Aberdein plans ‘biggest shake-up’ of legal sector

30/09/2020
Rob Aberdein, founder and CEO of Aberdeins

A FORMER Aberdein Considine lawyer is launching his own legal practice promising “the biggest shake up in the Scottish legal scene in decades”.

Aberdeins will be led by Rob Aberdein, who oversaw significant growth for Aberdein Considine before becoming the youngest ever equity partner at English legal powerhouse, Walker Morris.

He is taking an aggressive approach to bringing about change and is already considering acquisitions in professional services areas, including estate agency, property letting, accountancy and financial services.

Aberdeins will be chaired by Tom Barrie, the former MD and owner of Currie European. 

Mr Aberdein, 40, said: “The Aberdeins name will become an umbrella for a wide range of professional services, done differently. At its core will be legal services, but we are not just launching a law firm, we are about to deliver the biggest shake up to the Scottish legal scene in decades.

 “The sector is awash in traditional firms that are top-heavy with partners whose main focus is on maintaining their income, while the work is often delivered by overworked junior staff. A generation of young lawyers no longer find this attractive.

 “That’s before you even talk about the clients, who feel almost constant resentment at the perceived arrogance, lack of responsiveness and value for money they get from their legal firms. Many sectors of the profession have an image problem.

 “Make no mistake, our intention is to be disruptive and we know that won’t make us popular with everyone. But this is long overdue. Others who promised change have ended up turning into exactly the kind of firm they set out to displace. That won’t happen with Aberdeins.”

 He says timing is ideal to use technology to meet the changing demands of ordinary people and small businesses across law and other professional services, to “reflect the 2020s, not the 1950s”. 

Mr Aberdein, who is Managing Director of the new firm, insists professional services must be far less transactional, with a focus on building long-term, meaningful relationships.

 Inspired by tech success stories, he is billing the firm as a mash up of the challenger, app-based bank, Monzo; of Tesla the electric car company headed by billionaire Elon Musk; and of Harvey Specter, the charismatic central character in legal drama, Suits, which launched Meghan Markle’s career.

 He added: “When I speak with people about what we want to achieve it is this description that grabs their attention and makes the hair on the back of their necks stand up. Further market research has validated what I’ve always believed – that clients are ready for something different.”

Tech focus will be a key differentiator and the firm will utilise app-based technologies to allow clients to deal with lawyers and other professional services, to access their documents and case files and to easily track real-time progress with the likes of property purchases. 

While launch plans were well-advanced before the pandemic, Mr Aberdein says it accelerated use of technology for older people, strengthening the launch case. He added: “There used to be a difference between what someone of mature years would expect and what someone younger would want. Pretty much anyone over the age of 40 has bridged any digital gap there might have been, thanks to the pandemic.”

 However, he also stresses that there is none of the naivety that often accompanies well-intentioned tech start-ups that believe they will change the world and he added: “A tech start-up just needs a bunch of people sitting at computers coding.  

 “You can’t do that with a legal practice.  Firms have to be compliant with the Law Society of Scotland and meet a lot of regulatory oversight. There is also a lot of bureaucracy, such as the need for insurance, which means carrying costs of quarter of a million pounds from day one.”

 With 10 staff and offices in Renfield Street, Glasgow and Rutland Square, Edinburgh, the firm intends rapid expansion, driven by planned acquisition of well-established but under-invested legal firms.

 The initial financial target is to achieve a turnover of £10m by the end of 2022.  The focus will be on conveyancing, wills and executries, powers of attorney, litigation, debt recovery, family law and accessible corporate law

The Latest Stories

Edinburgh favourite Kilted Donut bring their US-inspired treats to Bonnie & Wild for Easter holiday extravaganza
Almost 80% of Scottish tech sector optimistic for 2024
Perthshire butchery clinches four gold awards in prestigious craft butchery honours
Scottish Tourism Alliance Announces New Chair