Joint managing partners Emma Gray and Ryan McKay have been re-elected as leaders of Blackadders LLP for another three years. The pair will now serve another term at the helm of the firm.
Emma and Ryan took over in the summer of 2022 and set out on a path to reposition the firm and grow operations across Scotland. Their aims were set out in the firm’s 5 by 25 strategy which set ambitious targets for growth.
Blackadders is now in the final year of the strategy which was designed to ensure the firm was as well placed as it could be to benefit from any sustained upturn in the economy post Covid. The five initiatives the firm is aiming to achieve by the end of the 2025/26 financial year are:
- Increase turnover to £25million
- Achieve a profit margin of 35%
- Be regarded as an employer of choice in the industry
- Act as a destination lawyer for clients
- Ensure Blackadders LLP is regarded alongside the top five Scottish law firms.
Ryan McKay said: “We are pleased and honoured to be chosen to continue to lead Blackadders. The last three years have been hard work but incredibly rewarding and we are proud of how the firm and everyone in the team has performed.
“Achieving the 5 by 25 goals will be tough but they are certainly achievable if we push on in this final year. We are confident the team will continue to operate at the highest level and provide the kind of service which has seen record levels not only of new business but also importantly of returning business.”
Blackadders reported growth in turnover and profit in its latest accounts and expect to report further growth for the financial year ending 31 March 2025, with the un-audited combined income of Blackadders LLP and Blackadders Wealth Management LLP exceeding £19M.
The year saw significant investment in improving staff benefits, new premises and upgrades to core IT infrastructure. All employees now have access to private health insurance and a medical cash back scheme.
While the focus will be on completing the current strategy, Ryan and Emma and the board of Blackadders are already setting their sights on the next five years and beyond.
Emma Gray and Ryan McKay. Image Credit: Eddie Phillips, Lighthouse Photography, 2025.
Emma Gray said: “We have no intention of standing still. This is an ambitious firm with a team of very talented people and we are confident that we can continue to challenge the way the industry delivers its services and give our clients unparallelled professional support nationally.
“We will be looking to set new goals which will reflect our ambition and the talent we have at Blackadders. Our people, our culture and the manner in which we conduct business are vitally important to us and we want to continue to grow our reputation as well as our financial performance.”
Among the other drivers of growth have been increased efficiency in the firm and improved client service. Cross referral work has been boosted by wider understanding across the firm of the specialist knowledge available to every client through training, improved internal communications and adoption of technology.
Blackadders has a strategic aim to be proactive in the adoption of new legal technology and AI developments. In 2023, the firm established an AI and Legal Tech Committee which reports to the board and has overseen the roll out of new tools including Microsoft Co-Pilot.
As well as pursuing the ambitious 5 by 25 strategy, Blackadders has also undergone a full rebrand, moved to new Dundee offices and focused on services in Scotland’s four main cities.
Over the last three years, the growing reputation of Blackadders has attracted talent from many of the country’s top firms. It has also been reflected in awards success over the last three years with individuals and teams shortlisted and winning in categories from both the Private Client and Business Services sides of the firm. This culminated in being named as one of the top eight law firms in the United Kingdom at the recent British Business Awards in Edinburgh.