Legal giant strengthens Scottish operation with two senior director hires

The firm said the new legal directors would reinforce its continued investment in Scotland and its commitment to growing the office’s specialist banking and construction capabilities.

Ainsley Reid joins WBD’s banking team, bringing extensive experience in property finance and wider banking work across Scotland, England and Wales. Dual qualified in Scotland as well as England and Wales, Reid advises lenders and borrowers on a broad range of property finance transactions and is said to have strong relationships across the Scottish banking market, including with clearing banks and alternative lenders.

Keith Bishop also joins the Edinburgh office as a legal director, in WBD’s construction team. Described as a highly experienced construction lawyer, Bishop is also dual qualified and has advised on both contentious and transactional construction matters throughout his career. He has held senior roles in private practice and industry, including heading the construction team at Muckle and working internationally on major projects through Systech in South Africa.

WBD, which has a team of more than 1,300 lawyers across 40 offices in the UK and the US, opened its Edinburgh office in 2017 and has since grown its Scottish practice across a number of key sectors and services.

Victoria Redman, partner and board member at Womble Bond Dickinson, said: “Ainsley and Keith are excellent additions to our Edinburgh team and their appointments underline our continued commitment to investing in Scotland. Both bring strong technical expertise, deep market knowledge and the kind of collaborative, client-focused approach that is central to how we work.”

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