Dentons is continuing its modernisation journey by appointing Claire Armstrong to the newly-created role of Scotland Managing Partner. Working alongside Office Head for Glasgow Alison Bryce and Office Head for Edinburgh Kirsti Olson, Claire will drive forward Dentons’ strategy to be the leading international law firm in Scotland.

‘2021 marks the firm’s 150th anniversary in Scotland, and throughout our history we have advised Scottish clients on their most important legal matters,’ said Claire Armstrong. ‘Our ambition is to continue this rich tradition, working with clients across Scotland, from well established brands and household names with whom we have longstanding relations, through to start ups and all businesses in-between. We also bring to international businesses with investment plans in Scotland and Scottish businesses with international ambitions the scale and quality that no other law firm in the market can match. I look forward to working with Kirsti and Alison and the Scottish team as we take Dentons forward on its journey from Scotland’s oldest commercial law firm to Scotland’s leading global law firm’.

Claire joined the firm in 2011.  An investment funds and corporate finance partner in the firm’s UK corporate practice, Claire recently led the merger of Scottish investment company, Murray Income Trust PLC with Perpetual Income & Growth Investment Trust plc, creating one of the largest investment trusts in the UK Equity Income sector, with gross assets of around £1 billion.

Over the past year Dentons’ Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow teams have advised clients on some of the highest profile transactions and matters in the Scottish market, including:

• Scottish National Investment Bank plc as lead adviser on the establishment of the Bank. The Bank is a mission-led development bank that will be a provider of patient capital in Scotland,  seeking to catalyse investment in the Scottish economy and to which the Scottish Government has committed to invest £2 billion over ten years.
• Controlling shareholder the Trustees of Charles Ritchie’s Testamentary Trust in relation to SCF’s £120 million acquisition of Score Group plc.
• Spectre Holdings Limited on its acquisition of 52.4% of the issued share capital of Main Market listed Bonmarché Holdings plc and subsequent mandatory offer under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code.
• Law Debenture on its acquisition of the company secretarial unit of KonexoUK.
• A bidder on the competitive public auction to acquire the Williams F1 team.
• Supporting Network Rail’s response to the tragic derailment in August 2020.
• On over £250 million of borrowing by Scottish corporate businesses through the UK government lending schemes to provide support due to the impact of Covid-19.
• A South Korean investor in relation to the financing aspects of the £133 million acquisition of an office building in Edinburgh, the tenant of which is Aegon.  This is understood to have been one of the biggest Real Estate deals in Scotland in 2020.
• M&G Real Estate in the largest office pre-letting in Edinburgh to date at Haymarket.

Paul Jarvis, who will become CEO of Dentons’ UK, Ireland and Middle East region on 1 May 2021, said, ‘I am delighted to have such a strong leadership team in Scotland. Scotland is an important market for our clients across the world and I’m very much looking forward to working with Claire and the other partners in Scotland to deliver on the exciting plans we have for our Scottish business.