Promotions round at Ledingham Chalmers

Legal firm Ledingham Chalmers has announced seven promotions across its Inverness, Aberdeen and Stirling offices, along with news of the retiral of two partners.

In the most senior appointment, Inverness-based senior associate Victoria Leslie takes up the role of partner from 1 April. She works in the firm’s litigation department and is a Law Society of Scotland accredited specialist in personal injury law, acting regularly for private and public sector clients. She is also President of the Highland Business Women’s Club.

The retiring partners are Allan Collie and Graham Cooper, both based in the Aberdeen office.Mr Collie, an accredited specialist in agricultural law, will stay on with the firm as a consultant; Mr Cooper, a licensing lawyer, will do so until the end of July 2017, before stepping down.

In the other promotions, four senior solicitors in the Aberdeen corporate law, residential and commercial property teams – Jennifer Cham, Craig Falconer, Kim Smart and Craig Wilson – and Stephen Higgins based in Stirling from the rural team, become associates, also from 1 April. David Smith, from the residential property team in Aberdeen, has been advanced to senior solicitor.

Jennifer Young, the firm’s chairman and partner, commented: “Since she started with Ledingham Chalmers in 2007, Victoria has made an enormous contribution to the firm, with an increasing focus on private clients in addition to the insurance and public sectors. Her appointment as a partner reflects our commitment to being the ‘go to’ firm for commercial litigation in the Highlands." 

She added: “Investing in our people continues to dominate our financial stewardship and planning. And encouragingly, despite the uncertainty we see across the sectors in which we operate around the impact of the economic and political climate, we continue to be rated by clients and in external surveys as outstanding in our field."