Scottish legal firm on track for record £40 million turnover after ‘incredibly busy year’

Expansion has included the opening of its first permanent Glasgow office overlooking George Square.

Thorntons' managing partner Lesley Larg: 'We have also invested substantially in our people.'

Thorntons, the Tayside-headquartered legal heavyweight, has seen its Central Belt expansion pay off with turnover set to top a record £40 million.

Annual results show that gross income at the full-service law firm rose by 8.2 per cent to £37.8m, for the financial year to the end of May 2023. It is now on track to report turnover of more than £40m in the current financial year as it progresses with its growth plans.

During the past financial year, the firm invested substantially in growing the business, with an increased focus on the Central Belt. Following the success of its Edinburgh operation, Thorntons opened its first permanent Glasgow office where it appointed three lateral hires at partner level in the areas of commercial property and commercial litigation. It also secured some “significant” new clients in emerging sectors including agri-tech, carbon capture and green tourism.

Headquartered in Dundee, the firm has 73 partners and employs more than 500 people across 14 Scottish offices, including its Glasgow and Edinburgh locations.

Managing partner Lesley Larg said: “It’s been an incredibly busy year for the firm with some major new initiatives including our first permanent Glasgow office overlooking the city’s iconic George Square. In time we hope to double our headcount in Glasgow and build on our existing, strong client base.

“We have also invested substantially in our people, ensuring we offer high quality learning and development opportunities and competitive salaries. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved across the business during an uncertain economic period, and we continue to have ambitious plans for the future, including making a positive contribution to the communities where we are based.”

She added: “We are experiencing continued strong growth this financial year and are predicting a £40m-plus turnover. The current year will also see more new colleagues join us in locations including Dundee and Edinburgh in a range of legal and business support roles. We also have plans to recruit in Glasgow. We want to build on our strong corporate and commercial offering in the west and to further expand our services for individuals and families.”