Leading independent law firm MacRoberts is finalising its post-pandemic plans for an agile working structure and placing the client experience at the heart of its strategic planning.
Over the past 12 months, the firm has successfully navigated its way through challenging trading conditions winning new clients and awards, advising on major deals and supporting its people with a focus on health, well-being and flexibility. Prudent financial modelling, intensive cost management and a significant reduction in office space in Glasgow have all brought immediate benefits. In Edinburgh, in the coming months, the firm will move to a new office location at 10 George Street in Edinburgh which is designed to support the firm’s focus on hybrid working and the creation of collaboration hubs replacing the ‘traditional’ office model. Feedback from the firm’s staff, taken during this year and last, indicates that a hybrid of office and home working is strongly preferred.
The firm advised on a number of high profile deals in the market, including Together Energy’s £14m acquisition of Bristol Energy, the Robertson Group’s successful bid to deliver the £150m Cardiff Arena and Breedon Aggregates’ £178m purchase of CEMEX UK’s sites.
At the virtual Scottish Legal Awards, held last November, the firm scooped both Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year and Family Law Team of the Year.
The firm has been acutely conscious of its people and immediately implemented a number of key initiatives, led by its Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing team, to support staff throughout the pandemic, such as health and fitness sessions, online counselling services and provision of a hardship fund.
The firm is delighted to have retained most of its qualifying trainees in areas such as corporate, construction and IPTC, and corporate senior associate, Gary Baines will be assumed as partner on 1 May. Gary’s appointment follows Kyle Moir who was promoted to partner in November 2020 working in the property team. The firm is also recruiting additional lawyers in a number of areas, including construction, corporate, rural and private client.
The firm also recognises its responsibility to communities and is an active participant in the UK Government’s Kick Start Scheme, which helps help young people aged 16–24 gain valuable work experience. This follows on from an existing commitment to modern apprentices who work in areas such as finance, marketing, IT and people & development.
The firm’s overall success in 2020/21 followed a year where one-off costs, including those taken to reshape the firm’s property footprint, further significant investment in IT infrastructure and the onset of the pandemic contributed to a drop in profits to end April, however the firm has immediately bounced back this year. The firm’s property, rural and private client business in Edinburgh, Murray Snell, also recorded its busiest year ever.
Neil Kennedy, Managing Partner, said:
“Our people have been remarkable this year, more than in any other. The commitment, resilience and innovation shown across the firm has enabled us to deliver a seamless service to all of our clients during lockdown. As we now look to the future, I am convinced that agility, flexibility and choice for our people and our clients will bring long-term benefits to quality of service and the promotion of a genuine work/life balance both of which are critical to modern, progressive law firms”.
Rupa Mooker, Director of People & Development, said:
“The concept of firm-wide agile working is something we have been considering for some time now. Empowering and enabling our people to work where, when and how they want has brought tremendous benefits both to our firm and to our clients. We are committed to continuing this philosophy and being a law firm destination of choice for people and clients alike”.
Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP
MacRoberts LLP, one of the largest independently owned law firms in Scotland, was founded over 150 years ago by the MacRobert family. We are a leading Scottish commercial law firm with full-service offices in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow with a client base that reaches across Scotland and beyond.
