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Experienced commercial property lawyer joins expanding Aberdeen firm

Michael Spence, an experienced Scottish commercial property expert, has joined the expanding Aberdeen office of legal firm Bond Pearce as a partner.

Mr Spence, 51, was previously with Eversheds in Edinburgh.

He will be based in Aberdeen but his remit is to head an expansion of Bond Pearce’s commercial property business across Scotland.

“I was delighted to be offered the chance to be a partner and lead on building what is already a bubbling line of business for the firm,” he said.

“We have a pool of clients with interests in Scotland and we feel there is an opportunity to build something that really can take off in a big way.

“I certainly believe that. I had the similar experience of building the Scottish commercial property business at Eversheds. I am now actively recruiting to increase the team.”

Mr Spence already has experience in Aberdeen including having recently acted for energy giant Centrica in leasing the upper three terraced floors of Hazledene’s iQ building in Justice Mill Lane for a Scottish record £31 per square foot.

“I have clients who have come with me who are planning led developers and are keen to get back in the market now .While they are based down south they see Scotland as one of the most active parts of the UK at the moment.

"The opportunity to enter a legal company which, in structural terms, matches the UK economy also appealed to me. It is a practice which is obviously far larger south of the border but operates in Scotland from a more modest base. I think a trans-UK practice which reflects the relative economies of Scotland and England makes common sense.

“Some of the larger Scottish companies struggle to operate adequately within the UK market because their structure and set up doesn’t actually match that of the economies. They are predominantly Scottish and trying to break into England and it is far better, I feel, to be tracking in the other direction - be really strong in England and breaking in to Scotland in the areas which really matter.

“Bond Pearce has its base in England but represents clients who want to operate across the UK. The most obvious piece of the jigsaw which needs to fit in order to expand this business is the piece of Scots law which is most different and that is real estate.

Energy is one of the main reasons Bond Pearce has its Scottish office in Aberdeen and I am delighted to be based in the Granite City but I am flattered to have the remit to build the practice across Scotland.

“I believe Aberdeen is the gateway to a huge number of opportunities.”

Mr Spence was born in Aberdeen, brought up in Shetland and studied at Edinburgh University.

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