Law firm Aberdein Considine deepens roots in Edinburgh by merging with historic firm

Scottish legal heavyweight Aberdein Considine has announced a tie-up with law firm and solicitor estate agent Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP – saying this reinforces its commitment to deepening its roots in the Scottish capital.

The deal, which is being billed as a merger, will see all Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP’s staff transfer to Aberdein Considine and be based in its Edinburgh offices in Multrees Walk, Elm Row and Lothian Road, to create a business with a workforce of nearly 500.

The combined entity will trade under the Aberdein Considine brand and turn over more than £32 million. It is the latest such deal for the Aberdeen-based firm after combining with Wallers Solicitors and A&S Ireland in 2016, for example.

The merger also follows others in the Scottish legal sector such as Thorntons Solicitors saying in March that it was teaming up with Edinburgh-based Stuart & Stuart WS.

Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP, which is based in the West End of the city, dates back to the 1800s, and says it provides a wide range of legal services, with a focus on residential property and estate agency and private client services plus dispute resolution.

It adds that RA Direct, its lender services arm, serves multiple UK lenders in areas including volume conveyancing, remortgages, secured loans and further advances.

Aberdein Considine was launched in 1981 by friends Harvey Aberdein and Iain Considine, and says it is Scotland’s largest solicitor estate and letting agent. All in all it offers property, legal and financial services to private and commercial clients across Scotland and England in more than 70 practice areas, including family law, private client, employment law, corporate, commercial property and dispute resolution.

From left: Alan Jones, Jacqueline Law, Dianne Paterson, and Euan McSherry (partner and head of Edinburgh office, Aberdein Considine). Picture: David Johnstone Photography.

Operating a national network of 19 offices, with 460 staff across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Stirling and Newcastle, it also says it has one of Scotland’s largest IFA Mortgage Broker and Wealth Management businesses, and an established lender services unit serving UK financial institutions.

The deal will see Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP’s two equity partners Dianne Paterson and Alan Jones join Aberdein Considine as consultants.

The latter firm’s managing partner Jacqueline Law said: “Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP is an incredibly well-respected firm, with a loyal client bank. Dianne Paterson has served clients in a professional and caring manner over a long and successful career.

Values

“As managing partner of Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP, and a former ESPC director, she has also built around her a hardworking, loyal and client focused team. The values of Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP are very closely aligned with those of Aberdein Considine.

“Whilst many medium-sized firms continue to choose to go down the commercial route, our strategic plan is to remain a full-service law firm and to strengthen our teams and service offering in central Scotland.

“Russel+Aitken Edinburgh is an excellent fit with Aberdein Considine and underlines our commitment to investing and growing our business in Edinburgh.”

Ms Paterson said Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP is pleased to be combining with “one of Scotland’s largest and best-known legal firms”. She added: “We are looking forward to strengthening and expanding the legal services available to our existing clients, and to participating in Aberdein Considine’s vision for the service they provide in Edinburgh and Central Scotland.

“We view this as a coming together of two like-minded firms, and see a strong future ahead of us.”