Addleshaw Goddard is an international law firm which supports clients at home and abroad from its growing practice in Scotland.

The firm's roots in Scotland can be traced to the independent law firm HBJ, which became part of Addleshaw Goddard in 2017 amid a wave of consolidation across the Scottish legal sector.

Head of Scotland Alan Shanks played a major role in that deal and signals his determination to continue growing the firm's presence north of the Border.

What is your business called?

Addleshaw Goddard

Where is it based?

We have offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen in Scotland among 18 offices globally.

What does it produce/do?

We are an international law firm providing commercial legal advice. Scotland is a dynamic market for us and it is important that we have a strong presence here. We work with clients to help them solve problems, deliver transactions, defend rights, comply with regulations and mitigate risk.

As well as local opportunities, our lawyers have skills that can be exported into other markets - we have teams regularly doing complex, multi-jurisdictional work, all from Scotland. In Aberdeen, for example, we regularly link that part of our business with the firm's significant presence in the Middle East.

To whom does it sell?

As one of the biggest firms in Scotland, we act for many of the largest and most significant corporates, financial institutions, and government bodies. However, we also advise businesses of all types and sizes. We have a real appetite to help high-performing businesses in Scotland flourish and realise their potential.

What is its turnover?

Addleshaw Goddard's global turnover was £443million in the most recent financial year. The Scottish operation has enjoyed double-digit income growth every year since 2017, more than doubling in size in that time.

How many employees?

More than 300 people in Scotland, including around 170 lawyers - 50 of them partners.

Why did you take the plunge?

Until 2017, the business was an independent Scottish law firm called HBJ. We recognised changes taking place in the Scottish legal market and decided that the most effective way of growing was to become part of an international firm. Increasingly, clients need access to a wider range of specialist legal skills, greater bench strength and advisers with the ability to deploy cutting edge legal tech. A decision was made to merge with Addleshaw Goddard, who did not previously have any presence north of the Border, and we haven't looked back.

What were you doing before?

I studied law at university partly because I didn't know for sure what I wanted to do and thought that it would be a good degree to keep my options open. It turned out that I really enjoyed it – it's quite different from what many people might expect. The legal sector is a modern, fast-paced industry at the cutting edge of technology, including the adoption on AI. It is a really fulfilling, varied career that I would recommend to any young person.

What do you least enjoy?

In these days of hybrid and agile working, remembering to book a desk in whichever office I am in!

What are your ambitions for the firm?

We want to continue our growth trajectory in the Scotland. Addleshaw Goddard has a stated ambition to double in size by 2030 and the Scottish part of the firm will make a significant contribution to that.

What single thing would most help?

As a general observation, we could do with a period of political and economic stability which would be good for businesses in general. Business likes certainty but we are in a period characterised by many different overlapping and interlinking events which have all had a significant economic impact.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Not being afraid to seek help or input from others. Even when you are at an advanced stage in your career, it is always worth getting a range of views as part of your decision-making process. I regularly seek advice from colleagues, peers and contemporaries in other sectors. This has undoubtedly helped shape my decision making for the better.

Where do you find yourself most at ease?

As I travel a lot, I really enjoy a quiet weekend at home with my family – which often involves watching from the touchline as my children play rugby or hockey. I also love the outdoors, so the occasional round of golf or getting into the mountains either hillwalking or skiing is a great way of switching off.

If you weren’t in your current role, what job would you most fancy?

I would have loved to have been a journalist or an author and would like to think I have a book in me. I love playing around with words and sentence structures - that's probably one of the reasons which I enjoy being a lawyer.

What phrase or quotation has inspired you the most?

There is a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill to the effect of "If you are going through hell, keep going." I think any job will have tough points but one of the qualities which sets some lawyers apart is their resilience and commitment when it comes to delivering for their clients.

What is the best book you have ever read? Why is it the best?

I'm a fan of 20th century American literature and would probably pick something by John Irving – Until I Find You was the most recent book I've read by him.

What has been your most challenging moment in life or business?

HBJ opened an office in Dubai just before the global financial crisis struck and the business community there was thrown into turmoil. I moved out to the Middle East with my family in 2009 to lead the business, without knowing how long for or how things might play out. It was a complicated time but ultimately a great experience personally and professionally. It reinforced to me how transferable the skills I had developed as a lawyer working in Edinburgh were in an international context.

What do you now know that you wish you had known when starting out in your career?

How much the legal industry was going to change during the course of my career. Client requirements have evolved and the profession has had to react to this.

Some of the stalwarts of the Scottish legal community have disappeared completely while others have merged or grown to new prominence. In short, it can feel like we've been in a state of flux for most of the past 25 years and with more on the horizon. Keeping an open mind and embracing change and the opportunities it creates has been essential.