LAW firm Turcan Connell is expanding into the west of Scotland and opening an office in Glasgow.
The private client and charity specialist – which has bases in Edinburgh, London, Guernsey and Geneva – is in "advanced" negotiations to sign a lease on a site close to George Square.
The move is being driven by client demand based on research the firm carried out at the end of last year.
While the office will have capacity for up to 20 people it will not immediately be staffed with that number.
Turcan Connell said it is not planning on making any lateral hires from other firms.
Douglas Connell, joint senior partner, said: "The firm is 15 years old this year and we are something of an ambitious teenager.
"We did some research with clients and some key influencers which involved speaking to several hundred people. There was quite a positive demand we should be making our services directly available in the west of Scotland.
"We reflected on that and concluded we had to respond as everything is client led.
"We are at a very advanced stage of securing an office in the centre of Glasgow close to George Square which will accommodate up to 20 staff.
"We are not going to put 20 people in there on day one but we will build it up slowly and carefully."
The office is likely to be open by September and Mr Connell believes the firm can increase its market share through the move. He said: "There was a lot of interesting feedback from potential clients.
"There are a number of well respected private client lawyers in Glasgow in various firms but there is an emerging concern over a lack of succession planning as these distinguished lawyers reach the end of their careers.
"Private client has not been a particularly sexy area for lawyers in recent years so lots of firms have not been directing attention to the next generation of lawyers.
"There is a perception, which may be true, that there is a lack of advisers with any experience in the private client and charity field.
"I think this provides Turcan Connell with a real opportunity in Glasgow as we can bring a multi-generational approach.
"We have some of the most experienced private client lawyers in Scotland working with a generation of younger lawyers already expert in this area."
The 22-partner firm, which has grown from 50 people when it was founded in 1997 to 300 today, said it does not intend pursuing mergers or acquisitions despite a recent trend towards those deals in Scotland.
Already this year Tods Murray and Fyfe Ireland, DAC Beachcroft and Andersons, and McGrigors and Pinsent Masons have announced mergers.
Mr Connell added: "We are growing our business at a time when many law firms are in decline and some of that decline is quite serious.
"I quite understand the strategic decisions other businesses are taking but we are not interested in either mergers or acquisitions. That's not our strategy. It is really important we preserve the uniqueness we have."
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