Congratulations to DACC Members MacRoberts, RSB Lindsays, Blackadders and Simpson & Marwick (Clyde & Co) for being announced as winners at last night's Annual Scottish Legal Awards!

The best performing legal individuals, teams and firms were revealed last night in the national awards celebration for the Scottish legal market.
 
Over 400 guests celebrated at the sell-out 13^th annual Scottish Legal Awards, after 37 firms from across Scotland progressed to the finals in the highly regarded competition which is sponsored by Scott + Co.
 
Stephen Gibb, the Chief Executive of Shepherd and Wedderburn, collected the award for Chief Executive of the Year after successfully guiding the firm through its acquisition of Tods Murray. Shepherd and Wedderburn is now one of the largest law firms in Scotland with 500 people and turnover expected to exceed £53 million this year. He has recently been re-elected to serve a second four year term.
 
Harper Macleod collected two awards including the ultimate award of the evening, the Bank of Scotland Firm of the Year. The firm reported another year of strong growth with profits expected to rise by 14% to over £9m in the year ending March 2016. Harper Macleod also won Support Team of the Year for HM Connect, a solicitor referral service which is now used by other firms across Scotland.
 
Anne Dick, the founding Chairman of the Family Law Association in 1989 received a Lifetime Achievement Award for services to family law. She started the firm of Anne Hall Dick in Co in 1975 which operated for 28 years prior to merging with Mowat Dean WS to form Mowat Hall Dick in 2003. The firm was then known as MHD Law prior to leading the Glasgow branch to relaunch as Family Law Matters. Anne was the first Convenor of CALM, the association of Accredited Family Mediators in Scotland.
 
Welcoming over 400 guests to the Edinburgh Assembly Rooms, Shonaig Macpherson, chair of the judging panel, commented;

 “In chairing the Judging Panel for the Awards for the first time I was extremely heartened by the breadth and depth of excellence across so many firms and disciplines, with opportunities for talented lawyers to practice at the highest level of their chosen specialism in Scotland. The volume and quality of the submissions for these Awards is a clear signal of the high value that the profession places on them as an aid to building progressive and successful businesses.”
 
The headline sponsor for the event, Scott + Co, Scotland’s largest collection and enforcement agency, also welcomed the event and congratulated the many winners.
 
Joy McLaughlin of Scott & Co, commented;

 “Judging by the many and detailed entries we received this year, there is rising confidence in the Scottish legal market which continues to report rising fee levels and increasing numbers of staff.  It is a pleasure to play an important part in rewarding this important sector with an annual awards ceremony which is highly respected by those in the sector and which delivers a welcome confidence boost to individuals, teams and firms.”
 
12 judges drawn from law and business reviewed many entries this year with a new category for Excellence in Client Care proving to be one of the most popular.  This was followed closely by Community Contribution, Rising Star of the Year, Litigation Team of the Year and Support Team of the Year. 
 
The awards are operated in support of It’s Good 2 Give and LawWorks Scotland and over £10,000 pounds has been raised this year as part of the competition.