From the Skies to the City: Victoria Lawson's Journey to Co-Founding Matheson Lawson
Victoria Lawson left behind an enjoyable career as a flight attendant to make her way in the legal world. She admits it was far from easy to gain her degree while working full-time.
But the hard work has paid off and she is relishing life at Matheson Lawson, the Glasgow law firm she co-founded with colleague Maureen Matheson earlier this year.
What is your business called?
Our business is called Matheson Lawson.
Where is it based?
We are based on Bothwell Street in the city centre of Glasgow.
What does it produce/do?
Matheson Lawson offers legal services primarily for businesses and private clients, specialising in residential and commercial property transactions as well as a full suite of personal support such as wills, powers of attorney and estate administration. We assist individuals through important life events and provide tailored legal solutions to businesses across various sectors.
To whom does it sell?
We work extensively with both individuals and businesses. While much of our focus is in Glasgow, our services extend across Scotland, and we operate throughout the entire country.
What is its turnover?
As a new firm, we are currently on target to achieve a turnover of around £1.2 million for our first year.
How many employees?
We currently have seven staff members, with an eighth senior commercial staff member joining in September.
Why did you take the plunge?
The timing was right for us. My business partner Maureen Matheson and I always felt that we were our own smaller firm within a larger corporate business, and we wanted to provide client services in a different and more personal way. Our new structure gives us better control as to how we deliver those services.
What were you doing before?
Before law, I worked as a flight attendant for Ryanair and was based out of London for five years.
What do you least enjoy?
A significant part of our work involves buying and selling houses. When a client’s offer is unsuccessful, it is also disappointing for us because we get deeply invested on our clients’ behalf and really care about the outcome. Delivering the news that an offer hasn’t been accepted is always disappointing, and I’d say that’s probably the toughest part of what we do.
What are your ambitions for the firm?
We’ve got off to a really good start so simply want to keep doing what we're doing, encouraging organic growth at the right time and with the right people, ensuring that all our staff are well looked after.
What single thing would most help?
Getting the recruitment right is crucial because, without the right team, it’s just the two of us trying to run the entire firm whilst trying to deliver a personal service. We need people who share our vision and are genuinely committed to staying and growing with us. Building and maintaining a stable and content team is the goal.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?
People buy from people, so we prioritise a personal, approachable service over maximising fees. For many clients, buying and/or selling their home is the only dealings they have with a solicitor, and they can be apprehensive about what to expect. At Matheson Lawson, we focus on putting clients at ease and breaking down communication barriers with an open and honest approach.
I found that trust is key which is evident in our business model as more than 60% of our work has come from returning clients and existing client referrals. We balance friendliness with professionalism and tailor our approach to each client’s unique situation – which are often tied to major life events. We try to match our clients with the team member best suited to support them.
Where do you find yourself most at ease?
I feel most at ease being part of the client’s journey and working on business development, which has been my focus since I started in law. Building strong relationships with our core partners is key to our growth and success, and I really enjoy that side of the work.
Outside of work, I have two dogs – a Chinese Shar-Pei and a miniature Dachshund. Taking them for long walks helps me relax after a busy day. They’re a great source of comfort and fun.
If you weren’t in your current role, what job would you most fancy?
To be honest, I really loved working as a flight attendant – it was great fun. We got to travel all over the world, had days off in exotic locations, and enjoyed free tickets, it was a fantastic job.
What phrase or quotation has inspired you the most?
‘Service above self’ is a phrase I find very fitting because it truly reflects what we do every day. We prioritise our clients’ needs and ensure that delivering the best possible service is always our main focus.
What is the best book you have ever read? Why is it the best?
Hotel Rwanda – it’s a great book. What makes it the best, I think, is how inspiring it is – showing how one person can make a huge difference to so many lives.
What has been your most challenging moment in life or business?
For me, the biggest challenge was undertaking my degree later in life after being out of study for around 20 years – while still working full time. I balanced a job with a full-time degree, which coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic. For five years, I was studying first thing in the morning and last thing at night, all while working throughout the day. If I had known then just how demanding it would be, I might never have started.
That said, I’m very glad I did, because without it, we wouldn’t be where we are today. It was definitely the toughest thing I’ve ever done.
What do you now know that you wish you had known when starting out in your career?
The work itself is just work, no matter where you are – it’s the people who make all the difference. Surrounding yourself with the right colleagues can transform a job into something much more enjoyable. Since work is such a big part of our lives – in some cases we spend more time with colleagues than with family – the right people truly make the workplace a better place to be.