MACROBERTS TARGET FURTHER GROWTH OF DUNDEE OFFICE
News release
MacRoberts
The leading Scottish law firm MacRoberts is aiming to expand its presence in Dundee and double its city-based workforce within a year.
The plans have been revealed by John Macmillan, who led the firm’s expansion into Dundee last year and who has been elected to a second term as Managing Partner.
Mr Macmillan has set out proposals for significant development at MacRoberts, including increasing the overall workforce by ten per cent within a year.
The growth plans follow the release of MacRoberts’ accounts, demonstrating the strong underlying financial position of the company, which also has bases in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Turnover for the year was £17,594,283 – up from £17,508,401 last year. Profit after tax was £6,017,886 – up from £5,895,559 in 2013.
Mr Macmillan has identified Dundee as a prime growth area due to increasing demand for legal services at a time when the city is at the centre of major construction activity, including the building of the £1.1 billion waterfront regeneration project which is expected to create up to 9,000 new jobs and attract over three million visitors.
It is also now the hub of the Scottish digital media sector, with around 70-80 per cent of employees based in Dundee, while the creative industries sector continues to grow, with 350 companies now operating across Tayside, employing 3,300 people.
Against that background, MacRoberts is targeting growth in a number of areas in Dundee, including construction business.
Mr Macmillan added: “Our growth plans include doubling the workforce in the Dundee office and expanding our space in our existing premises.
“It’s been a great start to the Dundee operation. Business has increased significantly; we have built up more clients and more business from existing clients. It’s a really good story.”
He said he wants to see an expansion of MacRoberts’ business overall after a period of stability: “We have spent the last three years building a strong foundation for growth, developing a vision and a strong strategy for the firm.
“This is a really interesting time for MacRoberts, the legal profession and for Scotland, following the independence referendum and the country coming out of recession. People are seeing signs of better things ahead and there are a number of sectors where there is significantly more activity.”
He said while work in areas such as employment and crisis management has declined following the recession, corporate projects, banking and construction contracts are all showing strong growth and will lead to a ten per cent increase in the 220-strong staff.
“Our focus will be on delivering a continuous improvement programme across all business operations, with high-calibre fee-earning and support staff at the heart of what we do. Collaboratively, we will be delivering quality services to our clients with their needs in mind.”
Mr Macmillan, one of the country’s leading employment lawyers, is the first person to be voted twice to the post of Managing Partner at MacRoberts. He previously held the role for seven years between 1998 and 2005 and has also served as the firm’s Chairman.
He said: “I am delighted to have been elected Managing Partner again. I have a long-term connection to MacRoberts over three decades and I look forward to driving the company forward.
“As we evolve and grow, what’s important to me is that everyone knows they have a valuable contribution to make to the overall success of the firm.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
John Macmillan joined the Litigation Department of MacRoberts in 1982, became a partner in 1986 and started to specialise as an employment lawyer in 1990. From 1998 to 2005 he was Managing Partner and continued to carry out employment law fee-earning work.
He is accredited by The Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in employment law and has represented clients before courts and employment tribunals in the full range of employment disputes.
For further information contact
John Ross
Lucid PR
01463 724593; 077300 99617
johnross@lucidmessages.com
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