Shepherd & Wedderburn takes in Aberdeen's Commercial Law Practice

Shepherd & Wedderburn is to acquire independent Aberdeen firm The Commercial Law Practice (CLP), it was announced today.

Expected to complete by 1 January 2017, the deal will see CLP partners Mike Anderson and Keir Willox become partners, and Ma'aruf Razzak a director, in the Edinburgh-headquartered UK firm.

CLP was founded in 1995 by Mr Anderson and Mr Willox to provide legal services dedicated to the business community in Aberdeen and surrounding areas. Shepherd & Wedderburn will operate from the current CLP premises in Rubislaw Terrace. 

Shepherd & Wedderburn, which also operates from Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, expects the deal to provide a further boost to its energy practice, which currently advises 25% of companies in BRINDEX, the Association of British Independent Oil Exploration Companies.

Chief executive Stephen Gibb commented: “Aberdeen and the north east remain a cornerstone of the Scottish economy. This acquisition means that we now have a significantly bigger footprint in the region, and that in turn means that we can offer clients the benefit of an enhanced raft of services such as litigation, planning, banking and finance, rural and private client advice together with the corporate, commercial real estate and business law advice already offered.

“We have an excellent team. This acquisition represents a great investment for the firm and will be followed by further senior hires in the new year.”

CLP’s Mike Anderson added: “We believe that there is a huge opportunity for Shepherd & Wedderburn to cement its position in the north east, building on our combined strengths. The partners and staff are excited to be joining a UK firm of the stature of Shepherd & Wedderburn and I look forward to the challenge of helping to drive the business forward in this part of the country and beyond.”