Murdoch takes Scottish chair as law practices prepare growth plan

McGrigors senior partner Kirk Murdoch, who becomes Scotland and Northern Ireland chairman of the new firm, said the merger had been driven by clients of both firms requiring a greater depth of skills and specialisms.

Pinsent Masons, as the combined firm will be known, is four times the size of McGrigors, but Murdoch – in an interview with Scotland on Sunday – insisted that McGrigors, one of the venerable names of the Scottish legal sector, will not be diminished by the tie-up despite the headquarters moving to London, the name disappearing and the majority of senior posts being taken by the Pinsent Masons partners.

Murdoch, whose new position was predicted last month in The Scotsman, said three of the nine member board will be from McGrigors’ senior team.

He becomes a non-executive director, as does another as yet undisclosed colleague. Managing partner Richard Masters will be director of client operations.

“We wanted a stronger brand for the new operation and Pinsent Masons is well established internationally,” Murdoch said. “I have only worked for one organisation so there is some sadness about losing the name, but in terms of commitment to the new brand it is the right thing to do.”

Pinsent Masons, with a turnover of £300 million, will become the only law firm operating in all three UK jurisdictions – Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.

Fraser McMillan, head of the Glasgow office, believes this coverage will give it particular market advantage as clients operate increasingly on a cross-Border basis.

“This is about a growth strategy, it is client driven and about doing more for those clients,” he said.

Murdoch accepted that corporate work had fallen back during the economic slowdown, but there was always a need to expand beyond Scotland’s borders. As firms grow bigger they do most of their business beyond Scotland and their advisers “had to grow with them and go where they go,” he said. There were already plans to open offices in Munich and Paris.

“Neither firm needed this merger, other than to grow,” said Murdoch. “Together we can move up the food chain. We can do more mergers and acquisitions work. Size makes a difference for the bigger clients.”

He said the panels of law firms that clients traditionally appoint to share out work are being scaled down to reduce costs and that made it more important for any single firm to offer a wide range of specialisms.

It is likely that some staff will leave but the merger had been received well within the firm. Murdoch, whose short term role will be to communicate the rationale behind the merger to clients, will be supported by McMillan in the Glasgow office, Ewan Alexander in Edinburgh, who is from McGrigors, and Roger Connon, also from McGrigors, who heads up Aberdeen. It is understood Paul McBride will run the Northern Ireland office.

Scotland-based partners Bob Ruddiman and Michael Watson will have national management roles within the new business.