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  4. HBJ Gateley-Addleshaw Goddard merger completes

HBJ Gateley-Addleshaw Goddard merger completes

1st June 2017

The merger between Scottish practice HBJ Gateley and international law firm Addleshaw Goddard has completed on schedule today (1 June), the combined practice has confirmed.

It sees HBJ Gateley’s entire Scottish practice fully integrate into its larger partner and become known in Scotland as Addleshaw Goddard.

Acquiring HBJ Gateley's offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen will build on Addleshaw Goddard’s presence in Leeds, Manchester and London, along with Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Doha and Muscat. A driving force behind the merger was the opportunity to deliver stronger UK-wide client and sector offerings in response to increasing client demand.

Based on each firm's year-end figures to April 2016, the combined firm predicts a UK ranking of 19th largest by total income (c£224m) and 15th by UK income (£214m), with more than 240 partners and 1,100 lawyers.

The successful team was led by Edinburgh-based real estate partner, Miles Ede and Leeds-based Simon Kamstra, a senior litigation partner.

The new firm will be aiming for growth particularly in its key specialist sectors of real estate, financial services and energy.

Malcolm McPherson, former HBJ senior partner, joins the board of Addleshaw Goddard alongside his role as senior partner for Scotland, and four HBJ partners will join the executive team leading Addleshaw Goddard’s four operating divisions: David Kirchin (corporate & commercial), Alan Shanks (finance & projects), Simon Catto (litigation) and Miles Ede (real estate).

Mr McPherson commented: “There are realistic and exciting opportunities for marked growth through our ambition to deliver market-leading advice. The next few years will present many challenges and opportunities for businesses based or doing business in Scotland, so it’s crucial we have the appropriate reach and expertise to meet their requirements.”

John Joyce, Addleshaw Goddard managing partner, added: “From our very first conversations, it has been important to ensure we had not just the right commercial fit, but a complementary focus on delivering excellent results for our clients and our people. The clear fit between the culture and chemistry of both firms is really evident, as well as a shared ambition to grow the enlarged business by building on our collective expertise across key industries.

“The feedback we’ve had from clients so far has been very encouraging, and we are already starting to see the benefits of a combined, UK-wide approach.”

An interview with Malcolm McPherson will be published in the June edition of the Journal.

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