Historic Edinburgh legal firm seals merger deal with Glasgow practice

The Edinburgh-headquartered firm is to merge with Glasgow legal practice Dallas McMillian in a deal that marks Lindsays’ fourth such tie-up in less than decade.

The latest agreement, which will take effect on September 1, will see Dallas McMillan partners and staff transfer to Lindsays, with their clients gaining access to the broader range of legal services available across the enlarged firm.

The merger will increase the size of Lindsays’ Glasgow-based team from 80 to 123, with its total headcount - including its other offices in Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and Crieff - rising to 417. All Glasgow staff will operate from the firm’s Queen Street office in the city centre, Lindsays confirmed.

Dallas McMillan, which comprises six partners and 37 staff, advises clients across a range of areas including personal injury, employment law, commercial property, corporate matters and residential conveyancing.

This latest chapter in Lindsays’ strategic expansion follows similar mergers with Shield & Kyd (2012), MacLachlan & MacKenzie (2012), RSB Macdonald (2015), Aitken Nairn (2018), Hadden Rankin (2019) and Miller Hendry (2023).

Lindsays, which has a history stretching back some 200 years, said the deal with Dallas McMillian followed a period of wider growth in its Glasgow operation after the addition of a rural land and business team in the city this spring, along with senior hires in its private client and commercial property departments.

Subscribe to the Scotsman Business Insider newsletter here

Managing partner Andrew Diamond said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the team from Dallas McMillan to the Lindsays family and to continue our path of strategic, sustainable growth through this merger.

“We are committed to expanding our presence in Glasgow. We have been seeking the ideal fit for a merger in Glasgow for some time and believe this is it, bringing good people and good clients into the firm. There are real synergies between Lindsays and Dallas McMillan.”

He added: “This is an exciting step forward for us, further strengthening our position as a Scotland-wide law firm, operating from four cities. We remain open to further growth where there is a strong cultural and strategic fit.”

David McElroy, managing partner at Dallas McMillan, said: “We have long been admirers of Lindsays’ way of doing business and the way in which it has grown in recent years, while remaining true to its people-centred principals.

“In a cultural and business sense, this merger feels like the right fit for us and our clients, who will benefit from being able to access a wider range of legal services as part of Lindsays. Our staff will also be able to take advantage of broader career opportunities, as part of a larger firm that still retains a close-knit feel and supportive culture among colleagues.”

No job losses are anticipated as part of the merger.

Earlier this year, Scottish legal heavyweight Brodies strengthened its presence in Glasgow after taking more space at a landmark office development. The firm agreed a deal to let an additional 10,544 square feet on the seventh floor of 110 Queen Street.