Scots lead round of changes at Pinsent Masons

Pinsent Masons has appointed Edinburgh-based solicitor advocate Jim Cormack KC as head of its Risk Advisory Services (RAS) group.

Spread over 17 jurisdictions, the 880-plus strong group operates internationally in construction, advisory and disputes, intellectual property, litigation, regulatory and tax, and technology, media and telecoms. In addition to lawyers, including 149 Partners, it takes in teams of forensic accountants, tax specialists, legal project managers, forensic intelligence analysts, health and safety experts, policy advisors and e-data specialists.

He succeeds Glasgow-based Laura Cameron, who becomes the firm’s managing partner on 1 May. After qualifying into the Litigation team at legacy firm McGrigors, he left to become an advocate, returning as a partner in 2001. In 2006 he became dual qualified in England & Wales, where he is also now a solicitor advocate, and took silk in Scotland in 2018.

Current managing partner, John Cleland, commented: “This time last year, Jim was named team leader for Litigation, Regulatory & Tax, a role in which he has excelled, and which confirmed his suitability for the group head position."

Glasgow-based partner Joanne Gillies has taken over Mr Cormack’s previous role as head of Litigation, Regulatory & Tax ("LRT"), and along with Sibylle Schumacher has been appointed as joint global team leader.

A solicitor advocate with a substantial financial services and insolvency litigation practice, she too is dual qualified in England & Wales. For the last several years she has been office lead for LRT in Glasgow and has also deputised for the Glasgow head of office as well as being the firm’s training principal for Scotland.