Aberdein Considine announce Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP Merger

Aberdein Considine has announced that it is to merge with Edinburgh law firm and solicitor estate agent Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP.

The combined businesses – which will trade under the Aberdein Considine brand – will together employ over 480 staff and have a turnover of more than £32 million.

Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP, which is based in the West End of the Capital, has a long and distinguished heritage, tracing its roots back to the 1800s.

The firm provides a wide range of legal services, with a particular focus on Residential Property and Estate Agency, and Private Client services, as well as Dispute Resolution. In addition, RA Direct, the firm’s Lender Services Division, also serves multiple UK lenders in a number of areas including Volume Conveyancing, Remortgages, Secured Loans and Further Advances.

Aberdein Considine was launched in 1981 and offers Property, Legal and Financial Services to private and commercial clients across Scotland and England in more than 70 practice areas, including Family Law, Private Client, Employment Law, Corporate, Commercial Real Estate and Dispute Resolution.

In addition to its full legal services offering, the firm also has one of Scotland’s largest IFA Mortgage Broker and Wealth Management businesses, as well as an established Lender Services practice serving UK financial institutions.

Aberdein Considine operates a national network of 19 offices, with 460 staff spread across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Stirling and Newcastle.

It is Scotland’s largest solicitor estate and letting agent but is also recognised across multiple legal disciplines in the Independent Legal 500 and Chambers Partners Legal Guides for its legal team’s knowledge, specialisms and client service.

Following the merger all of Russel+Aitken Edinburgh’s staff will transfer to Aberdein Considine and will be based in the firm’s Edinburgh offices in Multrees Walk, Elm Row and Lothian Road. Russel+Aitken Edinburgh’s two equity partners, Dianne Paterson and Alan Jones, will join Aberdein Considine as consultants.

Aberdein Considine Managing Partner Jacqueline Law said:

“Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP is an incredibly well-respected firm, with a loyal client bank. Dianne Paterson has served clients in a professional and caring manner over a long and successful career.

As Managing Partner of Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP, and a former ESPC Director, she has also built around her a hardworking, loyal and client focussed team. The values of Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP are very closely aligned with those of Aberdein Considine.

We are committed to ensuring that Russel+Aitken Edinburgh’s clients continue to receive a high quality legal and estate agency service.

We are also excited to introduce to those clients, expanded private client services together with additional specialist legal services not currently offered by Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP, including industry recognised employment, family law and commercial law services.

We feel a sense of pride that Dianne Paterson and Alan Jones have chosen Aberdein Considine to continue the Russel+Aitken Edinburgh promise of delivering the best legal service possible to every client. Whilst many medium sized firms continue to choose to go down the commercial route, our strategic plan is to remain a full service law firm and to strengthen our teams and service offering in Central Scotland.

Given its culture, history and partner led service, Russel+Aitken Edinburgh is an excellent fit with Aberdein Considine and underlines our commitment to investing and growing our business in Edinburgh.”

Dianne Paterson, Partner, Russel+Aitken Edinburgh LLP said:

“We are excited to be joining forces with a firm of Aberdein Considine’s calibre. We are looking forward to strengthening and expanding the legal services available to our existing clients, and to participating in Aberdein Considine’s vision for the service they provide in Edinburgh and Central Scotland.

We view this as a coming together of two like-minded firms, and see a strong future ahead of us. We welcome the opportunity to offer additional in-house services to our loyal clients, and will be pleased to help to link our clients to the expertise available in one of Scotland’s largest and best-known legal firms.”