Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie secured a six-lawyer team from Burness Paull on 2 March, opening its sixth Scottish office in the process. The transfer came as Burness Paull confirmed it would no longer provide private client services.
The entire private client division made the jump.
Colin McKenzie and Fiona Clarke, both partners, will lead the Aberdeen operation from offices on Marischal Square. The city centre location marks WJM’s first presence in Scotland’s North East, adding to existing bases in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Dunblane and Galashiels.
For Burness Paull, the exit signals a strategic retreat from wealth management work. Peter Lawson, the firm’s chair, acknowledged the departure but offered few details on the rationale. “We are grateful for the many years of excellent service our private client team have provided to our firm and our clients,” he said. “They transfer to WJM with our very best wishes. In line with our wider strategy, we will not be continuing to provide private client services.”
That wider strategy remains undefined publicly. The move leaves a gap in Burness Paull’s service offering whilst simultaneously strengthening a smaller rival.
Fraser Gillies, managing partner at WJM, framed the acquisition as opportunistic timing. “We anticipate more demand than ever this year in the Private Client sphere, driven by a number of factors from inheritance tax changes to regulatory changes, so our new base in the Granite City will ensure we have even more experts available across a wider area,” he explained.
Those inheritance tax changes have created uncertainty across the wealth management sector. High net worth individuals—the core clientele for private client work—face shifting obligations around estate planning and succession. Demand for specialist advice has climbed accordingly.
McKenzie brings corporate law credentials alongside private client expertise. His background includes acting for high net worth individuals, family businesses and international affairs, with particular focus on business ownership transfers and restructuring. Previously, he headed Burness Paull’s entire private client division.
Clarke specialises in succession and tax planning. Her experience covers complex estate administration, wills, powers of attorney, executries and trusts. Family investment companies represent another area of focus.
The Aberdeen office won’t remain static at six lawyers. Gillies confirmed expansion plans over the coming months, though he stopped short of specifying numbers. “This strategic base will also provide room for growth in other areas,” he noted. “In the short term, over the next few months, we will grow the Aberdeen team, and further down the line we intend to introduce additional service lines and sector specialisms.”
WJM has operated for more than 170 years, making it one of Scotland’s older legal practices. The firm positions itself as full-service, though private client work now represents a clear growth priority. The Aberdeen move suggests ambitions beyond simply maintaining existing territory.
Burness Paull, by contrast, appears to be narrowing its focus. Whether that means doubling down on corporate work, litigation or other specialisms remains unclear. The firm declined to elaborate beyond Lawson’s statement.
For clients of the departed team, continuity may prove straightforward. The six lawyers transfer together, maintaining existing relationships whilst operating under different branding. WJM confirmed the team would continue serving their established client base.
The Granite City location carries symbolic weight. Aberdeen’s economy, historically tied to oil and gas, has seen legal service provision fluctuate with energy market cycles. Private client work offers more stable revenue streams, less vulnerable to commodity price swings.
Whether WJM’s growth plans extend beyond private client services in Aberdeen depends partly on how quickly the initial team beds in. Gillies referenced “additional service lines” without specifying which practice areas might follow. Corporate, employment and property law represent obvious candidates given the firm’s existing strengths elsewhere.
The transfer agreement between the two firms wasn’t disclosed. Such arrangements typically involve negotiated terms around client lists, ongoing matters and non-compete provisions, though neither party commented on specifics.
By late March, WJM expects the Aberdeen team to have grown beyond its initial six. How much larger—and how quickly additional service lines materialise—will indicate whether the Burness Paull capture represents a genuine strategic shift or merely an opportunistic acquisition.
