Key Points
- Gilson Gray has appointed experienced corporate lawyer Peter Millican as a partner in its London office.
- The move is intended to strengthen the firm’s London corporate offering and support its wider expansion across the UK.
- Mr Millican will focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance transactions.
- He will also advise clients in the engineering, oil and gas, and renewable sectors.
- Mr Millican joins Gilson Gray from Sherrards, where he was a corporate partner with 30 years’ experience in corporate law.
- The hire follows a series of senior appointments in London, including Paul Madden, Linda Pope and Steven Eckett.
- Gilson Gray chairman and managing partner Glen Gilson said the appointment reflects the firm’s commitment to investing in high-quality talent.
- The development marks another step in Gilson Gray’s continued growth in England.
What does the latest Gilson Gray hire mean for the firm’s London presence?
Gilson Gray has deepened its London corporate team with the appointment of Peter Millican as partner, in a move that underlines the firm’s continued push to expand its presence in the capital. As reported by the news release carried by the Edinburgh Chamber and by Scottish Legal, the appointment is designed to support the growth of the firm’s corporate practice in London and across the wider UK market.
The firm said Mr Millican will help develop its London corporate offering, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance transactions. He will also work with clients across the engineering, oil and gas, and renewable sectors, while advising on a broader range of commercial matters.
Who is Peter Millican?
Peter Millican is an experienced corporate lawyer who joins Gilson Gray from Sherrards, where he served as a corporate partner. According to the reporting, he brings 30 years’ experience in corporate law and has led a wide range of transactions, including M&A, venture capital and banking matters.
His appointment appears to be part of Gilson Gray’s strategy of building out its senior leadership in London with lawyers who can support both transactional work and wider client relationship development. The firm said he will also collaborate with colleagues across the business to raise its profile and build strategic relationships in the London and UK market.
Why is Gilson Gray expanding in London?
Gilson Gray said the hire marks a key step in its continued expansion across England. The firm has already made a series of senior appointments in its London office, including Paul Madden as head of London office, Linda Pope as head of family law for England, and Steven Eckett as head of employment for England.
In January, the firm also announced the appointment of Paul Madden as partner and head of dispute resolution for England, alongside head of international insolvency, further strengthening its London practice. The repeated senior hires suggest a deliberate effort to widen the firm’s services in the capital and position London as a central part of its growth plan.
What did Gilson Gray leadership say?
Glen Gilson, chairman and managing partner at Gilson Gray, welcomed the appointment and said Peter Millican brings “a wealth of experience across corporate law, combined with a history of strong leadership and client delivery”. He added that the hire reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to investing in high-quality talent as it expands its presence in London.
The firm’s statement framed the move as part of a broader growth strategy rather than an isolated recruitment decision. That approach is consistent with the company’s recent pattern of senior hiring in London and elsewhere in the UK.
How does this fit into Gilson Gray’s wider growth?
Gilson Gray has described itself as the UK’s fastest-growing law firm in the coverage carried by the Edinburgh Chamber. The London expansion sits within a broader programme of growth across the firm’s UK operations, with senior hires spanning corporate, family, employment and dispute resolution work.
The latest appointment adds further depth to the firm’s corporate capability in London at a time when legal practices are competing heavily for senior talent and market share in the capital. For Gilson Gray, the strategy appears to combine specialist recruitment with wider brand-building across key sectors and practice areas.
What does this mean for clients and the market?
For clients, the hire could mean broader access to senior-level corporate advice in London, particularly on transactions and sector-specific commercial issues. Mr Millican’s background in M&A, private equity and corporate finance may also help the firm compete for higher-value work as it continues to develop its corporate platform.
The appointment also signals that Gilson Gray intends to compete more visibly in the London legal market, not only through individual hires but through a wider build-out of complementary services. That could make the firm more attractive to businesses looking for cross-practice support from a single provider.
How can businesses build stronger corporate teams?
The move highlights why businesses looking to grow should invest in Corporate Training that strengthens leadership, commercial awareness and client-handling skills. It also shows the value of Leadership Development and Business Skills training for teams operating in competitive markets where senior talent and strategic thinking matter.
Gilson Gray’s latest expansion demonstrates how targeted expertise, strong leadership and a clear growth plan can shape a firm’s market position.