law firms in Scotland...

MacRoberts

No of Partners: 31
No of Assistant Solicitors: 98
www.macroberts.co.uk

MacRoberts is long considered, with Burness, to be the firm most likely to break the big four’s stranglehold on the top end of the Scottish legal market.

Its main strengths are in construction, PFI/PPP and projects work, where MacRoberts has a nationally recognised reputation and a wealth of education and transport industry clients. It also very strong in employment work, where it runs an in-house training arm, commercial property and has a well-regarded locally-focused corporate/commercial department.

It has recently promoted 6 senior associates, taking its partnership to 30. MacRoberts now has 160 lawyers, split between Glasgow and Edinburgh and the plan is to continue to build on its core strengths organically, through lateral hire and bolt-ons from other firms, but not through merger.

Recruitment, then, will continue apace.

“The firm potential recruits come from,” says managing partner, John Macmillan, “is less important than the personal characteristics and experience they possess.”

MacRoberts is particularly keen on people who have done something different before or during their legal careers.

“We have worked very hard to make sure we have a diverse group of employees at all levels,” Macmillan says. “It works very well.”

Other qualities which will impress the firm are the analytical ability to achieve commercial solutions for clients and the people skills to build and retain close client relationships.

“Our expertise gets the client through the door, but it’s the relationships we build that keeps them with the firm,” Macmillan adds.