Firm's bumper crop of career next steps among latest list of partnerships, promotions and hires in Scottish legal sector

The latest list of partnerships, promotions, appointments and new hires includes a number of senior moves and appointments.

The profession's strong start to 2026 continues with a raft of career developments and moves to new roles.

The majority of changes in April were partnerships including the expansion of Lindsays' rural operation.

Aberdein Considine

Aberdein Considine LLP has recognised 15 employees working from Peterhead to Manchester in the firm’s latest round of promotions.

Promoted to partner are: conveyancing Senior Associates Samantha Gilbert (Westhill), Katie Hutchinson (Union Street), Stevie Kelman (Stonehaven / Banchory) and Jordan Watt (Peterhead / Ellon); and banking litigation Senior Associates Diane Gunderson (Manchester) and Eleanor Hamilton (Glasgow).
 
Michael Leith, based in Aberdeen, becomes a Senior Associate in Corporate and Business Advisory. New Associates are conveyancing lawyers Attika Ahmad (Dyce), Claire Munro and Alannah Russell. Both Claire and Alannah are based at Blenheim House, Aberdeen.
 
Glasgow-based Graeme McClumpha and Paddy O’Donnell are both promoted to Senior Solicitor, in Commercial Real Estate and Dispute Resolution respectively, while IT Programme Manager Cara Gallimore (Manchester) and Marketing Manager Michael Madden (Aberdeen) are both elevated to Associate Director.
 
Finally, Annmarie Miller is promoted to Senior Compliance Manager (Newcastle).
 
Eight of the newly promoted lawyers completed their traineeships at Aberdein Considine (Samantha – qualified 2012, Katie – qualified 2017, Stevie – qualified 2018, Jordan – qualified 2019, Attika – qualified 2023, Claire - qualified 2021, Alannah – qualified 2023, Paddy - qualified 2024 and Graeme – qualified 2025).  
 
Jacqueline Law, Managing Partner, said: “Recognising and celebrating talent and hard work is at the core of our business, reflecting the firm’s steadfast commitment to professional excellence and the best possible standards in client care."

Elsewhere in the firm, experienced residential property partner, Will Wallace, has been appointed to head up their expanding residential property team in Edinburgh.

Addleshaw Goddard

International law firm Addleshaw Goddard has announced a new Partner in Scotland as part of its 2026 round of promotions.

Ryan Openshaw, a lawyer in the firm’s Commercial Disputes team who is based in the firm's Aberdeen office at Prime Four Business Park, is part of a 17-strong cohort promoted across Addleshaw Goddard’s offices, up from 15 in 2025.

Ryan has more than a decade of experience practising in Aberdeen, dealing with complex commercial and contractual disputes with a particular focus on energy, shipping and corporate disputes. He has notable experience dealing with cross-border and multi-jurisdictional matters.

Alan Shanks, Head of Scotland at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “Ryan’s promotion is a strong endorsement of his contribution and of the depth of disputes expertise we have built in Aberdeen. With more than a decade advising on complex commercial and contractual disputes he is very well placed to support clients operating at the heart of a highly international market."

Dickson Minto LLP

Dickson Minto LLP intimates that, with effect from 1 April 2026, Gordon Tatnell was assumed as partner of the firm.

Inksters

Inksters Solicitors have added Employment Law to their growing range of services with Gillian Melville joining them as a consultant solicitor in their Glasgow office.

Gillian has over 15 years’ experience advising on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters, including complex workplace disputes, discrimination, redundancy and unfair dismissal. She also has experience in immigration and asylum law.

Brian Inkster, Founder and CEO of Inksters, said: “I am delighted to have Gillian join us and bring Employment Law to Inksters. We have recently added a number of new service areas and Employment Law is a great addition for both existing and new clients. Especially given the significant changes in the law effective from this month.”

Lindsays

Independent Scottish legal firm Lindsays has made three major hires to its Rural team.

Linda Tinson, Lorna McKay and Sarah Taylor join the firm as a Consultant, Partner and Director respectively as its client base across the rural business sector continues to grow.

The trio have worked together for many years, the last three of which have been at Burness Paull and previously at Ledingham Chalmers.

Their arrivals have been hailed as significant in the strengthening of Lindsays’ Rural - Land and Business department amid increasing demand for specialist support in the sector.

They have been announced just days after the promotion of Lewis Crofts from Director to Partner in the same team and weeks after the arrival of Kirsty Graham as a Senior Associate, also from Burness Paull.

Lorna and Sarah’s arrival will also see Rural - Land and Business lawyers based at Lindsays’ Glasgow offices for the first time.

Managing Partner Andrew Diamond said: “Lindsays has a hard-earned reputation for the high quality of our service to rural clients. These key strategic appointments support our ambitions to take that to a new level as a leading firm advising the sector.

“Linda, Lorna and Sarah are fantastic additions to our team. I am very much looking forward to working with them.”

Royal Society of Edinburgh

Jacquelyn MacLennan, a Scottish lawyer and mediator, has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Based in Brussels for many years, latterly as a senior partner in international law firm White & Case, she practiced in the fields of international, European and human rights law. Now in Edinburgh she focuses on corporate sustainability, pro bono and access to justice, and legal education. She is an Honorary Professor with Edinburgh Law School and Co-Chairs the School’s External Relations Advisory Board, a board member of PILnet (Public Interest Lawyers Network) and Operation Fistula, and on the Advisory Board of the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.