Dundas & Wilson poaches rival firms' leading partners

Dundas & Wilson's biggest hiring exercise since its tie-up with Arthur Andersen last year has netted it two leading partners from rival firms.

Commercial property partner Iain Doran joins Dundas' Glasgow office from Miller Samuel, while licensing partner John Loudon has taken his team of three assistants from MacRoberts to its Edinburgh office.

The pair are the second and third partners to join Dundas since it joined forces with Arthur Andersen; in April it hired Balfour & Manson's managing partner litigator Ken McGowan.

Scottish lawyers have been watching Dundas closely since it tied itself to Arthur Andersen, with many predicting that it would lose partners.

But Doran, who was Miller Samuel's biggest biller, likened his move to Dundas to moving from Coventry City to Manchester United.

"I think the link-up with Arthur Andersen is a great thing; it is not a matter of stealing clients from Andersens as there is a great synergy between the two firms," he said.

Donald Shaw, head of Dundas' UK commercial property group, said Doran had several Northern Ireland clients and would help the firm develop that market, while Loudon would boost his practice by tapping into Andersen's worldwide licensing client base.

MacRoberts managing partner John Macmillan said that Loudon's departure was prompted by its decision to close the licensing department.



The Glasgow office of Scottish firm Burness has taken over niche property firm Alexander Stone & Co. The takeover boosts the new office's size to 10 partners and three assistants.