Renowned Aberdeen solicitor Frank Lefevre has died aged 88.
Mr Lefevre, who dedicated almost six decades to seeking justice for those wronged, will forever be remembered as the “formidable advocate” who shook up the legal system.
Born and bred in Aberdeen, he attended Robert Gordon College and headed off to study law at the city’s university.
He handled many claims for victims of the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988.
Reflecting on the cases in 2018, he said: “In the first years we made very little, for the very simple reason that when a claim comes to your door you have to investigate it, the time that runs in before you can get any money out of it is going to be two, three or four years.
© Supplied by Frank Lefevre spent“But the other dramatic thing that occurred was Piper Alpha. This happened within about two months of setting up and I settled the first fatality.
“We didn’t get quite £1 million but the rest of the guys (solicitors) taking these claims locally had linked up with American lawyers. They were all sure they were going to get £1 million so they were quite keen for us to do the first one because we were quite happy to pick up £995,000. We couldn’t quite call it a £1 million settlement but nevertheless that figure was important to us for those who were liable. That was really demanding.”
“I picked up about 16-18 claims from Piper Alpha to get better settlements for them. Then the Ocean Odyssey occurred and I have claims coming in from all these guys who ended up in the sea.
“By that time I knew what PTSD was, as Piper Alpha had established that and we had picked up a huge number of claims.”
Mr Lefevre began his long-standing career in criminal law before moving on to civil litigation in personal injury and commercial work in the mid-1970s.
While he was an extremely successful criminal solicitor, one of his most remarkable achievements was introducing the no-win-no-fee culture to the UK.
‘Formidable advocate with great wit’
Mr Lefevre identified a crucial flow in the civil legal aid system following one particular injury claim in 1986.
Determined to fix that, he sought advice from a Texan lawyer and set up his own firm Quantum Claims in 1988 to replicate the American way of working in Scotland.
Mr Lefevre died surrounded by his children at his home yesterday afternoon.
Colleagues at his firm Lefevre Litigation announced the news of his death, saying he will be missed by many in Scotland and beyond.
They wrote: “Sad to intimate that Frank Lefevre passed away peacefully with his children by his side at home this afternoon at the age of 88.
“He was a formidable advocate, possessed a razor-sharp mind and had great wit and inimitable style.
© Supplied by Frank Lefevre. Image“FHL was firstly an extremely able criminal lawyer, he then took on the establishment and set up Quantum, a no-win-no-fee compensation specialist firm, and latterly he could be found winning countless tribunals in the employment law sphere.
“He was a publican, golfer and very able squash player, but foremost a great provider for his close family and friends.
“He was a one-off and will be missed by many in Aberdeen and the wider legal community in Scotland and beyond.
“We are so proud that our firm bears his name and many will be grateful for the hard won courtroom battles he fought on their behalf.”
‘An excellent lawyer with a sharp wit’
Tributes have now poured in from former colleagues and friends who hailed Mr Lefevre as a “true gent with a kind heart”.
Ilona Slotwinski wrote: “I’m heartbroken to hear this. He was a truly wonderful man and I treasure the time I had working with him at Quantum for nearly 10 years.
“He taught me so much. A true gent with a kind heart. He will be sorely missed by everyone.”
Emily Fitzgerald posted on social media: “Great pleasure to have known and worked for Frank. He was such an intelligent and witty man.”
Fiona Hendry shared: “Very sad to hear this news. I have fond memories of Frank in the criminal courts when I worked in the court service in the seventies.
“He was an excellent lawyer with a sharp wit.”
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