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.

BRUSSELS, January 13, 2026 — Arnold & Porter announced today that Fabien Roy has joined the firm’s Life Sciences & Healthcare Regulatory practice as a partner, resident in Brussels. Niels Christian Ersbøll, head of Arnold & Porter’s Brussels office, said: “Fabien brings deep sector experience and technical acumen that enables him to help clients navigate complex EU regulatory frameworks. His reputation in Brussels for medical device and pharma regulatory matters, combined with his knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy issues, makes him an exceptional addition to our team.” Dan Kracov, chair of the firm’s Global Life Sciences Industry group, added: “Fabien’s arrival reinforces our ability to provide comprehensive regulatory counsel to life sciences companies wherever they do business. His knowledge of medical devices and emerging technologies, including AI-driven health solutions, will be invaluable as clients face increasingly complex compliance challenges around the globe.” Fabien advises life science technology companies on EU and international regulatory matters, with a focus on medical devices, diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals. He regularly counsels clients on AI-driven health technologies and Conformité Européenne marking of medical devices. Fabien also assists in addressing complex issues that arise during clinical studies, conformity assessment audits or inspections, and post-market activities. He is a qualified lead auditor for ISO 13485 quality management systems and regularly prepares, drafts, and reviews agreements related to clinical studies, registries, distribution, sponsor’s representatives, CROs, and European Authorized Representative Agreements. Fabien adds to the firm’s globally recognized medical device and technology practice, joining a team of 65 lawyers, including 22 partners, focused on life sciences regulatory matters across the U.S., UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and China. In joining the firm, Fabien said: “I am excited to join Arnold & Porter as a partner in Brussels and to contribute to the firm’s growing life sciences and regulatory practice. With the evolving EU regulatory landscape—particularly in medical devices, pharma, digital health, and AI, clients need strategic, technically robust, and business-oriented advice. Arnold & Porter offers an outstanding platform to deliver that support at both the EU and international levels.” Fabien holds a Master Degree on European Laws, with merit, from Université de Rennes 1 and a Master of Public Law from the University of Silesia (Poland). About Arnold & Porter Arnold & Porter combines sophisticated regulatory, litigation, and transactional capabilities to resolve clients’ most complex issues. With over 1,000 lawyers practicing in 16 offices worldwide, we offer an integrated approach that spans more than 40 practice areas. Through multidisciplinary collaboration and focused industry experience, we provide innovative and effective solutions to mitigate risks, address challenges, and achieve successful outcomes.

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.

30 December 2025 Walkers, the international legal and professional services firm, has advised InSilico Medicine Cayman TopCo ("InSilico Medicine"), a reputable AI-driven biotechnology company with global operations, on its successful IPO on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("HKEX"), backed by 15 cornerstone investors including Eli Lilly, Tencent and Temasek. The Walkers team, led by partners Andrew Barker and Mark Cummings, and supported by senior associates Beverly Lui and Flora Lo, and associate Samantha Currie, advised on all the Cayman Islands legal aspect of the transaction. The team worked closely with InSilico Medicine's lead counsel Davis Polk & Wardwell to ensure seamless execution across multiple jurisdictions. Accelerating innovation and industry development This listing underscores the development trends in emerging sectors such as AI and biotechnology. It enables InSilico Medicine to advance its clinical pipeline through its proprietary Pharm.ai platform and to invest further in cutting-edge technologies, including generative AI and automated laboratories. InSilico Medicine raised HK$2.277 billion in this IPO, achieving the largest biotech IPO in Hong Kong this year, as in the size of fundraising. Guiding clients through complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions Andrew Barker commented, 'We are proud to have provided ongoing support to InSilico Medicine, particularly in helping it reach this milestone transaction. It highlights investor confidence in emerging sectors and demonstrates our ability to deliver strategic, multi-jurisdictional legal solutions that empower clients to scale globally. Mark Cummings added, 'Our cross-border Corporate team thrives on guiding clients through complex corporate transactions. This successful listing reinforces Walkers’ commitment to delivering innovative, round-the-clock legal advice that helps businesses navigate uncharted waters and seize opportunities in dynamic markets.' Congratulations to everyone involved in this transaction. ENDS ___________________________________________ About Walkers Walkers is a leading international legal and professional services law firm specialising in the law of the global investment hubs Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Ireland and Jersey. With 10 strategically located offices across the Americas, Asia and Europe and 12 global practice groups, we provide seamless, multi-jurisdictional solutions to financial institutions, capital markets participants, investment fund managers, multinational corporations and family offices. Alongside Walkers' legal offering, we provide corporate and fiduciary services to many of the world's leading private equity and hedge funds, CLO managers, trusts and other financial institutions through Walkers Professional Services (WPS). For more information, contact: Shana Ray Head of Business Development, Asia & Middle East T: +852 9030 6084 E: [email protected]   Jenny Kokolas Communications Manager, Global T +44 (0)7301 272 247 E [email protected]