CCW Business Lawyers merges into Wright Johnston & Mackenzie

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) has today announced its merger with CCW Business Lawyers with effect from Monday 3 December.

The merged firm will be known as Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP, with four partners – John Clarke, Stephen Cotton, Michael Dewar and Alison Marshall – and eight employees from CCW’s Edinburgh and Dunfermline offices joining WJM. The Dunfermline office will be retained. Following recent partner promotions the merger will take WJM to 31 partners and 60 fee earners. 

Adding the team from the 15-year-old CCW will boost WJM’s strength in commercial property and corporate, particularly for its east coast practice. Now in its 164th year, since 2015 the firm has acquired a number of senior appointments from McClure Naismith in Glasgow, merged with MacArthur & Co in Inverness and BMK Wilson in Glasgow and Dunblane, and acquired the clients of Robertson & Co in Kingussie.

Managing partner Fraser Gillies commented: "We have a very clear vision for WJM as a leading independent Scottish firm offering unrivalled client service to the parts of the Scottish marketplace we’ve focused on. From our very first discussion with CCW it was clear we share similar values including an entrepreneurial outlook, a commitment to excellence in all that we do and the view that long-term, deep client relationships are key to a successful and sustainable practice. There were also clear synergies in our client bases amongst the SME, owner managed and family business sectors. Both our firms share a substantial heritage combined with a modern outlook on the delivery of legal services."

CCW managing partner John Clarke added: "Merging with WJM is the perfect solution for CCW’s clients, staff and partners. Not only does it ensure continuity for at least the next 15 years (CCW having just had its 15th birthday) but, through our new colleagues in WJM we will be able to offer CCW’s existing clients an extended range of services."