The firm, founded in 1981 in Aberdeen, has 21 offices across Scotland and the north of England.

Partner and head of commercial real estate for England and Wales, Chris Richardson, who joined the firm in 2022 to lead the expansion, said: “It’s a hugely exciting step for us to be opening our new hub in Manchester, where we see opportunities to maximise growth within the commercial property sector.

“Having explored several cities as potential homes for the new office, we decided Manchester was the best place for us. The market in the Northwest is extremely buoyant – we already have several clients in Manchester and the surrounding area, spanning the retail, hospitality, and property development sectors, and our retail clients in particular want a law firm that can advise across the Scottish, English, and Welsh legal systems, which is a key speciality of ours.

“Our mission is to build a strong commercial real estate team here; we plan to double our team and our turnover over the coming year, and we will be recruiting for local solicitors with expertise in commercial property and retail.”

The firm recently hired its first solicitor based in Manchester, Idrees Naeem, who has a strong pedigree in commercial property. Having trained in London, he moved to Manchester where he worked for an international law firm specialising in landlord and tenant matters, residential development, and commercial real estate.

Mr Naeem said: “I was most impressed by the extensive reach of the firm – although historically a Scottish business, we have since been acting for our clients in relation to prime central London real estate, cutting edge developments in the North-West of England and everything in between. The calibre and expertise of the team is second to none.

“I wanted to be part of a growing firm, and I believe my knowledge of the local markets in Manchester and London, together with my experience in commercial property will benefit both existing and prospective clients, helping to build on what is already a solid foundation.”