International law firm Pinsent Masons officially opened its new Aberdeen headquarters yesterday and revealed its energy team had acted in deals worth in excess of £500million over the past six months.
The head of the 50-strong Aberdeen office, Roger Connon, said the UK merger and acquisition market was proving relatively resilient and the firm’s strength in its energy and corporate teams was paying dividends.
Pinsent Masons’ Aberdeen corporate division recently represented Agora Oil and Gas in a £287million sale to Cairn Energy and Tetra Investments Company UK in its £40million acquisition of Optima Solutions Holdings.
Pinsent Masons – which merged with McGrigors in May – has made a significant investment in the new headquarters at 13 Queen’s Road and expects its headcount to increase to 80 within the next three years.
The firm’s senior partner, Chris Mullen, said the investment in new offices demonstrated the key role the Aberdeen team would play in servicing a truly international client base which operates from the European oil capital.
He said: “We are really delighted that so early in the merger between McGrigors and Pinsent Masons that we have the opportunity to put our money where our mouth is and invest not only in the international side of our business – opening in Munich and Paris and doubling our Shanghai office – but through the very tangible investment both in the oil and gas industry and the local Aberdeen market, represented by these wonderful new offices.
“It is not the end, but the start of continuing investment in the north-east as we expand further and create a much greater depth of resource and wider capabilities to help support our clients in the oil and gas market and other key sectors which contribute to the continued success of Aberdeen as a locally, nationally and internationally significant business centre.”