Burges Salmon is pleased to announce the appointment of four new partners, including two in Scotland, effective from 1 May 2026. These appointments reflect the firm’s continued commitment to investing in its people and delivering exceptional service to clients across its key sectors and markets.

This year’s partner appointments include Edinburgh-based Paula McGeady and Patrick Munro from the firm’s Planning & Compulsory Purchase team.

Paula is an English and Scottish qualified planning and compulsory purchase lawyer. She has particular expertise in advising on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and has promoted numerous development consent orders for onshore and offshore generating stations and connected onshore facilities, pipelines, highways and water infrastructure and pumped storage.

Patrick is a Scottish qualified planning lawyer who advises on a wide range of infrastructure and development matters, with a particular specialism in energy and major infrastructure sector projects. Patrick regularly advises clients in relation to planning appeals, public inquiries and judicial review. He also advises scheme promotors and affected parties on compulsory purchase and compensation.

omoted are London-based Rhiannon Price, an experienced dispute resolution lawyer and Silvana Van der Velde, a Scottish qualified lawyer and Chartered Tax Adviser with extensive experience advising on corporate tax matters.

Rhiannon has specific expertise in litigating claims relating to complex international fraud and corruption, breaches of sanctions legislation and the recovery of crypto assets and formerly headed up the proceeds of crime litigation team at a UK law enforcement agency. Rhiannon is also an international arbitration specialist, operating both in the UK and overseas (particularly in Asia) before all major arbitral bodies.

Silvana’s practice centres on delivering strategic tax advice on corporate M&A transactions, with a particular focus on the private equity sector. This includes providing advice to a diverse range of clients including investors, corporates, and management teams. Her areas of expertise cover a broad spectrum of corporate M&A, structuring, and advisory tax work, both in a UK and international context.

The appointments underline Burges Salmon’s focus on nurturing talent and providing clear career pathways, ensuring that ambitious lawyers have the opportunity to progress to partnership. They also demonstrate the firm’s dedication to building long-term client relationships and maintaining its reputation for excellence in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.

Burges Salmon’s Senior Partner, Ross Fairley says: “These appointments are a testament to the strength of our business and the success of our people-first approach. Each of these new partners brings exceptional expertise and leadership, and will play a vital role in supporting our clients and driving the firm forward.”

Burges Salmon’s Managing Partner, Roger Bull adds “We remain committed to investing in areas that are of strategic importance to our clients and to fostering a culture that enables talented individuals to thrive. These appointments also build on the significant growth we’ve seen in our partnership over the past year, with eight lateral partners joining us since May 2025 – a clear reflection of our ambition and confidence in the future.”