Thorntons moves north with latest merger

Thorntons, the biggest legal practice on Tayside, has announced that it is to add Montrose-based Watts Law to its office network from 1 July 2015.

The merger will give Thorntons a presence across Angus, Tayside, Perthshire, Fife and Edinburgh.

All former Watts Law partners, solicitors and support staff will continue to be based in the Montrose office, on High Street, following the merger. Watts Law has served the town for the past 36 years. No jobs will be lost through the merger.

Watts Law partners Hamish Watt and Aileen Hunter will become consultants with Thorntons, and will be joined by Thorntons senior solicitor, Stuart Mackie.

Mr Watt commented: “Bringing Watts and Thorntons together will greatly strengthen both firms' existing offerings, enhancing our resources to provide the highest quality services to our clients across Angus. The support network Thorntons can offer will allow the Montrose team to entirely focus on our clients and their specific needs. We are in the process of contacting all our clients to advise them of the news and the arrangements that will be in place from 1 July.

Anne McKeown, partner with Thorntons in Angus said: “The merger will allow us to provide further specialist services, such as employment law, agricultural and immigration advice for our business clients. This will provide local businesses with a one-stop service for all their legal requirements. For our personal clients the merger will give access to Thorntons wide estate agency network plus specialist financial and future planning expertise."

Last year Thorntons was involved in a three-way merger with Fife practices Steel Eldridge Stewart and Murray Donald. With its latest acquisition it will have 42 partners and more than 400 employees, operating from 10 locations across Dundee, Perthshire, Fife, Edinburgh and Angus.