Chloe Shields joins our team this week as a Senior Solicitor which has raised our Rural Services department to 15-strong, with the team having grown by two-thirds in a decade.
The news comes on the back of the double promotion announced in the team earlier this month and the return of Leanne Gordon as Director in March. We are pleased to have more experienced lawyers than ever supporting landowners and farmers at critical time in Scotland’s rural communities.
Chloe said: “The myriad of legal issues facing landowners, farmers, crofters and others are complex and more intricate than ever. Navigating them requires careful consideration.
“We are starting to see how poorly-informed decisions are proving costly in the long-run, whether around general diversification, renewable energy, succession planning or land ownership.
“There’s no hiding from the fact that the sector faces significant challenges. But there are also opportunities to sow the seeds for a stronger future for our rural communities, providing jobs and boosting the economies.
“Good legal advice can help unlock that true potential. The team at Lindsays has an enviable reputation across the sector. I’m delighted to now be part of it.”
Previously part of the Rural team at Brodies, Chloe, who will be based in Edinburgh but working with clients across Scotland, has a strong track record of working with landowners, commercial lenders, private investment funds and asset managers.
She has experience working on estate management, voluntary registrations, property finance and acquisitions and disposals of rural property including forests, farms and estates.
Chloe's appointment follows news that Leanne Gordon has rejoined Lindsays’ Rural Services department as a director.
Leanne previously spent six years at Lindsays - rising from solicitor to senior associate - until June last year. She has since had a spell working as legal advisor to Scottish Land and Estates.
In a further strengthening of the team, Eilidh Robertson recently stepped up from Senior Solicitor to Associate, her fourth promotion since joining as a trainee solicitor since 2016. Sharon Drysdale was also promoted to a Director in the team.
Michael Yellowlees, Partner and Head of Rural services at Lindsays, said: “It’s fantastic to see our team growing - not just in numbers but strength too. Chloe’s arrival further enhances that.
“With rural enterprises having so many balls to juggle - from the overhaul of agricultural policy to responding to the climate emergency- we are supporting record numbers of clients as people with all kinds of interest in land and countryside businesses across Scotland recognise the need for specialist support.”
