Celebrating the Scottish tradition of globalisation
Katie Hay, Head of International at the Law Society of Scotland, discusses their work towards becoming a truly international world-class professional body.
One of the early proponents of globalisation, was Adam Smith, who, in his seminal text A Wealth of Nations, argues against barriers to free trade and competition, particularly those imposed by governments. As economies have become more global the consequent demand for global cross-border legal services has grown significantly, and many governments are seeking to break down unnecessary barriers to cross-border trade, including within the legal profession.
An international outlook
Scotland’s legal strengths are in demand worldwide, particularly the expertise gained from working in our established financial services sector, life sciences sector and our innovative oil, gas and renewable energy industry.
You need only look at the websites of our firms to see a variety of case studies on significant international transactions, from US tech houses to the world’s first floating offshore wind farm. With links to European systems of law and a close relationship with the English common law, Scottish law and lawyers have a truly international outlook.
The globalisation of the legal market coupled with our strategic commitment to become a world class organisation has given rise to the appointment of the Society’s first ever international council member to represent the needs and views of those of our members with international careers.
As well as the 600+ Scottish solicitors who work in London (our largest constituency after Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen), we have nearly 600 members throughout the world, on every continent, including over 60 in the Middle East. And that only covers those who have retained the ability to practise Scots law. We are keen to maintain links with all Scots-qualified solicitors who have used their qualification to secure work abroad.
Supporting Scottish legal talent
For several years we have been working with the Scottish Government through its development arm Scottish Development International (SDI) to promote Scottish legal services and identify opportunities for our members within other sectors.
This is set to continue with the launch of Scottish Legal International, an initiative of bigger commercial firms in Scotland in collaboration with SDI and the Society. Its aim is to promote the Scottish legal profession to an international audience through providing:
- advice and practical support to firms looking to expand their horizons
- a recognisable brand at key events in the legal calendar
- access to various networks, including the expanding Globalscot community
At the heart of our strategy is the ambition to drive forward our standing as a truly international, world-class professional body. At a UK level, we are delighted to be involved in the government’s Legal Services are GREAT campaign and we are also members of TheCityUK, benefitting from the research and promotional work they do on behalf of the profession.
Thinking about the international profile of Scottish lawyers also requires us to think about Brexit. We are working to promote the interests of our members, whether as Scottish solicitors, business owners or citizens, in the ongoing negotiations. Our website highlights all of our latest briefings, responses and position papers on Brexit-related legislation and parliamentary inquiries, as well as updates our members on key developments in the negotiations.
Whether it’s through our access to international business networks, events and audiences or by leveraging the resources of government and trade organisations we want to use these opportunities to highlight the wealth of talent and expertise our members have and help them to benefit from the impact of globalisation on the legal profession.
If you’d like to find out more about what we do, and how we might be able to work together, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
