Macdonald Henderson

What Macdonald Henderson does

Macdonald Henderson is a Scottish corporate law firm headquartered in Glasgow, operating from a city centre office (relocated May 2026 to Wellington Place, 107 West Regent Street) and a West End office in Byres Road, with the West End presence added via the November 2024 acquisition of Ferguson Whyte Solicitors. The firm was established in 1988 (firmographics) / circa 1994 (historical narrative) and is regulated by the Law Society of Scotland as Macdonald Henderson Limited (company registration SC335501). It employs a team of approximately 16 listed professionals including directors, solicitors, paralegals and support staff, serving entrepreneurs, owner-managers, family businesses and individuals across eight practice areas: Corporate (M&A), Commercial Property, Residential Conveyancing, Private Client, Employment & Benefits, Commercial Disputes, Corporate Recovery and Personal Disputes.

The firm has no proprietary technology, software product or platform offering; service delivery is entirely human-led by qualified solicitors. Its defensible market position rests on sustained third-party validation, including twelve consecutive years of Legal 500 UK recognition and the #1 ranking in Scotland for number of M&A deals completed in both the 2024 and 2025 Experian UK & Ireland M&A Reviews. Notable mandates include advising Target Healthcare on its £7.75m acquisition of Clinigen's UK Specials and Aseptics business (named Transformational Deal of the Year 2022), the recapitalisation of Ardgowan Distillery with Distil plc, and the sale of CSD Air Conditioning to Nordic Climate Group (November 2025).

Revenue is generated through professional services fees billed on an hourly basis, with rates tiered by seniority from £175/hr for trainees and paralegals through £350/hr for directors, plus fixed rates for certain matters such as executry work. Fees are quoted up front for specific work, billed monthly, subject to VAT, and carry 8% above-base interest on overdue balances. Two completed acquisitions in 2024 (Blaney Carnan Solicitors and Ferguson Whyte Solicitors) have expanded capacity and practice breadth, while go-to-market continues to rely on professional referrals, advisor networks, ranked-firm visibility, and recurring advertorial placements in Scottish business media such as The Business Magazine and Business Insider.

Name

Macdonald Henderson

Legal name

Macdonald Henderson Limited

Website

https://macdonaldhenderson.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Macdonald Henderson is a Glasgow-based Scottish corporate law firm serving entrepreneurs, owner-managers, family businesses and individuals across eight practice areas including M&A, commercial and residential property, private client, employment, disputes and corporate recovery, billing on an hourly rate model with a team of approximately 16 fee-earners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Professional legal services billed on an hourly rate basis. Fee estimates are provided as non-binding indications, while fee quotations become commitments to undertake specified work at stated fees. Hourly rates vary by seniority level (Director £350/hr, Associate Director £300/hr, Senior Solicitor/Solicitor £275/hr, Trainee Solicitor/Paralegal £175/hr). Work on estates of deceased persons is charged at a fixed rate of £350 per hour. VAT is charged at the current rate on all fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Macdonald Henderson is a Glasgow-based corporate law firm providing expert legal advisory services across eight practice areas: Corporate (M&A, acquisitions, disposals, investments, refinancing, management buyouts), Commercial Property, Residential Conveyancing, Private Client (wills, executries, trusts, powers of attorney), Employment & Benefits, Commercial Disputes, Corporate Recovery, and Personal Disputes. The firm serves entrepreneurs, owner-managers, family businesses and individuals across Scotland and the UK, billing via hourly rates based on lawyer seniority.

Product overview

Macdonald Henderson is a Glasgow-based corporate law firm offering a unified suite of legal services rather than a software product. The firm provides eight core practice areas: Corporate (M&A, business transactions), Commercial Property, Residential Conveyancing, Private Client (wills, trusts, powers of attorney), Employment & Benefits, Commercial Disputes, Corporate Recovery, and Personal Disputes. These services are delivered through a team of legal professionals to entrepreneurs, owner-managers, family businesses, and individuals. The firm has no software, platform, or technology product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Legal Services Legal advisory services for entrepreneurs, owner-managers, family businesses, and individuals covering M&A, corporate transactions, acquisitions, disposals, investments, refinancing, management buyouts, and business law matters.
• Commercial Property Legal services for commercial real estate transactions, leasing, and property matters for businesses.
• Residential Conveyancing Residential property legal services including conveyancing, purchases, and sales for individual clients.
• Private Client Personal legal services including wills, executries, trusts, powers of attorney, and separation agreements.
• Employment & Benefits Employment law advisory services for businesses and individuals on workplace matters, employment contracts, and employee benefits.
• Commercial Disputes Dispute resolution and litigation services for business-related disagreements and commercial conflicts.
• Corporate Recovery Insolvency and corporate recovery legal services including administration, liquidation, and restructuring matters.
• Personal Disputes Dispute resolution services for individuals on personal legal matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked No.1 in Scotland for number of deals completed in Experian (UK &I) M&A Review 2025 and 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DWF LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 June 2026Legal advisors to Distil plc on the £3m convertible loan note conversion and recapitalisation transaction with Ardgowan Distillery.
• Harper Macleod LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 June 2026Legal advisors to Virgin Money on the Ardgowan Distillery recapitalisation transaction.
• International Commercial Law Alliance (ICLA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2023Professional network alliance. Macdonald Henderson attends ICLA conferences (Krakow 2023, Luxembourg 2025) for international legal networking and knowledge sharing.
• KPMGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 February 2023Accountancy and tax advisors to Opulus on the joining forces with Wylie & Bisset transaction.
• Pinsent MasonsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 February 2023Legal advisors to SME Capital on the £10m growth capital facility to Opulus.
• Morton FraserminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 February 2023Legal advisors to Wylie & Bisset on the joining forces with Opulus transaction.
• MacRobertsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 February 2023Legal advisors to Foresight Group on the £3.8m investment in The Electric Heating Company.
• ConsiliumminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 February 2023Corporate finance and tax advisors to The Electric Heating Company on the Foresight investment transaction.
• Burness PaullminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 31 October 2022Legal advisors to Cairngorm Capital and Verso on the acquisition of Campbell Thomson Insurance Services.
• Thistle InitiativesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 31 October 2022Regulatory advisors to Verso Wealth Management on the Campbell Thomson acquisition.
• N4 AdvisoryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 31 October 2022Co-advisors with Macdonald Henderson on Target Healthcare's acquisition of Clinigen PLC.
• Ernst & YoungminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 31 October 2022Financial and tax advisors to Verso Wealth Management and Cairngorm Capital on the Campbell Thomson acquisition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MacRoberts LLP: Scottish full-service law firm with strong corporate and commercial property practices, frequently co-appears as opposing counsel in Macdonald Henderson's deals.
• Anderson Strathern: Edinburgh-based Scottish law firm with comparable corporate, private client and property practices serving owner-managed businesses and individuals.
• Harper Macleod LLP: Scottish full-service commercial law firm with similar mid-market corporate and private client focus. Most comparable peer given overlap on Scottish M&A and recognition by Legal 500 in the same Corporate and Commercial category.
• Burness Paull LLP: Leading Scottish corporate law firm advising on M&A, private equity and corporate recovery across Scotland. Direct competitor for the same entrepreneur and family business client base.
• Morton Fraser: Scottish commercial law firm offering corporate, property, employment and private client services — overlapping practice mix and target segments with Macdonald Henderson.

Broad incumbents

• Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP: Major Scottish full-service law firm with significant corporate, banking and real estate capability, often appearing alongside Macdonald Henderson on larger Scottish transactions.
• Pinsent Masons LLP: Major UK law firm with established Scottish practice and strong PE/financial sponsor client base. Larger-scale competitor for transactions involving private equity investors active in Scotland.
• Brodies LLP: Largest Scottish law firm by revenue with extensive corporate, real estate, dispute resolution and private client practices. Sets the competitive benchmark against which mid-market Scottish firms measure themselves.
• CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP: International law firm with Scottish office providing corporate, finance and disputes capability. Sets the competitive ceiling in terms of cross-border capability for Scottish mid-market clients.

Regional players

• DWF LLP: UK-wide full-service law firm with Scottish office presence. Not a direct Scottish-market competitor but frequently appears as opposing counsel in mid-market deals involving Macdonald Henderson clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macdonald-henderson
• Xx.com/MHSolicitors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Macdonald Henderson