People on the move

ANDERSON STRATHERN, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Haddington, has merged with NEIL RISK SOLICITOR & ESTATE AGENT, Lerwick, from 1 April 2021. Founder Neil Risk becomes a partner at Anderson Strathern and head of the firm’s Shetland office.

Anderson Strathern has also appointed Alison Pryde as a tax director in its Private Client team. She joins from GILLESPIE MACANDREW. 

BLACKADDERS, Dundee and elsewhere, has announced 14 promotions including the appointment of John Dargie as a partner in Private Client at the Aberdeen office. Aberdeen partner Peter Robertson recently retired after 37 years in private practice, at Blackadders and previously at ADAM COCHRAN.

Other promotions include: in the Private Client team, Jamie Robertson to legal director, residential property; Stewart Dunbar to legal director, private client; Rachael Delaney to senior solicitor, private client; Nikki Scott and Jacqueline Cameron to senior paralegal, estate and executry administration; and Joanne Urquhart to paralegal, estate and executry administration; and in the Business Services team, Nicola Brown to legal director, dispute resolution; Suzi Low to legal director, corporate & commercial; Azeem Arshad to associate, commercial property; Dario Demarco to associate, corporate & commercial; Richard Wilson to senior solicitor, corporate & commercial; and Rebecca Thompson and Susan Currie to senior solicitor, dispute resolution.

In addition, Neil Pickthall has joined the firm as chief operating officer from SSE RENEWABLES, succeeding Bob Murdach, who has retired.

BRODIES, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dingwall, has appointed three lawyers to its planning law practice: senior associate Sarah Stewart joins from BURNESS PAULL and will be based in Aberdeen; in Glasgow, associate Kendra Richardson moves from Brodies’ Energy & Infrastructure practice; and English-qualified George Sismey-Durrant has joined the Edinburgh office as a senior solicitor from NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT.

BTO SOLICITORS, Glasgow and Edinburgh, has appointed Gregor Mitchell as head of its Private Client team based in Edinburgh. He joins from MORTON FRASER.

Kenneth Cloggie, advocate, has joined BLACK CHAMBERS from ARNOT MANDERSON ADVOCATES.

JAMES & GEORGE COLLIE, Aberdeen, has appointed Louise Armstrong as a family law solicitor in the firm’s Stonehaven office, KINNEAR & FALCONER. 

Thomas Davidson announces that he has retired from the Law Society of Scotland as a reporter to the Professional Conduct Committee, with effect from 26 March 2021. He wishes to thank present and former colleagues for their support, courtesy and wisdom.

DELANEY GRAHAM LTD, Glasgow intimates that Jane Collins-Whyte has joined the firm as senior associate and head of the Private Client department, from CANNONS LAW PRACTICE.

DUNDEE NORTH LAW CENTRE has relaunched as DUNDEE LAW CENTRE to cover the whole of the city and its immediate surroundings, expanding its operations and with a revamped website, dundeelaw.org, and social media accounts.

ERGO LAW LTD, Edinburgh announces that Natasha Wyllie has joined the specialist employment law firm as a solicitor. Laura Clouston has completed her paralegal qualification in employment law and moves to a joint specialist paralegal/business manager role in the firm.

GILLESPIE MACANDREW, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, has promoted Ashley McCann, Austin Burns and Patrick Munro to associate, and David Halligan, Gillian Wilson, Melissa Strachan and Susan Henretty to senior solicitor. Claire Kinnaird and Emma Doig in the firm’s specialist tax team have been promoted to tax manager and tax senior respectively. 

GILSON GRAY, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and North Berwick, has acquired East Lothian-based PRACTICAL LEGAL SOLUTIONS, to add to its property practice. Gill Maclean, the founder and former owner of Practical Legal Solutions, joins Gilson Gray as a consultant, based in the North Berwick office.

HARPER MACLEOD LLP, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Elgin and Lerwick, announces the promotion of eight new partners: Natalie Dissake (Debt and Asset Recovery), Amy Walsh (Business Development), Kathleen Martin (Private Client), Marina Harper (Personal Injury), Andrew MacKenzie (Dispute Resolution), Laura McCorquodale (Dispute Resolution), Craig Ramsay (Corporate) and Paul Macdonald (Corporate).

JUSTRIGHT SCOTLAND, Glasgow, is delighted to announce the promotion of Andy Sirel in February 2021 to partner and legal director. Andy is responsible for supervision of legal casework and also heads the firm’s SCOTTISH REFUGEE AND MIGRANT CENTRE.

LAURIE & CO, Aberdeen, announce that senior associate Stephanie Mann has been promoted to partner from 1 April 2021. 

LEDINGHAM CHALMERS, Aberdeen, Inverurie, Inverness, Stirling and Edinburgh, announces the promotion of three senior solicitors to associate: Sarah McCaffery (Litigation team, Inverness), and Mhari Michie and Pamela Sargent (both Commercial Property, Aberdeen); and in the Aberdeen Residential Property team, the promotion of Claire Ogston to senior associate and Claire Woodward to senior solicitor. David Geddie, who joined Ledingham Chalmers in 2019 with the transfer of Simpson & Marwick Aberdeen’s Estate Agency team, has retired as a consultant but continues as a property adviser with Ledingham Chalmers Estate Agency.

LINDSAYS LLP, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, is delighted to announce the promotion of Louise Norris as partner with effect from 2 April 2021. Louise is part of the firm’s Commercial Property department and is based in the firm’s Glasgow office at 100 Queen Street.

MACROBERTS, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, has appointed an expert Anti-Money Laundering team, headed by ex-Law Society of Scotland AML specialist Fraser Sinclair.

MBM COMMERCIAL, Edinburgh and London, has announced the following promotions: in the Corporate team, Caroline Urban to director, based in the London office, Hannah Brazel to senior associate, and Laura Currie to assistant company secretary; and in the Dispute Resolution team, Iain McDougall to director and Jamie Apted to senior associate. 

MITCHELLS ROBERTON, Glasgow, announces that Donald Reid has stepped down as chairman and partner in the firm from 1 April 2021. Appointed chairman in 1997, he will remain as a consultant and as Dean of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow. Managing partner Morag Inglis takes up the role of chair.

The firm further announces that Professor Roderick Paisley of the University of Aberdeen joins as a consultant.

PINSENT MASONS, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and globally, announces that two solicitors based in their Scottish offices are among 19 new partner promotions effective from 1 May 2021: dual-qualified legal director Rona Kostulin (Energy Property, Glasgow), and English qualified legal director Ronan Lambe (Energy, Edinburgh). Five senior associates in Edinburgh and Glasgow across Finance & Projects and Risk Advisory Services are among those promoted to legal director: Scott Duncan, Laura Crilly, Graham Young, Jennifer McCormick and Natalie Colaluca.

SCULLION LAW, Glasgow and Hamilton, has appointed Nicola Buchanan as a senior associate in its Family Law team. She joins from BLM. 

TLT, Glasgow, Edinburgh and UK-wide, has appointed commercial litigator and solicitor advocate Peter McGladrigan as a legal director in its Edinburgh office. He joins from SHOOSMITHS, where he was latterly a senior associate. 

URQUHARTS, Edinburgh, intimate that with effect from 31 March 2021 Roderick M Urquhart has retired from the firm. The remaining partners and staff wish him a long and happy retirement after 40 years at the firm set up by his great-grandfather, Andrew Urquhart, in 1876.