The new team numbers 13 partners and is pooled from fee earners in the big four Scots firm’s London, Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. The group was set up last month and is being led by Glasgow-based intellectual property partner Laurence Ward.

Dundas said the move had come in response to client demand, with the team set to target a broad range of work including IT, human resources and facilities management in both the public and private sectors.

Commenting on the move, Ward said: “A dedicated outsourcing team of this size is unique in Scotland and also allows us to compete on the UK outsourcing stage. Our experience means we can work seamlessly with known consultants, streamlining the supplier selection and contracting process and maximising the chances of securing attractive deal terms for clients.”

He added: “If a business is ill-prepared going into an outsourcing contract or on its renegotiation, the exercise can become massively inefficient and time-consuming and difficult to exit.”

The firm has advised on outsourcing deals for clients including financial services heavyweights Standard Life and RBS on the outsourcing of regulated back-office functions, as well as local authorities including Glasgow City Council, which it advised on shared services initiatives.