The President of Southport & Ormskirk Law Society spoke of his desire to grow the 103-year-old organisation, as he praised the close collaboration of lawyers across the region.
Gerard Horton, a Partner at Leigh Day, spoke at the society’s Annual Dinner a week after attending the Liverpool Law Society Annual Awards.
He praised the positive impact that lawyers in Southport and Ormskirk are having on the local community while also speaking about the increasing development of AI.
Gerard also called for “further clarity to restore a sense of calm” in the legal world after the recent Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys judgement led to uncertainty among law firms.
The 2025 Southport & Ormskirk Law Society Annual Dinner sponsored by Datalaw was held at Hillside Golf Club in Southport.
The event was organised by Gerard’s wife, Kirsty Thomas-Horton, the Head of Business Development at Fletchers Group.
The couple met while studying for their law degrees at Liverpool John Moores University before they went on to work together at Fletchers Group.
They live in Southport and have a 21-month-old daughter, Deia.
Speaking at the dinner, Gerard Horton said:
“The society wouldn’t be anything without its membership and all of our guests who are here tonight.
“I’m a catastrophic injury solicitor by trade. My career began here in Southport and I’ve had a wonderful 17 years at Fletchers Solicitors, going in initially as a paralegal and working my way up to Partner in the firm.
“I’ve got many cherished memories of my time at Fletchers and it’s great to see so many familiar faces here this evening.
“I very recently joined Leigh Day Solicitors, in August, as a Partner in catastrophic injury, working across their Manchester and Liverpool offices.
“As a local resident still, I maintain my ties with this region and our society.
“I am immensely proud of our community and everything that we have come through in the past few years.
“I know our local law firms have often been the first to come to aid our community in very difficult times.
“What an honour it is to be appointed President of this historic society.
“I’ve always had a fondness for this society. Chairing the Junior Lawyers Division in 2014, we organised events such as the Three Peaks Challenge, and the inter-firm five-a-side tournament – which was won dramatically on penalties by Birchall Blackburn.
“I gave the Young Lawyer’s Speech at Formby Hall in 2013, a memorable evening with many highlights. It was the Merseyside Derby the next day and the Everton team were staying at the hotel that evening. I managed to get selfies with several of the team, which did manage to take my mind off the impending doom of the speech.
“I’ll never forget having to follow Berni Flint, a talented singer, songwriter, entertainer and seasoned after-dinner speaker, and there’s me coming up at the end.
“It’s very fitting that I can see Rob and Eileen Fletcher here tonight. A sincere thank you for the opportunities that you created for me, and the legacies you have left for so many others, both locally and nationally.
“It was a pleasure to attend the Liverpool Law Society Awards last week. It was great to meet our national Law Society President, Mark Evans.
“In his speech I heard him say ‘it is the people who are the fabric of our profession’.
“Now that’s something I can get behind.
“It’s fantastic to have our national Law Society President from a region very close to us, hailing from North Wales, with an empathy and understanding for our regional communities.
“Regional groups like our own society are vital to the communities that we serve.
“We aspire to do more to further these objectives.
“My aim as President is to make our society more accessible, boosting our online presence, making it easier for residents to find our society and our exceptional local lawyers.
“If you are interested in joining our society, our committee or our Young Lawyers Group, please do get in touch with us.”
Gerard Horton spoke about the recent Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys judgement, which considered whether a non-authorised person is entitled to conduct litigation under the supervision of an authorised person.
Law Society president Mark Evans shared recently that “We are aware that Mazur created uncertainty across the legal profession,” with many questions about the repercussions of the case.
Gerard Horton said:
“Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys shook the very foundations of our firms’ structures, with a judgement that has left a genuine sense of anxiety across the legal sector particularly among those whose roles sit close to the regulatory boundaries.
“The judgment cast uncertainty among those in law firms who are allowed to conduct litigation, and I’ve seen talented, dedicated professionals, including some of the best lawyers that I’ve worked with, suddenly questioning whether the work they’ve done for years is still safe to carry out.
“It’s been a very strange situation we’ve been presented with.
“It is, I feel, incumbent on us all to support our colleagues.
“It’s a stressful enough job as we all know, so we do welcome further clarity to restore a sense of calm.
“Looking to the future, we are now in the brave new world of artificial intelligence, with clients routinely using AI, to recommend appropriate solicitors to them; to respond to correspondence; and now even bots checking our advice.
“We’re all having to move with the times and play catch up in some areas.
“Of course, we rightfully should be cautious, for many reasons.
“But AI has many things in common with us. As I was preparing this speech, I straightforwardly asked ChatGPT ‘is the use of AI good or bad for the legal profession?
“It responded: ‘AI is neither purely good, nor purely bad, for the legal profession. It depends on how it is used’.
“Spoken like a true lawyer!”
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown or email: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
