Dickson Minto acquired by US law firm Milbank

The firm’s Edinburgh office will remain independent, while the London team will be joining Milbank’s City operations early next year, The Lawyer reports.

The City office is led by partner Jordan Simpson and focuses on private equity as well as corporate transactions. It acts for investment houses and fund managers.

Dickson Minto was founded in 1985 by Alastair Dickson and Bruce Minto. Mr Dickson will not be joining Milbank as a partner but will be involved in the transition to the US firm.

There are seven partners in Dickson Minto’s London office as well as 20 associates and 10 business service professionals.

Milbank’s corporate head, Norbert Rieger, said: “The addition of this team will significantly add to our ability to act for clients around the globe on private equity related transactions. It is a logical next step after our expansion in the PE space in the US, Germany and Asia.”

The Edinburgh office will continue to be led by Douglas Armstrong.

He said: “We will continue to grow the firm’s Edinburgh practice whilst retaining our relationship with our London private equity colleagues in specialist areas and seeking to expand this relationship to the wider Milbank business.

“We have benefited from our strong connection with the London market and will continue to do so in the future. Dickson Minto has a long history as a pre-eminent, independent corporate law firm which will be maintained.”

Mr Simpson said: “As the private equity market continues to evolve and our clients look at ever larger and more complex transactions, it has never been more important for us to be able to quickly bring together global solutions across a wide range of disciplines.

“We are excited to join the Milbank platform, where we look forward to presenting to our clients everything they have come to expect from our London private equity group, with the added benefit of direct access to equivalent levels of service and expertise from a broad range of preeminent practices in the US, continental Europe and Asia.”