The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dundee’s bigger role in legal firm’s growth
Law: City is now second biggest base in Lindsays’ network as expansion exceeds lawyers’ growth expectations
Law firm Lindsays’ expansion has seen it take over more office space in Dundee to confirm the city as its second biggest Scottish base.
The Edinburgh-based solicitors first branched into Dundee in 2012 when it merged with Shield and Kyd.
Last summer it followed the move by merging with RSB macdonald to cement its presence in what it saw as a city undergoing a revival with increasing business potential.
Managing partner Alasdair Cummings said the expansion has gone even better than expected.
The firm has taken over 2,600 square feet on the floor below its main office in the modern Seabraes building on Dundee waterfront to deal with its mushrooming workload.
It now has 10 partners and a total staff of 45 in Dundee within a complement of 45 partners and total staff of 225 throughout its six Scottish sites.
A new partner in Dundee is Grant Johnston, the former Dundee United and Huddersfield Town footballer, who joins the private client team.
“Next to Edinburgh, Dundee is our biggest office and is bigger than Glasgow,” said Mr Cummings.
“The firm is very much going in the right direction, and the expansion into Dundee has played a big part in that success.
“We were starting from a wellestablished base in Dundee because of our previous mergers, and we have very much moved on from that point.
“We have grown considerably, and the growth has been quicker than we thought it was going to be.
“Our property side is doing very well, the employment part of the practice is picking up and we are enjoying growth across all sectors.
“With Peter Tweedie, who is from Dundee, becoming our chairman on April 1, things especially in Dundee are going very well.”
Mr Tweedie said: “With our expansion we are getting more space but we are also having the opportunity to employ and engage as we are still trying to grow the practice.
“Based on our historic Dundee connections, there is a long established based there that we can work on.”
The new floor on level one, which will see Lindsays taking over half as much space as that on its existing floor, will house family law, DRL ( dispute resolution and litigation), court and private client teams. Commercial and residential property and office services will be on level two.
Mr Cummings continued: “Our growth has been general, and the focus has been to bring in people who can help us grow and develop.”
Mr Tweedie added: “Dundee is a vibrant city where there is a lot happening and it is a place we are very happy to be.”
The firm is very much going in the right direction and the expansion into Dundee has played a big part in that success. ALASDAIR CUMMINGS