SLN Spotlight: Cat MacLean

Cat MacLean

What has been your best experience as a lawyer?

Taking part in the Supreme Court hearing of the Carlyle case – and winning it!

What has been your worst experience as a lawyer?

Being sent a crate of rotten fish by a fish-farmer we were pursuing on the part of a client.

Why did you choose the law?

It happened kind of accidentally! Law runs in the family but I didn’t think I wanted to practice as a lawyer – I thought it would just be a useful degree. Then I spent a number of summers working for a firm with a very busy Court of Session practice and loved it – so I knew at that point that I wanted to be a litigator.

Who or what has been the greatest professional influence in your life?

This is a difficult one, as there have been a few – but the two that really stand out are the partner I worked for as a trainee and a newly qualified solicitor at the firm where I trained, and the partner that I worked for when I left the Bar and came to work at MBM. They were both people who really led by example: great to work with and for, and taught me a lot.

What advice would you give to anyone considering a career in the law?

Be really sure that you know what it is involved, and what the job will actually entail. It’s not always like it looks on Suits! People who are caught up in litigation are often at a point of enormous stress in their lives, so it is really important to be able to empathise with them, and try to understand what they are going through. You also need to be really organised – if you struggle to meet deadlines, the law’s probably not for you!

What would you want to be if you were not a lawyer?

I’d love to open a craft shop! Recently I had a prolonged spell off work whilst I was undergoing treatment for cancer, and to help pass the time I learned how to make patchwork quilts. So maybe a quilting kind of craft shop.

How do you relax after work?

My illness was a bit of a wake-up call and taught me the importance of looking after myself and trying to stay as fit and healthy as I possibly can – so I now try to do a lot of exercise. After my treatment was finished I joined a triathlon club and have competed in a number of triathlons this year – so if I’m not running home from work I’m probably heading to the swimming pool for a training session.

What is your favourite holiday destination and why?

We’ve been going on holiday to a place called Ardfern on the west coast of Scotland since I was a little girl, to a holiday house that was my mother’s but now belongs to my brothers and me. It feels like my spiritual home – there’s so many happy memories associated with it and it’s a fantastic place to unwind and switch off – rain or shine.