Maclay Murray & Spens (MMS), the UK wide commercial law firm, has appointed Jill Reid, the former general counsel and company secretary of Dana Petroleum, as a partner to lead its oil and gas team in Aberdeen. Reid has worked her entire career in the oil and gas industry, the majority in Aberdeen, initially as in-house legal counsel at Shell and Chevron and later with Dana. She brings more than 25 years' deep client-side industry experience and market knowledge to MMS, at a time when the sector faces up to low oil prices, changes in the wake of the Wood Review and the creation of the new Oil and Gas Authority.
"[Reid] brings vast legal experience and commercial understanding of the oil and gas sector, both in the UKCS and overseas. Her insight is particularly important during what is a challenging time for the industry and will help clients chart a path through the challenges that lie ahead,” said Kenneth Shand, chief executive of MMS.
Preceding Reid’s appointment, MMS has taken a series of steps over the last 18 months to grow its oil and gas team and Aberdeen office.
Guy de Speville, a London-based oil and gas partner, joined from Hess Corp., where he spent 12 years as in-house counsel in the Far East, USA and London.
Partner Bill Fowler is now mainly based in MMS' Aberdeen office. He recently spent four months on temporarily working with Premier Oil’s Falkland Islands team, assisting with preparations for its 2015 drilling project.
Craig Purdie joined the firm's Aberdeen office from Andrews Kurth, the US boutique oil & gas firm in September 2014, having previously been with Ashurst and Centrica.