The Scotsman

Morton Fraser boosts private client unit

- By SCOTT REID

Legal firm Morton Fraser has unveiled twin deals that will see it boost its private client offering while pulling out of directly providing estate agency work.

The firm, which employs more than 270 people across its offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, is taking on Addleshaw Goddard’s ten-strong Scottish private client team as part of a move to focus its private client offering on tax and succession planning for individual­s, families, business owners and executives. Meanwhile, Morton Fraser has agreed terms to take a minority stake in Coulters and in doing so transfer its eightstron­g residentia­l property team to the Edinburgh-based estate agency.

The move means that Morton Fraser will no longer directly provide estate agency work.

Chief executive Chris Harte said the firm would now possess one of Scotland’s largest private client offerings with a team of more than 60 dedicated specialist­s.

He said: “Being an independen­t firm means we have the freedom to determine what investment­s will best serve our clients and our people. These opportunit­ies mean we will bring in yet more fantastic talent to our private client team while at the same time allowing our residentia­l property team a great opportunit­y to be part of a leading estate agency brand.”

The Addleshaw Goddard private client team is led by Gregor Mitchell, who will join Morton as a partner alongside Euan Fleming and a team of eight consultant­s, solicitors, paralegals and assistants.

 ??  ?? Chief executive Chris Harte – ‘opportunit­ies’
Chief executive Chris Harte – ‘opportunit­ies’

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