Reed Smith’s Laura-May Scott discusses the dramatic pull of contentious work and her advice for aspiring solicitors
“I have a slightly different background to most people in this job,” says Laura-May Scott, partner in the global commercial disputes team at Reed Smith. “I started off at stage school from a very young age and I performed on the West End until I was 20.” A legal career wasn’t on this young performer’s radar until Scott suffered a back injury which forced her to consider a life off the stage.
Scott went on to pursue a law degree at Queen Mary University London. “It wasn’t with the intention of becoming a lawyer,” she says. “I thought it was a good degree to have!” It was in her first year at QMUL where Scott discovered the similarities between the legal world and her theatrical background. “I did lots of mooting,” she tells me, “which I really enjoyed. I found that the theatrical nature of advocacy appealed to my creative side.”
Despite this mooting experience, Scott chose not to pursue the bar, opting instead for the more collaborative role of the solicitor. “I liked the idea of working in a team and the team spirit that helps get things done.” She found this team spirit at Reed Smith while completing a vacation scheme at the firm. “I found the variation in the trainees at Reed Smith very refreshing. It was a very diverse team and people were friendly. There was a culture of bringing yourself to work,” she recalls.
When she accepted a training contract at Reed Smith, Scott was already fairly set on life as a contentious lawyer:
“Given my performing background, drama is something that appeals to me and disputes are filled with drama,” she says. “I was drawn to the idea of two parties approaching the court to argue their case. Of course, big deals can be exciting, but litigation is adversarial which makes it that much more dramatic.”
The varied nature of disputes work at Reed Smith that Scott discovered during her training contract further motivated her to qualify into this area. “We’re a global commercial disputes team with lots of different specialities. There was so much to choose from — that appealed to me as a junior lawyer,” she tells me.
As she has risen through the ranks, Scott has specialised in insurance recovery disputes. I ask about what her work looks like these days. “I still do broad brush disputes, typically acting for banks. I also do insurance recovery work, helping policyholders seek recovery through insurance policies. That can often result in litigation if we end up suing the insurers,” she explains. Scott worked on the ABN Amro Bank N.V. v Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc case in the English High Court a few years ago. The Reed Smith team advised ABN Amro as they sued 14 insurers and a broker, who were refusing to cover losses related to a debtor’s default on loans. Ultimately Reed Smith secured a successful result for the client.
I am curious to learn more about this high-profile case. “The ABN case related to cocoa trading. I got to learn a lot about how cocoa is taken from source to manufacturer to seller. It was fascinating to see how that process worked and how cocoa is traded across the globe,” Scott replies. “I found the case interesting because thorny legal issues arose. In essence, the case depended on whether the court read the insurance contract as our client understood it, or as the insurers understood it. We were also grappling with legal issues relating to estoppel and broker’s negligence. The case covered so many different issues which is why I found it so exciting.”
I ask Scott about the hot topics which her clients are thinking about at the moment. “The state of the political sphere around the globe, in terms of conflicts and international tensions, is a key concern for all businesses,” she responds. “Geopolitical unrest causes commercial disruption. In light of world events, our clients are keen to ensure they have the appropriate business operation risk and insurance cover should their operations be affected.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, AI is another hot topic Scott’s clients are talking about. Scott shares an insurance perspective on the development of these new technologies. “Using AI comes with a level of risk. Businesses need to make sure their insurers understand the way in which they are using AI tools — that way the insurance cover can be tailored to deal with risks arising from the use of those tools,” she explains.
Scott made partner at Reed Smith at the beginning of this year. She shares her insights for those who see themselves following a similar path. Commenting on the process at Reed Smith she recalls, “There was clear direction from the firm about the competencies expected of you and how to improve to get to the next level.” Scott advises ambitious junior lawyers to get involved in as much as possible to hit these competencies. “The more work you do, the more law and procedure you get exposed to and the quicker you develop,” she says. “Being hard working and enthusiastic has really helped me in my career.” Being a team player is also crucial. “We all want to work with people who are excited about the work and will add value,” she comments. “Being easy to work with and diligent will stand you in good stead.”
I ask Scott about the skills which help junior lawyers excel in her practice area. “Being hardworking, organised and intellectually curious will help you succeed in any area of law,” she responds, adding “For a litigator, good drafting is key. Whether that’s a letter to the other side or a pleading to be filed at court. You need to be able to communicate well.” She also mentions clarity of thought and attention to detail as vital skills for working in this area. “You need to believe in your case,” she says, “in order to do that you need to have looked at the facts closely and figured out the key arguments.” A commercial and pragmatic approach is also key. Further, she also highlights that “often, commercial matters won’t end up in court,” she says. “You need to be a good facilitator of negotiation. You need to talk to your client realistically about the prospect of success and how the case can move forward in a commercial way, especially where the parties have an ongoing relationship.”
To wrap up our discussion, I ask Scott for the one piece of careers advice she thinks everyone should hear. “Be yourself and work to your own timescale,” is her response. “Set your own goals and don’t be pre-occupied by what other people are doing. Work as hard as you can and do your personal best.”
Laura-May Scott will be speaking at the Legal Cheek virtual student event ‘Global commercial disputes — with Reed Smith’, Monday 25 November, 4pm to 6pm. Apply now to attend.
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