Thorntons chairman Jack Robertson receives award honouring career of five decades

Thorntons’ chairman Jack Robertson has been awarded a prestigious “Outstanding Contribution” award for his sustained success over a career spanning five decades.

Mr Robertson was singled out for special recognition at The Courier Business Awards on Saturday, held at the Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee.

He will step down from his role as chairman of Thorntons in November, a role which he has held since 1997. Since then the firm has transformed from a small practice to become one of the top 10 legal firms in Scotland.

His strong influence has not only been felt by Thorntons but in the business community where he has delivered legal advice to hundreds of companies in the Tayside area and beyond. Throughout his career, Mr Robertson has supported, mentored and helped shape businesses which had their beginnings locally and grew to become national and international successes.

He said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed to receive this award, and very pleasantly surprised. I have always strived to be prepared for all eventualities in my professional career but I genuinely did not see this coming.”

Although Mr Robertson is stepping down from the role of chairman, he will continue to be a partner with Thorntons until June 2017, after which time he will become a part-time consultant. This will mean his influence and experience will continue to be a valuable resource to the business and his clients.

As one of the area’s largest employers, with 10 locations reaching from Montrose to Kirkcaldy and over to Edinburgh, Thorntons now employs over 380 people. They were awarded the title of “Scotland’s Best Employer” in September 2016 and are one of the top 100 firms in the UK as listed by The Lawyer.