Appointments

Thorntons has welcomed 16 new trainee solicitors to its graduate programme across its Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, St Andrews, Perth and Angus offices.

Compass Chambers has welcomed Gavin Anderson KC back to practice after serving as a full-time advocate depute in the Crown Office since 2021. As a member of the principal Crown counsel team, Mr Anderson was lead Crown counsel for the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit and the Health and Safety I

Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace LLP (RCCW) has promoted Sarah Innes to associate solicitor. Ms Innes, based in the Stonehaven office, originally joined the firm in 2012 as a property assistant.

Robbie McAdam has joined Holmes Mackillop’s litigation and dispute resolution team.

Edinburgh-based legal AI startup Wordsmith has appointed Lucy Tyrrell as its general counsel. Ms Tyrrell will be based in London and joins the company from her role as head of legal (corporate) at FARFETCH, a global marketplace for the luxury fashion industry. She was previously a senior associate i

Catherine Smith KC has been appointed by the new UK government as Advocate General for Scotland.

Professor Angela O'Hagan has taken up appointment as chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission. She was previously professor of equality and public policy at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), where she created the current MSc in human rights and previously led the MSc in citizenship and human

Burness Paull has appointed Claire Scott as partner and Lisa Byars as director in the firm's employment law team. Ms Scott and Ms Byars both return to Burness Paull, having worked for the firm earlier in their careers.

Holmes Mackillop's commercial property director, Amir M Ismail, has been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in commercial leasing. Mr Ismail, who joined Holmes Mackillop in February 2015 and was promoted to director in April 2021, is based in the firm's Glasgow office.

Shepherd and Wedderburn has announced the appointment of Tricia Walker and Andrew Knight as partners in the employment team. Ms Walker brings a wealth of experience to the firm. With a particular focus on the energy sector.

Jennifer Wallace has joined Thompsons Solicitors Scotland as a salaried partner. Ms Wallace graduated from the University of Dundee and qualified as a solicitor in 2005. Having worked in both civil and commercial litigation, she has extensive experience in appearing at court for clients and has beco

A second-year trainee of Levy and McRae Solicitors has been appointed as a new committee member to the Trainee and Newly Qualified Society (TANQ), which is run by the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow. Cameron Irons, who works across Levy and McRae’s criminal and commercial litigation te

Dentons' UK, Ireland and Middle East (UKIME) region has retained 78 per cent of trainees and solicitor apprentices who applied for newly qualified roles in the UK in 2024, with a quarter of its new lawyers taking up roles in Scotland. Out of the 34 trainees and two apprentices who applied in the UK,

Jennifer Sturrock has joined Thorntons as a senior solicitor in the firm's private client team in Dundee. She advises on a wide range of private client matters including executry administration, wills, powers of attorney, inheritance tax planning, care home cost planning and legal rights issues.

Criminal defence solicitor Anna MacKay has been promoted to senior associate director at Scullion LAW. She said: “I am delighted to accept this promotion, and I am grateful that my hard work has been recognised by the team and the firm. I look forward to taking on new challenges and helpi