BURNESS PAULL has elevated four lawyers to partner across energy, technology and real estate, important areas of strategic focus and success for the firm as it continues to invest in developing homegrown talent alongside ambitious lateral hiring.
The newly appointed partners are Victoria Tweed (energy), Murray Cree (technology and commercial), Paul Coyle and Mike Guthrie (both real estate).
Tweed is a senior member of Burness Paull’s energy division. A corporate renewables expert, she is lead adviser to a number of renewable energy clients and has significant experience of complex and cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, group reorganisations, and corporate governance.
Cree is an expert in cloud contracting and software as a service (SaaS), digital platforms, and large-scale IT and business process outsourcing. He has particular expertise in the fintech and energytech sectors.
Coyle, who trained at Burness Paull, advises clients across a broad range of sectors and issues including real estate finance, large scale acquisition and disposal of commercial properties and development, with particular expertise in the expanding PBSA market (Purpose Built Student Accommodation).
A specialist in residential development work, Guthrie acts for some of the country’s most active housebuilders. As head of the firm’s Home Sales team, responsible for selling thousands of new-build properties every year, he is the architect of bespoke, technology driven processes to help clients efficiently deliver large-scale housing projects.
The four new partners take the total number of partners at Burness Paull to 89 and are among 69 promotions effective from 1 April – including 10 directors, 18 senior associates, 16 associates, and 21 senior solicitors – across the firm’s practice areas and offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Burness Paull has just completed an abbreviated eight-month financial year after changing its year-end from 31 July to 31 March in order to align with HMRC’s basis period reforms. As a result, this year’s promotions round was brought forward by four months.
Peter Lawson, Chair at Burness Paull, said: “The promotions of Victoria, Murray, Paul, and Mike are richly deserved and reflect the significant contribution all four have made to their clients, teams and the wider firm.
Victoria and Murray are brilliant partner appointments for our fast growing and strategically important renewable energy and technology practices. Victoria as a corporate M&A heavy weight is successfully advising investors, developers, and landowners on landmark energy transition projects; Murray brings excellent IT contracting expertise and is leading clients on large scale digital transformation journeys.
Real Estate remains a core area of our business and it is exciting to be able to reward the innovative contributions that Paul and Mike are making to its growth – Paul as a strong transactional lawyer and his success in real estate finance and student accommodation, and Mike through combining his property development expertise with a vision and passion for driving efficiencies for housebuilding clients.
These promotions are evidence of our commitment to invest in outstanding individuals to ensure the best possible outcomes for our clients.”
