Miller Samuel real estate team head for MacRoberts
14 Sep 07
Four-partner team to switch as from 1 January 2008
Commercial firm MacRoberts has acquired the four-partner real estate practice of Glasgow solicitors Miller Samuel as from 1 January next year.
The four partners – Douglas Lamb, Kelsey Gibson, John McQuillan and Ian Bowie – all active in the core commercial property areas of development, investment and retail– have been involved in recent years in some of the biggest property deals in Scotland, including the development of the 1,000,000 square foot Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow.
MacRoberts’ managing partner Michael Murphy said: “We are aiming to be recognised as one of the top real estate practices in Scotland and the acquisition of Miller Samuel’s real estate practice is a major step in that direction.
"We began looking at opportunities to acquire high quality partner teams around nine months ago, and the real estate lawyers at Miller Samuel became a clear target for us very quickly."
Currently a 33-partner firm, MacRoberts operates in a wide range of practice areas mostly in the commercial and corporate sectors.
Miller Samuel currently has a total of 13 partners and 80 staff in five practice groups - business services, employment, private client, litigation and real estate. Chairman Michael Samuel said the move comes at the right time in an increasingly changing legal market.
"We have recognised for some time the differing needs of the practice and our real state department. This reflects wider changes in the legal market where we see an increasing divide between specialist service providers, such as ourselves who promote a partner led service, and those who operate in a larger based team environment.
"The departure of the real estate team allows us to continue with our development plans for our principal service areas where we are experiencing rapid and successful growth." By adopting a more integrated and cohesive approach, he said, the firm was securing its future and greater success in the years ahead.