| Description | Tape 1 Side A: IAN MICHAEL SCOTT PARK born 7 April 1938 Aberdeen. Has younger sister. Father was a chemistry teacher at Aberdeen Grammar School. Paternal family: father had a first class degree in chemistry, his siblings were similar achievers. Details. Grandfather was a pharmacist who died in his 40s of Bright's disease. Family names. Maternal family: mother was an only child, worked as receptionist for grandfather's business, Alexander Scott, tailors. Details. Mentions Selina Scott, broadcaster. Became a lawyer by default. Explains. Details re education, entry to law classes. Details re parents, father's early death. Recalls childhood home. Mother played the piano, father played golf. Liked sport. Close family. Sister worked for BBC. Details. Reference to entry in Who's Who. Lawyers are a race apart at university. Recalls influence, style of Sir Thomas Broun-Smith. Details re law study programme. Recalls Professor Ireland, his innovative seminars. Law faculty was small. Details. Recalls multiple Glasgow murderer case, 1958, Ireland's role. Details re law course timetable etc. Recalls duties, pay as an apprentice lawyer. Taught to realise own unimportance. Recalls difficulty getting apprenticeship. Got one with Paull & Williamson, Aberdeen. Compares own experience getting job with son's. Learned to do anything a later employee might do, e.g. messages, lodging documents in court. Mentions attitude of Moir Lockhead of FirstGroup who e.g. maintains annual PSV license. Explains objection to law graduates going straight into law offices, doing court work etc too soon. Recalls own first court experiences. Apprentices were kicked around - substantially to their advantage.
Tape 1 Side B: Apprentice experience (cont'd). Recalls some prominent law figures at time, e.g. senior partner. Six partners in Paull & Williamsons. Four did legal work, two managed investment trusts - common setup. Explains situation in Aberdeen re law firms. Had to look for work after apprenticeship, make oneself indispensable. Set self task of becoming essential to practice, did extra night work. Mentions firm's debt-collecting work. Details leading to getting job with practice working in Court Department, debt collecting. Attitude of Paull & Williamson to staff progress, prospects for apprentices, situation in other firms. Recalls own focus on work, attitude to social life. Law faculty was in St Mary's church, High Street, Old Aberdeen. Never liked beer, didn't drink alcohol at university. Mentions family ethic to do well academically. After joining law firm took on court work, stayed in Aberdeen. Mentions Sir George Williamson. Details re other partners. Describes daily routine when doing court work. Explains how court routine depended on judge, amount of hanging around. Afternoon routine. Worked Saturday mornings. Explains dress, tea routines in office. No married women office at first. Wife first lady solicitor in practice. Reference to Who's Who entries. Married 1964. Details re wife. Mentions interest in cricket. Wife did probate work, conveyancing, later worked for Aberdeen Association of Social Services. Mentions death of son. Other son with Paull & Williamsons. Details. Mentions own attitude to employment of family members in firm. Recalls son's involvement in trial of nun. Reference to Manchester United, Alec Ferguson. Background to promotion to partnership. Explains changed attitudes to partnerships, appointment of young people to firm, trial jobs.
Tape 2 Side A: Work as apprentice (cont'd). Recalls menial tasks, e.g. processes of working photocopier. Details re offices. Paull & Williamsons a forward-looking firm. Mentions dictating machines. Recalls personalities, division of duties in firm. Two partners had been prisoners of war in Germany. Effect of this. Comments on survival of legal practices during war. Williamsons' link to writer of 'Flower of Scotland'. Legal fraternity had coffee stall in Advocates' Hall. Recalls link between legal profession, sheriffs. Skills of prominent Scots lawyers coming to Aberdeen. Gives example of a mistake made by a defence lawyer. Importance of knowing how judge thought. Explains advice to say as little as possible in court, attitudes to fees. Understandings between lawyers and judges. Mentions attitudes to lady solicitors. Recalls early consciousness of oil/gas industry. Reference to Ted Strachan, journalist, Jimmy Simpson's Number 5 Bond. Rise in Aberdeen house prices. Grampian Television's attitude to secretarial salaries, effect on own business. Reference to television autocue. Recalls attitudes to discussing salaries. Size of Paull & Williamsons now. Impact of Americans. Some were difficult, e.g. trouble with a lease. Details re first North Sea fatal accident inquiry involving diver from Glomar 5. Own attitude to increasing business in Aberdeen, growing number of solicitor firms. Comments on competition. Mentions Aberdein & Considine, solicitors. Details re death of diver. Acted for company owning, operating platform. Explains fatal accident enquiries in oil industry, increase in time taken. Reference to Peter Fraser. Comments on early accidents, number of employers in early days with no safety policy, chaotic situation following up enquiries, updating manuals. Reference to UKOOA (United Kingdom Offshore Operators' Association).
Tape 2 Side B: Oil industry (cont'd). Many legal cases came from US via London, then Glasgow, to Aberdeen. Growth of legal business. London solicitors couldn't act in Scotland. Got involved with large companies. Recalls hearing of Piper Alpha disaster. Had been working for Occidental at time. Reason for firm taking on Piper case. Had to explain Scottish procedures to English, foreign lawyers. (Wife): Detailed recollection of hearing news of disaster. (MP) Recalls involvement of Chuck Foster, Gene Silver, decision to take on case, turn away other new business. Mentions earlier case for Occidental involving an accident. Prime contact with Occidental was their in-house lawyer, Foster. Recalls relationship with him. Mentions arrangement with Occidental to put lawyer on a platform at short notice. Recalls routine after Piper, taking statements, dealing with possible payments to be made. Mentions representation of Armand Hammer. Opinion of Occidental, their situation after disaster. Possibility of criminal liabilities. Recalls public relations work, compensation meetings, evaluation of claims. Reference to Mrs Gray, solicitor. Details re team of lawyers working on case. Explains situation re normal clients. Also advised insurers. Explains layers of responsibility, insurance cases. All claims settled out of court after negotiation. Explains need to avoid American system. Comments on no-cure-no-pay, if-recovery-a-percentage-fee attitudes, spec, contingency fee bases. Attitude of Law Society of Scotland. Had to get compensation paid before cases got to court. Explains difficulties of situation because of difference from previous experience. Explains use of criminal prosecutions in Scotland. Attitude of Crown to Piper case. Was voice-piece for Occidental in Aberdeen. Had to keep situation out of American courts. Negotiations with American, English lawyers.
Tape 3 Side A: Piper Alpha disaster (cont'd). Compensation paid by underwriters. Claims followed a pattern. Explains situation re insurance cover, use of many lawyers. Difficulty dealing with such numbers of casualties. Expected some opposition to compensation offered, but encountered none. Mentions situation in another disaster. Firm took over office block at Bridge of Don to run Piper operation. Got no flack for defending Occidental. Rich man's table situation applied - work had to go to other firms. Explains involvement with Law Society - details in Who's Who. Did regular broadcasts on Grampian Television. Attended most of Cullen Enquiry. Explains role of Mrs Lesley Gray, Bruce Smith, solicitors, colleagues. Details re enquiry routine, own role producing reports which were flashed over British Empire. Comments on enquiry, Occidental's reaction. Explains purpose of fatal accident enquiries. Carried on work settling claims. Good for firm doing Piper work. Recalls attitude that someone had to take it on. Current staff situation at Paull & Williamsons. Explains enjoyment of court work, feelings about publicity. Reference to Sue McGregor. Mentions broadcasting activities, work on Criminal Injuries Compensation Board - highly paid quango in which English, Scottish lawyers sit together. Details re Board membership. Reference to withdrawal from Paull & Williamsons, own health. Explains work of CIC Board, workload, geographic extent of sittings. Was compulsive worker. 1988 diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Reference to insurance. Comments on effects of illness. Awarded CBE for services to the law of Scotland. Details. Mentions attitude to being President of Law Society of Scotland. Attitude to honours. Career in retrospect. Details re present home. Story of chimney sweep who came to wrong house.
Tape 3 Side B: Blank
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