McGrigors

McGrigors LLP

Type	law firm
Industry	Law
Founded	Scotland (1769)
Headquarters	HQ in Edinburgh 8 offices in Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, the Falkland Islands & Qatar.
Products	Legal advice
Employees	700+
Website	www.mcgrigors.com

McGrigors LLP is a UK Top 50 law firm.^[1] with offices in six British cities as well as Qatar and the Falkland Islands.^[2] McGrigors was named National Law Firm of the Year 2010 by The Lawyer magazine. ^[3]

With around 100 partners and a total of more than 700 staff across the UK and overseas, McGrigors advises clients, including national and multinational organisations in the private and public sectors, on a wide variety of commercial issues. The firm has a clear focus on advising organisations in the fields of energy, infrastructure and professional and financial services.

Areas of specialism

Notwithstanding the firm's self-professed focus on Energy, Infrastructure and Professional and Financial Services sectors, the independent legal directory Legal 500 ranks McGrigors as a Tier 1 firm in each of the following areas:

• Banking & Finance (Scotland)
• Banking & Finance (Northern Ireland)
• Commercial Litigation (Scotland)
• Commercial Property (Northern Ireland)
• Commercial Property (Edinburgh & Glasgow)
• Commercial Property (elsewhere in Scotland)
• Construction (Northern Ireland)
• Corporate & M&A (Northern Ireland)
• Dispute Resolution (Northern Ireland)
• Employment (Scotland)
• Employment (Northern Ireland)
• Energy (Scotland)
• Environment (Scotland)
• Environment and planning (Northern Ireland)
• Intellectual Property and Information Technology (Scotland)
• Intellectual property & information technology (Northern Ireland)
• Parliamentary (Scotland)
• Pensions (Scotland)
• Personal tax, trusts and probate
• Projects (Scotland)
• Project Finance & PFI (Northern Ireland)
• Tax (London)

Corporate Social Responsibility

Under the firm's 'Horizons' programme, staff can become involved in a whole array of CSR projects. Each member of staff is given half a day every month to spend on volunteering in their local communities. The firm supports a wide range of projects, from mentoring teenage School children to providing legal advice at advice centres to those who cannot afford a solicitor’s services. It also supports a number of nominated charities, not just financially, but with legal services and volunteers for whatever needs doing.

In 2011 McGrigors was shortlisted in the Law Society of Scotland Fundraising Achievement of the Year category of the Scottish Legal Awards 2011.

History

• March 2011: McGrigors announces the opening of a new branch office in the Qatar Financial Centre, Doha, Qatar
• September 2010 - 3 partners and 7 staff join McGrigors in Manchester, bringing the total number of people in the office to around 35.
• October 2009 - 10 Partners and 75 staff join the Belfast office from L'Estrange & Brett, one of the oldest and largest firms in Northern Ireland, specialising in commercial property, corporate work and litigation. The merged firm will be Northern Ireland's first major law firm to offer national reach.
• August 2008 - 4 Partners and 13 staff join the London office from Reid Minty LLP, a boutique London litigation practice.
• January 2008 - In response to Client demand McGrigors opens an office in Manchester.
• October 2007 - McGrigors Belfast converts to an LLP, although not the first practice to be recognised as an incorporated practice by the Law Society of Northern Ireland, it is the first LLP.
• October 2006 - the firm becomes a multi national legal practice (MNP) recognised by the Law Societies of England & Wales and Scotland, and converts to a limited liability partnership. McGrigors and McGrigors London cease.
• April 2006 - 12 partners and 42 staff join McGrigors and McGrigors Aberdeen office opened.
• February 2004 - the firm became known as McGrigors - prior to this, it had been known as McGrigor Donald in Scotland (Glasgow & Edinburgh) and Belfast and KLegal in London.
• March 2002 - the McGrigor Donald London partnership merged with, and became known as, KLegal.
• 2000 - Belfast office opened, and McGrigor Donald Belfast partnership formed.
• 1999 - KLegal was founded as the UK law firm associated with KPMG.
• 1988 - McGrigor Donald opened a London office. An English practice associated with the firm is started - Stephen Kingsley & Associates.
• December 1987 - name change to McGrigor Donald.
• February 1985 - McGrigor Donald & Co merges with Moncrieff Warren Paterson & Co to commence business in new offices in Pacific House as McGrigor Donald & Moncrieff.
• 1978 - McGrigor Donald & Co opened Edinburgh office.
• 1871 - Glasgow law firms of McGrigor, Stevenson & Fleming and C D Donald & Sons merge to create McGrigor Donald & Co.
• 1826 - Hugh & Robert Moncrieff merge their existing practices.
• 1824 -William Lindsay (of Oatlands) assumes Hugh Moncrieff as a partner, but dies within a year.
• 1821 - Robert Moncrieff and James Finlayson commence practice as Moncrieff & Finlayson.
• 1801 - John Maxwell (of Dargavel, and son of John below),suffering from a paralysis, hands over his law practice to Colin D Donald (1777–1859) (a cousin). CDD was trained by James Dundas CS. James was the father of John Dundas who with Charles Wilson founded Dundas & Wilson.
• 1792 - Alexander B McGrigor commences practice.
• 1782 - William Lindsay (of Oatlands) commences practice.
• 1769 - John Maxwell (of Dargavel) known as John Maxwell Jnr to distinguish him from fellow lawyer and relative John Maxwell (of Fingalton) commences practice in Glasgow.

References

1. ^ http://www.centaur2.co.uk/emags/thelawyer/uk200_2010/
2. ^ "Offices". Mcgrigors.com. http://www.mcgrigors.com/offices/. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
3. ^ http://www.centaur2.co.uk/emags/thelawyer/tl_LawyerAwards2010/

External links

• McGrigors - firm's official site