‘Strength and depth and geographical spread throughout Scotland.’ 

‘Approachable, friendly and helpful team; there’s always someone there to help. Their level of technical expertise is second to none.’

‘Although Brodies are a large firm, they still have a very personal touch while dealing with me and my clients.’

‘In an Aberdeen context, the team is large, well resourced and experienced. This is in stark contrast to almost all of the local competition. There is access to understanding that means all client circumstances can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. A highly professional experience.’

‘I think this practice is unique insofar that it has some of the best legal expertise in the country. They clearly have great strengths in almost every field and we find that if there is a particular issue which we need to go over then there is always a partner who is really one of the top experts in Scotland.’

‘Norman Kennedy is a lawyer and an accountant and therefore fully understands the financial and legal aspects of client situations. He has an exceptionally high level of commercial acumen.’

‘Leigh Gould is very efficient and demonstrates understanding and pragmatic compassion with my client referrals. She is patient and has been able to add genuine value to clients with proactive advice.’

‘Norman Kennedy stands out insofar that he is a very rare individual who is a partner in a legal firm who is also a qualified chartered accountant. This gives him a unique blend of skills which we find to be excellent in terms of dealing with private client work but also in terms of understanding businesses, in particular entrepreneurial businesses. He has a very good understanding of the business environment and has very good personal skills which enables him to understand individuals, and their families, in terms of how they create wealth through the business which he then helps to protect and enhance.’

‘The firm has a longstanding private client practice with an excellent reputation in the Scottish legal market. Its partner group comprises a good balance between old hands Hugh Younger and Ruthven Gemmell – with their stellar contacts and client lists – and younger partners such as Peter Shand. Unlike some of its competitors, the firm is not stuffy and I would describe it as professional, experienced, discreet, friendly and straightforward.’

‘Peter Shand has empathy and a natural ability to engage with clients in often very difficult and complex life situations. Often, this has made a tangible difference to the process and outcome, particularly client satisfaction. In my experience, Peter compares very favourably to some of his competitors who are technically sound but are unable to connect positively with the client on a personal level.‘

‘Very personal service, a senior partner was always my point of contact. Also proactive in making contact. The partner dealing with my affairs spent time with us fully explained our options and we felt he knew us well. Andrew Paterson was the partner dealing with our work. His knowledge was first class and explained so we understood.‘

‘Instant access to partners, and very quick, meaningful advice which is both given and actioned in a timely manner.‘

‘There is an overriding sense that they have done it all many times before. It is a great comfort.‘

‘I feel they are unique in many aspects, particularly their dedication, attention to detail and the strong sense of trust between themselves and clients.’

‘Shona Brown works tirelessly, with the primary objective, and indeed only objective, of what’s best for the client. She consistently goes above and beyond, often working well into the evenings and weekends. I know that I could contact her at any time if I need her, and that’s exactly the kind of relationship that’s valued. Her meticulous attention to detail is outstanding but more than anything I value her sense of trustworthiness. We could not have managed without her. I feel very lucky to have her fighting in our corner!’

‘Knowledgeable and empathetic, understand the particular needs of their often vulnerable clients, and can provide reassurance as well as remaining firm when needed.’

‘Karen Phillips has a terrific nature and remains positive.’

‘Shona Brown is very calm and provides great reassurance whilst adopting a common-sense approach to her client’s affairs.’

‘I believe Balfour+Manson are outstanding at what they do and especially at getting to know their clients fully and therefore proving a very bespoke service, tailored to the specific client’s needs. Balfour+Manson are extremely approachable and friendly whilst maintaining highly professional relationships.’

‘I feel the approach from Karen Phillips and Shona Brown is unique in that they make the client feel at ease immediately. There is no legal jargon to confuse or intimidate the medical negligence/personal injury clients who are often in a fragile state after many years of waiting for their settlement.’

‘The private client department is one of the most committed, caring and empathetic teams I have dealt with. They have a genuine desire to build meaningful, long-term client relationships and are highly professional.’

‘Shona Brown and Karen Phillips are two of the most approachable, client-orientated private client specialists. They are excellent with vulnerable clients, both elderly and disabled.’

‘A very strong private client team that is well placed to assist with inheritance tax and trust-based work.’

‘Karen Phillips is an exceptionally bright and talented private client solicitor. She has a warm and friendly demeanour coupled with a technical knowledge that is well above average.’

‘Burness Paull have a growing strength within private client and vast experience in trusts, and in particular in domicile issues.’

‘I have been very impressed with Clare Macpherson’s knowledge in regard to trusts and estates and the relevant planning that accompanies the creation of a trust and the work undertaken within an estate.’

‘Personal and conscientious service, very efficient collaboration’

‘Fiona Clarke is personable, provides clear advice for clients, and is conscientious.’

‘Claire Macpherson is knowledgeable, practical and pragmatic.’

‘A very close-knit and supportive team. Colin McKenzie is hands on with the clients but does an excellent job of ensuring his junior team members are viewed as an equally important part of their service offering. They are exceptionally good from a technical perspective but their people skills and ability to engage with and relate to their clients at the appropriate level is exceptional: clients feel at ease and supported by the team rather than intimidated and pressured.’

‘There is always a sense of collaboration with Colin McKenzie and Fiona Clarke. This makes achieving the desired end result for the client a much smoother and more rewarding process. Both Fiona and Colin are exceptionally personable and a joy to work with.’

‘Pamela Niven is practical, compassionate, and always able to find a way forward with the most complex and sensitive private client issues.’

‘From my first meeting with Jacqueline Leslie, I felt comfortable and confident with her. She is totally professional and displays a quiet, caring, helpful approach. She is very thorough and acts promptly in all matters.’

‘Swift response to queries. Professional understanding of the complex issues that cross between financial services and legal aspects. Great interpersonal skills and client empathy.’

‘Jacqueline Leslie provides a thoroughly professional and friendly client service.’

‘The team are all strong technically, covering a wide range of private client issues. What sets them apart from some other firms is that they are all just really nice, normal people who are able to engage with their clients in a professional but personable manner, giving the client confidence that they are in good hands.’

‘I find the individuals I deal with, particularly Grant Johnson, very strong technically and easy to work with. He exudes a calm confidence that resonates with clients.’

‘The team has a very rounded knowledge that covers all the aspects for trusts and executries required. The team works very smoothly in that there is always someone to acknowledge an email or phone message, which gives peace of mind.’

‘The team are easy to contact and work in a collaborative manner. They are experts in their area of work.’

‘It has a more caring, family-friendly business offering. They have a down-to-earth, approachable attitude and appear sympathetic to their clients’ needs. I have dealt with Lindsays on both a professional and personal level. In my profession, I am often asked if I can recommend a solicitor and Lindsays are always at the top of my list of recommendations.’

‘With Grant Johnson, I felt comfortable that I would receive the correct advice and service.’

‘A mid-size full-service firm with a good private client team. We have been working with them for a number of years and can vouch for their quality of service.’

‘Sandy Lamb is a good listener, has youth on his side, does a good, effective job and gets on well with clients.’

‘My dealings with the firm were very efficiently and courteously attended to throughout by all staff, from reception onwards.’

‘Friendly and approachable with clients’

‘Grant Johnson is very approachable by nature and offers clear and practical advice on client issues.’

‘Highly personalised service, which is particularly empathetic to clients’ needs.’

‘Sandy Lamb seems a very safe pair of hands – sharp, focused and a genuinely caring person.’

‘I used Aberdein Considine for executory work on my late father’s estate. Aberdein Considine have in-house expertise in an extensive range of disciplines that together enable them to provide a complete executory service. These disciplines include finance, personal tax, inheritance tax, conveyancing. Key to the team’s success was the establishment of a clear timeline of activities required to complete the executory process, identifying the risks to the timeline, and providing clear, comprehensive and timely updates.’

‘Fast, efficient and friendly service. All referred clients are treated in the same way regardless of income or wealth; made to feel important, with their needs and desires listened to and swiftly acted upon.’

‘Ryan Fox is extremely knowledgeable and helpful in the area of administration of estates and in complicated estate matters including where documents are not self proving.’

‘An excellent team – they are always very friendly and professional. Easy to deal with, reliable, strong communication skills – they deliver.’

‘The team is smaller than its competitors in the Edinburgh market, but James MacKinnon and his colleagues are still dedicated to providing excellent service and advice. It is James’ experience in the sector that is the key strength, as he offers ‘big firm’ advice and assistance, but without the cost of the big commercial firms.’

‘Ryan Fox ensured that he always made himself available when required to discuss and explain the complex financial and legal issues regarding the executory process. His communications were timely, comprehensive and written in layman’s terms. He was extremely knowledgeable, diligent and detailed in his communications. Ryan was sensitive to the difficult and emotional time I and the executors were going through. His level of service was exceptional and exceeded my expectations.’

‘James MacKinnon won our confidence immediately and continued to handle our affairs scrupulously. He also generously gave me time on the spot when I needed advice on another matter of concern and suggested a route to address it.’

‘Anthony Quin is always friendly, reliable and easy to work with no matter what my demands have been.’

‘James MacKinnon is efficient, has strong communication skills, first class knowledge and good relationship skills.’

‘James MacKinnon’s expertise in dealing with both complex farming estates and trusts gave us the confidence in recommending him to our clients, in addition to his experience with agricultural and business property relief. James’ thorough, practical and clear approach together with his expertise assisted us in bringing a complex matter to a close for our respective clients and I would recommend him to others with complex estates.’

‘The firm is long established with an excellent reputation, offers a broad range of services and has a well connected international network and very good relations with other professional bodies in main operating bases.’

‘The team is very well led.’

‘Douglas Sneddon – nothing is too complex, nor too simple, for him to attend to in ensuring the lay person fully appreciates the relevant issues.’

‘Laura McDowall has been particularly impressive in navigating a way through what has been a very difficult process for me, in such a persistent way, that I feel has been cost-efficient and obtained a very good outcome for me.’

‘The team have far exceeded my expectations in terms of their support in a legal rights issue relating to my father’s will. They were able to help me understand this complex area of law in a way that allowed me to make decisions effectively about how to progress. The team had a wide knowledge and clearly worked effectively together to support each other, both within the team and across the wider business. There is a real empathy and connection with the client (particularly, as in this case, when it was a very sensitive matter.’

‘Kirsten Anderson has been my key contact and has been exceptional in her service and support. She has an empathy for her clients that is often rare in lawyers, is extremely knowledgeable in her area of expertise and ultimately allowed me to reach a settlement in excess of my expectations.’