He was the man who brought no win no fee to Scotland, fought the Law Society to do so and was immortalised in a comedy sketch. Credited with dogged determination and being unrivalled as a cross-examiner he shaped the Scottish legal landscape indelibly.
We look back on the life of one of Aberdeen’s most respected sons, Frank Lefevre, 88.
Hard working origins
Frank Hartley Lefevre was born in Aberdeen on December 4 1934.
Son of Charles Wilson Lefevre and his wife Ethel – known as Queenie – he had one sister, Carolyn.
When he wasn’t attending Robert Gordon’s College, Frank was helping out in the family business, his dad’s hairdresser’s shop on Great Northern Road.
As a young man Frank was an accomplished sportsman. He excelled at cricket, playing for Balmoral, and was also part of the South United FC, as well as being a keen golfer. Over the years he was also president of both Aberdeen Angling Association and Grampian Squash Association.
Legal career
Frank studied law at Aberdeen University and graduated in July 1958.
After a brief spell working in advertising in Birmingham he returned to the Granite City to pursue a career in law.
On returning north Frank met and married Hazel Gray in 1960. They would go on to have three children, Tracey born in 1961, Paul in 1964 and Julie in 1966.
Frank began his legal career with Aberdeen advocates Davidson and Garden. In what was then referred to as poor law – now best understood as legal aid – Frank made his name and reputation. He also worked for Smith and Sutherland and Clark and Wallace, where he became senior partner, before branching out on his own.
Business success
In the early 1970s Lefevre and Company was established. He later launched the Frank Lefevre Practice and latterly Lefevre Litigation.
George Clark, who began working with Frank in 1989, described his mentor as an “accomplished advocate”.
He said: “Frank was very passionate about working in criminal law. It was there that he developed his skills as advocate. He was very accomplished in that area, a great cross examiner of witnesses and he really enjoyed the cut and thrust of it.”
No win no fee
By the latter half of the 1970s he changed tack, moving from criminal to civil litigation. It was during that time, after working with American lawyers, that Frank would change the face of Scottish law forever.
“In 1988 he started Quantum Claims as a separate entity and with it the birth of no win no fee in Scotland. Frank believed it was the only way to fund access to justice for personal injury. But not everyone felt the same,” said George.
In fact, the Law Society of Scotland opposed Frank and threatened to remove his licence.
“There’s absolutely no doubt his forward thinking changed the direction of Scots law – he was 10 to 15 years ahead of his time. Now everybody works under the premise of no win no fee, but he was the first,” added George.
Piper Alpha clients
One of his first cases with Quantum was helping those affected by the Piper Alpha oil disaster. Frank secured the first settlement.
In a 2018 interview he said: “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.”
As his businesses grew Frank opened offices in Dundee, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh but Aberdeen remained his base where he was determined to do his very best for his clients.
He became president of the Aberdeen Society of Advocates in 1996 and was chairman of Scottish Tribunals in the 1990s.
Family ties
He was also a shrewd businessman. Not only did he invest in local property, and is the man who put the ‘Le’ in Lemac Oilfield Rentals, in 1969 he went into partnership with a friend to buy Dizzy’s Restaurant and the Albyn Bar at Queen’s Cross.
Run by Frank’s sister-in-law Carol and her husband David who was the chef, every member of the Lefevre family worked there at some point over a very successful 45-year period.
Family and business was a winning formula for Frank. Although they started out in other fields, all three of his children migrated back into Lefevre legal work.
George said: “He was incredibly proud to have his children in the business. Family was very important to him.”
Frank’s wife Hazel passed away in 2018. A huge loss for Frank, he continued to throw himself into his work. Just three years ago he launched his latest legal endeavour, civil litigation firm Lefevres.
Immortalised
In 2008 Frank put his love of music to good use by producing an award-winning CD.
Raising nearly £25,000 for north-east children’s charities in the process, the 13-track recording entitled Timeless Allsorts featured songs written by Frank and performed by artists including Eileen Hunter, the wife of X-Factor winner Steve Brookstein.
One of his tracks, Long Live Love, won the 2007 UK Songwriting Contest jazz and blues category.
But while his CD will be a lasting reminder of the Aberdeen litigator it was a moment being immortalised in comedy that Frank liked best.
Frank himself said: “The greatest one was Buff Hardie in Scotland the What? They were bringing in the criminal and they said ‘Fars Frankie the day? He selt ma hoose. Wisnae easy – it was a cooncil hoose’. That was the joke at the time as you couldn’t buy a council house then. That was good advertising for me.”
Tributes and memories
Frank passed away at home on Wednesday April 19 after a short illness.
Tributes flooded in immediately but those closest to him have lost more than just a formidable colleague.
“I learned more from Frank than I could ever say. He was a mentor, the benchmark for communication – Frank had a great way of communicating,” said George.
“He was an empowering leader who let you run with your area of expertise. A terrific guy. A close and dear friend who is already incredibly missed.”
He is survived by his three children, his daughter-in-law Janette, son-in-law John and his three grandchildren Nicole, Lauren and Finley.
Frank’s funeral took place on Tuesday May 2 at Rubislaw Parish Church, Aberdeen.
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