By day, you’ll find her advising clients on commercial leasing, sales and purchases of commercial properties, development projects and other similar matters.
In her evenings and weekends, the senior solicitor’s activities have been known to range from high octane thrills like paragliding or zip-sliding, to curling up with a good book and putting pen to paper.
We spoke to Pamela to get the low-down on her role, what else she gets up to, and her proudest career moment to date.
What brought you to a law firm?
I actually came to law as a second degree after completing an MA in English with History of Art at the University of Aberdeen.
I loved every minute of my first degree and was all set to pursue a career as an art curator. I worked briefly for the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh and it was around this time that I started to get interested in the world of art law, and applied for the Accelerated LLB at the University of Edinburgh.
What do you like best about your job?
Title examination without a doubt!
I have become quite the conveyancing geek and piecing together the parts of an old sasine title is one of my favourite things...the older the title deeds, the better! I see this part of my job as being part-solicitor, part-detective and it is especially rewarding when you can make sense of a complex title for a client. I’d like to think that my years of reading Sherlock Holmes comes in handy for this part of my job.
Any other unusual jobs or hobbies?
I’m a voracious reader (usually clocking up at least a book a week!) and also a keen writer in my spare time.
However, to counterbalance these indoor pursuits every now and again I like to throw myself into strange outdoor activities, often involving dizzying heights! Over the years I’ve done a zip-slide from the top of the Richard Donald Stand at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen; a paraglide over the mountains in Graubünden, Switzerland; travelled to the top of Jungfrau (one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps); walked along the roof of Rosslyn Chapel...and most recently I took part in a firewalk with my new colleagues in Inverness to raise money for Marie Curie.
Next on the wish-list is a sky-dive, so watch this space....!
What’s your proudest career moment?
I have been part of the University of Aberdeen’s mentoring programme for a few years as well as representing the Law Society of Scotland at local schools’ career events. I think it’s important to let people know about the alternative routes to becoming a solicitor, and I hope I bring a different perspective given I have worked both in private practice and in-house for a local authority.
A few of the students I have mentored have gone on to get fantastic traineeships or legal placements, which has been rewarding to see.
Tell us something surprising that people wouldn’t know about you.
I did a little bit of amateur acting when I was younger and took part in local theatre productions in my home county of Caithness.My favourite role was playing a ghost of a girl haunting a local 16th century tower house called Ackergill Tower. I still hope that I was believable enough to send a few chills down the audience members’ spines!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It’s a classic, but ‘work to live, don’t live to work.'
