Giles Reid
“Giles is very smart and hard-working.” “He gives clear commercial advice and is good on his feet.” “He is very bright and very capable.” (Chambers & Partners (2021): ‘Up and Coming’ for Commercial Litigation)
“He has an impressive knowledge of property law and is regularly instructed due to his encyclopedic knowledge and his approachable nature.” “He’s very approachable and he’s also able to get his head round really tricky cases very quickly and give clear commercial advice.” (Chambers & Partners (2021): ‘Up and Coming’ for Real Estate Litigation)
“A legal encyclopeadia.” (Legal 500 (2020): Band 1 for Commercial Litigation)
“He has remarkable oral advocacy skills.” (Legal 500 (2019): Band 1 for Commercial Litigation)
Giles’ practice focuses on commercial and administrative law.
Giles has particular expertise in and experience of property litigation, commercial disputes, professional negligence, trusts, succession and insolvency matters. He regularly conducts proofs and debates in these areas, both alone and with senior counsel. He is frequently instructed in the Commercial Court.
Giles has developed distinct expertise in the law of prescription and limitation, acquired as the research assistant for the second edition of Johnston, Prescription and Limitation (2012). Giles has delivered training sessions in this area of law, and is regularly instructed to advise in matters where prescription is an issue. He is a member of the Faculty of Advocates’ sub-committee for the Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018.
Giles is a tutor at the University of Edinburgh for property, trusts and succession. He is regularly instructed in property disputes in the Sheriff Court and Court of Session, and also provides advice on contentious and non-contentious trusts and succession matters.
Giles has experience of employment litigation. He is frequently instructed in the Court of Session and Sheriff Courts in disputes arising from employment, including the enforcement of restrictive covenants and the recovery of confidential information from former employees.
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Graeme Hawkes KC
Graeme Hawkes KC is an experienced commercial litigator, with a particular emphasis on commercial contracts, construction disputes, property and professional negligence. He was a solicitor in private practice for almost 10 years (Steedman Ramage and Brodies) and summer 2024 marks 21 years at the Bar. He also has a public law practice, having been a standing junior to the Scottish Government (2005-11) and regularly appearing in extradition cases on behalf of the Lord Advocate (including 2 Supreme Court appeals). As well as the high-quality advocacy skills to be expected of a senior used to appearing regularly in court, he brings common sense and a ‘can do’ attitude to cases. Agents admire his intellectual rigour, an ability to focus on the issues which really matter in a case and a determination to achieve the best result for the client. Graeme makes regular appearances at the Court of Session and sits as an Arbitrator.
Graeme is ranked in Chambers & Partners 2024 under Commercial Dispute Resolution.
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Graham Maciver
Graham Maciver works primarily throughout the fields of public and administrative law, including principally judicial review, human rights and immigration law. Graham’s other areas of practice include commercial and regulatory law (directors disqualification and tax), personal injury and international law.
Graham has been a Standing Junior to the Advocate General for Scotland since 2012 and was appointed to the newly created post of Second Standing Junior to the Advocate General for Scotland in 2021, and now First Standing Junior in 2024.He has been on the Public International Law Panel to the Attorney General since 2014 and Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Counsel since 2019. Junior Counsel to Scottish Hospitals Inquiry since 2023.
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Isla Davie KC
Isla Davie’s practice covers a range of medical negligence, professional negligence, commercial law, property and personal injury disputes, in particular catastrophic injury. She is regularly instructed on behalf of insurers, public bodies, professional bodies and individuals. She is often asked to speak on medical negligence and property law.
Isla studied law at Edinburgh and Paris-Sud. She joined the Bar in 2004 after seven years’ experience as a solicitor with commercial firms and took silk in 2019. She practices in civil law, being regularly instructed in interdicts, debates, proofs, civil jury trials and Fatal Accident Inquiries.
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James McConnell KC
James McConnell KC has a practice that mainly focusses on clinical negligence. He is also frequently instructed in inquiries with a medical element. He acts for pursuers and defenders in roughly equal proportions. He is Band 1 ranked by Chambers and Partners in Clinical Negligence and by the Legal 500 in Personal Injury and Medical Negligence.
Cases:
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Jamie Dawson KC
Jamie Dawson KC called to the Bar in 2004 and took silk in 2020. He has a wide ranging civil practice involving both appearance and advisory work. He has experience of appearing in both the Inner and Outer House of the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary and sheriff courts as well as tribunals and public inquiries. The mainstay of his practice is medical and dental negligence cases (pursuer and defender) and public inquiries. He also works in the field of personal injury (pursuer and defender) and defamation and handles insurance and commercial disputes, trust and property cases.
Jamie was instructed as lead Counsel on behalf of the Scottish infected and affected core participants in the UK’s largest ever public inquiry at that time, the Infected Blood Inquiry. The final report was published in May 2024.
Jamie was appointed to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry legal team. He, along with 10 other KC’s, support Hugo Keith KC, Lead Counsel to the Inquiry, and Martin Smith, Solicitor to the Inquiry, with the preparation and delivery of the Inquiry’s investigative work. He lead Module 2A, Core UK decision-making and political governance – Scotland.
As a junior Counsel, he was recommended in legal directories for his expertise in clinical negligence and personal injury work for several years. Amongst the comments on his practice were the following:
• “Fantastic at dealing with complex medical evidence and technical details.” (Legal 500 (2020), personal injury and clinical negligence work, Band 1)
• “A committed advocate who has vast experience defending clinical negligence cases. His wide-ranging caseload spans such circumstances as birth injuries, dental malpractice and fatal accidents. He also has experience in mental health and cancer diagnosis cases.
Strengths: “He is very good at getting into the details in clinical negligence cases.”(Chambers & Partners (2020), clinical negligence work)
• Strengths: “He is very good at picking up on things and running with them.” “I would describe him as very proactive. He was very good in the case I was on and made a very positive contribution to its conclusion.” (Chambers & Partners (2017), personal injury work)
• “He’s good, thorough and professional.” (Chambers & Partners (2016), clinical negligence work)
• “He is extremely impressive and very helpful too.” (Chambers & Partners (2016), personal injury work)
• Expertise: “He’s very thorough and goes into a lot of depth; his advocacy skills are very good.” (Chambers & Partners (2014), personal injury work)
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