Fraser Geddes has relinquished his position as head of Anderson Strathern’s dispute resolution operation to become its full-time chairman. He takes over the role from Bruce Farquhar from the beginning of next month.

Mr Geddes, who has been with the firm for about 12 years, said it will remain fully independent and will continue to expand south of the border and overseas.

He said the legal marketplace is “more focussed on offering value for money than at any other time in my career. The public and private sectors and corporate clients are all fighting ongoing inflationary pressures.”

The firm is adapting to hybrid working by relocating from its main base in Edinburgh to reduced space in Capital Square in the city’s Exchange District where it will occupy two floors.

“There is space for around 75% of our staff at any one time; so there will be no three-line whip in terms of staff returning to the workplace full-time,” said Mr Geddes.

“The economy remains challenging, certainly but I don’t expect the current recessionary clouds to linger as long as many people have feared,” he said.

Burness Paull

Burness Paull has re-appointed media, entertainment and sports specialist Fraser MacKinven as a partner in its technology and commercial division.

Mr MacKinven, who worked in Burness Paull’s corporate finance team earlier in his career, re-joins from Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment, where he was general counsel and company secretary. He previously spent five years with magic circle firm Clifford Chance.

He featured in the Legal 500 Middle East GC Power List 2022 and has experience of the media, live entertainment and sports industries from his tenure with Flash Entertainment, the Abu Dhabi government’s strategic sports and entertainment group that is responsible for delivering high-profile music, sports and cultural events in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).