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Law firm Gilson Gray enters Aberdeen legal market fray with new office in the Granite City

Leading Gilson Gray's move into the north-east market are Calum Crighton, left, and Richard Shepherd.
Leading Gilson Gray's move into the north-east market are Calum Crighton, left, and Richard Shepherd.

Scottish law firm Gilson Gray has opened an office in Blenheim Gate in the west end of Aberdeen.

Gilson Gray, which was launched in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 2014, now has two partners based in the Granite City.

The duo includes Robert Gordon University alumnus Calum Crighton, who leads the firm’s oil, gas and energy team. He joined the practice in January 2021, having previously worked for businesses including CMS Cameron McKenna, Premier Oil, Fairfield Energy and Lex Energy.

Mr Crighton is also vice-chairman of Offshore Energies UK’s legal issues forum and a member of Decom North Sea’s decommissioning leadership group.

We are committed to offering full services from Aberdeen and have already embarked on a recruitment drive to meet demand.”

Calum Crighton, Gilson Gray.

Gilson Gray’s other Aberdeen partner is Richard Shepherd, who joined the firm in January this year and is now a leading figure in its real estate services division. The Aberdeen University graduate was previously head of corporate and commercial at north-east law firm James & George Collie.

Gilson Gray also has offices in Dundee, North Berwick, and – following a recent acquisition south of the border – Lincoln. Its ambitious move to muscle in on Aberdeen’s competitive legal scene is supported by the size of its new office in the Granite City, where it has space to build a 40-strong team.

l-r Richard Shepherd and Calum Crighton, Gilson Gray’s two partners in Aberdeen.

The 4,500sq ft premises on Blenheim Place were secured on a long-term lease. Blenheim Gate is also home to ETZ Limited, the firm that was set up to deliver an Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen.

Gilson Gray chairman and managing partner Glen Gilson said: “The legal marketplace is ripe for consolidation at the moment, and we are keen to offer stability and support for any firm, anywhere in Britain, which might benefit from joining the expanding Gilson Gray group.

“The north-east of Scotland is a dynamic region, with tremendous economic opportunities. Our decision to open an office reinforces our commitment to the area and to our clients. We now have offices stretching along the east coast of Scotland from Aberdeen to Dundee to East Lothian – as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow.”

Blenheim Gate.

Mr Crighton said: “We are committed to offering full services from Aberdeen and have already embarked on a recruitment drive to meet demand, focusing on hiring local people.”

Mr Shepherd added: “Calum and I know the market well, backed up by gold standard local knowledge, which we believe gives us an edge.”

Firm’s headcount nearing 300

Gilson Gray now employs 290 people across its six offices.

The firm said its “strong growth” in recent years was driven by organic client wins and acquisitions, Its Gilson Gray Financial Management arm has been particularly active, taking over 13 financial services businesses across Scotland, with more in the pipeline.

The Aberdeen legal market has proved a challenging one for new entrants over the years. Some firms – such as Brodies, Burness Paull and Pinsent Masons – have successfully established a significant presence or made inroads via mergers and acquisitions, but others have struggled to make their mark or maintain an office presence.

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