CMS announces key promotions in Scotland

Five Scottish-based colleagues at CMS are included among the 31 promotions being announced across 22 of the firm’s offices.

They include three newly promoted partners: Jenny Allan of CMS’ banking & international finance practice in Edinburgh; Jack Letson of the firm’s Glasgow-based corporate practice and Graeme Clubley of the Aberdeen energy team.

Ms Allan, who is qualified in Scots and English law, joined the firm’s Edinburgh office in 2011 while Mr Clubley, an oil and gas specialist lawyer, joined its Aberdeen operation a year later in 2012. Meanwhile Mr Letson joined Dundas & Wilson in 2012 and remained to become part of the CMS team when the two firms combined two years ago.

John Craske and Fiona Letham, who lead the firm’s Scottish-based legal services unit (LSU), have also been promoted to the role of LSU director. The LSU, which provides cost-effective legal services for CMS’ UK and international client base, currently comprises 30 paralegals based in Glasgow and Edinburgh and has more than doubled in size since its launch three years ago.

The promotions take effect from 1 May when Stephen Millar, an Aberdonian who has been instrumental in building CMS’ presence in Scotland, becomes the firm’s new UK managing partner.

Women represent over 39 per cent of the firm’s promotions, which are spread across a number of practice areas and jurisdictions.

Penelope Warne, senior partner at CMS, said: “With our new partners, I am encouraged to see the breadth of talent rising up across the firm. It is also very good to see the female representation of our global promotions remaining high and spanning a number of our core jurisdictions and sectors, a reflection of the inclusive culture we are proud of at CMS.”