Scotland

Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew LLP has appointed Gavin Merchant as its new CEO, with effect from 1 March 2026. This follows the firm’s appointment of Frank Blin as Chair in July 2025 and marks the start of an exciting era for Gillespie Macandrew as a growth-focussed firm. Gavin succeeds Robert Graham-Campbell, who retires after eight years in the role. Having studied law at the University of Edinburgh and subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Gavin brings extensive experience from his career in banking and private markets investment in London and overseas.  His ability to drive growth, financial literacy, people skills and track record of building and leading high-performing teams in complex environments stand him in good stead for the CEO role at Gillespie Macandrew. Gavin was appointed following an extensive search process led by Chair Frank Blin, who said: "I am very happy that we have secured Gavin as our new CEO. He brings a combination of relevant financial, business and strategic management experience which will help drive the firm forward and deliver our growth plans in the coming years, building on the strong platform built under Robert’s leadership.” Robert joined the firm in 2017 after a career in investment banking followed by law firm leadership roles spanning almost 25 years. Under his leadership, he oversaw a period of strategy-led growth, including establishing the firm’s presence in Glasgow in addition to its offices in Edinburgh and Perth.  During this period, the partnership grew by almost one third to 28 whilst turnover increased by more than 70%. Gavin Merchant, Gillespie Macandrew’s new CEO, added: “I am delighted to be joining Gillespie Macandrew at such a pivotal time.  The firm has an excellent reputation, talented colleagues and a strong platform for future success.  I look forward to working closely with our people and clients in the years ahead and to further developing the firm’s capabilities.” Gillespie Macandrew’s focus on its four core sectors of Land & Rural Business, Energy, Real Estate and Private Client has contributed significantly to the firm’s strong progress. The firm has also recently been certified for its achievements in ESG and cyber security.

Firm secures eighth position in prestigious national ranking, reaffirming commitment to people and workplace excellence Law firm Weightmans has once again been recognised for its outstanding workplace culture, securing a place among the UK’s Top 10 Employers for the 19th consecutive year. The accolade, awarded by the Top Employers Institute, sees Weightmans achieve eighth position in the 2026 rankings. Active in 131 countries/regions, Top Employers Institute is the global authority in HR certification, benchmarking and advisory. Its programme celebrates organisations worldwide that demonstrate exceptional people-centric policies and practice, creating positive work environments that enable employees to thrive professionally and personally. Top Employers Institute CEO, Adrian Seligman commented: “Achieving a UK Top Employer Certification for 2026 reflects Weightmans’ dedication to building an outstanding workplace that enables sustained business performance. Its strong alignment between people strategy and organisational goals, combined with a commitment to continuous improvement, demonstrates the impact of its transformative practices. We are proud to recognise Weightmans for its meaningful contribution to a better world of work in the UK.” Sarah Walton, Managing Partner at Weightmans, commented: “This award holds particular significance for Weightmans, as it reflects our commitment to nurturing and developing our remarkable people, who truly are the beating heart of the firm. The ongoing enhancements to our workplace culture continue to create an environment where colleagues can thrive and deliver outstanding outcomes for our clients both in the UK and internationally.” Helen Taylor, HR Director, added: “It’s a fantastic achievement and a strong endorsement of our people policies, reinforcing Weightmans as a great place to work. We are really proud.” This recognition follows a series of significant achievements for Weightmans, including being awarded an EcoVadis Gold rating, which places the firm among the top 5% of law and accounting firms globally for ESG and sustainability performance. Additionally, the firm reached its highest-ever position on the 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index, securing 15th place. Ends. Editor’s Notes Weightmans is a leading law firm with a truly global reach. From FTSE-100 companies to family-owned businesses, from public sector organisations to individuals - we believe in the power of people, innovation and partnership to provide strategic business insight and deep expertise to our clients across the UK and beyond. Weightmans, with 1,700 staff across England, Scotland, and Wales, was named a UK Top Employer for the 19th time in January 2026, earning a top ten spot from the Top Employers Institute. In September 2025, it received EcoVadis’ Gold rating, placing it among the top 5% of law and accounting firms worldwide for ESG and sustainability. In October 2025, it also achieved its highest-ever ranking on the 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index, reaching 15th place in the list. Our purpose is to See the Possibility – in our business, our people and our clients. At Weightmans, we believe thinking differently allows us to see the possibilities others don't. For further information please contact Richard Lackey, PR Manager on 0151 243 3328 or email [email protected] About Top Employers Institute Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in people practices. It helps accelerate these practices to enrich the world of work. Through the Top Employers Programme, participating companies can be certified and recognised as an employer of choice. The certification is awarded to organisations based on the participation and results of the HR Best Practices Survey covering six HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity & Inclusion, and Wellbeing. In 2025, Top Employers Institute certified nearly 2,500 organisations in 131 countries/regions. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 14 million employees globally.

Firm to provide full range of legal services under new £60 million framework Law firm Weightmans has announced its successful appointment to the London Boroughs’ Legal Alliance (LBLA) Solicitors Panel, following a competitive procurement process for the new legal services framework valued at up to £60 million over four years. The LBLA’s latest framework commences on January 8, 2026, and will run until January 7, 2029, with the option of a further 12-month extension. This marks the fifth iteration of the panel, designed to support the legal needs of local authorities across Greater London and South-East England. Weightmans has been selected for Lot 2 – Full Range of Legal Services, joining an exclusive group of leading firms providing comprehensive legal support to member councils, including the London Boroughs of Haringey, Camden, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark, and many others, as well as associated authorities and partnerships. Simon Goacher, Partner and Local Government sector lead at Weightmans, commented: “We are pleased to join the LBLA Solicitors Panel. Amidst ongoing political change and increasing complexity for local authorities, promoting innovation and best practice in public sector law is vital to meet the diverse legal challenges councils face. “This achievement is testament to our longstanding reputation for client excellence and deep expertise in supporting local government. It’s fantastic news for the team, and we are proud to continue delivering trusted, high-quality legal services to councils and public sector bodies across London and the South-East.” The panel selection process placed a strong emphasis on delivering added value and social value benefits, including training and knowledge sharing with in-house legal teams. Ends. Editor’s Notes Weightmans is a leading law firm with a truly global reach. From FTSE-100 companies to family-owned businesses, from public sector organisations to individuals - we believe in the power of people, innovation and partnership to provide strategic business insight and deep expertise to our clients across the UK and beyond. Weightmans, with 1,700 staff across England, Scotland, and Wales, was named a Top Employer for the 18th time in January 2025, earning a top five spot from the Top Employers Institute. In September 2025, it received EcoVadis’ Gold rating, placing it among the top 5% of law and accounting firms worldwide for ESG and sustainability. In October 2025, it also achieved its highest-ever ranking on the 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index, reaching 15th place in the list. Our purpose is to See the Possibility – in our business, our people and our clients. At Weightmans, we believe thinking differently allows us to see the possibilities others don't. For further information please contact Richard Lackey, PR Manager on 0151 243 3328 or email [email protected]

Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew continues to advance its four-core sector strategy with a series of new appointments that strengthens its legal expertise in Land & Rural Business, Energy, Private Client and Commercial Real Estate. With offices located in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, the firm has achieved over 50% headcount growth in the past decade, reflecting its commitment to investing in both legally qualified professionals and business support teams. In September 2025, the firm significantly enhanced its Real Estate capability with the appointment of Keith Bishop in Edinburgh as a senior specialist in Construction and Engineering. Keith is dual qualified in Scotland and England & Wales and has extensive international experience that spans both contentious and non-contentious matters across construction, energy and land development projects. Earlier this month, Kelley Thomson joined the firm as Tax Senior in the Private Client & Tax team. Based in Glasgow, Kelley has extensive expertise in tax analysis and compliance gained in a Big 4 global accountancy practice prior to joining the firm. Chief Executive Officer, Robert Graham-Campbell commented: “We are delighted to welcome these talented individuals to Gillespie Macandrew. Their appointments further strengthen the depth and breadth of expertise in our core areas of practice. Investing in people remains central to our strategy, ensuring we deliver exceptional service to both new and longstanding clients”. As part of the firm’s established two-year legal traineeship programme and commitment to developing future legal talent, the firm recently retained four newly qualified Solicitors; Rachel Grieve specialising in Land & Rural Business, Eilidh Johnston in Commercial Property, Chloe Brown in Banking & Finance, and Max Reid in Energy & Strategic Land. Amy McDowell, Partner and Trainee Recruitment Lead, added “Retaining these talented new solicitors reflects their strong commitment and performance throughout qualification, the strength of our traineeship programme, and our ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of legal professionals. We remain focused on investing in initiatives that support trainees at every stage and help them build rewarding careers in law.” With offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Perth, Gillespie Macandrew advises individuals, families, and businesses on all aspects of land and rural matters, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax, and disputes, combining a personal approach with specialist sector knowledge.   For more information contact: Lauren Forgie Marketing & Communications Manager [email protected] 0131 260 7567   Gillespie Macandrew advises a broad range of private and corporate clients in the land and rural business, private client and tax, renewable energy, commercial property and corporate sectors. Gillespie Macandrew has 28 partners and offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. Through its Training Academy, Gillespie Macandrew puts a particular focus on the training and expertise of its people and has grown headcount by 50% to over 180 through organic growth.  The academy has seen eight individuals promoted to partnership since it began. www.gillespiemacandrew.co.uk Image Description (Top left to bottom right): Keith Bishop (Legal Director), Kelley Thomson (Tax Senior), Rachel Grieve (Solicitor), Eilidh Johnston (Solicitor), Chloe Brown (Solicitor) and Max Reid (Solicitor).