Turnover for year ending March 2019 was just over £11.6 million, compared with around £10.6m the year before; and profits were up from £3.2m to £3.47m.

Ledingham Chalmers, which has offices in Aberdeen, Inverness, Stirling and Edinburgh, said the figures reflected strong performances from teams including private client, litigation, corporate and commercial property.

Group turnover, including subsidiary Golden Square Wealth Management (GSWM), was also up: £12.1m compared with £11.6m. Profits were slightly down — £3.5m compared with £3.6m. The firm says this reflects investment in the growing GSWM team over the period to support future, sustainable growth.

Brian Hay, the firm’s chief executive officer, said: “We exceeded our budget, which is great news, and, as we’ve said before, our focus is very much on the long haul: ensuring we continue to have the right people in place to carry on delivering what we know is a valuable service for clients, with the SME sector a particular area of focus.

“Looking ahead, we’ve revised the 2019/2020 budget, mainly to reflect changes following the Simpson & Marwick Aberdeen deal, which saw the team join Ledingham Chalmers in November. And, with a quarter to go, we’re on track to deliver that 5% increase on last year’s revenue for the law firm.”

Jennifer Young, chairman and partner, added: “As well as the considerable legal expertise you’d expect, we have a reputation for being approachable, responsive and good to deal with, and the benefit of that approach comes through in these figures, as well as in the external recognition our firm receives. We’re consistently recognised in the Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 directories based on feedback from clients and peers.”