within the company is fun. We all work really hard but we love the law and get such a buzz out of helping our clients when the you-know-what hits the fan. Our culture is very much to become part of our clients’ team, so we invest emotionally in our work too which I think the clients really appreciate.”