Private Client Partner - Central Belt - 8+ PQE

QED Legal LLP; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable legal firm in Scotland is seeking a Private Client Partner to lead its Glasgow or Edinburgh office. This role focuses on organic growth without aggressive billing targets, ensuring a high-quality working environment. Candidates should have at least 8 years PQE and strong leadership skills. Responsibilities include handling complex estate planning, inheritance tax mitigation, and asset protection for high-net-worth clients, while mentoring junior solicitors. The firm promotes sustainability and offers a clear path to equity and leadership roles.

Benefits

Grounded working environment

Focus on quality and wellbeing

Clear route to equity

Qualifications

• Established Private Client Partner or senior private client solicitor ready to step up.
• Depth of expertise in succession planning, trusts, and asset protection.
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to deliver advisory services.

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead the private client offering in Glasgow.
• Handle high-quality, varied advisory work for high-net-worth individuals.
• Collaborate with colleagues in corporate, property, and family law.

Skills

Leadership

Technical confidence in private client matters

Commercial awareness

Ability to mentor others

Education

Qualified solicitor with 8+ years' PQE

STEP membership

Job description

Private Client Partner – Edinburgh or Glasgow

QED Legal is recruiting a Private Client Partner for either its Edinburgh or Glasgow office. QED Legal is a Legal 500‑ranked practice known for its long‑term outlook, people‑first approach and a genuinely collegiate culture.

The Partner appointment is part of a deliberate 2026 growth strategy to increase market share across Scotland’s key cities. It is a proactive hire, driven by ambition rather than replacement, with clear backing from the wider partnership to further strengthen and expand the firm’s private client presence in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Both the Edinburgh and Glasgow offices are central to the next phase of growth. The incoming Partner will shape and lead the local private client offering, supported by a collaborative partnership group, strong internal referral streams and an existing client base. This role does not hinge on bringing a client following or a will bank; the focus is on attracting the right person with credibility and vision to grow the practice organically.

The work is high quality and varied, covering succession and estate planning, inheritance tax mitigation, trusts and executries, asset protection for high‑net‑worth individuals and bespoke wealth structuring for business owners, landowners and families. Much of the work is advisory and relationship‑led, often delivered alongside colleagues in corporate, property and family law, with a strong emphasis on joined‑up service.

We are looking for an established Private Client Partner or a senior private client solicitor ready to step up, typically with eight years’ PQE or more and the technical confidence to handle complex matters. STEP membership is an advantage, but depth of expertise, commercial awareness and the ability to lead and mentor others while contributing to the firm’s wider growth are what matters most.

The firm offers a refreshingly grounded working environment, with no aggressive billing targets and a genuine focus on quality, sustainability and wellbeing. For the right individual, there is a clear and supported route to equity and a leadership role that carries real influence.

If you are considering a Partner‑level move in either Edinburgh or Glasgow and want the freedom to build something meaningful within a highly regarded firm, this is an opportunity well worth exploring. For a confidential discussion, please contact Neil Campbell at QED Legal via the details provided.