Anderson Strathern unveils dedicated business resilience unit

Law firm Anderson Strathern has launched a business resilience unit in the face of the effect of the Covid-19 crisis to support clients and business leaders across Scotland.

From left: Neil Amner and Bruce Farquhar. Picture: Stewart Attwood

The unit unites specialist lawyers from across the Edinburgh-headquartered firm and is led by company chair Bruce Farquhar and director Neil Amner, who is also a member of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce’s business advisory group. It is supported by an online hub with a Covid-19 company checklist, webinars and a podcast series among related initiatives.

Amner, group lead of the unit, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic is challenging businesses in ways and to an extent we have never seen before. Being resilient, developing resilience, preparing for the ‘new normal’ and being able to adapt are all key for businesses at present. We’re here to help guide clients through the weeks and months ahead.”

Farquhar, co-lead of the unit, said: “We know that Covid-19 has already developed into a global economic crisis, but we also know it’s a human crisis and so businesses need to respond on a human level with customers and their own people alike.

“During the pandemic we’ve been providing specialist advice directly and through our business hub, and there’s been real interest in that. Now we are helping our clients look ahead through the lens of the effects of Covid-19 and prepare for the impact of forthcoming areas such as climate change and Brexit.”

Anderson Strathern is active across the public, commercial and private client sectors – with 54 partners and more than 230 employees across Edinburgh, Glasgow and East Lothian. Clients include Buccleuch Estates, the Scottish Government, Crown Estate Scotland, Clyde Gateway, Scotmid, Apex Hotels, Ineos, Glasgow City Council, Transport Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service and the Royal College of Nursing.

Farquhar added: “Among others, we’re seeing a great deal of activity in areas such as employment law, private client services, commercial property, restructuring, insolvency, rural affairs, infrastructure and transport. What is commonplace is that everyone is feeling the impact of the current crisis in some way.”

Managing partner Murray McCall commented: “As we did with Brexit, as a firm we quickly realised we needed to pivot into how we could support our clients and Scottish business leaders as the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold.

“As we know, this crisis touches each and every part of our economy and so we are pulling together to support clients around many aspects of the law - commercial contracts and property, restructuring, public sector challenges, and employment law to name a few.”

SCOTSMAN.COM

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