Project aiming to boost Scots law overseas gets under way

● Driven by legal firms, SDI and Law Society of Scotland ● Aims to harness prestige of Scottish legal sector globally

A group of Scotland’s top commercial law firms has pushed the button on a joint initiative to “put Scotland’s legal services on the international map”, helping foster business opportunities and boosting inward investment.

The legal firms, in partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI) and the Law Society of Scotland, have launched Scottish Legal International (SLI) in Edinburgh to promote the nation’s legal sector to overseas markets.

SLI aims to shine a spotlight on the “significant” work already being carried out globally by Scottish solicitors, and encourage expansion by marketing Scottish legal services as an essential component of successful international trade and investment.

The initiative aims to help solicitors develop new business opportunities through SDI’S knowledge of international markets and business networks, including the expanding Globalscot community, which looks to access new markets and trade overseas.

The Law Society has been working with SDI for a numberofyearsonpromoting Scotland’s legal sector internationally, and both organisations will support SLI, a solicitor-led initiative seeking to harness the knowledge and networks available through SDI alongside the Law Society’s connections with the global legal community, to support Scotland’s legal profession.

Graham Matthews, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said the legal system north of the Border and Scottish solicitors “are held in very high regard around the globe, and in an increasingly competitive business environment it’s crucial for us to take a coordinated approach to selling our strengths to a global market”.

He added: “The launch of SLI represents an opportunity to promote the wealth of experience and talent within our profession on the global stage and to support those firms with international aspirations.

“It will also contribute to the existing Scottish Government Global Scotland strategy of taking a collaborative approach to share knowledge, experience and networks to make the most of international opportunities.”

Paul Carlyle, chair of Scottish Legal International, said SLI will, “with our partners SDI and the Law Society of Scotland, pursue our own projects to support the growth and success of Scottish legal businesses in international markets”. Specialist technology recruiter Lorien is today launching its new offices in Edinburgh’s Randolph Place after “significant” growth in recent years. The firm has been in Edinburgh since 2003, has grown staff to 28, and placed more than 8,000 technology specialists across 140 Scottish businesses from small tech start-ups to household names in the FTSE 100. The firm said the new site “is an agile and collaborative space that allows us to support our flexible workforce”.