
Fife lawyer promoted to head up top Scottish legal firm
A Fife lawyer named the next managing partner of Scottish legal firm Lindsays has vowed to grow the business.
Andrew Diamond, currently head of the firm's Perth and residential property divisions, will take up the new role in October.
He will succeed Alasdair Cummings, who is stepping aside after 14 years in the role.
Under Alasdair's tenure, Lindsays has grown its presence in Dundee – including mergers with RSB Macdonald and Miller Hendry – and employee numbers in the city have increased from 15 to 81.
Over the past decade, the firm – which began in Edinburgh – has also added offices in Perth and Crieff to its portfolio.
Mr Diamond, from Aberdour, has been with Lindsays since 2012.
He said: 'I am delighted to be taking on this role.
'I am very much the continuity candidate. And, while in politics that may not always be viewed favourably, it is a good thing for Lindsays. It's business as usual here.
'We are clear in our identity as an independent firm, working with families and businesses.
'There will be no change to that. We will continue with steady, strategic growth on the same path as we have followed.
'Our culture at Lindsays is our greatest asset and our people matter. We have the soul of a smaller firm but with all the benefits of scale.
'A big part of that is down to Alasdair's leadership, for which we are all grateful.'
As well as its 81 solicitors and staff in Dundee, Lindsays has a further 32 people across its offices in Perth and Crieff.
With offices also in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the firm now has a total of 53 partners along with 300 solicitors and staff.
Alasdair said his time as managing partner has been 'the undoubted highlight' of his legal career.
He added: 'Lindsays and its tremendous team mean so much to me. The past 14 years have been a successful and exciting journey.
'Together, we have achieved good growth, a wider geographic footprint and become a full-service firm, of which I am incredibly proud.
'The time, however, feels right for a new voice to lead Lindsays into the next stage of that journey.
'Andrew is a very worthy successor and I look forward to supporting him in any way I can.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Major update as Scottish university gets set to axe 300 full-time jobs
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP university has revealed a major update in its plan to axe 300 full-time jobs. Dundee University has now opened a voluntary redundancy scheme after coming up with an "alternative pathway" to solving the financial crisis at the institution. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Around 300 roles will now be cut at the uni through a voluntary programme Credit: Alamy 3 Students and staff taking part in a rally and march in Dundee after the job cuts announcement Credit: PA In March, we told how the uni estimated that 700 staff would be affected by a devastating job cull required to balance its books. But under new proposals last month, around 300 roles will now be cut through a voluntary programme. The scheme was put together after talks with campus trade unions and approved by the university court. Voluntary redundancy was opened today and will run until July 25, The Courier reports. Staff who accept the deal will leave their jobs by September 30. A spokesperson added: "This is an important step in the recovery plan for the university, as we look to reduce staffing by 300 fulltime-equivalent through the voluntary scheme." The cuts were first revealed by interim principal Professor Shane O'Neill during a meeting, where he cited "the current financial crisis" as the reason behind the decision. Professor O'Neill had previously warned MSPs that the university could run out of cash by June without lifeline support. The Scottish Funding Council has since approved a £22 million emergency support package, and an investigation into the crisis has been launched. The uni has also lodged a full funding request for £100million bail-out. University Challenge contestant admits 'I don't understand the question' as they struggle to answer in quarter-final - but could you get it right? Labour MSP Michael Marra previously described the job losses as "devastating" for university staff and the Dundee economy. The job losses come amid an ongoing debate over university funding in Scotland. Critics argue that the Scottish Government's "free" tuition model is putting severe pressure on university finances, leading to limits on the number of Scottish students accepted onto courses since international students pay higher fees. Dundee is not the only university in Scotland to plan to cut jobs this year. Around 350 employees of the University of Edinburgh have accepted voluntary severance as part of ongoing efforts to reduce costs. And the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) plans to axe 75 jobs.


STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
Unsafe building cladding could cost Scottish Government £1.7bn
Unsafe building cladding could cost the Scottish Government £1.7bn over a 15-year period, according latest estimates. New estimates from Holyrood suggest almost 1,500 residential buildings may need repair work during the same time period. A Building Safety levy bill has been announced to help raise around £30m per year to help fund work to fix residential buildings. If passed, the construction of certain new residential properties will be taxed, which is similar to legislation in England Public finance minister Ian McKee said: 'The Scottish Government is committed to doing what is right and necessary to address the challenge of fixing buildings affected by unsafe cladding. 'That includes putting the appropriate funding arrangements in place to ensure that the associated costs of cladding remediation do not fall directly onto affected homeowners. 'I know that developers share our determination to keep people safe and this levy will ensure they make a fair contribution to these costs, just as they will be doing in England. 'I also welcome the continued cooperation of developers who have accepted responsibility for the assessments and any required mitigation and remediation of their buildings.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scots hospitality firm expects 'busier than ever' summer
The firm has used £20,000 of funding from the British Business Bank's Start Up loans programme to expand its headquarters in Sanquhar. Mr Gallacher, who set up Knockenhair in 2023, followed in the footsteps of his grandmother Nancy, who ran a similar business in the catering sector for 30 years before retiring in 2015. He studied professional cooking and hospitality management at Dumfries and Galloway College and started his own cake-making venture before deciding to take the family back to its hospitality roots. His grandmother, now 79, remains on hand as a source of advice and to test the firm's renowned strawberry tarts, of which more than 6,000 were made last year. Read more: Mr Gallacher said: 'While I was much too young to help out, I have fond memories of spending my weekends and school holidays pottering about in my gran's commercial kitchen and getting a taste of how the business worked – as well as trialling the recipes. Going to college to study hospitality was the obvious choice for me after finishing school and, following stints working in a couple of local bars and pubs, I felt that the time was right to give the catering business a go. 'The prep kitchen that my gran had used was still in decent condition, but now that I'm a couple of years into running the business, it feels like a good time to upgrade some of the equipment and increase the size of the space. It is still very much a family venture, and it is great to be able to get my gran's advice and also pick up again with some of the regular customers that she catered for years before. 'This summer we expect to be busier than ever with weddings and corporate events, covering everywhere from Glasgow to Carlisle.' Knockenhair Hospitality now has a team of 20 people and, further to the kitchen refurbishment, has plans to increase its footprint further in the coming years. Mr Gallacher was named young entrepreneur at the Dumfries and Galloway Life Awards in November. The Start Up Loans programme has now provided more than £75 million of funding to businesses in Scotland, with 8,000 loans provided to entrepreneurs. Barry McCulloch, senior manager, UK network, Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: 'Hospitality has been one of the core sectors that we have supported through the Start Up Loans programme in Scotland, so it is fitting to see the £75m milestone celebrated with Knockenhair Hospitality. The success to date highlights the effectiveness of the programme in addressing regional imbalances and access to finance among smaller businesses, which are of huge importance to the Scottish economy – particularly in rural communities.'