Major Scottish law firm Thorntons is further expanding its presence in the north east with a new merger.
The move to bring Watts Law of Montrose into the fold comes a year after Thorntons revealed similar mergers with Fife firms Steel Eldridge Stewart and Murray Donald.
The addition of Watts is strategic as it provides Thorntons with a physical foothold in a third major Angus town after Arbroath and Forfar.
The merger with Watts a relatively small practice with two partners and a handful of staff comes into effect on July 1.
Watts’ partners Hamish Watt and Aileen Hunter will take up consultancy appointments with Thorntons once the merger goes through.
The day-to-day operation of the 36-year-old Angus business will continue as before but with senior Thorntons solicitor Stuart Mackie supplementing the Watts team at the High Street office. The wider Thorntons business will also provide specialist service support to the new Montrose unit.
“Bringing Watts and Thorntons together will greatly strengthen both firms’ existing offerings, enhancing our resources to provide the highest quality services to our clients across Angus,” Mr Watt said.
“We are in the process of contacting all our clients to advise them of the news and the arrangements that will be in place from July 1.”
Angus-based Thorntons partner Anne McKeown said the merger would allow Thorntons to expand its offering to local business especially in specialist areas such as employment law, agriculture and immigration advice whilst also serving individual client needs.
The move also assists Thorntons’ wider ambition to become an established member of Scotland’s top 10 legal practices by revenue, an elite group of £20+ million turnover firms dominated by the major players in the Central Belt.
Latest available accounts for Thorntons show revenues at the legal firm climbed by £1.9m to £16.27m in the year to May 31, 2014,
With the subsequent addition of three business and organic growth, it is hoped the firm will break through the £20m barrier in the current financial year.
Following the Watts merger, Thorntons will have 42 partners and more than 400 employees operating offices in the north east and Edinburgh.
Thorntons chairman Jack Robertson said the enlarged firm would ensure its local identity and focus was maintained.
“That will remain our priority,” said Mr Robertson.