INTERNATIONAL law firm Addleshaw Goddard has recruited two new Partners into its award-winning Corporate team as the firm continues to expand its Scottish operation.
Derek McCombe and Iain Sutherland, who join the firm from Dentons, will be based in the firm’s Glasgow office, joining existing Glasgow-based corporate Partners Murray Jack and Anna Brown.
The appointments are the latest in a series of senior hires for the firm north of the Border, with 10 partners joining Addleshaw Goddard over the past 12 months.
Iain Sutherland was previously head of Dentons Corporate Department in Scotland and advises on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on private equity transactions, as well as M&A, MBOs/MBIs, venture capital, joint ventures and corporate restructurings.
Fellow Corporate Partner Derek McCombe, was formerly Head of the Dentons UK and Ireland Retail practice and has extensive experience of domestic and international corporate and commercial work, specialising in M&A, PE / VC transactions and corporate restructurings.
The AG Scottish Corporate team was recently ranked as the most active M&A legal advisers in Scotland for the first half of 2023 by Experian, which follows being ranked No.1 for deal count for the whole of 2022.
David Anderson, Head of Corporate in Scotland at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “Attracting two Partners with the reputation in the market of Iain and Derek is a statement of our intent to continue growing our market share in corporate Scotland.
“We already have one of the largest transactional teams in Scotland and now have 11 Partners among an overall group of more than 30 people, all focused on bringing AG’s award-winning approach to deals in the Scottish market. As part of a firm with an increasingly international profile, our team remains committed to the local market while also advising on deals with global scale alongside our colleagues from AG’s network of 17 offices worldwide.
“Iain and Derek are fantastic additions to our team and will play an important role as we continue to grow the Corporate team based in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. We aim to be the strongest corporate team in Scotland carrying out the highest quality work and we believe that adding Iain and Derek enhances our offering, particularly in relation to private equity deals and the retail, food & drink and utilties sectors.”
Iain Sutherland said: “I have paid close attention to the success of the team at Addleshaw Goddard in recent years, having been a young lawyer at legacy firm HBJ many years ago. So I am thrilled to be joining Anna, Murray and my new colleagues in Scotland and across our network of offices. Addleshaw Goddard’s quality and dedication to expanding in Scotland makes it an exciting time to contribute to a corporate team that is attracting the very best work. The chance to be a part of a firm that is experiencing continuous growth, catering to an exceptional client base, and supported by a highly skilled team was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.”
Derek McCombe added: “Watching Addleshaw Goddard’s influence in corporate Scotland grow has been fascinating and I am looking forward to collaborating with our exceptional team to further strengthen our presence in Scotland and beyond. The legal industry is undergoing transformative changes, both in terms of the services we provide to clients and the manner in which we deliver them. Therefore joining a firm that was just named the Most Digital Firm in Europe was also an enticing prospect.”
Addleshaw Goddard last year reported record results, with global revenue up 18% to £443 million and Scottish income enjoying its sixth consecutive double-digit increase due to work carried out in its offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
