Ashurst’s low cost support centre in Glasgow looks set to exceed its target of housing 300 staff by 2018, with plans to double its risk and compliance assessment team.

Glasgow managing partner Mike Polson said when the office was first established “there was a five-year plan to have 300 people in the city”.

However, he added this number would “probably be exceeded before then”.

At present, there are currently around 210 people in Ashurst’s Glasgow office, including legal analysts, several lawyers and risk and compliance specialists. 

By January 2016, the latter group is expected to double in size from around 15 to 30 people, as a result of the increased regulatory landscape. Polson said there had been more investment in this function, with the team providing advice, both internally and to clients, on a number of regulatory issues such as sanctions. 

When Ashurst first transferred a large proportion of its London support staff to the Scottish city in 2013, it expected to house 150 employees by June 2014. 

However, the growth of Glasgow means it has become the firm’s fourth largest office, behind London, Sydney and Melbourne. 

Last year, Ashurst announced it was rejigging the business model by adding at least two qualified lawyers to the office. Michael Lancaster became the first finance partner to be based in the firm’s Glasgow office, working alongside the office’s first associate hire Catherine McDonald.