Redundancies as legal firm McClure Naismith goes bust

The firm was established in Glasgow in 1862

A total of 42 partners and staff at one of Scotland's oldest law firms have been made redundant after it went into administration.

A further 80 members of staff at Glasgow-based McClure Naismith have been placed with other firms.

McClure Naismith was founded in Glasgow in 1826, expanding to Edinburgh in 1979 and London 12 years later.

There were 29 partners at the firm, which advised in English and Scots law.

Thomas Campbell MacLennan and Alexander Iain Fraser, of FRP Advisory LLP, were appointed as joint administrators on Friday.

'Viable option'

In an announcement on the firm's website, the administrators said: "The affairs, business and property of the LLP are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the LLP and without personal liability."

Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland said: "McClure Naismith is one of Scotland's oldest firms and has been a proud part of the Scottish legal profession for almost 200 years.

"We are sorry to see it go into administration but understand this was the only viable option given the challenges faced by the business."

She said the Law Society would provide support and advice to staff affected by the announcement.

She added: "It underlines the need for firms to be flexible and to modernise in what is a highly competitive market."