James Horton

The firm’s appointment commenced in September 2020 and follows a successful pitch led by James Horton and Caroline Barr both based in the finance team at CMS in Edinburgh.

James Horton said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to Unity Trust Bank’s UK legal panel. Our extensive sector experience and strong finance offering played an important role in securing this mandate. However, another significant contribution was our strong belief that CMS and Unity’s values are aligned, making this appointment a perfect fit for our strategy and culture.”

Caroline Barr added: “As a founding member of the firm’s market leading ethical finance initiative I am particularly proud to have secured the opportunity to support Unity Trust Bank in its mission to promote social change. It is during challenging times, such as the current economic environment, that ethical and sustainable values come to the fore and I look forward to leveraging our market expertise, and our extensive network of contacts, to maximise Unity’s positive impact on communities and socially-minded organisations across the UK.”

John Copping, regional director of Unity Trust Bank, commented: “The key objective in establishing our new legal panel was to appoint firms that not only deliver excellent service, but also reflect Unity’s core values. CMS has impressed us with its deep understanding of ethical lending, as well as its demonstrable commitment to corporate social responsibility. We look forward to working with the team across the firm’s UK offices.”

Mr Horton and Ms Barr will be supported by colleagues based across Scotland, Manchester, Sheffield and London.