'Award-winning' senior solicitor among abundance of promotions, hires and partnerships across Scottish legal sector

The latest list of partnerships, promotions, appointments and new hires includes a number of senior moves and appointments.

The Scottish legal profession continues to demonstrate its buoyant health with yet another raft of career moves.

Among the eye-catching changes this month are Lindsays' appointment of last year's Herald 'Solicitor of the Year' Aileen Entwistle, and an Honorary Life Membership of the IBA for Michael Clancy.

Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co has announced four appointments to legal director across its Scotland practice, including the posthumous promotion of Sarah Donaldson.

Kelly Brotherhood has been promoted within the firm’s casualty team in Glasgow, where she specialises in complex fraud and large loss claims. Chris Dunn is an accredited specialist in the regulation of professional conduct law. Based in the healthcare team in Edinburgh he advises healthcare and other professionals, representing them before their regulators.

Kirstie Carrick has been promoted within the Glasgow team. An accredited specialist in employment law, she typically advises employers on contentious issues including disciplinary and grievance matters, discrimination, restructures and contractual disputes.

And Sarah Donaldson has received a posthumous promotion to legal director. A highly respected lawyer, she specialised in catastrophic injury and large loss work and was known for her expertise, professionalism and unwavering support for colleagues and clients. She passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in February.

Vikki Melville, managing partner for Clyde & Co in Scotland, said: “Sarah was an outstanding lawyer and colleague who made a lasting contribution to our firm and to those she worked with. We are proud to recognise her achievements through this promotion and remember her with great respect and appreciation.”

Dentons

Dentons has appointed Gordon Anderson as a construction partner in its Projects practice in Glasgow.

Gordon joins from Addleshaw Goddard, where he was a partner, to lead Dentons' non-contentious UK construction practice, which is strategically important and a key business driver for the firm's Projects and Real Estate groups and the wider firm.

Gordon is a non-contentious construction specialist with 20 years' experience of advising on infrastructure, mixed-use development and regeneration projects.

Paul Jarvis, CEO of Dentons UK, Ireland and Middle East (UKIME), said: “Gordon is a seasoned partner with an outstanding track record of senior client relationship management and team leadership skills. His experience across the UK and internationally enhances our market position as Scotland's leading global law firm."

DWF

DWF has announced 15 promotions across its Edinburgh and Glasgow offices.

The promotions include advancement to director roles for insurance lawyer Michael Higgins and real estate lawyer Aileen Shearer. In addition, insurance lawyers Max Roper, Nicole McQuilken and Michaela Dougan were promoted to senior associate, alongside dispute resolution lawyers Kirsty Anderson and Hayley Swanson.

Corporate lawyer Gary Macdonald and insurance lawyer Lynne Macfarlane have also progressed to a higher level within DWF’s partnership structure.

As part of this promotion Claira Rodden (Glasgow), Greg Robertson (Edinburgh) and Tasha Walker (Glasgow) were promoted to associate in the commercial services teams. In the Glasgow insurance team, Lucy Carmichael has been promoted to senior paralegal, and Elaine McGrory and Nicola Campbell have been appointed lead paralegal respectively.

Holmes Mackillop

Holmes Mackillop Solicitors has announced the promotions of two trainees to solicitor in its Glasgow office.

The conclusion of their traineeship sees Paul Campbell and Liam Reilly assume the position of solicitor in the firm’s property and corporate teams respectively.

Campbell joined Holmes Mackillop as a student in 2023 before undertaking a specialised two-year traineeship in its property team, assisting with aspects of both residential and commercial property. As a newly qualified solicitor he is now specialising in assisting all aspects of commercial property.

Reilly commenced his traineeship with the firm in in 2024. During his traineeship, he had seats within both the corporate and litigation departments. Within the corporate team, he had a particular focus on corporate transactions and shareholders' agreements while in the litigation team, he assisted with a broad range of commercial and employment law disputes, having exposure to a diverse spectrum of contentious matters.

International Bar Association

Law Society of Scotland Director of Law Reform, Michael Clancy OBE has been awarded Honorary Life Membership of the International Bar Association, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the Association’s work for over twenty years.

Joint President of the IBA, Claudio Visco, presented Michael with the prestigious award at the IBA Council meeting in Prague on Saturday 23 May.

Michael said, “It is a genuine pleasure to be part of the International Bar Association’s work to bring together legal communities from across the world in a combined effort to uphold the rule of law, access to justice and human rights. So to say that I am delighted to be recognised by friends and colleagues at the Association is an understatement. I look forward to carrying on our important work defending the rule of law in a challenging global environment.”

Mr Visco said, “Michael Clancy has been one of the IBA’s key reference points, representing the Law Society as a Council Member and serving as Chair of the IBA Credentials Committee for several years. In recent years, he has also supported the Association through its constitutional and governance review by successfully chairing the IBA Constitution and Governance Committee.”

Lindsays

Lindsays has strengthened its Private Client team with the appointment of a new Partner. Aileen Entwistle has joined the firm’s Glasgow office following six years as a Partner with Aberdein Considine in the city.

She brings with her more than 20 years of legal experience, specialising in advising individuals and families on matters including Wills, Powers of Attorney, trusts and inheritance tax planning, as well as estate administration.

The quality of her work was recognised nationally in November (2025) when she was named Solicitor of the Year at The Herald Law Awards of Scotland.

Speaking about her new appointment, Ms Entwistle said: “I am excited to be taking on this new opportunity with a firm with which I feel a real personal connection.

“Lindsays wound up my Dad’s estate following his death 15 years ago. I was struck by the compassion and professionalism I was shown then and that’s remained with me.

“That personal experience - along with the firm’s strong reputation, particularly among its Private Client department - attracted me to this role.

“The values of Lindsays very much align with my personal values - to provide professional, compassionate, relatable quality advice.”

Ms Entwistle is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and is ranked in Legal 500.

Elsewhere, experienced lawyer Philip Sim joined its Glasgow office as Lindsays continues to support a strong portfolio of work across the full spectrum of commercial property matters.

He has spent the past eight years running his own legal practice - Sim Legal - having previously been a Partner at Ledingham Chalmers, McClure Naismith and Harper Macleod.

His appointment marks further growth for Lindsays' Commercial Property team, which has expanded by 20% since March last year (2025).

Philip, who acts for developers, investors, landlords and occupiers, said: “Lindsays is the ideal fit for my clients and for me.

“Joining the firm creates new opportunities for me as part of a bigger team, while opening the benefits of a full-service firm - and the experience available across various specialisms - to my current clients, who I am pleased to continue working with. It’s a positive for everyone."

Morton Fraser MacRoberts (MFMac)

Independent law firm Morton Fraser MacRoberts (MFMac) has appointed Kamal Panglea as its new Chief People Officer, further strengthening the firm's leadership team as it continues to invest in its people strategy.

Kamal joins MFMac with over 25 years' experience in HR, having held senior positions across a number of jurisdictions. Most recently, he served as People Director for Audit & Assurance at Deloitte Middle East, based in Dubai, where he was responsible for twelve countries across the region, alongside additional responsibilities spanning EMEA.

Commenting on his appointment, Chris Harte, CEO at MFMac, said: "Kamal brings a wealth of international experience and a strong track record of leading people strategies across complex organisations. His insight and leadership will play a key role as we continue to evolve our culture, support our people and deliver the best possible experience for our clients."

Elsewhere in the firm, MFMac announced the promotion of 14 colleagues. The latest round of promotions includes three appointments to Legal Director.

These promotions span a number of practice areas, including Construction & Projects, Corporate & Commercial, Litigation and Real Estate, highlighting the depth and breadth of expertise across the business.

Panglea said: "These promotions reflect the strength of talent across MFMac, and we are proud to recognise the significant contributions our people make to the firm's success.

“Investing in our people is central to our strategy. By creating opportunities for colleagues to build long-term careers at MFMac, we're able to provide clients with continuity, trusted relationships and advisers who understand their businesses and ambitions.”

MFMac's newly promoted colleagues are:

• Lauren McLaughlin, Senior Solicitor (Construction & Projects)

• Tay Montgomery, Senior Solicitor (Construction & Projects)

• Caroline Earnshaw, Legal Director (Construction & Projects)

• Sophia Thom, Senior Solicitor (Corporate & Commercial)

• Nicola Kelly, Senior Associate (Corporate & Commercial)

• Callum Oliver, Paralegal (Litigation)

• Sukh Kaur, Paralegal (Litigation)

• Dana Strain, Senior Solicitor (Litigation)

• Ellen Grant, Senior Solicitor (Litigation)

• Meghan Jenkins, Legal Director (Litigation)

• Megan McNairn, Senior Paralegal (Real Estate)

• Kirsty McArthur, Senior Solicitor (Real Estate)

• Joshua Gray, Associate (Real Estate)

• Ryan Mitchell, Associate (Real Estate)

Pinsent Masons

The firm has appointed financial services litigation specialist Stuart Murdoch as Partner, joining its team in Edinburgh and strengthening the firm’s disputes capability for financial institutions, funds and insurers in the UK and internationally.

Stuart joins from DLA Piper, where he was co-lead of its international financial services disputes and international funds ESG workstreams.

He is a regulatory, ESG and disputes specialist with a particular focus on the financial services sector, advising clients globally on complex, cross-border matters involving more than 40 jurisdictions.

Stuart joins Pinsent Masons’ Edinburgh office alongside Patrick Fulton, who is appointed Legal Director in the firm’s financial services litigation team. Patrick also joins from DLA Piper and brings deep experience advising financial institutions and asset managers on complex regulatory investigations, disputes and enforcement matters.

The hires follows the firm’s recent appointment of Jessica Wicker in January, as Pinsent Masons continues to invest in building depth and scale in its financial services disputes offering to meet growing client demand.

Joanne Gillies, Partner and Co-Head of Litigation, Regulatory & Tax at Pinsent Masons, said: “Stuart’s arrival is a strategic addition to our financial services litigation practice. He brings a rare blend of regulatory, ESG and disputes experience, together with valuable in‑house insight, which will be crucial as clients navigate increasingly complex litigation and enforcement risk."

Shepherd and Wedderburn

The firm announced five promotions to Partner and two promotions to Legal Director across the firm’s Commercial Real Estate, Corporate, Technology, Rural, and Commercial Disputes practices.

The five new Partners are Matt Lamberton and Gillian Wood (Commercial Real Estate), Cath Macrae (Corporate), Katie McNab (Rural Property) and Laura McMillan (Commercial Disputes). The two new Directors are Siobhan Dunphy (Commercial Real Estate) and Joseph Fitzgibbon (Media and Technology).

Last month was also the first in post for the firm’s new Managing Partner, Andy Hall. Andy joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 1993, becoming a partner in 2003 and has led the firm’s Property and Infrastructure group since 2013.

Andy said: “This latest round of promotions demonstrates the exceptional talent across the firm, and I would like to congratulate my colleagues on their well-deserved promotions and wish them well for the future. I’m particularly pleased that four of our seven newly promoted colleagues trained with the firm, demonstrating our commitment to talent development and career progression, and our investment in building strong, deep and long-lasting relationships with our clients.”

Stronachs LLP

Stronachs LLP has announced three promotions across its Corporate, Dispute Resolution and Private Client teams.

Euan Munro, who is part of the firm’s Corporate team, and Claire Stewart, from the Dispute Resolution team, have both been promoted to Senior Solicitor. Raiya Law, from the firm’s Private Client team, has been promoted to Senior Associate.

The promotions recognise the continued development and contribution of each individual within their respective teams, as well as their commitment to delivering a high standard of service to clients.

Neil Forbes, Partner and on behalf of the firm’s management committee, said: “It’s great to recognise Euan, Claire and Raiya with these well-deserved promotions. Each of them has continued to develop strongly within their area of practice and has made a valuable contribution to the firm, their teams and our clients.

“Their promotions reflect not only their technical ability, but also their commitment, professionalism and the important role they play in supporting the continued strength of our offering across key practice areas.”

Thorntons

Thorntons has appointed two new legal directors to its Inverness office, further strengthening its offering in the Highlands.

Gary Munro (Commercial Real Estate) and Susan Bird (Residential Property), bring with them extensive experience across the Scottish legal market and deep knowledge of all aspects of the local property landscape.

Gary joins Thorntons from Freeths, advising on a broad range of real estate matters including acquisitions, disposals and development projects across the UK. Dual-qualified in Scotland and England and Wales, he has significant experience managing complex property portfolios and supporting clients across various sectors, with particular expertise in the hospitality and leisure space.

Susan joins from Munro & Noble, where she was a partner specialising in residential conveyancing and crofting law. With more than 15 years’ experience, she has advised clients across all aspects of residential transactions, with additional expertise in the private client sector.

Paul Adams, partner at Thorntons, said: “Gary and Susan are both highly respected practitioners with strong track records and deep roots in the Highlands. Their combined experience further enhances both our commercial and residential property offerings in Inverness, enabling us to support a growing client base with a comprehensive and responsive service."

Thorntons

Thorntons has appointed two new legal directors to its Inverness office, further strengthening its offering in the Highlands.

Gary Munro (Commercial Real Estate) and Susan Bird (Residential Property), bring with them extensive experience across the Scottish legal market and deep knowledge of all aspects of the local property landscape.

Gary joins Thorntons from Freeths, advising on a broad range of real estate matters including acquisitions, disposals and development projects across the UK. Dual-qualified in Scotland and England and Wales, he has significant experience managing complex property portfolios and supporting clients across various sectors, with particular expertise in the hospitality and leisure space.

Susan joins from Munro & Noble, where she was a partner specialising in residential conveyancing and crofting law. With more than 15 years’ experience, she has advised clients across all aspects of residential transactions, with additional expertise in the private client sector.

Paul Adams, partner at Thorntons, said: “Gary and Susan are both highly respected practitioners with strong track records and deep roots in the Highlands. Their combined experience further enhances both our commercial and residential property offerings in Inverness, enabling us to support a growing client base with a comprehensive and responsive service."