Linda Urquhart OBE retires as Morton Fraser chair

Ms Urquhart has built a formidable reputation across Scotland as a champion of gender parity in the workplace. She became the first female managing partner of a major law firm in Scotland in 1999 and the first female chair of CBI Scotland in 2009. She took on the role of chair of Morton Fraser in 2011 and received an OBE for services to business in Scotland the following year.

In the time since Ms Urquhart became managing partner in 1999 the firm has seen a period of substantial growth that has seen partner numbers double and revenues increase more than three-fold.

Ms Urquhart will continue as a portfolio non-executive director. She is currently chairman of Investors in People Scotland, a non-executive director of Adam & Company and Edinburgh Airport Limited. She is also a trustee of Marie Curie and of the Royal Scottish Academy Foundation, and an ambassador for Girlguiding UK.

She said: “The legal profession has changed significantly since I became a commercial property lawyer in the 1980s. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as partner, CEO and chair of Morton Fraser and am confident in its continued success. Morton Fraser is a great place to work, whatever your gender.”

Ms Moodie will be chair of Morton Fraser for the next three years while continuing to lead its public sector team.

Chris Harte, CEO of the firm, said: “Linda has been breaking glass ceilings throughout her professional career and we are immensely proud of her achievements.

“In Maggie Moodie we could not have hoped for a more accomplished successor. Maggie is herself a keen advocate of gender parity in the workplace and has grown our public sector team into a market-leading position. We look forward to working with her as chair in the coming years.”