Chris Riach and Caroline Whitten, Legal Directors

Professional services firm Pinsent Masons has strengthened its financial services offering in Scotland with the appointment of Legal Director, Caroline Whitten, who has joined from Sainsbury’s Bank.

Based in Edinburgh, consumer credit specialist Caroline will work alongside recently appointed insurance regulatory and commercial Legal Director, Chris Riach, who has rejoined Pinsent Masons after several years in-house with a large life insurer.

Pinsent Masons’ Edinburgh office in the financial district’s Capital Square is also home to the firm’s UK Head of asset management and investment funds practice, David Young, who is adding two associate lawyers to his team.

The financial services team is also bolstered by the addition of two newly qualified solicitors from the firm’s traineeship programme and the recent Financial Services sector appointment of Amie Bain as a pensions Partner in Glasgow.

The appointments mean Pinsent Masons will have 10 funds, insurance and financial services experts working from Edinburgh and Glasgow which are part of a 52-strong group advising financial services clients in the UK, Ireland, Luxembourg and Dubai.

Colin Read, Partner and Head of Regulatory, Insurance & Funds at Pinsent Masons, said: “We are delighted to welcome Caroline to the team and her extensive retail banking and regulatory expertise will undoubtedly improve our overall offering to financial services clients in Scotland and further afield.

“Together with the earlier appointment of Chris Riach in Edinburgh, this signals a clear commitment to strengthening our capabilities in what is a dynamic and competitive market. Our enlarged Scottish team also benefits from Pinsent Masons’ wider London and international presence as we support clients looking to explore global growth opportunities.”