Professor Lorne Crerar

This award, formalised in Scotland for the first time in 2024, recognises those who have made a major contribution to the legal profession beyond traditional court advocacy. Professor Crerar is the first Scottish solicitor in private practice to be awarded this honour.

In addition to his work at Harper Macleod, Professor Crerar has made a lasting impact on both legal practice and academia in Scotland. As an emeritus professor of banking law at the University of Glasgow and a published author (including The Law of Banking Law in Scotland and Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia), he has played a key role in educating and mentoring generations of legal professionals.

He has also played an important role in shaping legal reform and public policy in Scotland. He was instrumental in the creation of the home report, which brought greater transparency and consumer protection to the housing market. He has been an advocate of change in the regulation of the legal profession in Scotland, as a panel member of the independent Roberton Review, that looked at how lawyers are regulated in Scotland, setting out proposals to modernise the system. 

His commitment to public service includes chairing the influential Crerar Review, which informed the Scottish government’s approach to regulation and inspection, and serving as a non-executive director within the Scottish Government Justice Department.

Throughout his career, Professor Crerar has demonstrated a deep commitment to innovation and a strong drive to create opportunity for those within the profession. His proposals for fundamental reform of the governance of Scottish Rugby were approved by the member clubs in Autumn 2022. He is currently chairman of Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) which is responsible for the wellbeing and brand of rugby in Scotland.