Risk Consultancy Service

Mitigating internal and external risks

In the current economic climate, businesses need to not only be aware of their weaknesses to enable them to introduce compensating controls to mitigate the risks they face, but also be able to identify and act on areas where they can maximise their competitive advantage.

There is a clear need for organisations to have effective risk management processes in place to provide them with a resilient base from which to operate.

Enterprise risk management (ERM)

MacRoberts adopts and advises on an enterprise risk management (ERM) approach to understand, analyse and address risk. This is an integrated approach to not only managing risk across an organisation and its extended networks, but for identifying opportunities, too.

ERM provides a holistic, non-siloed view of risk within an organisation, allows for maximising opportunities and managing risk, helps to create and embed a risk-aware culture within an organisation, and builds an organisation’s overall resiliency.

How can MacRoberts help?

We provide a range of dedicated risk management consultancy services, including advising on and implementing a risk framework tailored to your organisation. This would be particularly useful for expanding SMEs who need more robust governance frameworks to satisfy key stakeholders such as management boards, shareholders and external parties such as banks, lenders, customers and strategic partners.

Our services cover risk identification and assessment, governance, risk-aware culture, risk registers, risk reporting and management information, policy, and assurance work, e.g. targeted audits or controls testing.

We can also support your business with bespoke risk assessments to aid decision-making, and general training on risk management and business resiliency to raise and improve awareness throughout the organisation.

Risk management: Some questions to consider

For businesses looking to improve their risk management framework, we generally recommend considering the following key questions as a starting point:

How do you think about risk in your firm? Do you consider and report on strategic, business, financial, operational and conduct risk?

Do you look to turn risks into opportunities to gain competitive advantage?

How resilient is your business? What information do you use to show this?

What coping mechanisms do you have in place for the loss of people, premises, technology and suppliers? Have you tested these for effectiveness?

Is risk management embedded throughout your organisation?

Do key decision makers within the organisation get regular risk reporting?

What are the main assets of your firm and how do you protect them?

Do you have a response plan in place if you were to fall victim to a cyber attack? What key people within your firm would you go to? Who would you contact externally?

In 2016, we were one of the first law firms in Scotland to become accredited Living Wage employers.
Shortlisted for Firm of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards 2022.
Winners of Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year and Family Law Team of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards 2020.
Our Real Estate team won the Property Team of the Year Award at the British Legal Awards in 2018.
Winner of SME of the Year at the Scottish SME Awards 2017, hosted by Scottish Business Insider.
Highly Commended for Commercial Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2016.
In 2019, MacRoberts achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification, a UK Government entry-level information security standard.
MacRoberts holds the ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management, the most widely recognised quality management system standard in the world.
MacRoberts holds the ISO14001:2015 certification for Environmental Management, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to environmental awareness.
MacRoberts holds the ISO27001:2013 certification for Information Security, an internationally recognised security gold standard.
Business continuity is a critical element of the Business Management System at MacRoberts and we hold full accreditation with the ISO 22301:2019.
MacRoberts is a member of IP Inclusive, a network of intellectual property professionals working to make our community more equal, diverse and inclusive.
We are active members of the PRIME Programme – an organisation that focuses on ensuring a career in law is open to talent from all economic and social backgrounds.
MacRoberts supports the Scottish Business Pledge, a values-led partnership between Government and business that is based on boosting productivity and competitiveness through fairness, equality and sustainable employment.
We are supporters of the Partnership for Change, a network of organisations and individuals who share a common ambition to improve diversity on boards and in senior leadership.
We are a member of the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI), a UK-based not-for-profit organisation which helps employers build and maintain diverse teams and inclusive cultures through our membership, training, and consultancy services.
In 2022, MacRoberts was awarded enei's Silver TIDEMark. TIDE is enei's self-assessment evaluation and benchmarking tool which measures an organisation's overall approach and progress on diversity and inclusion.
MacRoberts is a Disability Confident employer, and are committed to disability equality across our firm.
MacRoberts fully supports flexible working practices and supports family-friendly working practices.
In 2022, MacRoberts received a Bronze Award in Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index for our commitment to LGBTQI+ inclusivity in the workplace.
MacRoberts is a longstanding member of Scotland Food & Drink, the leading trade association for Scotland's food and drink industry.
MacRoberts is an Associate Member of SELECT, Scotland's largest construction trade association.