Scotland’s commercial law firms recently learned that they will be allowed to adopt alternative business structures, following a decision by the Law Society of Scotland in May this year. The debate saw Scottish solicitors give their backing to proposals allowing the introduction of the new structures, paving the way for external ownership of law firms as well as partnerships between solicitors and non-solicitors and aligning Scotland’s policy with that of England’s own Big Bang in the form of the Legal Services Act.
Richard Henderson, president of the Law Society of Scotland, commented: “This is a historic decision. The profession has been asked by the Scottish Government to decide on its future direction and I think that we have risen to that challenge today by voting in favour of change.”
