Advertise on podcast: Clear talking from Anderson Strathern discussing what matters to you and your business

From having to close down overnight, to experiencing its biggest boom in recent times, the revolving door of change has certainly been in full swing for the residential property market over the past two years. The pandemic was the catalyst for a monumental shift in the reasons behind recent home moves and the property industry had to swiftly adapt to understand and respond to these new triggers. However, there will always be an emotional factor associated with purchasing a home which isn’t often the case in other major investments, and traditionally, there has been a great deal of advice available for sellers but almost no support for purchasers.  In this podcast, our experts Sara Jalicy, Jemma Richardson and Edwina de Klee explain why this needs to change by highlighting that having a specialist to consult means that there is an impartial party who can help buyers to make a pragmatic decision as to whether or not a property is right for their needs and also to provide guidance on a sensible approach to bidding.

In our latest podcast, rural law specialist, Karen Craig, speaks to Alan Laidlaw, CEO of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS). Alan grew up in a rural area and as a child became fascinated with wheels, tractors and farm animals. All of these interests led him to building an illustrious career in Scotland’s rural scene. Although these areas were his original passions, he doesn’t hesitate to tell Karen that the best thing about his role at RHASS is the people. The decision to cancel the Royal Highland Show wasn’t taken lightly and sparked discussion as to how the organisation could continue to effectively serve its members. Working from home meant that RHASS could concentrate on its other charitable work, helping to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the society’s membership.  Alan believes that the purpose of the society that he leads is to bring people together to celebrate successes, knowledge transferring and enabling continuous improvements. The past couple of years have emphasised all of these factors, and the absence of last year’s Royal Highland Show highlighted the importance of community within Scotland’s agricultural sphere. It became apparent that reigniting that connection while also facilitating innovation would be pivotal to the success of the industry. 

With International Mediation Week approaching, we’re sharing an overview of what is involved in the mediation process and why it can be favourable to alternative forms of dispute resolution, such as adjudications and litigations.  In this podcast, our mediation expert, Jemma Forrest, and construction law specialist, Alistair Dean, talk to Frazer Wardhaugh, legal director and company secretary at BAM Construct UK Ltd. The trio discuss the value of mediation, noting its merits but also highlighting that the timing and the attitude of both parties is key to its success.   As an in-house lawyer, Frazer is familiar with mediation from a client’s perspective and he shares some of his experiences with our experts. He also explains the various possible ways to measure the success of the mediation process.  We all know that major disputes involve a huge amount time and resource. This can create a feeling of uncertainty within a business and can also claim staff time which could otherwise be spent much more productively. Resolving a dispute using mediation can lead to a positive impact on staff morale and can preserve commercial relationships. It can also help clients to reflect on and learn from the circumstances which led to the dispute in the first place.  Listen to our podcast for more insights, examples and a fascinating discussion around all aspects of mediation.  

Can I afford to stop working? Will my kids have financial security during my retirement? How much should I be saving this month?    If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions, this podcast is worth listening to. In it, our experts explain what the three key stages of your financial lifecycle are, as well as detailing some of the most important questions to ask yourself at each stage of your own financial journey.  Tax and financial planning are often perceived as being ‘dry’. The kind of things that we know we should be paying attention to, but even with the best intentions, it’s easy to become side-tracked by ‘shinier’ activities.  We understand that financial affairs are personal, and the notion of sharing what our dream financial status is with an advisor can be difficult. But when our clients open up, we’re much better prepared to help them achieve their financial goals. Often, taking that first step and deciding to create your own financial plan is the hardest part. From then on, we’ll help you to engineer the route that’s best for your individual financial goals and ambitions. Listen to the podcast in full and let our experts - Anna Hills, personal legal needs expert, Alison Pryde, tax specialist and Benjamin Mitchell, Chartered Financial Planner at our financial planning business, Anderson Strathern Asset Management - guide you through your financial lifecycle need to knows. 

An environmental, social and governance – or ESG – strategy aims to measure the sustainability of our businesses and of our investment choices. If organisations don’t address ESG issues, their long-term viability may be adversely affected, and if they do, there are various commercial advantages to be gained.  As we begin to transition out of the pandemic, many organisations are taking a more holistic view of their business and its overall aims, goals and the various strategies they align with. The transition to Net Zero is now a business imperative.   In this podcast, our partner and renewable energy law specialist, Martin Whiteford, talks to Alan Sommerville of Governex, an ESG consultancy based in Edinburgh, about why these strategies are becoming increasingly important to modern businesses.  Our built environment contributes substantially to carbon emissions and Martin and Alan discuss specifically how the Real Estate sector is beginning to embrace ESG.   Alan shares some of his top insights into how to demonstrate authenticity and achieve tangible benefits from a forward thinking ESG strategy. 

The transition to a low carbon economy is bringing both risk and commercial opportunity. One result of that is that interest in Environmental Social Governance (ESG) strategies is rising rapidly. If your business is considering writing its ESG strategy, or if you’d like to understand more about the specifics contributing to their mounting prominence, this podcast is for you.  In this episode, partner and renewable energy law expert, Martin Whiteford, is joined by Katie Jeffery, associate at ITP Energised, and Rupert Clark-Lowes, founder and director of Orbis Advisory. They discuss the multiple factors that combine to support the notion that every company should have a clear ESG strategy.  ESG factors are progressively impacting the business value of companies across all sectors. Customers are increasingly inspecting businesses and scrutinising their ESG frameworks prior to making the decision to purchase goods and services. This is putting pressure onto businesses to demonstrate sustainability, transparency, and ultimately, a more candid way of working.  One example of this is that investment managers are experiencing growing pressure to ensure that investments are sustainable and that the companies that their clients are investing with are striving toward reaching net-zero targets. Further, limited partners and pensions funds are increasingly putting pressure on the companies that they invest assets into to demonstrate sustainability. There are many similar examples across the full spectrum of industries, some of which we discuss during the episode. 

The past 12 months have brought many challenges to those working in the arts sectors, but it is no surprise to hear that our creative community proved itself to be one of the most innovative and resilient industries in Scotland.  The shift in the way that we interact with others opened unexpected doors, such as ‘Safe Servers’ - hatches that were installed in shop doorways, enabling multiple businesses to trade through lockdown in Edinburgh. It’s clear that creativity hasn’t stalled – there are many more active problem solving projects across multiple industries that are helping to quantify the value of the creative industry in Scotland.  Creative Edinburgh exists to support freelancers and SMEs involved in the creative industries to build and develop sustainable businesses. In this Clear Talking podcast, Anna Gormezano Marks, Acting Executive Director and Kath Warren, Events Producer, talk to our Head of Arts & Theatre Group, Barry Nichol, about the many ways the organisation helps to break barriers down within the creative industries. 

Our energy system is changing fast. At the beginning of 2020 the renewable energy sector in Scotland was riding a wave of optimism triggered by net-zero targets. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed things for us all but if Scotland is to deliver on its stated net-zero targets then the next decade will be critical. Intent needs to be turned into action.   However, the next decade will be critical and it’s what can be achieved in the lead up to 2030 that will pave the way for a green future for Scotland. A clear roadmap as to how these goals are to be realised will be essential.   The creation of infrastructure can be a part of the recovery from a recession with the creation of new, sustainable, jobs. Renewable energy could prove sustainable in more ways than one.  Hear more insights from our Partner and Environmental Law expert, Martin Whiteford, as he discusses how the prospects of Scotland’s green and economic futures are closely intertwined, with Thomas McMillan, Head of Energy at Savills, and Andrew Lyle, Founder and CEO of the Locogen Group, in the final instalment of series 1 of Anderson Strathern’s Clear Talking podcasts. 

Adapting to change is a challenge all businesses are now facing and the bar, restaurant and brewery sector, in particular, is finding new ways of adjusting its business model to ensure customers can access their services in a safe way.   In this Clear Talking podcast, Adapting for change in the bar, restaurant and brewery sector, our HR Business Partner, Louise Cullen, talks to Rachel and Graham Suttle of Kained Holdings Group and Hidden Lane Organic Brewery, based in Glasgow. Louise talks to the husband and wife team about adaptability to change and opportunity in the pub, restaurant and brewery industry. And with staff coming out of Furlough, what their plans are to attract customers again. 

Scotland’s recovery and how we re-open the economy with a fairer, more sustainable, focus is high on the agenda for many business leaders. In this Clear Talking podcast our Brexit and Business Resilience Lead, Neil Amner, talks to Stuart Patrick CBE, Chief Executive of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, about the challenges and opportunities for businesses now. Stuart discusses the future of City Centre and wider economies in Scotland’s recovery and the importance of building business resilience. The podcast includes discussion on the development of digitisation and productivity and how we support the hospitality and culture sector. Scotlands ambitious net-zero plans and Glasgow’s Circular Economy underpin the discussion alongside the huge opportunities across the city’s Innovation Districts, which are fundamental to this.

Scotland’s dance, opera and theatre sector has been described as the ‘heart and soul of the nation’. In this Clear Talking podcast episode Barry Nichol talks to Jude Henderson, Director of the Federation of Scottish Theatre, about how essential the sector is to Scotland’s economy, how its members have been adapting through lockdown and what the future may look like for theatre, dance and the arts.    

CodeClan is Scotland’s digital skills and coding academy and Douglas McLachlan, Anderson Strathern’s Data & Technology Partner talks to CodeClan’s Sara Dodds and Stephanie Boyle, about how important data analysis skills and data driven innovation will be, as businesses adapt and develop through our new normal and beyond. CodeClan is working with the Scottish Government to provide accessible and affordable courses to upskill our workforce and provide the data skills which all businesses will need to analyse their markets and develop their offering. If you’re interested in the emerging data industry in Scotland, or if you’re interested in upskilling or making a career change then tune in to find out more.