Law firm to expand workforce

Deputy Business Editor

Thursday 7 March 2013

LAW firm Harper Macleod is hoping to take on between 15 and 20 lawyers in the next few months in a move that will see its head count top 300.

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greig cameron deputy business editor

Chief executive Martin Darroch hopes many of the hires will be at partner and associate level and indicated the firm's three main offices – Glasgow, Inverness and Edinburgh – will all have new people coming in.

The corporate practice has revealed it acted on deals to the value of £450 million across 2012 and has started 2013 by advising on the £77m sale of call centre giant HEROtsc to French-based Webhelp.Mr Darroch said that, along with corporate, the firm is seeing growth potential across sectors including restructuring and insolvency, banking, private client, energy, public sector, litigation and real estate.He said: "Whether it is 15 or 20, the principle of what we are doing is to further meet prospective client demand."We continue to see huge opportunity across most legal disciplines and most sectors. "This ranges from partner to solicitor, but it is more at the associate and partner level we are looking for people in every single area."But it is not about eclipsing our existing people. "In January we had seven assistants promoted to associate and three associates to partner."This is us ensuring we have the capacity to meet our future growth ambitions."The firm has increased its head count from 230 in 2008 to just short of 300 at the moment.However, Mr Darroch has ruled out Harper Macleod looking for a merger partner and has rejected three approaches since September last year. He said: "We are not looking to grow by acquisition of a firm. "Most of the firms around carry far too much baggage, whether it is pension deficits, long-term lease obligations or huge debt exposure both on and off the balance sheet. "That is why we are after talent. The number of fee earners [we want to add] is probably the equivalent of a small to medium sized firm."Recent market changes have included English firms merging with smaller Scottish operations plus a large player like DLA Piper closing its Glasgow office.Mr Darroch said this had led to an increase in referral work from London firms.He said: "It is not just because of the mergers but because of our change in ranking or status. "We are now at 52 partners and are advising high growth businesses and on high value transactions."Since January [the London firms] we have been working with include Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Freshfields, Taylor Wessing and Field Fisher Waterhouse."In its last financial year Harper Macleod posted a rise in turnover from £16.8m to £19.2m.Profit before members remuneration and profit sharing increased from £4.7m to £6.2m in the 12 months to March 31, 2012. The tough conditions in the legal sector were highlighted this week when Semple Fraser announced it was planning to appoint administrators following a strategic review by the partners at the firm.

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Law firm to expand workforce

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