Macdonald Henderson > Glasgow, United Kingdom > Firm Profile
Macdonald Henderson Offices
STANDARD BUILDINGS
94 HOPE STREET
GLASGOW
G2 6PH
United Kingdom
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Macdonald Henderson > The Legal 500 Rankings
Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow
Macdonald Henderson advises on M&A, private equity, and finance transactions, with growing expertise in National Security and Investment Act processes and cross-border work, particularly in technology, healthcare, and financial services sectors. Laura McKnight and David Beveridge lead the team, with the former helming some of the firm’s most significant transactions and the latter praised for his ‘commercial and pragmatic approach’. Emily Glen-Hencher supports across the full spectrum of matters.Practice head(s):
Laura McKnight; David Beveridge
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Our firm have worked with Macdonald Henderson on many cross-border property transactions, and we favour their depth of commercial knowledge across Scotland creating a seamless multi-jurisdictional approach for co-advisers and clients alike.’
‘Our firm value their commercial and pragmatic approach led by David Beveridge and echoed by Emily Glen-Hencher, offering a big law outlook with a dedicated and personal service offering.’
‘An exceptional team. Highly supportive and with first-class attention to detail. Delivering on time and with excellent communication throughout the process. I have always felt very highly supported and in safe hands.’
‘Laura McKnight and David Beveridge. Two outstanding Directors that have been totally reliable and superb. Their dedication to and delivery of excellence, is exemplary, and very highly commendable. A wonderful example of legal professionalism at its best.’
‘The Team at MacDonald Henderson were very knowledgeable of our sector which meant that they had a very good understanding of how any deal should be “shaped”, and in particular what potential pitfalls there might be, and importantly how to avoid these. The team were always on call and were happy to answer all questions no matter how trivial they seemed. They had a willingness to listen to all input.’
‘David Beveridge has the ability to put clients immediately at ease and is able to take a complicated legal problem and explain it to clients in easily understood layman’s terms. Nothing seems to phase him, and he is very good at advising which battles need fighting and which ones should be avoided.’
Key clients
Emblation Limited
Link Cable Assemblies Limited
Neuroclin Ltd
Oilfast Limited
Juniper Group
Wholesale Domestic Holdings Limited
Turnkey IPS Insolvency
Rosemount Asset Management Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Juniper Group, part of Vela Software and Constellation Software Inc, on the acquisition of Traveltek, the travel technology solutions provider.
- Advising Turnkey IPS on an investment by Bowmark Capital.
- Advised Emblation on a fundraising comprising £4m term loan facility with Virgin Money Venture Debt.
Macdonald Henderson > Firm Profile
Macdonald Henderson is an award-winning boutique challenger to Scotland’s largest commercial law firms, dedicated to serving Scotland’s SME owner-managers, entrepreneurs and family businesses.
Over 35 years since its formation, the firm has boldly asserted itself as one of the top performers of Scotland’s professional advisor community and is known for being energetic, savvy, capable and friendly in its approach.
It is regularly instructed on mergers and acquisitions, investments and management buyouts, both domestically and internationally.
Shortlisting in 2023
One of two corporate law firms shortlisted for “Corporate Team of the Year” at The Herald Law Awards of Scotland 2023 alongside MBM Commercial.
Double shortlisting in 2021
In 2021, Macdonald Henderson was shortlisted in two leading Scottish corporate awards along with major corporate law firms in the sector:
One of three corporate law firms shortlisted for “Legal Advisor of the Year” at the Scottish Business Insider Deals & Dealmakers Awards 2021 alongside Addleshaws Goddard and Burness Paull; and
One of three corporate law firms shortlisted for “Transactions Team of the Year” at The Herald Law Awards of Scotland 2021 alongside Shepherd & Wedderburn and MBM Commercial.
The Times Best Law Firms
In 2021, Macdonald Henderson’s award-winning team was recognised for the first time in The Times Best Law Firms.
The MH team is one of only eight Scottish firms to be featured for its work in mergers and acquisitions, alongside global/UK regional giants and large Scottish heavyweights.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-law-firms-2021-9kh6q236r
Corporate: The firm’s corporate team advised on over 45 disclosable deals in the financial year 2022/23 (a doubling of deal activity on the previous year) (including unreported deals), ranking us as one of the most deal active corporate teams in Scotland.
In its guide for 2024, The Legal 500 again ranked the corporate team among the top tier Scottish corporate law firms, commenting:
‘Practical, to-the-point advice without burdening the client with the legal minutiae’.
‘Really strong team that care about their clients, very solution-driven’.
‘They have experience in dealing with small clients, from start-ups or university spin outs through to larger organisations on the SME spectrum’.
‘Key strengths are responsiveness and attention to detail’.
‘Commercial and efficient- a combination of broad experience and strong legal knowledge’.
‘Exceptional’.
Property: Our property team is one of the busiest commercial teams in the market providing a comprehensive range of commercial property services to a national and regional client base drawn from both the private and public sectors. We provide advice across all areas of commercial property for landlords, occupiers and developers.
Commercial and intellectual property: Recognised as respected advisors in the field of commercial law, we advise in all areas from drafting contracts to protecting intellectual property.
Dispute resolution and corporate recovery: Our team advises on all aspects of commercial dispute resolution and is highly active in delivering insolvency and restructuring advice to both companies and insolvency professionals.
Employment: Our team provides a highly proactive client service and is experienced in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law and employee option schemes and benefits.
Private client: Our private client team advises on all aspects of residential conveyancing, wills and executory work on behalf of our individual clients.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing director | David Beveridge | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
| Corporate | David Beveridge | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
| Commercial Property | Ian Anderson | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
| Residential Conveyancing | Elizabeth McDade | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
| Private Client | Gordon Lennox | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
| Employment | Laura McKnight | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
| Commercial and intellectual property | David Beveridge | [email protected] | 0141 248 4957 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Ian Anderson | Specialist in commercial property work (including sale/purchase, commercial leasing and security work).… | View Profile |
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David Beveridge | David trained with McGrigor Donald (now Pinsent Masons) from 1997-1999 and then… | View Profile |
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Cameron Broome | Solicitor Cameron is a Solicitor in the Corporate Team, advising on mergers… | View Profile |
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Darya Burton | Solicitor | View Profile |
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Eva Fraser | Eva is a solicitor in the corporate team, having qualified in 2023.… | View Profile |
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Emily Hencher | Emily qualified as a solicitor in our Corporate team in July 2023,… | View Profile |
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Gordon Lennox | Gordon is Director of Private Client within the firm. With many years… | View Profile |
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Elizabeth McDade | Conveyancing Paralegal | View Profile |
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Laura McKnight | Laura trained with Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace, a large Aberdeen law… | View Profile |
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Hannah Rawson | Trainee Solicitor | View Profile |
Solicitor Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Jennifer Love | Jennifer is an Associate Director in our Litigation team. She has substantial experience… | View Profile |
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Mr Tomas Simpson | Tomas joined Macdonald Henderson in October 2024 as an Associate Director from one… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 4 Number of other UK fee-earners : 6Client Testimonials
CLIENT: Mr Kenneth Fairbairn, MD
COMPANY/FIRM: JWF Process Solutions Ltd
TESTIMONIAL: “…the advice and support from David Beveridge in particular was invaluable both on a personal and business level in ensuring that my expectations were met in respect of the outcomes required of this deal while David and Laura (McKnight) and the MH team ensured the whole process was kept simple and clear”
CLIENT: Ms Isabelle de La Gorce
COMPANY/FIRM: PwC
TESTIMONIAL: “Well done and thanks for great teamwork and cooperation”.
CLIENT: Mr Donald Anderson, Owner
COMPANY/FIRM: Anderson Engineering
TESTIMONIAL: “Laura McKnight and Emily Hencher worked closely with Anderson Engineering to understand the complexities of the business and ensure all aspects of the transaction were covered comfortably”
CLIENT: Mr Arthur Shevill, Founder
COMPANY/FIRM: Arvill
TESTIMONIAL: “We are delighted with the outcome which has been reflective of the hard-work and advice from Laura McKnight and the team at Macdonald Henderson. It has been a pleasure working with Macdonald Henderson as they steered us through this transaction”.
CLIENT: Mr Brian Toward, CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: Wholesale Domestic Bathrooms
TESTIMONIAL: “Macdonald Henderson helped us demystify the entire process around our family business succession. As you can imagine this is not an everyday event for us, but is for them and they took the time to not only officially support all elements of the transaction, but also assist in explaining why each step was required to protect all parties involved”.
CLIENT: Mr Euan Bottomley, Director
COMPANY/FIRM: Campbell Thomson
TESTIMONIAL: “We are delighted with the outcome which has been reflective of all the hard-work, excellent counsel, and advice from David Beveridge and all the team at Macdonald Henderson. It has been a pleasure working with MH as they steered us through the difficult process in a calm and confident manner”.
CLIENT: Mr Matthew Garstang, CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: Opulus Financial
TESTIMONIAL: “Macdonald Henderson have supported Opulus Financial from the start, providing expert legal advice and transactional support. Their multi-disciplinary team, led by David and Ryan, worked with us throughout this complex transaction and were invaluable throughout”.
CLIENT: Mr Gary Beale, CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: Emblation
TESTIMONIAL: “Macdonald Henderson played an integral role throughout this transaction, and we benefited greatly from the experience and guidance of David Beveridge, Laura McKnight and their team”.
CLIENT: The Ping Team
COMPANY/FIRM: Ping Network Solutions Limited
TESTIMONIAL: “The support we’ve had from Macdonald Henderson and Laura McKnight throughout this has been second to none. Laura has guided us through the process from start to finish to ensure we correctly represent the business and conducted this in the same professional manner we’ve undertaken throughout the course of running the business. Laura was always on hand before, during and after the due diligence process to ensure our interests were correctly represented, to explain any complex components and ultimately keep us motoring along efficiently to the successful completion of the deal. It has been a great help to have someone as experienced in our corner, as it’s not a transaction process we’d done before so the level of professional expertise, care and attention to detail applied to our engagement gave everyone the comfort that we were in good hands and making the best decisions”
CLIENT: Mr Fergus Hardie, Chairman
COMPANY/FIRM: Hardie Polymers
TESTIMONIAL: “Macdonald Henderson were outstanding from start to finish. David Beveridge and Laura McKnight guided us through the entire process with determined resolve and complete clarity. Offering re-assurance when required, they were a genuine delight to work with. Not once was I in any doubt that I had the best possible advisors in my corner”.
CLIENT: Mr Tony Wood, Managing Director
COMPANY/FIRM: Turnkey Holdings (Scotland) Limited
TESTIMONIAL: “It was good to have Macdonald Henderson as part of our deal team. We have worked with them for a number of years, and so with their knowledge and understanding of the business were able to drive a quick and efficient legal process. David (Beveridge) and Laura (McKnight) of MH facilitated the delivery of the deal on schedule, and were a pleasure to work with. We are grateful for their support and advice throughout”.
CLIENT: Mr Chris Thomas, CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: Incovo Limited
TESTIMONIAL: “Following the news of our successful acquisition of RGB Solutions, we would like to thank Macdonald Henderson for their valuable assistance throughout the process. We would particularly like to extend our thanks to David Beveridge for his help and advice regarding the transaction”.
CLIENT: Mr Andrew Richmond, Owner and Director
COMPANY/FIRM: Amedeo Adjusting Limited
TESTIMONIAL: “The expertise, attention to detail and foresight provided by the Macdonald Henderson team during the acquisition process secured an exceptional result for Amedeo Adjusting, and the team going forward. Thanks to all involved”
CLIENT: Mr Gary Morrison, Managing Director
COMPANY/FIRM: Morrisons Foodservice
TESTIMONIAL: “I wish to offer my personal thanks to you for the extremely professional service and guidance which was given. Hilary (Malone) and Ian (Anderson) provided great support to the family throughout the process, and are a credit to Macdonald Henderson. May I take this opportunity to wish you all continued success for the future. Many thanks!”.
CLIENT: Ms Suzie and Mr Donald Paton, co-founders
COMPANY/FIRM: Capital Payroll Services
TESTIMONIAL: “We would like to pass on our heartfelt thanks to Laura and the MH Team for their sterling work in completing the sale of our company. Their expertise and professionalism safely navigated the sale to completion and achieved a deal we were delighted with. Laura and the Team kept us informed at all stages of the transaction, fully explaining corporate and legal terms in language we could understand. We would have no hesitation in recommending MH for corporate transactions.”
Press Releases
Macdonald Henderson advises Contraflow on the Acquisition of CTM Carlisle
3rd September 2024 Macdonald Henderson has advised Contraflow, the leading Scottish traffic management solutions provider, on the acquisition of CTM Carlisle.Macdonald Henderson Advises Cofficient on Transition to an Employee Owned Company
3rd September 2024 Macdonald Henderson has advised Cofficient, a leading Scottish Oracle NetSuite and SAP partner, on its transition to an employee-owned company.Macdonald Henderson Supports Rockpool on Eight Figure Investment in 2i Testing
3rd September 2024 Macdonald Henderson has co-advised with global law firm Stephenson Harwood (providing Scottish corporate legal support), on London-based private equity firm Rockpool’s eight-figure investment in Edinburgh-based 2i Testing, to grow its work, helping organisations to roll out complex new IT systems.Macdonald Henderson Rank at No.2 in Scotland, in the Experian (UK &I) M&A Review 2023 (Scotland)
3rd September 2024 Macdonald Henderson are proud to rank at number 2 for number of deals completed in Scotland, in the Experian (UK &I) M&A Review 2023.Macdonald Henderson Advises Tayburn on Joining Forces with Lewis
3rd September 2024 Macdonald Henderson has advised Scottish creative agency Tayburn on joining forces with Lewis, in a six-figure cash and equity deal that will bring together the agencies’ branding, packaging, design, and digital services.Macdonald Henderson Advises Emblation on £4m Virgin Money Venture Debt Raise
3rd September 2024 Macdonald Henderson has advised Emblation, the advanced medical device technology business, specialising in treatments using microwave technology, on a £4M funding package with Virgin Money Venture Debt.- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow