Law firm TLT ups Scottish presence with Glasgow deal
● Acquisition of Leslie Wolfson sees three partners join ● TLT ‘committed to growing the team in Scotland’
Uk-wide national law firm TLT has further flexed its muscles north of the Border with the acquisition of a Glasgowbased commercial property specialist.
The deal to take on Leslie Wolfson & Co will add three partners to TLT in Scotland – senior partner Howard Beach and partners Andrew Mccowan and Donna Strong. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
TLT, which has offices in Bristol, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, as well as a specialist ship finance team located in Greece, said Leslie Wolfson’s specialist property expertise would add further weight to its existing capability in Scotland.
It will also bolster the firm’s 200-strong real estate offering, given Leslie Wolfson’s experience advising clients in Scotland, England and Wales.
In particular, the move expands the firm’s services for corporate occupiers, developers, banks, investors and public bodies.
Leslie Wolfson, a human rights activist and philanthropist, founded his eponymous practice in 1955. He is perhaps best known for his work navigating the Soviet legal system and the KGB during the 1970s to help relocate hundreds of people to the West.
His family established the Alma and Leslie Wolfson Charitable Trust, which has donated substantial sums to causes such as Scottish Ballet and Glasgow School of Art.
John Paul Sheridan, TLT’S head of Scotland, said: “We are committed to growing the team in Scotland and building a market-leading service for clients in the sectors where we specialise, and this acquisition is a clear example of our drive to deliver that.
“Leslie Wolfson is a great fit with what we are trying to achieve in Scotland and across the UK. Their expertise will further enhance the support we can offer clients.”
Beach added: “The move enables us to more effectively support our existing clients by drawing on the expertise of a full-service UK firm with on-the-ground expertise in all three UK legal jurisdictions.
“With an emphasis on partner-led service, commerciality and sector experience, TLT was a natural fit for us.”
The deal marks the latest addition to TLT’S Scotland practice since disputes partner Sheridan took over the leadership of the firm north of the Border in February. Other 2018 hires include clean energy real estate partner Nick Shenkenfrompinsentmasons and banking and finance partner Douglas Gourlay from Weightmans.
TLT launched in Scotland following the 2012 merger with Anderson Fyfe, providing it with the capability to deliver legal advice from all three UK legal jurisdictions – England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. It is one of only a handful of UK law firms that can deliver this support.