Burness Paull tops £100m turnover with double-digit growth

• Turnover exceeds £100m for first time with double-digit top and bottom-line growth.
  
  

• 10% all-employee bonus paid on the back of financial performance.
  
  

• Ambitious new client-focused strategy.

Burness Paull has reported its results for the financial year ended 31 March 2026, which saw the firm surpass the £100m turnover threshold for the first time with double-digit top and bottom-line growth.

Annual turnover was up 12% to £105.2m (2024/25: £93.5m) and profit increased 27% to £45.7m (2024/25: £35.9m) as the firm saw the benefit in year one of its 2025-2028 strategy. The three-year strategy focuses on delivering and enhancing value for clients through the provision of the highest-quality advice and service on complex matters in core commercial service lines.

On the back of the strong financial performance, the firm has shared its profits through an all-employee bonus that – on top of individual performance-related bonuses – has seen every employee receive an additional payment worth 10% of their annual salary.

Notable work highlights for the year, during which the firm continued to invest strategically in its people and technology, included advising:

• Wood Group on the Scottish aspects of its £216m acquisition by Dubai-based Sidara;
  
  
• Cruden Homes on the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront Regeneration Project, and a £15m investment by Business Growth Fund;
  
  
• Canadian-listed K-Bro Linen Systems on its £107m acquisition of Star Mayan;
  EIG Asset Management LLC on the structuring of a £1bn global fundraise for Fidra Energy’s battery energy storage business; 
  
  
• Orsted A/S on the sale of its UK onshore assets as part of the sale of its €1.4bn European portfolio;
  
  
• Petrofac on its major financial restructuring; and
  
  
• The Scottish Football Association on its historic naming rights partnership with Barclays in respect of the stadium now known as “Barclays Hampden”.

Mark Ellis, managing partner at Burness Paull, said: “Surpassing £100m turnover is a significant milestone. We are grateful to our people and delighted to reward everything that has been achieved with the 10% all-employee bonus.

“Our clients – and the provision of the highest-quality advice and service – are the absolute focus of our new strategy. Any success we achieve is built on our clients’ success, and we are committed to excellence to best serve them. 

“We are ambitious and have outstanding talent across our business. Our position as a leading independent firm in a dynamic market and a fast-changing world provides the platform for further growth and success.” 

Peter Lawson, chair at Burness Paull, added: “We are grateful for the trust our clients place in us to help them maximise commercial opportunities and mitigate risks in what remains a challenging operating landscape, characterised by economic uncertainty, high costs and evolving regulation.

“Cautious optimism in the M&A market and appetite from private equity led to our corporate team advising on large-scale, complex, multi-jurisdictional mandates where our expertise and market knowledge enable us to deliver significant value for clients.

“Market volatility also saw our restructuring and insolvency team in demand, while our market-leading employment team continues to be sought after for advice around reforms introduced by the Employment Rights Act and the complex and evolving area of competing protected beliefs in the workplace.

“Our strong financial performance is testament to our ambitious new strategy and commitment to clients, which supports our ambition to be the leading law firm operating in and from Scotland.” 

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