When I established Westwood Associates in 1994 many good professionals were struggling with the difficulties of what was then a depressed property market.  Professional service firms were beginning to make the transition from collegiate partnerships to commercial business entities, and as a result, people were feeling anxious about the implications of all of this on the way they worked, who they worked with and how well they were rewarded.  Today I see many similarities.  External regulation is extending and affecting all professionals, information technology is altering the way we work and how and when clients communicate with us and managing our time effectively is vital to our own and our organisations success.

My Profile
I qualified as a solicitor in 1976 and practised for more than 20 years as a commercial lawyer, latterly as an equity partner of a large Glasgow and Edinburgh firm with particular responsibilities for business development across the whole business.

Since setting up Westwood Associates, I have worked with a wide range of professional sector clients, focussing on the implementation of strategic change and leadership and management skills development.  I have developed a Model for Success based on my work with and research into successful professional service firms.  It guides clients through the establishment of successful leadership, excellent resource management, building client loyalty, implementing strategic change and maximising skill enhancement.

Since 2000, I have been involved in post-graduate vocational skills development, as part-time Tutor at Edinburgh and Strathclyde Universities and then Senior Lecturer in Legal Practice at Glasgow Graduate School of Law.  My particular areas of responsibility and academic publications relate to practice management and the development of professionalism.  I have also served on the Law Society of Scotland Working Parties on Education and Training and Professional Standards.

My Track Record
Westwood Associates allows me to combine my commercial acumen with professional business skills.  My current client base includes the entire professional sector.  My direct pragmatic style has resulted in a reputation for excellence and value.  I have written two high profile management books. ‘Achieving Best Practice - shaping professionals for success’ was nominated by McGraw Hill as their September 2000 book of the month and ‘Accelerated Best Practice – implementing success in professional firms’ was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2004.  I am currently working on my third book and write regularly for a number of professional publications.  Outlines of both books and links to current articles are available.

I enjoy working with my clients on a range of projects and am always happy to have informal initial discussions at no charge (faw@westwood-associates.com).