The expansion of Tayside law firm Blackadders into Edinburgh has been hailed as a significant development in the Scottish legal scene.
In an era when many Edinburgh legal companies are merging with counterparts elsewhere in Scotland, Blackadders chairman Donald Hutcheson said his company’s merger with McKay Norwell is a reversal of that trend.
He said: ”We recently saw the latest of these moves with Lindsays of Edinburgh merging with Shield & Kyd of Dundee.
”It is significant and something of which we at Blackadders are very proud that we are moving into the Edinburgh legal scene with our merger.
”We will now have presence in Edinburgh, Scotland’s legal capital, which is an important new phase in the development of our company.”
Blackadders managing partner Johnston Clark said: ”We have some nationally-accredited people in Dundee and through this merger we are moving on to a bigger stage.
”Blackadders have a history stretching back 150 years, and this shows we are not resting on our laurels and are indeed in the vanguard of new developments with this progressive merger.”
Blackadders, with headquarters in Reform Street, Dundee, and branches in Forfar and Arbroath, is to merge with McKay Norwell on June 18.
The new company will keep the Blackadders name, with the 14 Blackadders partners maintaining their posts with the new organisation and being joined by three partners from McKay Norwell.
Blackadders employs 150 staff in Dundee. McKay Norwell, of Rutland Square in Edinburgh, is smaller with 19 personnel.
Consultations on transfer of employment contracts and redundancies are ongoing, and it is understood that only a small number of people will be released.
John Mitchell, senior partner with McKay Norwell, said: ”This is an ideal way to expand our resources and continue to improve our services to clients.
”We expect to be busier than ever while providing continuity of service to existing clients.”