Harper Macleod Appointed to Highland Housing Association

Harper Macleod LLP, one of Scotlands leading social housing practices, has been appointed by Highland Housing Association to provide legal services for the proposed Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) of approximately 15,000 homes.

The firm was appointed at competitive tender and will provide a range of legal services in the run-up to the proposed transfer of housing stock from Highland Council to Highland Housing Association.  Spread across 25,464 sq km, Highland covers the largest area of any of Scotlands 32 councils.

Scooping the title of Law Firm of the Year 2006 at the recent Scottish Legal Awards, Harper Macleod is one of Scotlands fastest growing commercial law firms and uniquely, has acted in all of the completed Scottish local authority housing transfers to date. The firm also advises a large number of RSL and Local Authority clients in relation to a diverse range of housing and regeneration issues. 

In addition, Harper Macleod has acted for the majority of the institutional funders in the LSVT market and has hosted the highly successful Annual National Housing Conference for the past nine years.

As part of its commitment to giving access to clear and practical specialist advice across the sector, Harper Macleod offers its housing clients a Housing Retainer Scheme, affording clients preferential rates, telephone advice, client briefing workshops, regular Bulletins and briefing notes and in-house training.  The scheme runs for a twelve-month period and is renewable annually.  A unique Knowledge Bank is also available, providing Retainer clients with online access to a range of briefing notes and responses to frequently asked questions.

Professor Lorne Crerar, Managing Partner at Harper Macleod commented; "The firm is well known as one of Scotlands leading legal players in the social housing and regeneration sector. We are delighted to be working with Highland Housing Association on the proposed transfer of housing stock and we will be providing legal expertise across a range of specialisms during the course of the project. It is a privilege for Harper Macleod, which already has such strong links with the Highlands, to be playing a role in revolutionising the regions provision of social housing."

Harper Macleod is the only central belt law firm with an office in the Highlands, after opening its Inverness office on 1 September 2004.  Work for Highland Housing Association will be handled by the firms Inverness and Glasgow offices.