Change at top as Dundas & Wilson goes for growth

By TERRY MURDEN
Published on 21/06/2012 00:00

DUNDAS & Wilson, Scotland’s biggest law firm, yesterday announced that Caryn Penley and Allan Wernham have been elected managing partners, while Laurence Ward has been chosen as chairman.

The new team, which takes over for four years from August, will hope to bring stability to the firm after a tricky start to the year. It was forced to make 28 redundancies and last week launched an investigation after one of its partners, Keith Armstrong, resigned over irregularities in a tender process.

Penley and Wernham took over on an interim basis when Donald Shaw stood down two years into his three-year term.

Wernham said: “We look forward to delivering on our shared vision. We have been elected on a growth agenda and we will work with all of our colleagues to focus on our clients and ensure that our firm is best placed to meet the challenges ahead.”

Ward said: “I look forward very much to working with them both. As chairman, my first priority will be to support them in implementing and driving forward our firm’s strategy for growth.”

Penley leads the firm’s UK banking and financial services team and has been a partner for ten years. Wernham, a partner for seven years, is head of the real estate team.

Ward leads the intellectual property, information technology (IP/IT) and education practices and has been a partner for more than 20 years. He is currently vice-chairman of Scotland’s technology advisory group.

TERRY MURDEN