Lawyers Thorntons announce latest merger

A Dundee-based law firm, with local offices across the East of Scotland, has announced plans to merge with a prominent Angus practice – expanding its reach into the north of the County.

Thorntons will merge with Montrose-based Watts Law, combining resources from the start of next month and “will enhance Thorntons’ current offering and give the merged firm – to be known as Thorntons – a footprint stretching across Angus, Tayside, Perthshire, Fife and Edinburgh”.

Having merged with Steel Eldridge Stewart and Murray Donald in 2014, Thorntons will now have 42 partners and more than 400 employees and will operate from 10 locations across Dundee, Perthshire Fife, Edinburgh and Angus.

The firm said no jobs will be lost as part of the latest merger and all former Watts Law partners, solicitors and support staff will continue to be based in the Montrose office, on High Street.

A statement from Thorntons said: “Former partners and now Thorntons’ consultants, Hamish Watt and Aileen Hunter and their team will deliver the same quality, expert advice they have done for the last 36 years from the Montrose office.

“They will be joined by Thorntons senior solicitor, Stuart Mackie.”

Hamish Watt, Partner of Watts Law, said: “Bringing Watts and Thorntons together will greatly strengthen both firm’s existing offerings, enhancing our resources to provide the highest quality services to our clients across Angus. The support network Thorntons can offer will allow the Montrose team to entirely focus on our clients and their specific needs. We are in the process of contacting all our clients to advise them of the news and the arrangements that will be in place from 1 July.

Anne McKeown, partner with Thorntons in Angus said: “The merger will allow us to provide further specialist services, such as employment law, agricultural and immigration advice for our business clients. This will provide local businesses with a one-stop service for all their legal requirements.

“For our personal clients the merger will give access to Thorntons wide estate agency network plus specialist financial and future planning expertise.

“Thorntons’ Montrose team will continue to provide all the advice and services clients have come to rely on including, buying and selling property, family, disputes, wills, powers of attorney as well as specialist advice for businesses – all delivered locally from Montrose.

“These existing services will be complemented further by additional support of Thorntons’ specialist teams across Dundee, Perthshire, Angus, Fife and Edinburgh.

Jack Robertson, Thorntons’ chairman, added: “Whilst Thorntons will become one of Scotland’s largest full service firms, our eye is very much on delivering an accessible, local, yet specialist service. Thorntons, and Watts, are fortunate enough to have a loyal client base who trust us to deliver an honest, straight forward and cost-effective service. That will remain our priority.”