Our Edinburgh office has grown exponentially since its launch in 2019 and, in the past 12 months, Scottish lawyers from across the firm’s Built Environment, Energy and Utilities, Transport and Financial Services sectors completed over 90 transactions, totalling more than £3.1 billion.
34% of the team’s work this year involved international elements, with the firm continuing to work with its global preferred firm network of independent firms to implement a variety of complex cross-border transactions in jurisdictions like the US, Canada, China, Taiwan, South Africa and much of Europe.
The firm’s Real Estate team completed a large number of Built Environment deals. Notable mentions include working with international client Pandox, one of Europe’s largest hotel property owners, on its £49 million acquisition of the DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre and acting on the £45 million purchase of offices at Prime 4, the award-winning business park and global energy services hub in Aberdeen.
The firm also reinforced its position as one of the leading corporate and M&A advisers in Scotland. The team facilitated deals on behalf of UK and global clients including Finnish company UPM Raflatac on its £146 million acquisition of UK-based Metamark; Clean Energy Cap Ltd, one of the UK’s leading private-wire renewable energy companies on its landmark investment from True Green Capital Management; and Gooch & Housego PLC, the specialist manufacturer of optical components and systems on its acquisition of Phoenix Optical.
On the Banking and Finance side, the team advised Export Development Canada and NatWest on the long-term financing of a 106MW wind farm in the Scottish Highlands and zero-emission bus financier, Rock Road, on the launch of its £100 million funding platform to accelerate sustainable transport infrastructure.
Since launching in Edinburgh in May 2019, the firm has grown both its headcount, from a founding team of just seven to now a 100+ strong office, and it’s office footprint in Atria One on Morrison Street. The firm has established itself as a law firm of choice in the Scottish market with well-established Real Estate (led by partner Robert Forman); Corporate (led by partners Danny Lee and AJ Venter); Corporate Energy (led by partner Malcolm Donald); Banking and Finance (led by partner Stuart McMillan); Construction (led by partner Claire Logue); Employment (led by partner Katie Russell); Incentives, Funds and Financial Regulation (led by partner Nigel Watson); Pensions; and Planning teams.
Following the appointment of Magnus Miller to lead the Dispute Resolution practice in Scotland, we have also enhanced our contentious offering in the region. The team is currently instructed in a number of significant real estate and commercial disputes in the Court of Session as well as representing one of the key participants in the Fatal Accident Inquiry following the Carmont derailment.
Our clients in Scotland include, to name a few, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Aberdeen and St Andrews Brewers and the firm is regularly engaged in some of the most nationally significant projects in the region, including the construction, in Scotland, of Europe’s largest battery energy storage projects, and the UK’s largest natural capital acquisition to date in Cairngorms National Park.
