MacRoberts rainmaker defects to Dundas

The exodus of partners from Scottish firm MacRoberts continued last week, when real estate partner Mike Fitzgerald quit for Dundas & Wilson.

Fitzgerald, who has been at the firm since 2000, gave notice last Thursday (15 April). He has yet to agree a start date at Dundas.

His exit means MacRoberts has lost seven partners since last summer. Four of these, former joint managing partner Lindy Patterson, corporate head Neil Cunningham, corporate partner David Davidson and Fitzgerald, are regarded as heavy-hitters in Scotland.

The departures are down to a split over strategy at the firm.
Patterson’s camp favoured an aggressive push for growth, which would have included opening an office in London. A more conservative group, headed by managing partner John Macmillan, is believed to have blocked a London office.

Fitzgerald’s departure leaves MacRoberts with four partners and two real estate heads – Allan Mackenzie in Edinburgh and Laurence Fraser in Glasgow. Dundas’s commercial property group has 70 fee-earners spread between Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.

MacRoberts declined to comment.