Edinburgh partner appointment for DLA Piper

International law firm DLA Piper has appointed Allan Leal as a partner, based in its Edinburgh office.

Mr Leal joins the firm’s Finance practice from Burness Paull, where he has been a partner since 2018. A Scots and English law qualified lawyer, his practice focuses on real estate finance, acquisition finance, trade finance, securitisation, restructurings, and fund finance, both domestically and internationally. He has previously worked for Herbert Smith Freehills in both London and Moscow, as well as running a family business.

DLA Piper’s managing partner in Scotland, Simon Rae, commented: “Allan's strong relationships and knowledge of the local market will be invaluable as we continue to grow our offering in Scotland. He has a strong record of working with domestic and international clients on complex matters and his arrival will allow us to expand our existing Finance practice and will help us to build on our successful track record both in Edinburgh and across our global platform.”

DLA Piper also recently hired partner Stuart Murdoch, who specialises in financial services disputes and regulatory matters, from Burness Paull.