THE investment arm of law firm Gilson Gray has completed the latest in a series of acquisitions.

Gilson Gray Financial Management has taken over Edinburgh-based Sarah Hughes Wealth Management in a deal that takes its total assets undermanagement to nearly £500 million – an increase of 40 per cent in 12 months. It comes quickly on the heels of GGFM’s acquisition of North Berwick-based Scott Wallace Financial Planning at the end of last year.

Sarah Hughes Wealth Management has been a senior partner practice of the St James’s Place network since 1997, and specialises in providing advice to high-net-worth individuals with complex financial needs across the UK.

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Sarah Hughes, a chartered financial planner with nearly three decades of experience, and her team will move into the GGFM fold, and will now be able to offer clients access to Gilson Gray’s integrated legal and property services.

Steve Herkes, managing director of GGFM, said: “I have known Sarah for several years, she has a reputation as a high quality financial planner with a huge focus on tailoring services to her client’s needs.

"She will be a great addition to our team, mentoring more junior colleagues and helping to develop our private client proposition. At the same time, her clients will benefit from access to a wider range of financial, property, and legal services, so the acquisition is the perfect fit for both businesses.

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“Bringing Sarah Hughes Wealth Management on board is the first in a series of deals we hope to conclude in 2023, which will increase our presence and offering across Scotland, building on a very active past couple of years.”

Sarah Hughes said: “Rather than focusing on the size of the business, I have always wanted to maintain the level of service my clients have come to expect. Joining the GGFM team will provide us with the regulatory and administrative support we need to remain focused on our client’s needs while providing added value through the wider Gilson Gray offering. I’m excited to begin a new phase and see what we can achieve as part of GGFM.”

The deal comes in the same week that Gilson Gray acquired The Law Practice in Aberdeen.