Opening an office in the Scottish capital was a decision that recognised and responded to the needs of Burges Salmon’s clients and, on 1 May 2020, the firm celebrates the first anniversary of the opening of its Edinburgh base and the growth and success of its Scottish practice over the past year.
Having secured three high-calibre partners from top-quality independent Scottish firms for its launch, the Edinburgh team now comprises five partners who are heavyweights in their fields ranging across Corporate Finance, Planning, Real Estate, Banking and Employment.
Today marks the announcement of the firm’s fifth partner appointment in Edinburgh; dual-qualified, UK employment law specialist Katie Russell. Corporate practitioner Danny Lee, commercial property lawyer Robert Forman and planning law specialist Craig Whelton joined the Burges Salmon Edinburgh office as partners at its launch in May 2019 with Stuart McMillan – a nationally recognised figure in energy and infrastructure finance – joining the Banking team as partner in October that year.
The past year has seen a number of key client successes for the team in Edinburgh. Now 20-strong, including a range of directors, senior lawyers and business services professionals, the team has advised on a number of significant transactions across a range of sectors and for high-profile clients such as Europe’s largest renewable energy producer Statkraft, leading timber producer BSW Timber Limited, private equity firm Inverleith LLP, and the Atlas Hotels group, part of the L+R Hotels portfolio.
Burges Salmon has also forged partnerships with some of the most significant institutions in Scotland, including being appointed to the legal services panels of both the Scottish Professional Football League and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Roger Bull, Burges Salmon’s Managing Partner, says: “The launch of our Edinburgh office has cemented the firm’s trusted reputation in the Scottish market, underpinning our strong market position and enhancing our capacity to provide wide-ranging sector advice across the UK.
“Since the opening of our Scottish office, it’s been fantastic to see the team continue to grow and report significant successes for our clients in its first year. In the current climate, I’m only too aware of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue for some time to have, on all businesses. However, we are continuing to look positively to the future and make prudent investments for the benefit of our clients. The arrival today of new Employment partner Katie Russell is a great example of this forward-looking approach.”
To highlight the milestones and growth of the Edinburgh office over the last year, we have created a timeline which you can view here.