Legal Cheek speaks to Ed Southall about his decision to leave law and launch his own business
Ed Southall’s career path has been anything but ordinary. “I didn’t study law at university. I studied music, then switched to politics,” he says, recalling his route into the legal profession. Still, he went on to qualify as a solicitor at Hogan Lovells before ultimately returning to music by launching an online platform for booking live bands and musicians for events.
Music has been a constant for Southall. “It’s something I’ve done since I was a small kid,” he tells Legal Cheek. His eldest brother is a professional musician and growing up he assumed he would follow a similar path, perhaps becoming a composer. But after completing his first year at university, reality set in. “I suddenly thought maybe music isn’t as transferable as I thought,” he recalls. That prompted a switch to politics, a subject he saw as a more practical option which “could lead more naturally to law.”
As graduation approached, Southall decided to give law a go, seeing it as a solid next step that would equip him with useful skills. “I thought law would be a pretty good thing to try — an opportunity to study a bit more for a couple of years,” he says. He secured a training contract at Hogan Lovells and completed the law conversion course followed by the Legal Practice Course in London.
Southall joined the firm as a trainee in 2011 and spent two years learning the ropes of commercial law. After qualification, he joined the infrastructure projects team and found plenty to enjoy in the role, especially its international scope. “Being able to work on work of that scale was something I was quite proud of,” he reflects. He also enjoyed life as a junior lawyer, particularly the people. “I did enjoy it especially working with the people,” he says, describing colleagues as “a great bunch of smart, hard-working people,” some of whom have remained close friends. The experience also instilled a meticulous attention to detail that he still applies day to day in his business life.
After a few years in practice, however, Southall felt drawn to a different challenge. “Over time it was probably a pull to start something of my own, to have that autonomy,” he says. At the same time, the demands of City life were beginning to bite. “I found the intensity and the long hours don’t leave much head space for anything beyond the office,” he recalls.
The skills he developed as a lawyer have since proved invaluable. Starting a business is risky, but Southall approached entrepreneurship with the same pragmatic mindset he had developed in practice. “A lot of people think starting a business is risky, which it is,” he says. “But having worked as a lawyer, I’m naturally risk-averse. It’s all about managing risks and identifying how to reduce them. Starting a business with that mindset helps manage the risks.”
With a few years as an associate under his belt, Southall made the leap and left legal practice to start his own venture. “That’s when I started FixTheMusic,” he says, a business that brought together his professional skillset and lifelong passion for music.
“There were loads of startups copying the Airbnb model,” he explains, “and I thought there was a gap in the market for that kind of direct marketplace for music.” Drawing on his experience as a gigging pianist who had played at weddings and parties, Southall felt well placed to spot the opportunity. “It was related to things I’m interested in and know about,” he says, adding that “having some knowledge was definitely an advantage.”
The startup has since gone from strength to strength. “I’m very proud that we’ve worked with some great clients like Netflix, Amazon, Google,” Southall says. Early on, he questioned whether such major organisations would trust a small business. They did. FixTheMusic has since provided entertainment for high-profile corporate events, including Google’s Christmas parties, as well as countless weddings and private celebrations.
Looking back, Southall has no regrets about his time in law and sees it as instrumental to his later success. “I would definitely do it again,” he says of qualifying as a solicitor. The grind of a training contract and the “hours and hours of often meticulous, mind-numbingly dull work” instilled a discipline that continues to serve him well. “When you’re starting a business by yourself, you have to do that sort of thing without anyone breathing down your neck,” he notes.
He also views a legal qualification as a strong foundation. “If from the outset you think you might want to do something else, having that training and qualification gives you a safety net,” Southall says. If a venture does not work out, “there’s no reason you can’t go back to law, or one of the many other careers that qualified lawyers go on to do.”
His advice to those starting out is to commit fully, even if the end point is not clear. “You’ve just got to give everything to the career,” he says. By throwing himself into each stage of his journey, Southall ensured he took as much as possible from every experience. “You’ve got the most of it,” he says.