Lindsays is pleased to welcome Bruce Battersby who has recently joined their private client team in Glasgow as a Senior Solicitor.

Bruce assists individuals and business owners with the administration of estates, the setting up and administration of trusts and with the preparation of tax efficient Wills and Powers of Attorney. He also advises clients on succession and inheritance tax planning.

Bruce is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Callum Kennedy, Partner and Head of Lindsays Private Client team, commented:

“We are delighted to welcome Bruce to our team and look forward to working with him. His appointment reflects the growing demand for our legal services and will further enhance the services we already provide to our clients.”

Lindsays’ private client team offers advice and expertise to individuals and business owners on matters involving succession planning, trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney and the administration and winding up of estates.

Commercial disputes specialist Philip Sewell has joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a partner, bringing 25 years’ experience to the firm’s Commercial Disputes and Regulation Division.

Philip advises on contentious commercial matters, including insurance, professional negligence, shareholder disputes, landlord and tenant commercial fraud, health and safety, food safety and personal injury. He will be based in the firm’s London office and will work closely with Shepherd and Wedderburn’s dispute resolution specialists across its offices in the City of London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Philip, who joins from Maclay Murray & Spens, previously headed McClure Naismith’s dispute resolution practice in London and has experience of advising clients on resolving commercial disputes across a range of fora, including traditional litigation, mediation/alternative dispute resolution and adjudication matters across the UK. His appointment further enhances Shepherd and Wedderburn’s capability to supply relevant, high quality contentious litigation support to its clients.

Stephen Gibb, Chief Executive of Shepherd and Wedderburn, said: “We are delighted to welcome Philip to the firm. He is a highly-regarded commercial litigator with many years’ experience of advising clients operating in a range of sectors across a wide variety of disputes. Philip’s expertise will be an asset for many of our commercial clients, including those taking advantage of our funded litigation offering, which mitigates the financial risk of engaging in litigation.”

Brodies LLP has expanded its insurance & risk team with the appointment of new Partner Duncan Mawby, a clinical defence and professional discipline specialist with 16 years’ experience representing healthcare professionals in clinical negligence and regulatory proceedings.

Duncan is one of a small number of solicitors in Scotland specialising in clinical defence work and has extensive experience of representing medical professionals and defending clinical negligence claims in the civil courts.

Duncan regularly appears at professional disciplinary hearings before the medical and dental regulators, representing doctors, dentists and pharmacists in fitness to practice cases before the General Medical Council (GMC), General Dental Council (GDC), General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and in NHS disciplinary and criminal proceedings.

In addition, Duncan is a member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL), the Scottish Medico-Legal Society (SMLS) and the Health and Safety Lawyers Association (HSLA). A former legal advisor to the Health & Safety Executive, he also represents employers in health and safety prosecutions.

Duncan, who is based in Brodies’ Edinburgh office, is commended by clients in the independent legal directory Chambers and Partners for his “amazing capacity to absorb detailed, complex cases at short notice and then to identify their core issues clearly and simply”.

Stephen Goldie, Brodies’ Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution, said: “Duncan’s experience representing healthcare professionals, coupled with his experience in liability defence and health and safety, will be of great benefit to our clients in the health sector and those dealing with operational risk. We look forward to Duncan working closely with colleagues in our top-ranked professional negligence and liability defence teams to further enhance the delivery of relevant, high-quality services to our clients.”

Grant Thornton has strengthened its Marketing & Business Development team with a new key hire.

The business and financial adviser has hired Brian Cameron who, as Associate Director of Marketing and Business Development, will be based in Edinburgh and take a leading role in growing the firm’s client base across Scotland.

Brian has almost two decades of experience and joins from global talent solutions consultancy Hudson, where he was Regional Director responsible for running the Scottish professional services division.

Commenting on his appointment, Andrew Howie, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said:

“Brian brings a wealth of experience with him at a crucial time for our business. Right now, we’re growing across the country, including a number of significant client wins in industries such as oil and gas and financial services. We’re also expanding our physical presence with several new hires at our Aberdeen office, which has firmly established itself in the city after less than a year. I’m confident Brian’s proactive, value-driven attitude will help to shape our bold plans for further sustainable growth.”

Brian Cameron added:

“My career has focused on working with clients to realise their true potential by offering solutions and support which are truly unique to them. Ultimately, Grant Thornton shares those values with a real focus on building long-term relationships with business leaders to shape a vibrant economy in Scotland. It’s an exciting time to work in professional services and I’m looking forward to implementing the next phase of the firm’s ambitious growth strategy.”

Homelessness charity Edinburgh Cyrenians has announced the appointment of Ian Grimwade as Head of Business Development, a newly created senior role in the charity.

Ian joins the charity after three and a half years as Head of New Business Development at Edinburgh Leisure, having joined Edinburgh Leisure in 2010 as Head of Golf. Prior to seven years working in the golf business in the UK and the USA, Ian had thirteen years of experience in the software industry. He is also a board member of the Scottish Disabled Golf Partnership.

Ewan Aitken, chief executive of Edinburgh Cyrenians, says: “Ian Grimwade’s appointment as our Head of Business Development is another step in Cyrenians’ exciting journey of service and hope. We know we are in tough times and so we need the strongest possible team to face the challenges of austerity politics head on. Ian brings a wealth of global and local business experience and insight and a deep commitment to our values and mission. I know he will make a huge contribution to our ability to better walk alongside and serve those most excluded from family, home, work or community.”

The creation of this new post is part of Cyrenians’ strategy to face austerity measures head on rather than battening down the hatches. Cyrenians recognise that in order to continue their work they need to increase the income they receive from outside the public sector, and to develop collaboration between the third, private and public sectors. In particular they aim to develop their social enterprises and their ability to generate an income stream that is longer term and more within their control than income received from the public sector.

Ian says of his appointment: “I am excited about the opportunity to be part of the leadership team that will deliver growth for Cyrenians over the next few years, while staying true to the Cyrenians vision of a more inclusive society. My broad commercial background will allow me to help the team assess the viability of new initiatives for Cyrenians, and seek to maximise return from current operations. My third sector experience provides me with the ability to complete balanced analyses of opportunities looking at both commercial and social impact. I look forward to learning more about the tremendous impact that Cyrenians has on those who are on the edge of society, and sharing that with a wider audience.”