Addleshaw claims 100% growth in five years in Scotland
Addleshaw Goddard ("AG") has doubled turnover in Scotland since the merger which established its presence in the country, the international law firm said today as it marked the fifth anniversary of its entrance.
AG claims to be on course to record a fifth consecutive year of double-digit percentage income growth in Scotland since it merged with HBJ on 1 June 2017. It now has 70% more solicitors across offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, where a new office was opened in 2019; and 69 trainees have started at the firm in that time.
Recruitment continues across Scotland. A number of Scottish lawyers have taken up positions at the firm's global offices over the past five years; and several partners in the Scottish team have leading roles in the wider firm's sector teams, including Alison Newton, co-head of the UK & International Real Estate Sector; David McEwing, co-head of Energy & Utilities; Helena Brown, head of Data; Sarah Baillie as co-head of Renewables and Low Carbon; and David Anderson in the firm's work with high-growth tech businesses.
The firm has also partnered with economic think-tank The Fraser of Allander Institute on the Scottish Business Monitor, which gauges the sentiment of more than 500 Scottish businesses every quarter, and with The Lawscot Foundation to help academically gifted students from less advantaged backgrounds access a career in law.
During the same five year period, AG has opened multiple offices in Germany and France, and earlier this year expanded into Luxembourg and Ireland, the latter through a merger with Dublin-based firm Eugene F Collins which followed the Irish partners' experience of speaking to those involved in the merger in Scotland.
David Kirchin, head of Scotland at AG, said the firm had ambitious targets to continue its growth trajectory over the next three years.
He commented: "The growth and development of our business in Scotland has exceeded all expectations over the past five years, and we are using this milestone to set new targets as we look to build on that success.
"Our commitment is to continue our work with growing businesses and organisations, along with their investors/funders, across all of our sectors in Scotland and the wider UK, as well as supporting international businesses as they look to develop here.
"Being part of an international firm has allowed the teams in Scotland to get involved in international work, both inward and outward, that they simply wouldn't have had the opportunity to do before. We have been able to provide huge opportunities for our people and create career opportunities at the top level of the UK legal profession here in Scotland and we'll continue to seek the best talent and develop our own people."
Mr Kirchin added that AG had targeted growth in key sectors including transport, energy, real estate, financial services and tech – "and we have delivered that".