Burness Paull bolsters technology practice with partner hire

Callum Sinclair

Burness Paull has bolstered its technology practice with the addition of a partner who counts the likes of Skyscanner and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival among his clients.

Callum Sinclair, who joins the firm’s Glasgow office today, will lead the technology sector group and will also take over as head of the firm’s commercial division. The head of technology position is a newly created role. As head of commercial, Mr Sinclair replaces David Goodbrand, who has successfully led the team for the past 10 years and will work with Mr Sinclair in driving it forward.

Recently named in FutureScot/The Times’ Digital List of 100 people from Scotland’s digital technologies industry who are “changing the world”, Mr Sinclair has worked in the sector since qualifying 15 years ago. He specialises in technology and strategic sourcing, with clients including global travel meta-search unicorn Skyscanner, global advanced technology company Lockheed Martin, the Scottish Government Digital Directorate, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the largest arts festival in the world.

Recent deal highlights include:

  • Advising the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on an agile project to deliver a significantly improved mobile app.
  • Acting for GDF Suez on its Minerva Programme, a project to design, build, supply and support a comprehensive upgrade of existing core energy and market interaction systems.
  • Advising the Metropolitan Police Service on its Total Technology Programme, which was designed to deliver flexible best-of-breed ICT services from multiple vendors as part of a transformed ICT towers eco-system.
  • Acting as lead adviser to the Scottish Government Digital Directorate on a next-generation access programme for bringing superfast broadband to 27 local authority areas in Scotland.
  • Burness Paull chairman Philip Rodney said: “Over the last three years, the firm has successfully focused on the financial, oil and gas, and property and infrastructure sectors, as well as serving corporate Scotland.

    “Our view is that the technology sector is where we will see substantial growth in the Scottish economy over the next five years. It’s also an area where our international client base has an increasing requirement for top-tier support.

    “We’re investing heavily in that and wanted the very best person in the market to bring their energy and imagination to the firm. That’s why we’ve brought Callum in.

    “We don’t just aspire to be a player - we aim to be nothing less than the leaders in this sector. It’s a component part of our ambition to be the best Scottish law firm in the world.”

    Mr Sinclair said his goal for the technology group is to be “top ranking within three years and market leading within five”. To achieve this he intends to build the team across the firm’s three offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

    He added: “The firm completed twice the value of deals of any other firm in Scotland during last year and that’s a huge attraction and an extremely strong platform upon which to build the leading technology practice.

    “The firm has a clear vision and the agility and energy to bring it about, and that’s crucial when the ambition is to lead in a rapidly changing market.”

    Prior to joining Burness Paull, Mr Sinclair spent most of his career at DLA Piper, having begun his training contract at legacy firm Bird Semple. He spent three years as a solicitor at Maclay Murray & Spens from 2002 to 2005 before returning to DLA Piper, where he was promoted to partner in 2012.

    Mr Sinclair’s hire comes after Burness Paull added DWF tax partner Ronnie Brown to its Glasgow office last month.

    Share icon
    Share this article: