Appointments

Blackadders has appointed Philip Buchan as a director. Originally from Angus, he specialises in the sale and acquisition of estates, forests, farms, salmon fishings and country houses and he advises clients on all aspects of countryside matters from water supply rights to diversification projects.

Thorntons has welcomed eight newly qualified solicitors across four of its offices following a two-year traineeship.

TLT has appointed Ainslie Benzie as legal director in Scotland. Ms Benzie, who joins from Pinsent Masons, has a wealth of experience advising lenders, insolvency practitioners, corporates and their directors on all aspects of restructuring, turnaround and insolvency and has worked on numerous h

Lindsays has expanded its operations with the launch of a human resources consultancy. Prism HR has come into being as companies face a range of employment issues as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the effects it has had on business.

Ronnie Conway has become the first senior fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) in Scotland. Senior fellow is the highest level of accreditation at APIL and highlights members with a wealth of experience who have provided an outstanding contribution to personal injury law.

Beverley Atkinson, legal director at DAC Beachcroft, has been re-accredited as a specialist in professional negligence law by the Law Society of Scotland. Having first been accredited in 2015, Ms Atkinson is one of only nine specialists in this area of law in Scotland.

Two new co-directors have been appointed to the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law (AUCEL), an energy-oriented research and educational institute based at the University of Aberdeen. Dr Thomas L Muinzer, senior lecturer in energy transition law and Dr Daria Shapovalova, lecturer in law, have

Criminal silk Keith Stewart QC is expected to be selected as the next Advocate General for Scotland. Mr Stewart, of Blacks Chambers, has a broad criminal practice and has appeared in cases including Yazdanparast and HMA v Bhomwick. He has also advised in matters relating to intellectual property and

Allan McDougall Solicitors has announced the promotion of Sean White to associate. Based in the firm’s central Edinburgh office, Mr White undertakes Court of Session and Sheriff Court litigation, predominantly within the personal injury team.

MacRoberts has promoted property lawyer Kyle Moir to the partnership and has also appointed private client specialist Chris Gardiner. Mr Moir is a highly experienced and well regarded real estate lawyer. He deals with all manner of property work including development site acquisition and disposal, f

Pinsent Masons has appointed Melanie Grimmitt as global head of its energy sector. Ms Grimmitt joined Pinsent Masons in 1999 and has over 20 years' experience advising on high profile infrastructure and energy projects across the globe.

Shoosmiths has once again set down its ambitions for Glasgow with the appointment of three more senior lawyers. Corporate lawyer Tom Maxwell is the latest addition, having moved from DWF, along with Jennifer Wright, also from DWF, and Lewis Ritchie, from MacRoberts. It means that Shoosmiths has grow

BLM has promoted Glasgow-based solicitors Lorna Ferguson and Zoe McDonnell to partner and Nicola Buchanan to associate. In total, the firm has promoted 12 of its associates to partner and 23 solicitors to associate, across nine of its 13 locations.

Lord Hodge has been appointed a non-permanent judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. The jurisdiction's chief executive, Carrie Lam, accepted the recommendation to appoint Lord Hodge, Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court, as a non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction.

A Scottish judge will preside in the trial of Félicien Kabuga over his alleged involvement in the Rwandan genocide. Lord Bonomy, the UK's judge on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, was assigned by Judge Carmel Agius and will sit with Judge Graciela Su