James Martin (residential property), Moira McInnes (private client), Andrew Wallace (employment) and Columban Young-Smith (corporate & commercial) have all been promoted to legal director.

Mr Martin advises clients from the UK and abroad on a wide range of residential property transactions including sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers. He has experience of working within the English residential property market, therefore can offer a unique insight for clients who may be unfamiliar with the differences of the conveyancing process in Scotland.
 
Ms McInnes specialises in Wills, executry administration, tax planning, Trust creation and administration, Powers of Attorney and welfare and finance for the elderly. She is a full member of STEP, having gained the Diploma in Trusts and Estate with Distinction. Prior to undertaking her traineeship, Moira spent six months as a Community Service Volunteer in Edinburgh, supporting adults with autism to live independently. She also spent 6 months working as a volunteer on organic farms in New Zealand. 
 
Mr Wallace has extensive experience of representing employers and employees in both contentious and non-contentious matters including unfair dismissals, grievances, discrimination, whistleblowing, TUPE, settlement agreements, absence management, redundancies, contracts and HR policies. He has a particular interest in representing clients in the registered social landlords’ sector, education sector and tech industry.
 
Mr Young-Smith advises commercial clients from established businesses to early-stage founders, covering SEIS/EIS fundraising, share options and commercial contracts. He has particular experience in golf, whisky and net zero, and advises on family investment companies alongside colleagues across employment, banking and property. As the son of an entrepreneur, he understands the pressures founders face.

A further 25 promotions have been made, including 11 new associates, and 14 newly appointed senior solicitors.

The announcement comes after the firm recently confirmed plans for a new headquarters at James Thomson House in Dundee city centre, a flagship £26m waterfront development by Dundee City Council.

Helen Honeyman, chief people officer at Thorntons, said “This is the largest round of promotions we have made in many years, and it reflects the depth of talent we have built across the practice. We are committed to developing the next generation of leaders in Scottish law and investing in the areas where our clients need us most. These promotions are a clear signal of where we are heading.”