Brian Moore

Mr Moore will lead a team of 150 lawyers, including 50 in Scotland, which will handle disciplines including competition, corporate, and tax and will take on a larger remit with a broader management role.

His appointment is part of a wider restructuring within the UKIME region, which has been led by Abu Dhabi-based Paul Jarvis, who became UKIME chief executive on 1 May.

Dentons in Scotland has advised on a raft of recent corporate deals, including: the restructuring and sale of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, and Ponden Home; the restructuring of clothing retailer Quiz’s bricks and mortar business; and the investment in leading online specialist sports retailer Sigma Sports by Primary Capital Partners.

The firm was also the lead legal advisor on the establishment of the £2 billion Scottish National Investment Bank.

Mr Moore said: “The corporate deals market is hot – both in Scotland and across the wider UK. We’re looking at a strong calendar opening up in front of us, with a busy pipeline of activity over the coming months.

“The pandemic has created lots of opportunities for companies that have the financial firepower to do deals – either through their own reserves or through access to capital – and there are plenty of owners willing to sell their businesses to the right buyer and on the right terms.

“We’re finding that companies are very acquisitive and opportunistic at the moment – they’re ready to take advantage of the corporate deals market having really opened up.”