Scots legal firm Gilson Gray eyes expansion after high-profile board hire

Legal firm Gilson Gray is eyeing further expansion after a high-profile addition to its board.

The firm, which has offices in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and North Berwick, said Alastair Fiddes was returning to Scotland from Zurich to take up the key position as chief financial officer later this month.

Fiddes has a track record in leadership and delivery spanning 25 years at home and abroad.

Following treasury and capital markets roles with RBS, Aegon, Dunfermline Building Society and HBoS in Scotland, his career path took him to Abu Dhabi.

Alastair Fiddes is returning to Scotland from Zurich to take up the key position as chief financial officer later this month.

He was head of asset liability management for financial services company InvestAD, before spending a decade as director and head of treasury for the Mubadala Investment company.

His most recent position was group chief operating officer of Falcon Private Bank in Zurich, where he was part of a senior leadership team charged with transforming the operating model in preparation for the sale of the bank, its assets and subsidiaries.

Glen Gilson, group chairman and managing partner of Gilson Gray, said: “Alastair represents a key appointment in the development of our business and across the legal sector. The appointment of international level talent to strategic management positions for the legal profession is a must if we are to keep pace with other industries.

“That we have been able to attract Alastair against fierce competition reflects the development and increasing sophistication of Gilson Gray as a group.

“Our tripartite provision of legal, property and financial services requires a breadth of management expertise and Alastair’s contribution to our board will be invaluable,” he added.

Fiddes said: “While living and working abroad I have watched with interest as Gilson Gray has pursued strong growth over the last eight years.

“I am impressed by these achievements, not just by what they have done but how they have gone about it.”

He added: “I’m excited to be back in Scotland and feel that my knowledge and experience will complement the leadership team and help us accelerate the ambitious and wide-ranging expansion plans.”

Established in 2014, Gilson Gray has grown to a team of more than 160 people across its four operations.

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