CMS

As ‘one of the top corporate and commercial practices in Scotland’, CMS manages and negotiates a range of transactions including M&A, PE, venture capital and capital markets work. The firm has a UK-wide portfolio of deals, handling the investment, operation and exit pieces of blockbuster deals, as well as possessing a specialist commercial practice that regularly works in tandem with the corporate offering. Frank Fowlie heads up the practice from Aberdeen, and Helen Gillies and Jack Letson handle proceedings from Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively. The ’stand-out’ Gillies is praised for her ‘strong business mind and strategic perspective’ across a range of industries and is well-equipped to handle M&A, management buy-outs and venture capital transactions, while Letson brings further expertise in cross-border joint ventures and public company takeovers. Bruce Harvie works for a wide variety of investment vehicles and early-stage venture capitalists, whereas Kate Darracott is chiefly noted for her equity capital markets and US securities acumen. Robbie Somerville is also key name to note. Graeme Bruce retired in 2023.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘The Team are very responsive; they provide an intelligent analysis and workable options on how to proceed towards a satisfactory outcome for their client often in difficult circumstances.'
'They are easily one of the top corporate and commercial legal practices in Scotland.'
‘The strength of the team is epitomised by Helen Gillies, with whom we most often interact. She is our ‘go to’ legal adviser.’
‘I am most impressed by the holistic approach. CMS are a partner to me in looking at all angles and supporting the issues, the company and the people. I love the proactivity, the expertise and the partnership. ’
‘Helen Gillies stands out in every way. She has such a strong business mind and also strategic perspective regarding what is going on in industry. I rely on her perspective and she is incredibly creative in how she handles a problem. Helen invests herself in the broader objectives I have and then comes up with even better solutions to the challenges. She has an energy and a tenacious spirit to compliment her incredible experience. She is my first stop.’

Key clients

Media Zoo Limited
Flotation Energy Limited
Natwest Group PLC
Infra Balance New Energy
Bruker Corporation
Cornwall Insight Group Limited
Packaging with Robots
Business Growth Fund (BGF)
Macfarlane Group plc
Cicor Group
Trojan Energy
Scottish Enterprise/HIE
Nesta
M Squared Lasers
Elasmogen
Souter Investments
Murray Capital
ICR Integrity
Scottish Water
Trifast plc

Work highlights

Acted for Cicor on its acquisition of UK-headquartered STS Defence Group Limited.
Acted for Trojan on an investment by BGF and The Scottish National Investment Bank.
Acted on the sale of ACE Winches to subsea equipment rental specialist Ashtead Technology.