Mr Foster, who spent 35 years at Royal Bank of Scotland, mainly as a relationship manager to professional service firms, joins on 3 April 2023. He has worked as a relationship banker with Balfour and Manson for 18 years.

Elaine Motion, who will work alongside Mr Foster as executive chairman, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Scott on board as a familiar face in a brand-new role. This high-calibre appointment shows Balfour and Manson understands that you need to think differently about managing a legal firm in 2023.

“Chief operating officers are common in the business world generally, but not so much in the legal profession. Someone of Scott’s ability and experience will serve our needs very well — allowing our partners to focus on building up their business areas and developing their teams to ensure further growth.

“We are entering a new and very exciting era in our firm’s history with this new management structure. I am really looking forward to working with Scott and this will truly allow others to concentrate on being ‘lawyers’, with all that entails.”

Mr Foster will work closely with the firm’s 22 partners as well as HR director Margaret Peet, finance director Ken Dinneen and Mrs Motion.

Mr Foster left Royal Bank in October 2020 to start a training and management consultancy. He has worked with law firms across Scotland to develop commercial efficiencies to allow them to develop their brand and position in the marketplace.

Mr Foster said: “I am thrilled to be taking up this new post with Balfour+Manson, a firm I know well. I’ve been fortunate in my previous career to have had a strong relationship with the management team and board.