Maclay Murray & Spens LLP (MMS), the UK-wide commercial law firm, has promoted 40 of its lawyers. This year’s round of promotions, which coincides with the start of the firm’s new financial year, sees twice as many lawyers stepping up as this time 12 months ago, the largest number since before the global financial downturn.

The promotions involve staff at all four of the firm’s offices and includes six new partners and five new directors, alongside 12 new associates and 17 assistant solicitors moving up to senior level.

Kenneth Shand, chief executive of MMS, said: “The scale of these promotions highlights the breadth and depth of experience within the firm – with no fewer than 40 lawyers ready and able to step up to a senior level – as well as our strength in the market. Many of our new partners trained and qualified with the firm and all those promoted have demonstrated exceptional dedication to clients and combined talent with extremely hard work.”

The promotions follow a number of hires by MMS in recent months. In October 2014 the firm brought in Alexis Graham as a partner in the Private Client & Charities practice group. In March 2015 Jill Reid, the former general counsel and company secretary of Dana Petroleum, was recruited as a partner to lead its oil and gas team in Aberdeen. And last month, MMS hired David Rose as a director to its Aberdeen Property team and Alexis Condie as an associate in the Edinburgh Property team.

The promotions, effective from 1 June, are:

Partner
Derek McCombe (Glasgow, Corporate)
Gareth Hale (Edinburgh, Commercial Dispute Resolution)
Rona Hutchison (Glasgow, Commercial Dispute Resolution)
Allan Cairns (Edinburgh, Property)
Jo Campbell-Smith (Glasgow, Property)
Barry Edgar (Glasgow, Property)

Director
Sandra Hartley (Edinburgh, Capital Projects)
Alan Delaney (Edinburgh, Employment & Pensions)
Alison Weatherhead (Glasgow, Employment & Pensions)
Helen Hutcheson (Glasgow, Construction & Engineering)
Kenneth McLaren (Glasgow, Property)

Associate
Claire McCarte (Glasgow, Private Client & Charities)
Anne-Marie Bradshaw (Edinburgh, Corporate)
Christopher Smith (Edinburgh, Corporate)
Steph Innes (Glasgow, IP & Technology)
Jon McKay (London, Employment & Pensions)
Adam Watson (Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Employment & Pensions)
Lyndsey Barr (London, Property)
Laura Edgar (Glasgow, Property)
Theresa Ferguson-Battershill (London, Property – Housing & Care)
Sheena Mackintosh (Glasgow, Property)
Lauren Miller (Glasgow, Property)
Suzanne Sutherland (Edinburgh, Property)

Senior solicitor
Jennifer Connolly (Glasgow, Private Client & Charities)
Keith McLaren (Edinburgh and Glasgow, Private Client & Charities)
Robert Swinton (Edinburgh, Corporate)
Catriona Wolstenholme (Edinburgh, Corporate)
Anna Crosby (Aberdeen, Banking & Finance)
Lucia Avignone (London, Financial Services)
Ferky Azib (London, Commercial Dispute Resolution)
Lucy Brown (Edinburgh, Commercial Dispute Resolution)
Bruce McCombie (Edinburgh, Commercial Dispute Resolution)
Linzi Coates-Hedalen (Edinburgh, Construction & Engineering)
Elise Kinghorn (Edinburgh, Employment & Pensions)
Claire Nisbet (Edinburgh, Employment & Pensions)
Laura O’Neill (Edinburgh, Employment & Pensions)
Sophie Brock (London, Property)
Julie Connolly (Glasgow, Property)
Jayne Ferguson (Glasgow, Property)
Euan Taylor (Edinburgh, Property)

Promotions by office
Aberdeen 2
Edinburgh 17
Glasgow 15
London 6

By practice group
Banking & Finance 1
Capital Projects 1
Commercial Dispute Resolution 5
Construction & Engineering 2
Corporate 5
Employment & Pensions 7
Financial Services 1
IP & Technology 1
Private Client & Charities 3
Property 14