Smaller law firms across Scotland with tight resources should be using YouTube and social media to promote their local legal services, a conference in Edinburgh heard today.
The WS Society, the oldest membership organisation in the world, serving the legal profession in Scotland, brought together nearly 100 lawyers from across Scotland, to the society’s home in the Signet Library in Edinburgh.
The Small Law Firms Conference was presented by the WS Society, in conjunction with United Employment Lawyers, and supported by Wesleyan, the fund management business, and The Logic IT solutions. In his introduction, Bruce Beveridge, chief executive officer of Stòras Uibhist, said the conference was seeking to shine a light on the smaller Scottish legal businesses that are often overlooked but makes up more than a third of the profession in Scotland.
Brian Inkster, the entrepreneurial founder of Inksters, who has created a network of local legal offices across Scotland, including in Lerwick, Inverness, Portree, Thurso, Wick and Thurso, shared his experience of the past 20 years. The company, with 25 people, has grown by bringing in self-employed practitioners rather than partners, the most recent being a former senior partner from MacRoberts.
He created his #inkesterplex, based on the Googleplex, which creates a less formal atmosphere and an open-plan model. He said the business model has allowed his firm to expand across rural Scotland and that people are happy to work remotely, with solicitors able to work from home and only meeting clients when required in a serviced-business centre.
Inksters has also set up OfficeLodge as a serviced office with overnight accommodation for local businesses in Scotland. This has won an HIE Innovation award for providing accommodation for business people who are travelling to Shetland.
He has dubbed his business ‘the flying solicitors’ prepared to fly to and from the Highlands and Islands. His Glasgow office operates as the hub, with the regional offices as the spokes. Inksters has also built a profile through the use of social media, including Twitter and was the first Scottish law firm on YouTube. He moved his legal services to the Cloud in 2011, allowing solicitors to work remotely using VOP phones, while the cash room services is outsourced. His company also brought in legal processing engineering expertise to make efficiencies and improvements.
“You need to blow your own trumpet a bit. When you’ve finished a case you are often too tired to think about it, but you can make a small and simple video and post it on YouTube,’’ he said.
Malcolm Mackay, the chairman of United Employment Lawyers, the first Scottish lawyer assigned as an employment law specialist, spoke about the importance of local firms serving in towns and communities across Scotland.
“There are big changes going on in the legal world and it is a very exciting. Many local Scottish law firms have a lot going for them and have histories and reputations going back hundreds of years.’’
He said this history, local knowledge and strong reputation are of paramount importance in communities that require near-at-hand legal assistance. He said smaller firms can be more versatile and through collaboration a full service can be offered.
“The test is what is the best interest of the client?… you can run a law firm with very little technology and therefore focus on the people.’’
Iain Burke, managing director of Bannerman Burke, based in the Scottish Borders, said: “High Street law firms are important part of the fabric of the local communities across Scotland.’’
He said going out and seeing clients on their farms, and in their workshops, instead of clients spending time travelling to a big city legal office, has helped break down the barriers. This helps develop a legal specialism, including employment law, in the Borders of Scotland.
