Tom Marshall

A graduate of Dundee University, he trained with Bishop & Company in Glasgow before becoming a partner in the firm, by then called Bishop and Robertson Chalmers, in Edinburgh in 1988.

He qualified as a solicitor advocate in 1994 leaving Morison Bishop to join Thompsons in Glasgow in 2001. He retired as a partner of Thompsons in 2017 and has since been operating his own solicitor advocacy practice from home in Aberdour.

Mr Marshall is a past president of the Society of Solicitor Advocates and has also represented solicitor advocates on the Law Society Council. He will continue his connection with the law as convener of the Law Society’s rights of audience sub-committee, council member of the WS Society and board member of Fife Law Centre.

He said: “I was definitely not the most diligent of law students, being more interested in student politics, and, following graduation, did not initially pursue a career in the profession. Having changed my mind, I was fortunate to secure an apprenticeship before I would have been required to take the diploma. I soon realised that civil litigation was my preferred area, coming under the guidance of Eddie MacKechnie at Bishop & Co.

“When the firm decided to open its Edinburgh office I jumped at the opportunity to develop practice in the Court of Session which in turn led to solicitor advocacy and the chance to represent clients directly in Scotland’s highest courts.

“The move to Thompsons at the invitation of Frank Maguire allowed me to devote myself to solicitor advocacy. It has been a great privilege over the last 20 years to represent many men and women who have been affected by asbestos exposure and to play a part not just in conducting individual cases but also in law reform benefitting asbestos victims and claimants in fatal injury cases more widely.”