All across Addleshaw Goddard, the problems clients bring the team vary. But they solve them with the same, single-minded focus. They always ask: ‘What’s the smartest route to the biggest impact?’
In Scotland, where they have offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow the company’s collaborative, modern, award-winning approach to problem-solving continues to attract interesting and challenging assignments from household names in sectors as diverse as energy, financial services, healthcare, transport, real estate and retail and consumer.
And it saw Addleshaw Goddard being named one of the top five most innovative law firms in Europe by The Financial Times.
But you won’t find the innovative thinkers hived off into a separate department offering ‘innovative legal solutions’. Because the company sees innovation not as a walled off skill-set but as a unifying mind-set the whole firm shares. Impact comes from joined-up working between clients, lawyers, and experts from other fields.
Finding the smartest way to deliver the biggest business impact is a guiding principle – the soul, if you like – of the firm. By way of example, in the last year they helped devise a new way for a manufacturing client to power its new factory that saved them £100
million.
They also combined legal expertise and A.I. to complete a lease review of a retailer’s 189-site property portfolio which slashed the time taken by 70% and costs by 75%.
It’s this approach that last year enabled Addleshaw Goddard to record double digit income growth for the fourth consecutive year in Scotland. What’s more, by smarter resourcing of routine legal work, across the firm, they save clients over £20m in fees every year.
In Aberdeen the work clients are trusting the team to deliver for them allows the firm to continue to build its position in this market and attract more of the best local talent. Lawyer headcount has grown in the north-east of Scotland by more than 40% in the last 12 months, with additions to the corporate, energy and technology and data teams.
And they’re still hiring in all practice areas to support new wins and fuel future ambitions.
Investing in future talent has also been a key driver for growth with the trainee headcount doubling in the next two years, plus hires of junior lawyers across corporate and commercial practice areas.
The firm’s stated aim is to grow in Scotland and in Aberdeen they have a very clear plan to double overall headcount again over the next two years in order to better serve businesses in the north-east, in their regional, national and international operations, specifically those in oil and gas and energy transition.
In 2019, AG reaffirmed its commitment to the region with a move into new offices and during its first year in Prime Four they have secured new client wins and delivered a range of high profile local, UK-wide and international assignments for clients predominantly in the oil and gas, energy transition, retail and technology sectors including Aberdeen City Council, BP International, Dana Petroleum, Trojan Energy,
Waldorf Energy, boohoo Group and local charity, the VSA.
David McEwing, who has worked in the Aberdeen market for more than 20 years, is co-head of Addleshaw Goddard’s international energy practice which reflects the importance of Aberdeen as an international energy hub to the firm.
In recent months the Aberdeen energy team advised Waldorf Production on the acquisition of Cairn Energy’s interests in Kraken and Catcher oil fields for $455m plus contingent consideration estimated at $250M.
This deal, combined with a $300m Oslo Bond issued on 1 October, gives the firm more than $1bn of deals for Waldorf Production in just over a month. At the same time the team has been working with clients focussed on EV charging and strategic green hydrogen projects.
They also have a unique specialism for the region, with Ross McKenzie, a Partner working with a global data practice from Aberdeen, for FTSE listed names and international brands.
Ross also lectures on data protection and cybersecurity at Robert Gordon University.
Looking ahead Addleshaw Goddard’s intention is to build on the growth and the investments they have been making in order to continue delivering to clients a global business with ever more imaginative and impactful solutions.
Visit the Addleshaw Goddard website to find out more.
