SCOTTISH law firm Boyd Legal has announced this morning its acquisition of Glenrothes-based Baird & Company, its second takeover this year.
The Baird team, including partners John McAndrew and Carolyn Bean, have joined Boyd, and will continue to service their portfolio of clients in the Fife area. The Fife company will retain its identity further to the deal to consolidate its position in the region and will trade as Baird Legal going forward.
Edinburgh-based Boyd Legal was founded in 2004 and provides advice to individuals and businesses with private client, property law, estate agency, equity release, commercial law and lettings services. It has a team of 28 staff and lawyers across its offices and facilities in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Dundee, Perth and Inverness.
Diana Boyd, managing director of Boyd Legal, said: “The essence of what we are about is ensuring that we are a large enough business to have a strong management team. This is increasingly necessary for firms to cope with the complexity of money laundering and all regulatory matters.”
Baird & Company was founded in Fife in the 1960s by Donald Baird, a lawyer and former town clerk in Cupar. Four people in total have transferred from Baird to Boyd, with Ms Bean and Mr McAndrew joined by paralegals Madison Hortin and Dawn Davidson.
Ms Bean and Mr McAndrew have been with the firm for more than 30 years and will continue to provide legal services to clients as Baird Legal.
A statement described its acquisition is a “positive move to future-proof the business and its legacy, expanding the team and enhancing its portfolio of legal services for its existing clients, including those across Fife, for generations to come.”
Ms Boyd added: “Our management team, including new operations director Shona Black, has played a critical role in the acquisition and, going forward, will enable us to strengthen the business while the legal team continues to deliver an excellent legal service.
“Smaller practices are finding it difficult to cope with carrying out legal work and at the same time managing all the regulatory issues.
"Increasing consolidation within the legal market is something we are certainly going to see more of. We are promising a seamless transition with the acquisition and importantly, want to reassure clients that our excellent service will continue as usual.”
Baird Legal has two offices, at New Law House in Glenrothes and Townsend Place, Kirkcaldy – its main office.
Earlier this year, Boyd Legal took over the client business of Sommerville & Russell in East Lothian when it closed in February.
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