HBJ reveals jump in profit amid '˜tough' legal market

Law firm HBJ Gateley has overcome 'tough' conditions in the legal sector to deliver a rise in annual profits.

HBJ Gateley senior partner Malcolm McPherson. Picture: Ian Georgeson

For the year to April 2015, the firm reported a 9.2 per cent increase in operating profits to £9.3 million, on turnover 11.3 per cent higher at £19.7m.

The results come hot on the heels of a string of senior hires at the full-service practice, which has offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Dubai.

Yesterday it announced the appointment of Anna Brown and Alison Horner as partners, just a month after unveiling a seven-strong hiring round.

Malcolm McPherson, the firm’s Edinburgh-based senior partner, said: “The last year has seen more in the way of casualties in a tough legal market, and I think we can assume things have permanently changed for how law firms are able to operate. That makes it even more important to focus on the right things, and we’ve tried very hard to do that with our fee earners and the types of clients we advise.”

McPherson added: “We don’t take the growth of the business for granted and we’re very grateful to the clients who’ve chosen to work with us. We’ll continue to pursue our strategy of hiring the best lawyers in the market and providing clients with the most effective advice available.”