Anderson Strathern eyeing more bolt-on legal deals

Law firm Anderson Strathern today said it was on the hunt for more takeover opportunities, having recently bagged a brace of deals.

Anderson Strathern's Colin Henderson with Sarah Thurston, left, and Susie Stewart, who have recently been promoted at the law firm. Picture: Stewart Attwood

The practice, which swooped on Edinburgh-based ADLP Solicitors and Glasgow private client specalist Jeffrey Aitken earlier this year, is eyeing further possible targets at the smaller end of the legal spectrum.

Managing partner Murray McCall said: “We continue to identify opportunities in the market which may translate to acquisitions in the near to medium term.”

Anderson Strathern’s private client practice, headed by Colin Henderson, is one of the largest in Scotland, with a team of more than 50 across its offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Haddington in East Lothian.

Recent promotions within the team have seen tax advice specialist Martin Campbell elevated to partner, with Susie Stewart and Sophia Li – who focus on high net worth clients – becoming senior associates. Alastair Johnstone has been promoted to associate, while Sarah Thurston becomes a senior solicitor.

Henderson said: “The new promotions focus on the key areas of family succession planning, family office services and specialist tax advice and add real value for our clients.”

He added that pensions, Brexit and the prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum were three of the hot topics facing Scotland’s wealthy as the year draws to a close, with the firm seeing increased demand for legal and wealth management advice.

“Within our practice, it’s satisfying that we’re bringing through so much young talent and with consolidation within the legal sector on the increase we fully expect to expand further with lateral hires,” Henderson said.

• Brodies today announced the launch of an “innovative” software system that aims to help businesses identify contractual risks arising from the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.

It said the software can search hundreds of commercial contracts in minutes to identify clauses covering areas such as cross-border data sharing and geographic restrictions that could pose a risk post-Brexit, enabling firms to review and potentially amend their agreements with customers and suppliers.

Grant Campbell, Brodies’ head of commercial services, said: “While the detailed impact of Brexit will only become clear once negotiations get underway, businesses will need to be ready to analyse their contracts and react when the time comes.”

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