Obituary: Fred Banning

Fred Banning, one of the legal sector’s most popular communications professionals, has died after a lengthy battle with illness. He passed away on the evening of Friday 19 May, leaving behind his wife Lesley and his sons Ollie and Charlie, to whom he was a loving husband and father.

Diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer shortly before Covid-19 plunged the world into lockdown, Fred was told his situation was terminal and that without medical intervention he would have only nine months to live. With treatment, he was eventually granted more than three years. He would use that time incredibly productively.

Brought up on the West Coast of Scotland, after graduating from Reading University with a degree in history Fred began his career at the communications agency Kysen, where he swiftly emerged as a highly promising public relations professional.

Clare Rodway, Kysen’s managing director, recalls his progress: “I watched Fred grow from boy to man. I remember the football sticker he put on his work diary when he first joined Kysen as a graduate fresh out of uni. And I recall the assured professionalism he developed over the years. And I loved his equal dedication as a husband, and father of two rowdy boys. Another good memory: Fred making me smile over a fancy afternoon-tea at Edinburgh’s The Dome, asking me not to post the pictures I was taking in case he looked like he was having too much fun on sick leave!

“What do I remember most, now that he’s died? First and foremost that he lived! He put so much into his work-life, from the start – asking me to set him challenges and goals in his very first months so he could stretch himself and chart his progression. And he put as much into his family life too, moving North of the border to be nearer his parents and brother as he planned his own brood. He lived all aspects of his life to the full and became a role model to many. In fact he still will be, long into the future I’m sure.”

Longtime friend and director of BD and marketing at HFW Sean Twomey added: “I was privileged to know Fred. He was someone respected professionally, loved as a wonderful human being and a great person to have on your side. There was an authenticity, honesty and positivity that did not change with his cancer diagnosis. I met him when he started out in Clare Rodway’s Kysen Communications. With other PRs and journalists we played football. He played in his red England football top and we called him ‘Red Fred’. If he said he was playing, he was there, he was reliable and he always put his shift in, scoring and tracking back when necessary. As a PR, he had a positive energy and enthusiasm that benefited all those that worked with him. He was the type of person you wanted on your team and for those that had that privilege he will be much missed and never forgotten.”

Over the years he would win the hearts of many lawyers and journalists with that enthusiasm, professionalism and decency. The Lawyer editor Catrin Griffiths said: “Everyone at The Lawyer will miss Fred’s professionalism, his wit, his imagination and above all his enormous heart. All our sympathies go to his colleagues and his beloved family.”

After Kysen Fred spent two years at Lovells. Then, in the summer of 2010, he joined Scottish firm McGrigors and it was here that he would remain for the rest of his career, returning to Scotland to work for the firm in Glasgow and helping it through its merger with Pinsent Masons in 2012. His expertise secured him the confidence of Pinsents’ leaders and he was made head of PR, then head of corporate communications. A statement from the firm said: “Fred played an integral role in developing Pinsent Masons’ communications function, pioneering the use of brand and reputation as a strategic driver of change, and reimagining our digital strategy culminating in a progressive new website. He was considered a trusted advisor by successive leadership teams and his expertise was regularly sought on matters far beyond reputation.”

Fred had a strong social conscience and was concerned with giving back. He worked closely on Pinsents’ attempts to articulate an agenda around organisational purpose but wanted to do more. Two weeks before his unexpected diagnosis, he had been shortlisted for a non-executive role with, ironically, a cancer charity. His illness caused him to reflect on how his skills could benefit others and he put those skills to good use during the pandemic. In 2021 he was recognised as one of The Lawyer’s Hot 100 for spearheading a campaign during the pandemic to prioritise Covid vaccination for the terminally ill. His lobbying generated widespread media coverage, with Fred appearing on the likes of the Today programme, and resulted in motions being raised in Scottish and UK parliaments.

This was not the end of Fred’s ambition. In 2022 he launched Fifth Day, a charity to allow business services professionals in the legal sector to access pro bono as easily as their solicitor and barrister counterparts. As he himself wrote: “There are around 30,000 business operations professionals working in the top 100 UK law firms, with experience in everything from HR to finance, marketing, IT, facilities and more. Yet how many firms prioritise and promote pro bono work by those allied professionals in the same way as they do for their legal experts?” Fifth Day now lists dozens of positions for which people without legal qualifications working in the sector can volunteer.

Remembering Fred, Skadden head of marketing and Fifth Day advisory board member Jeremy Ford said: “It’s a much hackneyed phrase but Fred was truly one of the good people. I’ve known him for over 15 years and valued him so much as a friend and peer. I was so proud when he asked me to be part of his Fifth Day project to encourage more pro bono by professionals within law firms. Fifth Day has been a huge success since its inception which is down to Fred’s determination to continue to drive it forward, always turning up to meetings with a smile and bringing bundles of his charm, unique wit and creativity. The board will ensure Fifth Day continues to even greater heights in his memory. RIP ‘Red Fred’, you have been an inspiration and you leave a great legacy. We shall all miss you.”

Alastair Morrison, friend and board member at Pinsent Masons said: “The legal industry has lost an exceptional communicator, strategist and innovator, and we have lost a dear friend. Throughout his illness he was always delighted to offer his insights, advice and counsel and was always on top of change. Our thoughts and prayers are with Fred’s wife, Lesley, his two young sons Ollie and Charlie, and his family at this difficult time.”