Candidates

Anderson, Colin

Campbell, Jonathan

Carson, Stuart

Haran, Paul

Hutchison, Mark

Leslie, Kim

MacKay, Ross

McIntyre, Ewan

Malone, Brandon

Melville, Victoria

Murray, Susan

Wiseman, Eilidh Candidate Information

Name: Colin W Anderson

Place(s) of Business: 15 Buckstone Place, EH10 6UB

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications: LLB (Hons.) ; Notary Public

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 29 November 1977

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail): Retired Solicitor

Service to Local Faculty or :

Member of Society Career Mentoring Scheme

In-House Lawyers Group Committee 1988 – 2012, including 15 years as Vice-

Chairman

Represented Society on the Board of the European Company Lawyers Association

1988 – 2005, including serving as Vice-President and President

Former Member of Society Competition Law sub-committee

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) – I have always taken a very close interest in the work of the Council and the issues facing the legal profession. I consider my experience and skills gained over 35 years in the legal profession would enable me to make a positive contribution to the Council’s work. While I have spent the larger part of my career in-house, I also spent 10 years in private practice. When I was in-house at Standard Life, I worked extensively with law firms, both large and small, in Scotland and the rest of the World. I also have considerable management and budgeting experience which I can bring to this role. I have extensive experience of committee work with the Society and also through my involvement with community organisations and a charity. I have the time to devote to this important role. Council Members must be aware of and represent the views of their constituents. If elected, I would propose to hold a monthly surgery in Edinburgh and issue a quarterly report on what I have done etc. These are difficult and challenging times for the legal profession and the Council must take the lead in supporting its members and defending their interests. This role would enable me to give something back to the legal profession and I would ask for your support to enable me to get involved in the Council’s work. Candidate Information

Name: Jonathan Campbell

Place(s) of Business: Capital Defence Lawyers 34 Leith Walk Edinburgh EH6 5AA

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

LLB. Hons, University Of

Diploma In Legal Practice, GGSL

th Date of Admission as a solicitor: 4 August 2008

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Assistant at Capital Defence Lawyers.

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

I am a solicitor working in criminal defence and children’s referral cases. I predominantly act in criminal cases within Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

I want the Council to reflect the diverse areas of practice within the profession. Against the background of proposed widespread reform I feel that it is particularly important to have representatives who regularly appear in court and have experience of the day to day workings of the Scottish court system. I hope to represent and protect the interests of court practioners working in both criminal and civil litigation. As a solicitor who is less than 5 years qualified I feel that I can represent the interests of trainees and newly qualified members of the profession and give them an additional voice on the Council. Candidate Information

Name: Stuart Graham Carson

Place(s) of Business: Wilson McLeod, Criminal Defence Lawyers 44 St Mary’s Street Edinburgh, EH1 1SX

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

Bachelor of Laws Degree.

Diploma in Legal Practice

Solicitor Advocate

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 1988

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Partner – Wilson McLeod Criminal Defence Lawyers

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Edinburgh Barr Association Committee member on various occasions during my professional career.

More recently I have been a faculty representative from the Barr Association liaising with the Legal Aid Negotiating Team of the Law Society of Scotland.

In recent years I have also been an advisor to the Edinburgh Barr Association on

Legal Aid matters.

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

The profession currently faces more significant challenges than it has ever done. From my work with the Edinburgh Barr Association with the Committee of the Society of Solicitor Advocates and the Criminal Practitioners Forum a I have gained an in depth knowledge of a range of skills which would be of assistance to the Council in addressing the challenges that the profession faces. I am of the view that the Council requires individuals who have not only the ability but the willingness to devote the time and attention required to assist the profession. Candidate Information

Name: PAUL HARAN

Place(s) of Business:

PUBLIC DEFENCE SOLICITORS’ OFFICE

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

LLB(Hons), DipLP, NP

Date of Admission as a solicitor: March 2002

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Solicitor-Advocate and Head of Office, PDSO Edinburgh

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Previous Council member of Edinburgh Bar Association

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

I have spent over 13 years working in Edinburgh in the field of criminal defence. I believe that I am well placed to represent both criminal and civil court practitioners in the Edinburgh area. I also have a strong knowledge and experience of Legal Aid practice. As a large area with 5 Council places, I believe that Edinburgh would be well served by having a representative with an exclusively court based background.

I have previously served as a Council member in the Edinburgh Bar Association and I have very good relationships with local practitioners.

As a Solicitor-Advocate, I also practice in the High Court of Justiciary. A first hand knowledge of the operations of the High Court will further help me in representing the interests of local practitioners. Candidate Information

Name: Mark S Hutchison

Place(s) of Business: Gilfedder & McInnes, 101 Leith Walk, Edinburgh

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

MA. LLB. Dip LP. NP.

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 1984

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Solicitor with medium sized criminal firm carrying out mainly Legal Aid work

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Member of Edinburgh Bar Association for over a decade

Member of Edinburgh Bar Association/Scottish Legal Aid Board Liaison Committee

Member of Criminal Practitioner Forum with Law Society

Member Law Society Committee re Solemn Fees/ Peer Review.

Tutor Criminal Law and Evidence, University of Edinburgh

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

As a solicitor in private practice for many years I have been fortunate to have had experience in working in a large firm environment, small firms and also medium size firms. I hope that this experience will give me some insight into the problems facing our profession in what has been a difficult time, as well as the opportunities ahead.

I have served on a number of committees with the Law Society and the Edinburgh Bar Association. I have also liaised with politicians of various parties, civil servants and the media to represent the views of solicitors.

There are challenges ahead for the whole profession. I would like to play a part in facing up to those challenges. I would hope to protect and promote the interests of the profession. I believe the society should robustly promote our interests and offer guidance to the government when they seek to regulate the profession.

I would hope that my skills and experience would be an asset to the society. Candidate Information

Name: Kim Leslie

Place(s) of Business: Digby Brown LLP

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications: LLB (Hons)

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 1999

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Self employed

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Council member for the Law Society since 2004.

Current committee positions: • Convenor of Civil Justice Committee; • Member of Remuneration Committee; • Member of Audit Committee; • Mentor in Law Society Trainees Scheme

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

I believe the profession is coming through a period of considerable change - for some it has been a fight to survive, for others an opportunity to thrive. We are a diverse profession. The challenges and opportunities vary depending on the work that you do and/or the way in which you do it. However, I consider that, at the core we are still a collegiate profession. I believe the brand of Solicitor retains a real value. It is in all of our interests that the reputation of the profession is preserved and promoted. This requires leaders within Council capable and prepared to decision make on your behalf. It also requires a competence in strategic planning and a degree of common sense. I am comfortable with strategic planning and change management. It is very much part of the culture at Digby Brown. Indeed, change invigorates me. Furthermore, I am a litigator and have developed skills in drilling down to the core of an issue and constructing an argument. This can be transferred to the work as a Council member. Finally, I hugely enjoy meeting people. I would therefore welcome any opportunity to speak to and listen to members of the profession to convey their views to Council. Candidate Information

Name: Ross MacKay

Place(s) of Business: HBJ Gateley, 19 Canning St, Edinburgh

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications: Ll B (Hons) Aberdeen , WS, NP

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 1982

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Partner/member with HBJ Gateley

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland: presently Convenor of

Property Law Committee, Convenor of Insurance Committee, Chair of Working

Parties on Future of Conveyancing and Smartcard Practicing Certificate Project ;

Chair of Edinburgh Conveyancers Forum

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

Having been on Council for 8 years I feel I still have something to contribute to the profession and Society particularly in relation to property matters – all will know the issues we currently face and I would hope that the experience gained over the last number of years will assist in various projects now under way.

Candidate Information

Name: Ewan McIntyre

Place(s) of Business: 50 Lothian Road, Edinburgh

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

LLB Hons, Dip LP. Member of the WS Society Member of the Financial Services Lawyers Association Member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 1993

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Dispute Resolution Partner in LLP ( 2011 to date)

Board Member of social care charity ‘Turning Point Scotland’ (2009 to date)

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

I have decided to stand for election to Council this year to allow me to contribute to the discussion about how best the Society can support the profession during this time of unprecedented change.

Members are all too aware that our individual markets are developing at an accelerating rate. Continuing pressures on sources of funding, especially the legal aid budget, civil court reform and consolidation in the profession all bring challenges that require sensitive handling. On the flip side, these changes bring opportunities. It is essential that the profession embraces those opportunities for the good of current members and future generations. In participating in the discussions at Council over setting the Society’s strategy and corporate plan, I would do my best to identify those.

The Society has the privilege of having both a representative and a regulatory role. This brings obvious tensions but, if elected, I would bring to Council my board level experience of balancing competing and sensitive issues. That experience has been gained both from within law firms of varying sizes and from within the third sector where I hold a non-executive position in a substantial social care charity. I have found my board experience to be tremendously rewarding and it would be an honour to be elected to join Council. Candidate Information

Name: Brandon Malone

Place(s) of Business: McClure Naismith, 3 Ponton Street, Edinburgh

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications: LLB, LLM (), Dip. L.P., MCIArb, FRICS, NP, WS, Solicitor Advocate, Chartered Surveyor

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 16 August 1993

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Partner, McClure Naismith LLP

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland: Since 2010, I have assisted the Law Society with its arbitration programme, including representing the Society on the Scottish Government committee set up to establish an international dispute resolution centre, formulating and setting up the Scottish Arbitration Centre, representing the Society on the Centre’s board, setting up the Society’s specialist accreditation in arbitration and convening the arbitration accreditation panel. In 2013, I joined the Society’s Constitutional Law Subcommittee, and have assisted with the Society’s responses to various consultations. I have also participated as a speaker in Update conference for many years, initially in the field of information technology, through the Society for Computers and Law, and also in the fields of construction law and arbitration through my involvement with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Scottish Arbitration Centre.

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) – I am standing for the Council because I want to contribute to the success of the profession at this important time for the Scottish legal sector. The independence referendum has increased Scotland’s international profile, and I want to help the profession to capitalise on this, and maximise the opportunities that the current focus on Scotland presents. Through my work in the Scottish Arbitration Centre, I have gained a great deal of experience in promoting the Scottish jurisdiction and in dealing with the Scottish and UK Governments. I have good links with other professional bodies, such as the RICS and I have worked successfully with the RICS, the , CIArb, and the Scottish Government in promoting Scotland as a place to resolve disputes. I have also worked with the UK Government through meetings and consultations with the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate General, helping to ensure that the Scottish profession now features in the UK Government’s revised “Plan for Growth”. Bringing new quality work to Scotland is a key objective for me. I want to help the profession innovate and diversify so as to increase its strength and resilience. I want to do my part to help make Scotland as favourable a legal environment as possible for clients and lawyers, so as to attract and retain business and talent. Access to justice is also an area of interest for me, and I want to assist with the Society’s key role in its defence and promotion. Candidate Information

Name: Victoria Marchbank Melville

Place(s) of Business:

Simpson & Marwick, Edinburgh

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

LLB (Hons), DIP LP

Date of Admission as a solicitor: 28/09/2000

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Self-employed - partner

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

None

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

A privilege of being a lawyer is the opportunity to help individuals and organisations. I believe that the law must be seen to be accessible, affordable and working in the interest of all resulting in a strong, healthy and prosperous profession. I have a desire to facilitate that, through active participation on the Council by deploying my skills on behalf of the profession.

I have extensive knowledge of issues affecting individual users of Scotland’s civil justice system having acted my entire professional life in cases involving claimants and the insurance industry. I am knowledgeable about issues affecting businesses, private citizens, companies and other organisations using the system. Scotland’s legal system is undergoing a massive – but nevertheless exciting - period of reform and the Society’s Council plays an active role engaging in that process. Never has there been such a range of pressures, both financially and personally, affecting lawyers in our jurisdiction. I have always maintained an active curiosity and interest, not just in my own area, civil justice, but in the wider profession. I will bring an open perspective to issues and challenges facing the Scottish legal community at large.

I will commit to ensuring that members of the Society are represented with integrity, objectivity and passion. My experience of being a partner of a diverse organisation since 2009, representing commercial organisations, evidences my ability to think strategically about complex issues. I will bring those skills with me in identifying and dealing with the interests most important to the members. Candidate Information

Name: Mrs Susan A Murray

Place(s) of Business:

National Services Scotland – Scottish Health Service Central Legal Office

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

LL.B., LLM (with distinction), Dip.L.P.

th Date of Admission as a solicitor: 19 September 1984

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Employed - Senior Solicitor (Litigation) - Scottish Health Service Central Legal Office

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Panel Member - Specialist Re-accreditation – Medical Negligence Law

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

I am very enthusiastic to broaden my understanding of the legal profession in Scotland by playing an active part in the wide range of work that the Society undertakes on behalf of Scottish Members. I have been employed as a Senior Litigation Solicitor in the Scottish Health Service for many years and am aware of the challenges involved in representing individual interests and balancing them with those of the wider public. In advising Health Service clients, including decision making committees, I have inside experience of how Committees and Boards operate. I am also a member of the CLO’s Senior Management Team and, as employee representative, I am actively involved in the ongoing business of the office, as well as strategic planning. I feel that I have now reached a stage in my career where I do have a great deal to contribute to the Law Society, and the profession in Scotland, beyond my current role as a Specialist Accreditation Panel Member for Medical Negligence. As the mother of a newly qualified lawyer and two children currently studying law at university, I have a considerable interest in the future of the profession. I am keen to become a Council Member of the Law Society of Scotland and to work on behalf of Solicitor Members in all areas of practice.

Candidate Information

Name: Eilidh Ann Campbell Wiseman

Place(s) of Business: 9 Harelaw Road, Colinton, Edinburgh, EH13 0DR

Professional degrees, Diplomas or qualifications:

LLB (Hons) DIP LP

Qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales. (QLTT 1997)

Accredited Mediator.

WS, NP.

Date of Admission as a solicitor: October 1987

Current self-employed/employed/unemployed position (please provide detail):

Retired/ Sabbatical with effect from 01/05/2014.

Service to Local Faculty or Law Society of Scotland:

Member of Council 2009 to date.

Member - Editorial Board of Journal of Law Society of Scotland.

Member - Accreditation Panel for Scottish LLB.

Member - Employment Law Sub Committee of Law Reform Sub-Committee (2010 -

2013).

Personal statement as to why you wish to stand for the Council (up to 250 words) –

The legal profession is going through a period of unprecedented change: new entrants to the legal services market, new roles such as "legal analyst", ABS and the continuing downward pressure on fees are having and will continue to have a significant impact on private practice. The In House sector is also facing a period of considerable change as public sector budgets are squeezed and more for less has become the expected norm. Now more than ever the Law Society's strategic direction needs input from solicitors from all branches of the profession. Having recently retired from the partnership of Dundas & Wilson CS LLP and having served on its Board for a number of years, I feel I have some time available to me at this juncture to work with the Board and Council of the Society to help to shape a positive vision for the years ahead, securing, so far as possible, a sustainable future for the profession and all those who work within it. I have enjoyed the last 5 years on Council and am grateful for your support in previous elections. I would be honoured to continue to represent the Edinburgh constituency for a further term.