Edinburgh commercial litigation solicitor Sheila Webster has been confirmed as the Law Society of Scotland’s 2023-24 president elect.

Ms Webster will assume her new role in May 2022 succeeding current vice president, Murray Etherington when he takes up the reins from current president of the Law Society of Scotland, Ken Dalling.

Philip Lafferty and Susan Murray who were also nominated for president elect in November, will continue to contribute to the Society’s work in their council, committee and board member roles.

Ms Webster, a partner and head of the dispute resolution team at Davidson Chalmers Stewart, sits on the Law Society Board and has been a Law Society Council member for Edinburgh since 2017.

She said: “It is imperative that the legal profession is fully equipped to provide world-class legal services, whether their clients are internal customers, commercial bodies or some of the most vulnerable members of society.

“As the professional body for Scottish solicitors, we will work to provide our members with a comprehensive package of support and robust regulation, enabling them to do exactly that.

“Our members have demonstrated outstanding resilience, expertise and integrity in the face of incredibly demanding circumstances over the last eighteen months and it is truly an honour to work on the key issues affecting the profession and the public we serve.”

MacRoberts appointments

Commercial law firm MacRoberts has re-elected Neil Kennedy as managing partner for a second four-year term, from 1 May 2022.

During his first term as managing partner, Mr Kennedy spearheaded the firm’s growth and development strategy with a focus on technology, property rationalisation and agile working.

Under his leadership, the firm acquired two businesses, Murray Snell and Yuill+Kyle, successfully navigated its way through challenging trading conditions winning new clients and awards, advised on major deals and supported its people with a focus on health, well-being and flexibility.

The Aberdeen University graduate has been with MacRoberts for 23 years and a partner for 14 of those.

Prior to assuming the role of managing partner in 2018, Neil was a highly respected corporate lawyer and was a lead adviser to a number of well-known SME businesses in Scotland.

The practice has strengthened its renowned construction law team and corporate finance team with the appointment of Jonathan Gaskell as a partner and Rod Hutchison as a legal director.