Although he admits his guitar skills would not match rock legend Jimi Hendrix, lawyer Sandy Kemp still considered a music career in his younger days.
Musical talent runs in the family; his father was a music lecturer at Aberdeen University and the 54-year-old may have followed the same path before being drawn to law.
“My guitar playing was not of a standard to base a career upon but production would have been great fun,” said Mr Kemp.
Although he’s not been touring the globe as a rock star, Mr Kemp’s expertise in oil and gas employment law has exposed him to travel around the world.
The Aberdeen-based partner at Scottish law firm Simpson & Marwick said the international nature of the energy sector added extra dimensions to law that was already complex.
He added: “Laws are passed for the UK but it is a global industry and that creates very difficult issues about whether UK law applies at all and if it does, how it should work.
“So many of our clients have got operations all over the world, so it can often be a mix of UK and local law.”
Mr Kemp said the use of UK law in cases which appear to have little relevance to the North Sea underlined the importance of the country to the industry worldwide.
He also highlighted Aberdeen’s place in the sector, adding the Granite City’s prominence in oil and gas had contributed to growth in the employment team he now leads.
Simpson & Marwick now has 11 employment-law partners, having taken on seven in recent months.
It has 43 partners and 250 employees around Scotland, and offices in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, North Berwick, Newcastle, Leeds and London
Mr Kemp has spent his career in the north-east, having graduated from Aberdeen University in 1983. His introduction to the oil and gas industry included investigations into the Dan-Air crash in Shetland in 1979, the 1986 Chinook helicopter disaster and the Piper Alpha catastrophe two years later.
Although Mr Kemp said it was tough being involved in work centred on tragic events, it was important to follow them through to conclusion.
He added: “All of these inquiries have made a huge difference to the landscape of the UK’s oil and gas industry. They were all terrible tragedies. The only comfort is that when there is an inquiry into the underlying reasons there is an opportunity to prevent it happening again.”
He has first-hand experience of aviation himself, holding a pilot’s licence and until recently owning his own plane. He said: “It’s very relaxing because it is so different to the day job.
“I have wanted to fly since my father told me stories when I was younger about when he was a boy watching the Battle of Britain play out above him.”
Mr Kemp, who has two sons and two daughters of his own, said he was glad to be doing business in Aberdeen because the north-east economy was flying high at the moment.
He added: “If you go beyond Aberdeen and the hinterland feeding off oil and gas, there is a lot of pressure on law firms.
“Many companies, particularly in the central belt, have had really hard times. In that part of the world things like commercial-property deals have slumped. Many of the firms built on commercial deals there have found it very difficult. In employment law, however, there will always be disputes that are quite complex and in the north-east the salaries are quite high, so the numbers involved in tribunals are quite high.
“But I think we will see a greater involvement of UK firms and a need for more of a global service in future. We are dealing with oil companies with a global reach and global problems. It becomes less about an Aberdeen office or a Scottish office, and more about offering a service to them worldwide.”
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Who helped you get where you are today?
The most influential people have been my parents, plus my surrogate parents, James and Anne Logan, who I stayed with in Aberdeen for six months when I was 13 and my parents moved south.
What do you still hope to achieve in business?
An appearance in the Court of Justice of the European Union and to influence employment-law legislation, which is so often badly drafted.
What is your greatest business challenge today?
The tension between the complexity of employment-law issues and the need to resolve them as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
If you were in power in government, what would you change?
Legislation usually does not define terms, leading to lengthy debate on interpretation. I would completely overhaul employment legislation, rewrite and consolidate it to achieve clarity.
Where is your favourite place to go on holiday?
Paris; an endlessly interesting, sophisticated and stylish place to explore. I just wish I spoke the language more fluently.
What are you reading, listening to or glued to on TV?
Reading Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking, by Daniel Dennett; a fascinating book about thought processes.
If you were a character in a TV series or movie, who would you be?
Philip Glenister’s DCI Gene Hunt, in Life on Mars, although he’s not an exemplar of appropriate behaviour in the workplace.
What do you drive and dream of driving?
I drive an Audi S6 but my ideal car is an Aston Martin.
Which charity do you support and why?
Cancer and diabetes charities. My father was diabetic so that cause has always struck a chord with me.
What’s on your bucket list; the things you still want to accomplish?
I would like to travel to and explore India.
Recommended for you
