Harper Macleod crowned Scotland’s law firm of the year

Before an audience of the great and the good of Scotland’s legal sector in the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh last week, chairman Professor Lorne Crerar and chief executive Martin Darroch collected the prize on behalf of the firm.

The firm made it a double celebration when the team that delivers HM Connect– Scotland’s support and referral network which counts 25 per cent of all the country’s law firms as members – was named support team of the year.

The winners were selected by a 12-strong judging panel headed by Shonaig Macpherson, with Harper Macleod beating CMS, DLA Piper, MacRoberts and Thompsons to the main title, the “Bank of Scotland Firm of the Year”.

Professor Crerar said: “We are a very different business to the one which first won this award 10 years ago, and it is a tribute to everyone at Harper Macleod that we continue to have our efforts recognised by our peers.

“Every award we win is a source of great pride at the firm, and this one comes at the end of another great year on all fronts at the firm. Our success depends on the success and support of our clients, and the talent and drive of the people who make us a different kind of law firm and we would like to thank them all for helping us to this achievement.”

Anne Macdonald, the partner who leads HM Connect, collected the Support Team of the Year prize from hosts Dougie Vipond and Catriona Shearer.

She said: “This is a tremendous honour for us though it feels strange to be in the spotlight. The very nature of what we do relies on the trust of our fellow professionals around the country that their own clients are in safe hands with HM Connect. We don’t take that confidence for granted and it’s amazing to have our hard work recognised in this way.

“Since we launched eight years ago the network has gone from strength to strength and that is down to the 290 fantastic firms we work with and the entire team at Harper Macleod which delivers a quality of service which has seen us exceed all expectations.”

The firm was also recognised in another category on the night. Associate Frances Rooney, who has played a leading role in relation to new land registration law and practice, was highly commended in the Rising Star of the Year category.

Photo credit: Rob McDougall