Dundas leaves Andersen for expansion in London

MERGER: Capital or international link likely for Scots firm

Leading Scottish firm Dundas & Wilson has formally left the Andersen Legal network, taking five partners from defunct English member Garretts to boost its London office.

The firm is expanding its London office to handle the extra work left by the dissolution of Garretts, and has said that a merger in the capital or even internationally may be next.

Dundas began extricating itself from Andersen Legal in March in the wake of the Enron affair, after five years in the network.

The three property, one construction and one banking partners, together with nine other lawyers, will take the London office to 40 lawyers, including nine partners.

Chris Campbell, managing partner of Dundas & Wilson, said: 'The key reason for taking on the new lawyers was that we have worked with Garretts closely over the past couple of years and wanted to make the transition out of the network as seamless as possible.

We are trying to ensure there is no gap in the market following Garretts' demise.'

Mr Campbell said only 3% of Dundas's work had come through the Andersen link.

He added that the firm wanted to continue to grow in London and has had 'a number of approaches from third parties we are considering'.

He continued: 'I have contacted all the international firms who were involved with Andersen and have tried to maintain links with them for the foreseeable future.

Over the remainder of the calendar year we will be considering whether we want to continue to go it alone or merge - if the right people come along.'

Meanwhile, City firm Bird & Bird has strengthened its office in The Hague by recruiting Andersen Legal partner Steven van der Waal and his three assistants, who will concentrate on corporate notarial work and real estate transactions.

Andersen lawyer Yufang Guo will set up a dedicated Asian desk with his two assistants.

Andrew Towler