Andersons is latest Scots law firm to link up with London

CONSOLIDATION in Scotland’s legal sector continued yesterday with Glasgow-based insurance specialist Andersons Solicitors being taken over by larger London rival DAC Beachcroft.

Andersons, which was founded in 1994 and also has an office in Edinburgh, will be rebranded as DAC Beachcroft Scotland following the takeover, which is subject to regulatory approval.

DAC itself was only created last year through the merger of Beachcroft and Davies Arnold Cooper to create a firm with a turnover of £175 million a year and about 2,000 staff in the Asia-Pacific area, Europe, Latin America and North America.

News of the latest deal comes just weeks after McGrigors – Scotland’s largest law firm by turnover – agreed to be taken over by larger London-based rival Pinsent Masons. In October, Dundas & Wilson announced that merger talks with London firm Bircham Dyson Bell had ended.

Gilbert Anderson, chairman at Andersons, said: “We are very excited about the opportunities this joint venture will bring for both firms.

“Andersons and DAC Beachcroft share the same ethos and commitment to being premier providers of legal services to the insurance industry in their respective jurisdictions.”

He added: “We in Scotland are justly proud of our distinctive Scottish legal system. The joint venture will enable the firm to offer cross-Border legal services to insurers throughout the UK.

“Scotland has a real opportunity to become a jurisdiction of choice for litigation and dispute resolution. Given the global nature of DAC Beachcroft, I firmly believe joining will not only be good for our insurance clients but also for Scotland.”

Paul Murray, managing partner at DAC Beachcroft, added: “This initiative is a significant step in our strategy of becoming the leading UK and international provider of legal services to the insurance sector.”

The deal is due to be completed on 3 September.