Linda Urquhart OBE—Morton Fraser

Linda Urquhart OBE (pictured) has announced her retirement from Morton Fraser LLP after 33 years. She will be replaced as chair of Morton Fraser by Maggie Moodie, who leads the firm’s public sector practice.

Linda has built a formidable reputation across Scotland as a champion of gender parity in the workplace. She became the first female managing partner of a major law firm in Scotland in 1999 and the first female chair of CBI Scotland in 2009. She took on the role of chair of Morton Fraser in 2011 and received an OBE for services to business in Scotland the following year.

In the time since Linda became managing partner in 1999 the firm has seen a period of substantial growth that has seen partner numbers double and revenues increase more than three-fold.

Linda will continue as a portfolio non-executive director. She is currently  chairman of Investors in People Scotland, a non-executive director of Adam & Company and Edinburgh Airport Limited. She is also a trustee of Marie Curie and of the Royal Scottish Academy Foundation, and an ambassador for Girlguiding UK.

Linda said: “The legal profession has changed significantly since I became a commercial property lawyer in the 1980s. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as partner, CEO and chair of Morton Fraser and am confident in its continued success. Morton Fraser is a great place to work, whatever your gender.”

Maggie Moodie will be chair of Morton Fraser for the next three years while continuing to lead its burgeoning public sector team. The firm boasts one of the largest public sector teams in Scotland with over 80 specialists and more than 100 clients.

Chris Harte, CEO of Morton Fraser LLP, said: “Linda has been breaking glass ceilings throughout her professional career and we are immensely proud of her achievements.

“In Maggie Moodie we could not have hoped for a more accomplished successor. Maggie is herself a keen advocate of gender parity in the workplace and has grown our public sector team into a market-leading position. We look forward to working with her as chair in the coming years.”