Scots legal heavyweight Shepherd and Wedderburn names new chairman

Top lawyer Gillian Carty has been elected chairman of Scottish legal heavyweight Shepherd and Wedderburn.

Gillian Carty is highly regarded in the Scottish insolvency market, specialising in insolvency and finance-related litigation, and will continue to advise clients after assuming the role of chair of Shepherd and Wedderburn.

Carty, who joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 1993 and was made a partner in 2001, will work closely with her fellow partners and managing partner Andrew Blain to “chart the firm’s strategic direction” over the next three years.

She is highly regarded in the Scottish insolvency market, specialising in insolvency and finance-related litigation, and will continue to advise clients after assuming the role of chair.

Carty succeeds Paul Hally, who was first elected chairman in 2014 and has stepped down after serving two consecutive terms.

Blain said: “Throughout her career, Gillian has set the standard for client service – building trusted adviser relationships with businesses that rely on her wise counsel and expert legal advice.

“Moreover, Gillian has shown herself to be a people person who is committed to widening access to the profession and to supporting initiatives designed to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we live and work.

“Gillian’s experience, empathy and legal expertise make her ideally suited for this role. I look forward to working closely with Gillian and would like to congratulate her on her appointment as chair, which I am sure will be welcomed by colleagues and clients alike.”

Carty is also a licensed insolvency practitioner and is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in insolvency law. Prior to her appointment as chair, she led the firm’s commercial disputes and regulation division.

Carty said: “I would like to thank Paul for the very significant contribution he has made as chair to developing and implementing the firm’s business strategy, and representing the interests of colleagues and clients.

“Paul has led by example, mentoring many young lawyers who have gone on to build successful careers in private practice and with many of our clients.

“It is a privilege to have been elected to the role of chair and I look forward to working with my partners, colleagues and clients to help the many organisations and individuals we act for achieve their objectives.”

Shepherd and Wedderburn has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, London and Dublin.

In September, the firm hailed “solid” growth despite a drop in profits before partner distributions in its latest financial year, which it noted was latterly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it saw turnover increase and flagged its role in high-profile deals including advising Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind on the £2 billion financing of the offshore wind farm of the same name, and US finance giant JPMorgan Chase on its plan to build a major technology base in Glasgow.

The Edinburgh-based firm said that in the year to April 30, profits before partner distributions fell 1.7 per cent to £22.4 million, while turnover was up 2 per cent to £56.9m.

Its banking and finance team advised on 276 deals with a cumulative value of £64.6bn in the 12 months, a year-on-year increase of 65 per cent in the total number of deals, while its corporate finance team advised on deals with an aggregate value of more than £6bn in the year to December.

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