The WS Society has announced that Mandy Laurie WS (Burness Paull) is standing down as Deputy Keeper of the Signet at the end of this year, and current Treasurer Jim Cormack KC WS (Pinsent Masons) will succeed her in office from 1 January 2025.
A reshuffle of appointments sees current trustees Tony Jones KC TD WS (Brodies) and Jennifer Skeoch WS (Burness Paull) nominated as Treasurer and Fiscal respectively, and personal injury specialist Kim Leslie WS (Irwin Mitchell) and urban and rural property specialist Robert Macduff-Duncan WS (Kippen Campbell) nominated as trustees.
Commenting on her decision to stand down, Mandy Laurie said:
I am in my 14th year as a trustee, having been Fiscal from 2011 and Deputy Keeper from 2019. Now feels the right time to pass on the mantle. It has been a terrific experience and hugely satisfying to have seen the Society through the Covid pandemic and presided when the historic step was taken to become a charity in 2021. Our appointments committee were unanimous in recommending to the Keeper of the Signet, Lady Elish Angiolini LT KC, that Jim Cormack succeed me as Deputy Keeper.
Jim Cormack said:
I will be honoured to receive my commission as Deputy Keeper from Lady Angiolini, Keeper of the Signet. I will be building on the work of my predecessors in office to continue the renaissance of the Society and the Signet Library. Mandy Laurie has been an inspiration as Deputy Keeper, always injecting a lightness of touch, humour, and congeniality into the affairs of the Society. That the Society achieved charitable status during her tenure speaks volumes for Mandy’s qualities as a bold yet collegiate leader.
