Thorntons’ Lesley Larg Named Scotland’s Top Legal Business Leader

18 September 2026 - Lesley Larg, Managing Partner of Thorntons, has been named winner of the Business Leadership Award at the Scottish Legal Awards 2026.

Award organisers pointed to Larg’s ambitious and forward-looking approach to leadership, her focus on people and workplace culture, and her work supporting the progression of women in the profession, alongside efforts to attract, develop and retain talent across the firm.

Lesley Larg is the first woman to lead Thorntons in its 169-year history and is regarded as one of the most influential women in the Scottish legal profession. Respected legal directory Chambers & Partners describes her as “highly astute, client-centric, compelling and a great collaborative partner.”

She was recently re-elected as Managing Partner for a second term, having first taken on the role in 2021. Under her leadership, Thorntons’ turnover has grown by 61% over five years to reach a record £50m in the last financial year, and the firm now employs 680 people, including 79 partners, as of March 2026.

The firm’s growth has been driven in part by strategic mergers with Edinburgh-based Stuart & Stuart, Central Scotland firm Macnabs, and Aberdeen-based Patience and Buchan, alongside the opening of Thorntons’ first permanent Glasgow office in 2023 and its first Inverness office in 2024.

Thorntons also won Excellence in Equity and Inclusion on the night, giving the firm two awards at the 23rd Scottish Legal Awards. More than 500 solicitors, advocates and in-house teams attended the ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central.

Lesley Larg said: “These awards mean a great deal and reflect the work of everyone at Thorntons.

“My focus has always been on two things: providing our clients with exceptional services and making Thorntons a place where people can build a great career. Getting them right creates the conditions for growth and enable us to progress our ambitious plans for the firm across Scotland, the UK and internationally.”

The Scottish Legal Awards recognise individuals, teams and firms making an outstanding contribution to Scotland’s legal sector.

ENDS

Issued by BIG Partnership on behalf of Thorntons. For more information, please contact [email protected].

About Thorntons Founded in 1857, Thorntons is one of Scotland’s largest independent, full-service law firms and ranks among the UK’s Top 100 firms in The Lawyer. It operates from 14 offices in 12 locations and employs around 680 people, including 79 partners. The firm was named Large Firm of the Year at the Herald Law Awards 2025 and Firm of the Year (250+ employees) at the

Scottish Legal Awards 2025. Research conducted the Legal 500 directory ranked Thorntons in the top five Scottish firms most recommended by clients.