Inside a year of partner moves, promotions and hires across a record 2025 for Scotland's buoyant legal profession

An in-depth list of partner promotions, appointments and new hires as Scottish firms enjoy a record year.

Read on for a breakdown of appointments, promotions and traineeships across the country in the second half of 2025 including a gallery of those celebrating success.

You can also find the lists of moves from the first half of this calendar year further down this page.

The record for the number of new Scottish solicitor traineeships has been broken for the third time in five years, underlining continuing strong growth for the legal sector in Scotland.

Law Society of Scotland data shows 796 new traineeships were commenced during the 2024-25 legal practice year through to the end of October.

If you want to include a promotion, traineeship or new hire in the Journal, get in touch.

Aberdein Considine

Aberdein Considine strengthened its Legal 500-recommended Private Client team with the appointment of Alasdair Fraser as an Associate in the firm’s Glasgow office. 

Alasdair brings experience across the full spectrum of Private Client work, including wills, powers of attorney, estate administration and tax and succession planning.

During the autumn, the firm announced a round of promotions with 15 solicitors moving up in offices from Aberdeen to Newcastle. Two Glasgow-based private client lawyers, Fiona O’Donnell and Rebecca White, were promoted to Senior Associate and Associate, respectively.

Senior Associate status was also awarded to Natasha Day, Corporate Property Services solicitor in Aberdeen and to Ahsan Mustafa, whose fellow banking litigation colleagues at Cadell House in Glasgow, Chloe Imrie and Katie Macdonald, become Senior Solicitors

Conveyancing lawyer Jade Kinninmont from the firm’s Byres Road office was elevated to Associate. In the North East, new Senior Solicitors are: Amy Dignon (conveyancing, Union Street, Aberdeen), Campbell Gordon (conveyancing, Inverurie), Megan Young (family law, Aberdeen) and Aberdeen-based private client solicitors Helen Ferguson and Eric Fong.

The firm also made three appointments among its accomplished Lender Services Practice Group: Suzanne Reid (Aberdeen) at Associate Director level and Iain Duigan and Sara Lennie (Newcastle) elevated to Senior Manager.

Jacqueline Law, Managing Partner, said: “At Aberdein Considine we understand how vital it is to recognise and celebrate our people’s talent and expertise, both for their own professional development and to demonstrate our commitment to excellence as a firm. Promoting our hard-working colleagues is a sincere vote of thanks to each and every one of them for their unwavering dedication to the best possible standards in client care.”

Balfour+Manson

Balfour+Manson strengthened its family law and personal injury teams by announcing four promotions to Associate.

Two of the promotions are in the firm’s Aberdeen office, which has grown rapidly in recent years, and expanded into nearby Portlethen. Balfour+Manson also opened an office in Glasgow earlier this year to extend its geographical reach.

The promotions in Aberdeen see Katie Albiston become an Associate in the family law team, while Iona Campbell is promoted to Associate in personal injury and medical negligence.

Emily Deans is also part of the family law team, based in Edinburgh. She trained with Balfour+Manson and remained with the family team after completing her traineeship. Emily regularly undertakes work both within various Sheriff Courts and at the Court of Session. Alannah Jones, recently accredited as a specialist in personal injury by the Law Society of Scotland, joined Balfour+Manson in January 2023. Her main specialism is medical negligence, but she continues to practice in personal injury too.

David Short, Executive Chairman at Balfour+Manson, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Katie, Iona, Emily and Alannah to the ranks of Associate, strengthening what we can offer clients in two of our core practice areas.”

Elsewhere, Balfour+Manson announced a raft of new appointments to its Private Client team, hiring three newly qualified solicitors and two trainees. The new arrivals join the firm as it consolidates a period of sustained growth for private client work this year.

Forida Begum joined after completing her traineeship with Livingstone Brown and has more recently been working as a private client solicitor with Beveridge and Kellas. Forida is joined by Rebecca Taylor who joins Balfour+Manson from Jones Whyte, and Olivia Fawl who completed her traineeship with Beveridge and Kellas.

Trainees Lucy Connor and Daniel Heaney – completed their LLB qualification at the University of Dundee and the University of Aberdeen, respectively. Lucy joins the Private Client team for her first seat, whilst Daniel will join the Commercial Property team.

Brodies

UK top 50 firm Brodies had a busy year of promotions and moves, boosting it’s oil and gas practice and its risk resolution and dispute practice.

UK top 50 and leading Scottish law firm Brodies LLP has boosted its market leading oil and gas practice with the appointment of new partner, Andy Russell.

Andy Russell was appointed a partner after beginning his legal career at Brodies, undertaking an oil and gas-focused traineeship and qualifying in 2014. Most recently, he served as General Counsel (GC) and Head of the Legal and Governance Division at North Oil Company in Qatar, where he was recognised on The Legal 500’s GC list for two consecutive years. His appointment brings the total number of oil and gas partners in the firm to five. He will be based in Brodies’ Aberdeen office.

Elsewhere in the firm ‘first-class litigator’ Graeme MacLeod, recognised by both Chambers & Partners UK and Legal 500 UK, was appointed as a new partner. With expertise in managing high-value, complex litigations, he specialises in financial services, technology, consumer products, reputation and crisis management, defamation and corporate-related disputes. He also has considerable experience in class actions.

Brodies also added to its construction practice with a partner appointment, Bill Barton, and a new Leeds office.

Bill has specialised in contentious and non-contentious construction law for over 30 years. With experience across a broad range of sectors, including industrial, education and renewable energy, Bill also acts for specialist sub-contractors, colleges and developers providing advice on contracts, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.

Bill’s team of eight lawyers has also joined Brodies and will be based out of the new Leeds office which will add to the firm’s existing offices in London and throughout Scotland.

BTO Solicitors LLP

In November, BTO announced the promotion of Julie McMahon to Partner within its Wills, Estates and Succession Planning team, based in BTO’s Glasgow office.

With extensive experience advising individuals, families and business owners, Julie specialises in succession planning, asset protection, inheritance tax mitigation, wills, trusts, executries and later life planning.  Her dual qualification as a solicitor and chartered tax accountant enables her to deliver fully integrated legal and tax advice, offering clients practical, forward-thinking solutions.

Elsewhere, BTO also welcomed Eoghann Green and Carolyn Bowie as new partners

Eoghann Green brings expertise as a highly-regarded commercial disputes and insolvency litigator. Working closely with litigation partners Angus Wood and Will Cole, he will focus on both corporate and personal insolvency litigation, drawing on extensive experience in high-profile domestic and international cases.

Meanwhile, Carolyn Bowie expands the scope of BTO’s legal service offering by spearheading the firm’s new immigration law practice.

Burness Paull

Burness Paull strengthened its competition law offering with the appointment of Tom Usher as a senior advisor.

Usher – who is ranked as a senior statesperson by the Chambers and Partners legal directory – was most recently a partner with Macfarlanes in London.

He has experience of acting for a range of clients – with a particular focus on the financial services sector and other regulated industries – and has brought and defended a number of actions based on competition and wider public law issues before the UK and European courts.

Peter Lawson, chair at Burness Paull, said: “Tom is a true UK market leader in competition law and his appointment will enable us to advise clients with absolute confidence on transactions and other matters with complex competition issues.”

Cochran Dickie

This summer, the firm announced the appointment of Ewan MacPhillimy as a Director.

Dentons

Effective November, Dentons elected Susan Kelly as Non-Executive Chair of the Global Board – the Edinburgh and London Banking Partner steps into the non-executive advisory role.

Susan is a banking partner in the Firm’s Edinburgh and London offices, serving as a member of both the Dentons UK, Ireland and Middle East LLP’s Board and the Firm's Global Board.

In her new role, Susan will preside over meetings of the Global Board, the Global Advisory Committee and the General Assembly of the Verein, ensuring that all bodies comply with their responsibilities, applicable laws and regulations.

Elsewhere, Dentons Scotland retained five trainees in 2025. Of the five newly qualified lawyers, all have accepted full time roles in Glasgow.

Jasmine Dickinson joins the People, Reward and Mobility team; Corrie Gwynne joins the Real Estate team; Rebecca Byrne joins the Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) team; and Arianna Moretti joins Dentons' Office of the General Counsel.

A further newly qualified lawyer joins Helix, Dentons' alternative legal solutions team, also in Glasgow.

Digby Brown

Digby Brown continued to grow its business with two new partners joining their personal injury departments and a new location in the south of Scotland.

Hannah Bennett is joined the firm as a Partner in the Serious Injury team, with Craig Smillie promoted to Partner in Network two years after he joined the firm.

Hannah spent 20 years with Thompsons Solicitors where she worked on high profile cases including the Clutha Helicopter tragedy in 2013.

After joining Digby Brown in 2023 following a successful career at Thompsons, Craig Smillie has been promoted to Partner in the Network department after showing continuous dedication to making a difference.

Chief Executive of Digby Brown Fraser Oliver said: “To attract two highly experienced solicitors to the Digby Brown team shows our commitment to help people by ensuring they have the best legal representation in Scotland.”

Freeths

The firm bolstered its Scottish offering with a strategic Corporate Partner appointment — Louise Mahon joins from Morton Fraser MacRoberts following a year of substantial growth for Freeths in Scotland.

Recognised in the Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner in Corporate, Louise is known for her commercial judgement, calm leadership and ability to guide clients through high-stake deals with clarity and pragmatism. At Freeths, Louise will have a focus on the Scottish region whilst also supporting the wider leading UK Corporate offering.

Elsewhere, Freeths appointed Partner Jane Dickers to its Glasgow office, joining the firm’s national Commercial Dispute Resolution team.

Joining from Davidson Chalmers Stewart, Jane teams up with Alan McDonald in the firm’s Dispute Resolution team and will work closely with Partners Nick Taylor, Paul Ockrim and Amy McVey to support the growth of Freeths’ Dispute Resolution and Litigation offering in Scotland.

Gillespie Macandrew

Gillespie Macandrew continued to advance its four-core sector strategy with a series of new appointments that strengthened its legal expertise in Land & Rural Business, Energy, Private Client and Commercial Real Estate. With offices located in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, the firm has achieved over 50% headcount growth in the past decade, reflecting its commitment to investing in both legally qualified professionals and business support teams.

In September, the firm enhanced its Real Estate capability with the appointment of Keith Bishop in Edinburgh as a senior specialist in Construction and Engineering. Keith is dual qualified in Scotland and England & Wales and has extensive international experience that spans both contentious and non-contentious matters across construction, energy and land development projects. 

Kelley Thomson has joined the firm as Tax Senior in the Private Client & Tax team. Based in Glasgow, Kelley has extensive expertise in tax analysis and compliance gained in a Big 4 global accountancy practice prior to joining the firm.   

As part of the firm’s established two-year legal traineeship programme Gillespie Macandrew also retained four newly qualified Solicitors; Rachel Grieve specialising in Land & Rural Business, Eilidh Johnston in Commercial Property, Chloe Brown in Banking & Finance, and Max Reid in Energy & Strategic Land.

Gilson Gray

Gilson Gray appointed Claire McNaught as Legal Director in its Glasgow private client team, strengthening its commitment to strategic growth across Scotland. Claire brings extensive experience from senior roles at Blackadders LLP and Fulton’s Solicitors, with expertise spanning wills and trusts, estate administration, and tax and succession planning.

Joe Davies, Head of Private Client at Gilson Gray, commented: “Claire’s appointment is a clear reflection of our commitment to investing in exceptional people and strengthening our private client offering. Her experience and energy will be instrumental as we continue to grow our presence in Glasgow and beyond.”

Holmes Mackillop Solicitors

The firm appointed corporate law specialist Cara Teven to its expanding Ayr office, enhancing the firm’s corporate offering to businesses throughout the region and beyond.

Having worked as a solicitor in the charities and third sector, she has provided legal advice to clients on a wide range of matters related to corporate, governance and charity law. Teven joins the firm from a prominent UK law firm, headquartered in Scotland.

Teven’s appointment follows Holmes Mackillop’s recent acquisition of the private client and property business of D&J Dunlop to introduce a full-service law firm to Ayrshire and follows a trio of other recent appointments to its burgeoning Ayr office.

Elsewhere, Holmes Mackillop’s rapid expansion continued apace with the recruitment of two solicitors following closely on the heels of the appointment of four trainees.

Murray McKelvie joins the burgeoning firm’s Glasgow office while Paula Davies joins the firm’s Giffnock office as an associate.

Hunter & Robertson Solicitors

The firm announced the promotion of Ainslie Morrison to Associate within its Family Law Team, effective from September.

Ainslie joined the firm as a Senior Solicitor and brings over five years of experience in family law, guiding clients through some of the most challenging times in their lives with clarity, empathy, and practical legal advice.

“Ainslie is a highly valued member of our team,” said Jilly Melrose , Director at Hunter & Robertson. “Her promotion to Associate reflects not only her legal acumen but also the trust and confidence she inspires in both clients and colleagues. We are delighted to support her continued progression within the firm.”

Lindsays

In October, a new Managing Partner took the helm at independent Scottish legal firm Lindsays. Andrew Diamond moved into the firm’s most senior position, having been a Partner and its Head of Residential Property since 2012.

He succeeded Alasdair Cummings, who has stepped aside after 14 years in the role, during which time Lindsays has completed six mergers and seen annual turnover more than triple to almost £30m.

Mr Diamond’s came alonsdie the appointment of two new Partners and two new Heads of Department.

He said: “One of our greatest strengths at Lindsays is being able to attract and nurture good, talented people and then giving them opportunities to flourish and further their careers. Our latest promotions and appointments are fantastic examples of that.

“Our people are at the heart of all that we do at Lindsays. I am delighted for everyone that we are taking these next steps together as part of a great team.”

The other appointments include a second promotion in six months which sees Eilidh Robertson become a Partner in the Rural - Land and Business department, based in Edinburgh.

She is a home-grown success story for Lindsays, having started with the firm as a trainee in 2016. Eilidh has climbed the ranks since, with successive promotions from Associate to Senior Associate then Director in 2023, 2024 and April this year respectively.

Darren Lightfoot, meanwhile, has been promoted to Partner in the Commercial Property team, also based in Edinburgh. He joined Lindsays as a Solicitor in 2017 before becoming a Senior Associate in 2021 and a Director 12 months ago.

Other promotions included:

Harriet Waters steps up from Associate to Senior Associate in the Edinburgh-based Private Client team. Simon Smith becomes an Associate in the Private Client team, based in Perth. He was previously a Senior Solicitor. Pauline Easley becomes a Senior Paralegal in the Dundee-based Private Client team. Eve Skimins becomes a Senior Accredited Paralegal within the Dispute Resolution and Litigation department, based in Glasgow.

In other management changes, Dundee-based Partner Chris Todd succeeds Andrew Diamond as Head of Residential Property. Leanne Gordon, meanwhile, has been appointed as Head of Rural - Land and Business, based in Edinburgh. Former Head of Rural Michael Yellowlees is retiring as a Partner, but remains with Lindsays as a consultant.

Elsewhere in the firm, Commercial Property lawyer Keith Rawlinson joined, adding further depth to Lindsays’ work with property owners, investors and developers across the region.

And two new Partners will be joining Lindsays in January: Rob McNab as a partner in the Private Client team and Stephanie Nichol as a Commercial Property Partner.

Finally, a new cohort of trainee solicitors took a significant step in their careers by joining the firm. The seven-strong intake started work with the leading independent Scottish firm this week following a competitive recruitment process which attracted a high calibre of candidates. They are: Matthew Sheppard, Employment, Glasgow; Prath Chandrarajah, Corporate, Glasgow; Alexander Fraser, Residential Conveyancing , Edinburgh; Susannah Buchanan, Private Client, Edinburgh; Hannah Rhodes, Residential Property, Dundee; Ayla Asif, Private Client, Dundee; Kirsty McLeod, Rural, Edinburgh.

As well as the new intake of trainees, four lawyers who have completed their traineeships with Lindsays have now secured permanent positions with the firm.

They are: Dylan Ackerley (Commercial Property, Edinburgh), Scott Briggs (Personal Injury, Glasgow), Michael Higgins (Family, Glasgow) and Jennifer Philip (Rural - Land and Business, Dundee).

Macleod & MacCallum

The Inverness and Portree firm announced that they were joined by well-known and respected solicitor, Findlay Boyd from 1st October 2025.  Findlay joins from a national legal firm and has been appointed as a Director and as Head of their Rural Land and Crofting departments.  Chief Executive, Alison Martin, commented “Findlay brings huge experience to the Firm, and a particular expertise in the specialised area of crofting law, and we are delighted to have him on board.”

McKee Campbell Morrison

The firm announced the appointment of Mairi Kennedy as Senior Associate Director within their Residential Property Team.

Mairi is an experienced residential property specialist who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the firm. Having worked extensively across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, she offers a Scotland-wide perspective on the residential market and will play a key role in strengthening MCM’s property offering to clients throughout the country.

Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace LLP

Anne Boyd, who has spent 24 years with Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace LLP (Raeburns), latterly as a Partner and now as a Consultant, was officially appointed President of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen following the Society’s General Meeting in November. In her new role, she will support the needs of local legal professionals and encourage younger members to engage with the Society.

Anne brings almost 40 years of experience in residential property law, having joined Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace in 2001 after a career as a Partner in Perthshire. Since moving back to Aberdeen, Anne has been an active member of the Society, serving on its Management Committee and taking part in many of its activities over the years.

She commented: “I am honoured to take on the role of President at the Society of Advocates. Having been a member of the Society for many years, I’m looking forward to supporting our members at every stage in their careers, and I’m especially excited to encourage younger practitioners to get involved”

Elsewhere, the firm has strengthened its commitment to developing local legal talent with the recruitment of four new trainee solicitors.

Mark Pirie, Matt Fraser, Niamh Angus-Hankin and Scott Robb have now begun their traineeships with the firm. Over the two years, Mark and Niamh will rotate through multiple departments to gain broad legal experience, while Matt and Scott will focus on the Corporate and Private Client teams respectively.

Shepherd and Wedderburn

Shepherd and Wedderburn has announced that corporate finance specialist Donald Smith joined the firm as a Partner in the Corporate Finance team.

Donald brings a wealth of corporate finance and boardroom expertise, including in M&A, private equity and equity capital markets matters across a range of sectors from his time at Linklaters, Dentons and, latterly, as General Counsel at Argenta, a KKR backed international pharma services group.

Andrew Blain, Managing Partner, said, “We are delighted to welcome Donald to our team. His breadth of experience – particularly in life sciences, private equity and energy – will further strengthen our offering in key strategic areas for our firm.”

The appointment is Shepherd and Wedderburn’s second Partner-level hire into corporate this year, after project finance specialist Graham Young joined its market-leading Clean Energy team in May.

TC Young

TC Young announced four new hires as the firm continues to expand its growing property teams across Scotland.

Joining the Residential Property team are Kirsty Fyfe, Solicitor, and Claire Weir, Secretary. The appointments strengthen the team’s capacity as demand for residential conveyancing services continues to grow.

In addition, Eilidh Dickson and Stephen Higgins have joined TC Young’s Commercial Property team as Senior Associates, further bolstering the firm’s offering to business and commercial clients across Scotland.

Kirsty is a Solicitor specialising in all aspects of residential conveyancing, including sales, purchases and transfers of title. A graduate of the University of Strathclyde, she began her career in Edinburgh before returning to her west coast roots to practice in Glasgow. Claire brings extensive administrative and organisational experience to her role as Secretary in TC Young’s Residential Property team.

Eilidh Dickson has joined TC Young as a Senior Associate in the Commercial Property team. She has vast experience across a wide range of residential and commercial property matters, including sales, purchases, property finance and commercial leasing. And Stephen returns to TC Young as a Senior Associate in the Commercial Property team.

Thorntons

The firm strengthened its dispute resolution team with the appointment of Sheila Webster, who joins the firm as a consultant based in Edinburgh.

She brings over 30 years’ experience in commercial dispute resolution, having built a reputation as one of Scotland’s leading litigation specialists. A former president of the Law Society of Scotland, Sheila joins Thorntons from Davidson Chalmers Stewart, where she was a partner and head of the dispute resolution team.

At Thorntons, Sheila will work alongside the firm’s growing dispute resolution team, providing strategic advice and mentoring as the firm continues to expand across Scotland. Her expertise in complex property and commercial disputes, coupled with her experience as a qualified mediator and arbitrator, will further enhance the firm’s ability to deliver impact for clients.

Her arrival marks another significant milestone in Thorntons’ growth journey. In the last year, the firm has completed strategic mergers with Macnabs, boosting its Central Scotland presence, and Patience and Buchan, which has taken Thorntons into Aberdeen for the first time.

In September, Thorntons welcomed a record-breaking 19 new trainee solicitors, further strengthening its teams across Scotland and underlining its commitment to developing the next generation of legal talent.

The new group, which joins 18 trainees now in the second year of their programme at the firm, includes:

Rachel Anderson (Personal Injury, Edinburgh), Ellie Armstrong (Intellectual Property, Glasgow/Dundee), Emma Shopland (Corporate, Edinburgh), Aimee Watson (Private Client, Edinburgh), Caitlin Williams (Personal Injury, Dundee), Katharine Leonard (Private Client, Edinburgh), Georgia Coull (Commercial Real Estate, Edinburgh), Lucy Brown (Intellectual Property, Dundee), Emma Paterson (Commercial Real Estate, Glasgow), Lewis Reilly (Commercial Real Estate, Glasgow), Lanna Fitzgerald (Private Client, Inverness), Kitty Scott (Private Client, Perth), and Robyn Glee (Intellectual Property, Edinburgh).

Thorntons’ chair Nick Barclay said: “At Thorntons, we are committed to supporting the next generation of lawyers and ensuring they have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Our people are at the heart of our business, and welcoming 19 new trainees is an important milestone as we continue to invest in our future.”

And finally, Thorntons appointed Helen Honeyman as its new Chief People Officer in 2025. Helen, who joined from Lothian Pension Fund and has more than 20 years’ global experience in senior operations and human resources leadership, will work with the firm’s existing team and management to develop and implement its industry-leading people policies.

If you want to include a promotion, traineeship or new hire in the Journal, get in touch.