Eye-catching moves in January's list of partnerships, promotions and hires in Scottish legal sector

January’s list of partnerships, promotions, appointments and new hires includes a number of senior moves and appointments.

Firms such as Thornton’s have made eye-catching appointments – for instance, Jennifer Young, a former managing partner, joins from Ledingham Chalmers.

A gallery of the latest appointments and promotions can be found at the bottom of this list.

DWF

DWF has appointed Gary Georgeson as a director in its real estate team in Edinburgh as the firm continues to grow across Scotland.

Gary brings 20 years' experience in the commercial property sector, advising on all aspects of real estate matters with a particular focus on development and investment work. Over the past decade, he has played a key role in a number of high-profile projects across Scotland, acting for institutional investors, funders, investment firms, developers, SMEs and private clients.

Before joining DWF, Gary was part of the real estate team at Freeths, where he advised on a wide range of development and investment matters. His commercial insight and proven track record have earned him a strong reputation as a trusted adviser in the Scottish market.

Caroline Colliston, managing partner of DWF in Scotland, said: “We are delighted to welcome Gary to DWF. His depth of experience and reputation in the Scottish real estate market make him an excellent addition to our team. Gary’s arrival supports our strategic growth ambitions in Scotland and enhances the capability we offer to clients across the full real estate lifecycle.”

Inksters

Inksters Solicitors are now in St Andrews with Kevin Davidson joining them as a consultant solicitor.

Kevin has over 30 years’ experience as a solicitor. He was a partner in A C Morrison & Richards and then principal of his own firm K.W.A.D Solicitors, both in Aberdeen. Latterly Kevin has worked for law firms in both Dundee and Edinburgh before joining Inksters in St Andrews.

Kevin specialises in domestic conveyancing and private client work. He said:: “I’m delighted to have joined such a forward-looking, well-run and professional legal firm and I’m excited to be working for both old and new clients in 2026 and beyond, many of whom will be experiencing day to day legal issues involving themselves, their children or their parents. Inksters and I are here to deliver a world class service and experience for them as they navigate life’s challenges.”

Elsewhere at Inksters, Karima Higgins is joining them in their Glasgow office.

Karima Higgins specialises in commercial legal work, commercial contracts, data protection, company secretarial work and corporate finance. She brings over 20 years of experience in private practice, in-house and, since 2018, as a freelance contractor.

And finally, Inksters is now offering construction law advice to clients with Peter McLean-Buechel joining them as a consultant solicitor in their Glasgow office.

Peter McLean-Buechel brings four decades of experience in Construction Law to Inksters. He is qualified as a Solicitor in Scotland and England & Wales and a Notary Public in Scotland as well as being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

His credentials as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators qualify him as an able representative in Arbitration Proceedings as well as enabling him to sit as an Arbitrator in his own right.

Peter McLean-Buechel advises and assists in all matters relating to construction and civil engineering, both contentious and non-contentious, at home and abroad.

MFMac

Independent law firm MFMac is strengthening its Licensing Team with the arrival of Director Lynn Simpson, an experienced Licensing Practitioner and leading expert in Short Term Let Licence applications.

Lynn joins from TLT LLP and brings specialism across the full range of licensable activities, such as alcohol, short-term letting, and gambling licence applications. With 17 years’ experience advising retailers, leisure premises operators and hoteliers, and having appeared before Licensing Boards and Committees across Scotland, Lynn will play a key role in strengthening MFMac’s existing offering.

Through its highly respected Licensing practice, MFMac advises a diverse client base across both the public and private sectors. MFMac's unique experience in acting for a range of hospitality and leisure clients, as well as local authority licensing boards, allows the team to provide first-class support to businesses and organisations from all sectors, regardless of their licensing requirements.

Commenting on her appointment, Chris Harte, CEO of MFMac, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Lynn to the firm. Her expertise in licensing law and track record advising clients across Scotland will further strengthen MFMac’s service in this evolving area of law. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and Lynn’s arrival reflects our commitment to attracting the very best talent to deliver outstanding results for our clients."

Elsewhere at the firm, Shaz Khalid has joined the Firm as a Partner within their Corporate & Commercial Division to further strengthen the firm’s energy and renewables offering.

Shaz brings over 15 years of experience advising on high-value and complex projects across the energy and renewables sector. His most recent role was Head of Legal for SSE Renewables’ Business Development function, where he led a legal team on strategic international M&A opportunities, joint ventures and route to market solutions.

He said: “I’m excited to join MFMac at such a pivotal time for the energy and renewables sector. The Firm’s commitment to growth and client-centric approach aligns perfectly with my passion for supporting clients through complex, high-value projects. I look forward to working with the team to deliver innovative, commercially focused solutions that help our clients succeed in a rapidly evolving market.”

Scottish Arbitration Centre

The Scottish Arbitration Centre has announced that Duncan Bagshaw has been appointed to the Board of the Centre and has stepped down as Registrar to take up that position.  Andrew Mackenzie, the current CEO, will take over the responsibilities as Registrar.  Mr Mackenzie will be supported by Rebecca Wyke, the Deputy Registrar, and the other Centre staff.

Mr Bagshaw was appointed as Registrar of the Centre over three years ago and has been instrumental in developing the Centre’s new administrative services.  His new leadership role on the Board will see that development work continue, but at a more strategic level. 

Mr Mackenzie has been working closely with Mr Bagshaw over the last few years on that service offering and is well placed, along with Ms Wyke, to manage the Centre and its administrative services.

Gillian Carmichael Lemaire, Chair of the Board of the Centre, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Duncan to the Board.  He has played a key role in the Centre in recent years as our Registrar, and his institutional knowledge and experience will add to our leadership on the Board.  I am also delighted that Andrew has agreed to take on the role of Registrar in addition to his work as our CEO.”

Mr Mackenzie said: “I look forward to taking on the responsibilities of Registrar at the Centre.  I also thank Duncan for his work as Registrar over the last few years and congratulate him on his appointment to the Board.  With both Duncan and Sarah Lancaster, former Registrar of LCIA, on our Board now, there is no shortage of institutional expertise at the Centre.”

Thorntons

Thorntons has appointed two new construction law partners in Aberdeen, expanding its legal service provision locally and strengthening its commercial real estate team nationally.

Jennifer Young and Sarah Stuart join from Ledingham Chalmers, where Jennifer has been both chair and managing partner and Sarah has been a partner for almost 20 years.

Jennifer is a highly experienced practitioner, having been accredited as a specialist in Construction Law by the Law Society of Scotland for more than two decades. She is convenor of its Construction Law Accreditation Panel, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and is a past chair of the CBI Scotland Council.

As well as non-contentious work including contract reviews and negotiation, Jennifer has deep knowledge and experience of construction dispute management and resolution and regularly advises on high-value contractual claims.

Sarah specialises in providing commercial contract support to the energy sector supply chain. She advises construction and engineering businesses on all aspects of commercial contracts, including supply and framework agreements, development agreements, collateral warranties and performance guarantees. With a background in litigation, she also advises clients in high-value commercial disputes.

She is dual qualified in English and Scots Law and is on the committee of the Northern Chapter of the Scottish branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). She is ranked in the prestigious legal directory, Chambers and Partners, for construction.

Jennifer and Sarah’s arrivals mark the next chapter in Thorntons’ growth journey following its strategic merger with Patience and Buchan in September 2025, which delivered the firm’s first office in Aberdeen. Thorntons also completed a merger with Macnabs last year, growing its presence in Central Scotland.

Lesley Larg, Managing Partner, Thorntons, said: “Jennifer Young and Sarah Stuart are highly respected specialists in construction and engineering law, both with more than 20 years of experience of working with clients on complex and often very technical contractual matters including disputes.”

Traffic Commissioner for Scotland

Following a fair and open recruitment campaign, Sharon Clelland was appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport as a Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain.

She will start in the role on 6th April 2026.

Sharon joins the Traffic Commissioners from her role as Head of Legal Services for the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the independent body providing regulatory oversight of policing in Scotland.

A qualified solicitor for over 23 years, Sharon brings extensive legal experience in policing and the justice sector having worked previously for the Police Service of Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The Senior Traffic Commissioner, Kevin Rooney, said of her appointment “I am delighted that Sharon has been appointed to the traffic commissioner team. She brings with her significant insight from her considerable experience in law enforcement and the emergency services which will be used to great effect in our efforts to improve road safety.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said “We welcome Sharon Clelland’s appointment to the role of Traffic Commissioner for Scotland. Sharon’s extensive legal expertise will be invaluable in helping us to deliver our visions for public transport and road user safety in Scotland.”