Anderson Strathern bags Glasgow merger

Scottish firm Anderson Strathern is to merge with commercial boutique Kerr & Co at the beginning of 2008, creating a 44-partner firm trading under the Anderson Strathern name.

Currently Anderson Strathern has 41 partners across its Glasgow and Edinburgh offices, practising in a range of areas such as banking, real estate and dispute resolution.

They will be joined by Kerr & Co partners David Hustwayte, Paul Lombardi and Alison Forsyth, who will work out of the firm's office in Glasgow's Blythswood Square.

Anderson Strathern chairman Robert Carr said: "This is an important development for both firms. Kerr & Co shares Anderson Strathern's ethos of client focus and delivering the highest quality of legal service through specialist teams.

"Approximately 50 per cent of Anderson Strathern's clients have major interests in Glasgow and the West of Scotland and Kerr & Co's client base, while focused in Glasgow, extends throughout the UK. We will be able to expand the range of services on offer to the established client bases of both firms from our Glasgow office."

Kerr & Co partner Hustwayte added that, from their point of view, the merger is positive because it will give Kerr & Co clients access to a wider range of services.

"There is a good fit between us and Anderson Strathern," Hustwayte said. "It will be business as usual for clients, albeit we will be based in a new office."

In total 18 lawyers will move across, with a focus on corporate, commercial real estate and commercial litigation.