Balfour And Manson

Tributes were paid to the "impossible but fabulous" Ethel Houston to celebrate the 75th anniversary of her becoming the first female partner in a Scottish law firm. Ethel, who would have been 100 this year, became a partner at Balfour and Manson in 1949 – and her life and achievements were cel

Balfour and Manson has added three new members of staff to its private client team in Aberdeen with the appointment of new senior associate Marcia Johnstone, executry paralegal Sarah Rennie and legal secretary Dawn Ashcroft. Ms Johnstone joins Balfour and Manson as a senior associate, working with G

The parents of a toddler killed after a car driven by a 91-year-old woman mounted the kerb in Edinburgh have welcomed recommendations to toughen up rules on older drivers which could see more of them giving up their licences. A legal expert said suggested changes to the law after the death of Xander

A major conference will be held later this year to honour pioneering female solicitor Ethel Houston. 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of Ethel becoming the first female partner at a Scottish law firm, when she was appointed by Balfour and Manson in 1949.

Balfour and Manson has promoted two of its senior associate solicitors from its property and private client teams in Aberdeen to partner, effective from 1 April 2024. The two new partners are Amy McKay and Greg Lawson.

Balfour and Manson has strengthened its commercial property and private client teams with two new hires. Kevin Currie joins the commercial property team as an associate, while Robin Grace has been recruited from Thorntons as a senior solicitor to bolster the firm’s private client offering.

Balfour and Manson has announced that David Short is to take over as executive chairman, succeeding Elaine Motion, who has spent almost 10 years at the helm of the firm. Mrs Motion, a highly respected litigation lawyer who became executive chairman in March 2014, remains as a partner at the firm. Mr

Ann Logan of Balfour and Manson has been named Insurance Lawyer of the Year in the Legal 500 Scotland Awards. She was described by Legal 500 as "an exceptional solicitor – she is thorough and careful in her preparation, has vast experience which means her advice is always astute and tactically

Martin Walker, a partner at Balfour and Manson, has been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in regulation of professional conduct law. He acts for a wide variety of professionals referred for a broad range of disciplinary and regulatory matters.

Peter Littlefair takes a realistic look at the uses of AI for practitioners and its direction of travel. As a smaller legal jurisdiction, Scotland is often behind the United States and England in its take-up of new tech. AI is no different and a range of options are rolled out into firms already. Ho

Balfour and Manson has appointed a new associate and solicitor to its property team. Kirstyn Logan has joined the team, from Drummond Miller, as an associate. She is an experienced property law professional who has also worked for McEwan Fraser, Gilson Gray and Clancy Hendrie Legal - and is well-kno

The annual Balfour and Manson family law conference is under starter’s orders as the event returns to Perth Racecourse next week. Almost 150 family lawyers will attend the fully booked event, widely regarded as one of the most important and influential conferences of its kind.

Sophie Pike explores the cost of childcare and how that should be shared between separated parents. The cost of childcare in the UK is reported to be amongst the most expensive in the world, with an average full time nursery placement costing nearly £15,000 per child per year. In Scotland, fun

Balfour and Manson has appointed Graeme Thomson as its new head of private client. Mr Thomson, who takes up his post today has been a private client partner at the firm since January 2021.

Balfour and Manson has doubled its private client team in Aberdeen with the hire of new senior associate, Greg Lawson, and secretary, Barbara Stephen, as the Albyn Terrace-based firm gears up for further expansion this year. Amy McKay, who joined the firm as an associate in 2017, has also been promo