The Glasgow Bar Association voted unanimously at a special general meeting on Monday night to amend its constitution to allow corporate members to join the group.

The move could have far reaching implications since the GBA called for a referendum on the continued representational role of the Law Society. In December MacRoberts solicitors confirmed they would be seeking to join the association to improve their lobbying power.

"There is no doubt that as an organisation it is focused on representing its members and lobbying against actions or inactions which it perceives as being detrimental to such fundamental issues as access to justice and the rights of the individual. These are areas in which MacRoberts shares the GBA's concerns," the firm's David Flint said at the time.

GBA President John McGovern said: "We are delighted to welcome applications for membership from firms of solicitors who have not historically been associated with the GBA. The Legal Services Bill will, in the view of the GBA, remove the independence of the profession from the Government and for that reason the GBA has serious reservations about ABS. If there are any firms who share those concerns then they should contact us."