Local Law Firm Announces Further Expansion in Caithness As It Celebrates It's Second Birthday

19th November 2012

Local Law firm, BBM, is excited to tell the local community about further expansion in its Wick office, as it celebrates its second birthday this month.

BBM was founded in November 2010 by the current partners Eric and Alasdair Baijal and associate, Jennifer Hamill. At this time Eric and Jennifer were both working from home offices in Wick and Halkirk respectively and Alasdair in a small serviced office in Edinburgh.

Eric is married to (and Jennifer is imminently marrying) a Caithness local. Eric’s Wick girl Leanne and Jennifer’s Barrock boy James Simpson, keep them grounded and settled in Caithness and very much part of their local communities of Wick and Halkirk (whether that is by Jennifer’s involvement in the horsey world or Eric’s church and school board commitments). Eric and Jennifer were both keen to provide the high quality legal advice and the high service standards in Caithness that they had known and provided in their previous city roles.

January 2011 saw BBM find a permanent home in Wick breathing life into the HIE owned Wick Business Park (at that time only occupied by the local Lochshell Dental Clinic). After this move to Wick Business Park and with the help of existing clients and the new clients we met along the way (and after a few very busy months of redecorating and building walls) BBM soon began to fill our echoey new home. From then on the firm has been on an exciting journey of expansion here in the local community, developing high skilled local jobs, providing legal services to Caithness, the Highlands and Islands and beyond.

As well as it’s expanding Edinburgh Operation (from where solicitors also visit as necessary), BBM now employ eight staff based in Caithness. Gail Baker, a Dunnet girl by adoption, joined the firm in the very early days and is now Office Supervisor. She heads the team of administration staff across the business. The administration team in Caithness includes Laura Munro, originally from John O’ Groats (and now an established Wicker by marriage) and Becky
Dickson a Barrock girl who returned to Caithness from Edinburgh to join our team.

September 2011 saw BBM take on the firm’s first graduate trainee allowing a local girl Florence Fisher to return to Wick and practice law after finishing her law degree in Aberdeen. Florence was delighted to be able to stay in Wick where she is a keen crew member on the local life boat.

December 2011 saw solicitor Andrew Kerr join us and found our Commercial property team. Andrew and Jennifer had worked together at a firm in Edinburgh and Andrew was persuaded to make the big move from Edinburgh to Watten. Andrew is active on the board of a youth charity while dealing with a growing number of property deals in the area.

BBM are now pleased to announce the permanent return to our Wick Office of adopted Castletown resident Joanna Hunter. Joanna has been strutting her stuff in the hallways of the Court of Session in Edinburgh for a year but now makes a welcome return to Caithness to her farm and horse commitments and to be a Caithness contact for BBM’s growing number of Court of Session clients.

2012 has also seen BBM move to new offices in Edinburgh where the firm occupies the first floor at 27 George Street. BBM have recently announced further expansion in Edinburgh including the appointment of Commercial Litigation Associate, Sheana Campbell.

BBM are committed to Caithness, to providing high quality legal advice (and great service) to our clients, as well as wherever possible providing quality full time jobs in the local area. Further investment in the Highlands and Islands is planned in the year ahead, and the firm hopes to continue to develop its role in the local community in Caithness.

BBM’s Partner in charge of the Caithness Operation, Eric Baijal said: "We are delighted to announce further investment in our Wick office on our second birthday, and welcome Joanna Hunter to the Caithness team. We are committed to continuing to develop a quality legal practice here in the Far North. We feel we are uniquely placed to assist local communities and businesses, with a team of experienced and commercial operators who understand life here. We appreciate the support of those we have got to know in the last two years and look forward to working with many others in the years ahead."