Andrew Duncan McCallum Gregg – BLS President 1998 and 2006

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Andrew Gregg on Wednesday 6 March. Andrew was only the second, and one of the very exclusive club of Presidents,  to have been President of Bristol Law Society twice and was more widely a great contributor to the Bristol legal sector.

Andrew qualified as a solicitor in 1970 and first began practicing in Bristol in 1974 having previously worked for firms in Battle, Hastings and Ramsgate.  He joined Osborne Clarke as their 8th Partner in 1972 where he built a strong criminal defence and licensing practice. In April 1992, he moved to set up his own firm, Andrew Gregg & Co.  In the late 1990s, he merged with Galbraith Quinn, and then in 2001 merged with Latchams, Montague, Niblett & Co which in turn merged with Wadge Rapps &Hunt in 2006 to become Gregg Latchams LLP. He remained as Senior Partner at Gregg Latchams until his retirement.

An accomplished and popular advocate. Andrew went on to become a Notary Public in 1984 and then became National President of the Notaries Society from 2005-2007. Having first been BLS President in 1998, he also very generously stepped in to become President again in 2006, when the VP fell ill at short notice and could not take on the Presidency. Other positions he held included Chairman of the Bristol Law Students Society, Chairman of the Bristol Sole Practitioners Group, Chair of the Young Solicitors group and legal advisor at Bristol University disciplinary tribunal and Chairman of the Rent Assessment Panel and Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

As part of our 250th celebrations in 2020, Andrew penned the following “I had previously been Chair of the Young Solicitors Group. We had our Rugby XV and past President John Adams insisted on playing for us! We also had a rowing eight but managed to get disqualified at Ross on Wye Regatta for allegedly pinching our opponents water! I had also been The BLS press officer as well as a founder member of the Duty Solicitor scheme which was the idea of our member Richard Dent (another first for Bristol) and which was soon adopted nationally. I was lucky in my first Presidency to attend the many trips to the European Bar Associations (Law Societies) who invited us to their annual dinners and celebrations . The trips included Amsterdam, The Hague, Paris, Bordeaux, Barcelona, Selle, Lyon, Rotterdam, Brussels, Dublin as well as our other English Societies such as Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. It has been my privilege and pleasure to serve The Bristol Law Society, the oldest in the country.”

Andrew dedicated almost all his working life to the legal profession in Bristol, building up an enviable and fully deserved reputation as a legal authority on a wide range of issues, earning respect from clients and peers like. He was a larger than life character, a proud owner of a vintage Lagonda, one of life’s bon viveurs and to those who were fortunate enough to be invited, a great host!

Since retiring Andrew  had continued to be active in the community engaged with numerous trust positions that he held, and enjoying his home, travel and time with his family.

His kindness generosity and energy for life will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends and business associates. Possibly all summarised in his approach to the annual Chew Magna Charity Bed Race where Andrew’s specially adapted bed he had  built on a mini car chassis with racing steering wheel (no brakes of course), and only the brave dared to move from pushing him to jumping on and riding with him at the wheel down the hills!

He is survived by his wife Carol, his 2 children from his first marriage, 2 step children and grandchildren.

On behalf of Bristol Law Society we extend our sincere condolences to his wife Carol and family.