The new managing partner of law firm MacRoberts yesterday said Dundee remained a key strategic target for his business after a successful first 18 months of operating in the city.
John Macmillan, who took over the top job at the firm for a second time in his 32-year career on October 1, said he was pleased with the firm’s progress since it took an office in the city last year.
He revealed the company is in negotiations with its landlords at the Dundee One office block at City Quay over moving to a new, larger space which would allow it to develop the business further.
Mr Macmillan said he expected to double the Dundee-based workforce to eight in the coming months as MacRoberts looked to regain some of the ground lost during the recession, when its headcount dropped from a high of around 290.
It has around 220 staff spread across Dundee and its two larger established sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Mr Macmillan expects the overall figure to grow by 10% over the next year.
However, while the majority of MacRoberts’ business remains in the Central Belt, Mr Macmillan said he had no plans to relocate away from Dundee and its increasingly vibrant business scene.
“Inevitably I will have to spend time in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but I am still planning on being in Dundee three to four days a week, and when we went through the (managing partner) appointment process I stressed I intended staying in the Dundee office,” he said.
“I am very much here in Dundee as a fixture, and the partners are very happy to support that.
“Everybody knows how much is going on in Dundee, and it is a clear statement that the managing partner is based here.”
New accounts show the firm managed to increase turnover marginally to £17.59 million in 2013, while profit after tax topped £6m, up from £5.89m in 2012.
Mr Macmillan said the £1 billion flagship waterfront regeneration project a scheme that is driving inward investment into the city and is expected to create thousands of jobs meant it was a good time to live and work in Dundee.
However, he is determined to grow MacRoberts as a whole as the wider economic recovery embedded. Employment law, crisis management and construction contracts will be particular areas of focus.
“We have spent the last three years building a strong foundation for growth, developing a vision and a strong strategy for the firm,” Mr Macmillan said.
“This is a really interesting time for MacRoberts, the legal profession and for Scotland following the independence referendum and the country coming out of recession.
“People are seeing signs of better things ahead, and there are a number of sectors where there is significantly more activity,” he added.