Martin Soloman, Senior Partner, Hay & Kilner

Dec 21 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

Martin Soloman led his legal practice through a period of rapid growth and in the last two years has steered it through the recession unscathed, as well as helping to raise over £1m for charity in his spare time. Peter McCusker reports.

The Questionnaire

What car do you drive?
Toyota Land Cruiser

What's your favourite restaurant?
Chez Nano, Val d'Isere. Great food and atmosphere - and skiing next day!

Who or what makes you laugh?
Have I Got News for You

What's your favourite book?
Touching the Void – what would you do?

What's your favourite film?
39 Steps – the original Hitchcock version

What was the last album you bought?
Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s

What's your ideal job, other than your current one?
Mountain guide

If you had a talking parrot, what's the first thing you'd teach it to say?
Er.."Have I got News for You?!"

What's your greatest fear?
I'm not too keen on snakes!

What's the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
Cash is king.

Worst business advice?
Inflation takes care of debt

What's your poison?
French red wine

What newspaper do you read, other than The Journal?
The Times

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
I think about £30 for a very long hard week labouring on a construction site building a reservoir dam

How do you keep fit?
Mountain walking, gym, skiing

What's your most irritating habit?
You had better ask my wife but the word "dishwasher" may come into it!

What's your biggest extravagance?
Skiing

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with/admire?
Hercule Poirot – he gets results with style!

And which four famous people would you most like to dine with?
Michael Palin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton… and John Humphrys to keep them in check!

How would you like to be remembered?
Honest and fair - and a dedicated family man

CV

Partner at Hay & Kilner since 1984
Senior partner at Hay & Kilner since 2002
Combines a senior management role with commercial client legal work
Chambers/Legal 500 entries
Named as a 'Leading Individual' in Commercial disputes by The Legal
Qualified as a solicitor in 1978.
Partner with Hay & Kilner since 1984 having worked as a senior solicitor for Newcastle City Council until 1984 undertaking planning and development work including construction contracts and major construction disputes.

Education
Haverfordwest Grammar School, Pembrokeshire, South Wales - fantastic coastline but not many jobs outside Tourism and farming!
University of Kent - law degree
Liverpool Polytechnic - professional law exams

Interests
Soloman was a board member of the Evening Chronicle Sunshine Fund on its "relaunch" in 1995 and has been chairman since 2001.
Interests include mountain walking and skiing. He supports Newcastle Falcons rugby team and says he occasionally plays golf, badly.

Family
Married to Liz who is a teacher. They have a daughter Charlotte and son Peter - both away at university.