Profile: Antony McFadyen

Tell us about your career so far?

I began my career at Gallen & Co, a high street firm in Glasgow, and remained there after I finished my traineeship. I worked there for just over a decade and spent my time running around most (but sadly not all!) of the sheriff court buildings Scotland has to offer, before joining the Society as a senior solicitor in the Professional Practice team in September 2018.

What for you are the most significant events for the profession since you joined the Society?

It feels like a bit of a cheat of an answer, but it cannot be anything other than the pandemic. The impact that it has had on how firms of all shapes and sizes offer legal services, how the Courts & Tribunals Service has adapted to keep going, and the introduction of home/ hybrid working, has been immense.

I think the profession has squeezed about 20 years’ worth of progress into the last 20 months, and its response to the challenges it has faced has been fantastic.

Had it not been for the pandemic, the reforms that are on the horizon as a result of the Legal Services Review would be top of the list. This offers an opportunity to shape a modern, agile regulatory framework for the profession and it will be interesting to see what reforms are implemented.

What are you most proud of in your career?

It sounds like a slightly hackneyed answer, but I am proud of the profession for coming through the last couple of years in the way that it has and I like to think that I helped in my own way via the work done by the Professional Practice team.

The new ways of working documents that were authored – with significant assistance from the Society’s various committees – about how to deal with the problems created by the pandemic were produced very quickly. These helped to allow solicitors to give their clients the assistance they so badly needed during what was an extremely trying time.

The resilience of the profession shone through and it made me proud to be a part of it.

What’s your top tip for new lawyers?

My top tip for new lawyers is to take every chance you get to learn from somebody more experienced who is willing to help you. Nobody likes having to admit that they don’t know the answer or how to do something, but there is a strength in recognising where you can benefit from the experience of others.

When I started appearing in court there were countless times that more experienced practitioners would give me a nod in the right direction on a case, or an insight into how to deal with a particular sheriff. I will always be grateful for that early assistance as, I’m sure, were my clients.

What keeps you busy outside of work, and did you make any new year’s resolutions?

Most of my time outside of work is spent looking after my young son Gabriel who has just turned 10 months, and getting to spend time with him is just the best thing!

I have never really been one for making resolutions and I stuck by that tactic this year too. They will work for some people, but I’d rather not make a promise to myself that I will end up breaking before February comes around.