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Aberdeen firm The Law Practice acquired by Gilson Gray

Lesley McKnight, formerly of The Law Practice, with Gilson Gray's Aberdeen-based partners, Calum Crighton, left, and Richard Shepherd. Image: Frame
Lesley McKnight, formerly of The Law Practice, with Gilson Gray's Aberdeen-based partners, Calum Crighton, left, and Richard Shepherd. Image: Frame

Legal firm Gilson Gray has continued its expansion in Aberdeen by acquiring Granite City-based The Law Practice.

The five-strong team at The Law Practice, including previous owner Lesley McKnight, are all relocating from 3 Rubislaw Terrace to Gilson Gray’s office on Blenheim Place.

From now on they will be operating under the Gilson Gray brand.

The Law Practice is well known in Aberdeen and a fitting addition to our operation.”

Glen Gilson, chairman and managing partner, Gilson Gray

The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, also boosts women’s power in the Scottish legal sector.

Gilson Gray’s five new recruits are all female, and the firm’s total headcount is more than 70% women.

The deal comes less than a year after Gilson Grey opened its first office in Aberdeen.

It currently has two partners in the Granite City, Calum Crighton and Richard Shepherd.

‘Reputation for disruption’

Chairman and managing partner Glen Gilson said: “The Law Practice is well known in Aberdeen and a fitting addition to our operation.

“While many firms have chosen to reduce their footprint in the city, we are committed to servicing the business community and wider client base, with plans for further expansion to come.”

He added: “Since launching in 2014 Gilson Gray has built up a reputation for disruption in the legal market and grown at record rates.

“We are one of the few independent Scottish firms of scale left in the market, bucking trends with continuous growth and acquisitions.”

Legal team’s ‘new chapter’

Ms McKnight said: “It is great to be joining a forward-thinking modern team like Gilson Gray, with a culture that supports both the next generation of clients and legal professionals.

“With access to a wider range of services and experts, we are growing our own professional family to continue looking after our clients and their families. I’m looking forward to this new chapter.”

Gilson Gray was launched in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 2014.

Its takeover of The Law Practice follows a string of recent deals in Scotland and England which have seen it rapidly expand into new geographies and markets.

The firm now has offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, East Lothian, Dundee and Lincoln.

Gilson Gray’s latest expansion also sees a new estate agency department added to its offering in the Aberdeen area, complementing a property services arm.

Ambitious plans for Aberdeen are supported by the size of its new office in the Granite City, where the firm has space to build a 40-strong team.

The Law Practice was established in 2005 and Ms McKnight took over as principal solicitor in 2018.

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