On 1 October, Andrew Diamond took up the role of Managing Partner of Lindsays. We asked him about his time at Lindsays, his new role, and his plans for what next.
Andrew Diamond joined Lindsays as a Partner and our head of Residential Property in 2012, through our merger with MacLachlan and MacKenzie. In 2023 he became head of our Perth office too.
Andrew succeeds Alasdair Cummings as Managing Partner. During Alasdair’s 14 years in the role, Lindsays completed six mergers and grew annual turnover from around £9 million to almost £30 million.
When you joined Lindsays in 2012, what were your first impressions?
When MacLachlan and MacKenzie merged with Lindsays, we had done a lot of due diligence, and were quite sure that it was the right firm to merge with. We liked the style of management, the level of ambition, the scale and the quality of work. Lindsays had the size to do things well, but at the same time, the firm had a human feel, it wasn’t a huge corporate.
Thirteen years later, those first impressions still ring true.
What makes you proud to work at the firm and now lead it?
I’m proud of the culture we provide for our staff; people genuinely like working at Lindsays. They’re well looked after and appreciated, and it’s a good place to work.
I’m also proud of the high quality advice and service we provide across a whole range of areas and sectors. While working at Lindsays, I’ve seen how many talented lawyers and staff we have across the different teams. I look at so many of them and think, “You're brilliant at what you do”.
What are your goals as Managing Partner?
In the short-term, I would certainly like to develop the Perthshire side of our business.
More generally, I want to keep Lindsays on the path that Alasdair Cummings and our Chief Operating Officer, Ian Beattie, have successfully followed for almost 15 years – steadily and strategically growing the firm. We also intend to remain an independent Scottish law firm.
You’ve worked with Alasdair Cummings for well over a decade. What have been his main achievements as Managing Partner?
Under his leadership, Lindsays went from an essentially Edinburgh-focused private client practice to a thriving full-service firm for individuals, families and businesses across Scotland. And he and Ian Beattie have done that while keeping the same welcoming and collegiate ethos.
Alasdair has always made a point of getting to know our people, and virtually any time he speaks to someone, they leave the conversation feeling better about themselves and more positive about what they’re about to do next. I want to make sure we keep that spirit at Lindsays.
Looking ahead, what are the big issues on the horizon for Lindsays and its clients?
Societally, there are some major issues that clients will need help with, and we’re ready to do that.
AI and digital are obvious examples. For businesses, generative AI is an exciting tool but it also raises legal issues in areas ranging from employment law to intellectual property. And for individuals, the fact that we increasingly live our lives digitally has some legal ramifications.
Another major issue is the ageing population and the vast transfer of assets that will take place over the coming years.
On all these issues, Lindsays is ideally placed to support people and businesses.
