Gordon Wallace

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• Gordon Wallace

Where are you from?

Ayrshire

Where you did study/what’s your career background?

I studied at Aberdeen University before carrying out my traineeship at a large Scottish firm headquartered in Glasgow.  Upon qualifying, I carried out court work, specialising in debt recovery actions.  After six months or so I returned to Aberdeen, joining another large Scottish firm and pivoting into commercial property work.  That firm was subsequently subsumed by a global law firm and after a number of years I decided to join RCCW.

Why did you apply to RCCW?

I was attracted by the firm’s strong local market presence, the chance to work with a new team of experts and the opportunity to encounter a different set of challenges to those I would face working for a larger firm.

What department(s) do/have you worked across?

I work in the commercial property department, specialising in development transactions and primarily working for house builder clients.  I previously undertook more general commercial property work and dealt the acquisition, disposal and lease of urban and rural commercial property in the office, industrial, agricultural and retail sectors.  I also worked in the renewable energy sector (with particular onshore wind generation and hydro lease expertise) and spent six months on secondment within a major government department’s renewable energy team during my traineeship.

How would you describe a typical day/your experience at RCCW to date?

I will examine my to-do list in the morning to decide what transactions to prioritise over the course of the day.  An important part of the job is managing client expectations.  No day ever goes to plan and there needs to be a fair amount of flexibility to deal with any urgent matters!

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to pursue a career within a law firm (even if you aren’t a lawyer)?

Seek out a variety of work experience as a student in order to establish whether you would be attracted to working for a local, national or global firm.  Every firm has different pros and cons and a firm that feels like a ‘good fit’ for one person might not necessarily feel the same to another person.

What do you like most about working at RCCW?

Working with a supportive, friendly and experienced team.