By Peter A Walker
Copyright insider
Thorntons has merged with Patience and Buchan in a move that will open its first permanent office in Aberdeen.
Patience and Buchan’s two partners, Lorna Buchan and Ashley Simpson, and four employees will transfer to the merged firm, which will be known as Thorntons, on 1 October.
It already has offices in Inverness, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Perth, supporting more than 300,000 businesses and individuals across the UK and globally. It has grown organically and via merger, most recently with central Scotland with a deal for Macnabs.
Established in 2000 and based in Aberdeen’s Golden Square, Patience and Buchan was the first practice in north east Scotland to specialise solely in family law.
Thorntons’s total number of employees will rise to more than 580, with a partnership of 79.
Lesley Larg, managing partner at Thorntons, said: “Aberdeen has been an area of interest to us for a considerable amount of time, but it was essential that we found the right people to partner with before entering the marketplace.
“With its focus on providing high-quality, personal services, Patience and Buchan really stood out for us, and its growth ambitions perfectly complement our own commercial outlook.
“Our rich sector expertise in energy, technology, food and drink and property is well matched to the region, while our extensive private client services equip us to support individuals and families through every stage of life.”
Buchan stated: “We thought long and hard about our future with the firm – over the course of many conversations, we realised we had found a partner that shared our culture and ambitions, and which would value our people and clients in the same way we do.
“Joining with Thorntons secures our legacy, creates exciting opportunities for our colleagues and ensures our clients continue to receive a strong client service as well as benefitting from Thorntons’ investment in providing world-class innovative legal solutions.
“Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing more details with our clients and ensuring they are a key part of the journey as we join with Thorntons and become a national firm of ambition and scale.”
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