With almost 10 years’ experience working in Scotland, Nicky Grant has joined the firm’s commercial real estate team and will be based in Edinburgh.

He has a breadth of experience across all areas of commercial property, including acquisition and disposals, commercial leasing, commercial developments, managing investment properties, acting on utilities and energy projects, corporate assist work, acting on behalf of healthcare providers, and real estate finance.

Prior to his new role, Nicky spent seven years at Edinburgh-based Dickson Minto after completing his property-focused traineeship at Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace in Aberdeen. He obtained dual qualification in 2018.

Nicky said: “I am thrilled to have joined Shakespeare Martineau at such an exciting time and key stage in the firm’s expansion as it further establishes a presence in the Scottish market. The firm is extremely ambitious and forward-thinking both in terms of growth and the way it invests in its people.

“Commercial real estate law has always been my passion, largely due to the challenges that fast-paced, high-volume transactional work presents. I am looking forward to working with and growing the team in Scotland and creating new, long-lasting relationships with clients north of the border.”

Nicky’s appointment comes after Shakespeare Martineau announced it is set to take on its first ever Scottish trainees. The law firm is looking to recruit two trainees into the commercial sector within its Scottish practice – one to start later this year and another in 2024.

Amal Kaur, partner at Shakespeare Martineau (Scotland) LLP, said: “As businesses increasingly expand their operations across the UK, we are frequently asked to advise our clients on Scottish and cross-border transactions. We continue to provide tailored Scots law services to our clients and are investing internally in quality training to expand our resources.

“I am really excited to welcome Nicky to the firm as a new senior appointment. He has a wealth of commercial experience and will be a great asset to our growing team. Based in Edinburgh, Nicky has a network of connections in Scotland to grow our practice even further and his dual-qualification means we can seamlessly transact in both jurisdiction for our clients – saving them valuable time and money.

“This is a very exciting time for Shakespeare Martineau in Scotland. I am also pleased to congratulate our real estate associate Aller Dawlat on dual qualifying into Scots law. He will be a great asset in supporting our volume utilities team, with his existing wealth of experience in the sector.”

Shakespeare Martineau is proactively seeking talented people to join the firm on its growth journey, including mergers, team recruitment and lateral hires nationally.