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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Marcus McKay KC
Marcus McKay KC has a specialist interest in planning and environmental law. He is regularly involved in all aspects of the consents process for major energy projects from initial advice on the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (including EIA Report work), to appearances at public inquiries and judicial review hearings in the Court of Session. Marcus has appeared at a wind farm inquiry in England and has experience of national infrastructure projects. He also acts for planning authorities and has successfully resisted applications for judicial review of planning decisions.
Marcus is listed in the Legal 500 where he is described as having “significant court experience, backed by sound commercial awareness.”
Marcus is a ranked Band 1 silk in Chambers and Partners UK Bar guide, where he is “Noted for his deep planning experience and widely praised for his meticulous attention to detail. His particular focus lies in energy and environment work, and he is especially experienced in renewable energy matters. He has experience advocating in inquiries and at all levels of the court system, including the Supreme Court.” The Guide goes on to say “He is a very gifted advocate and extremely diligent. He is always extremely well prepared and imaginative. He is highly intelligent and can not only grasp very complicated detail with ease but has the skill to be able to explain complex matters in straightforward terms.” “He is a very competent advocate, enthusiastic and diligent.” “He is definitely one of the best at the Bar.”
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Maria Maguire KC
Maria Maguire KC called to the Bar in March 1987. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in February 2002. She has considerable experience in catastrophic injury cases, clinical negligence cases, fatal accident inquiries, abuse claims, cases involving psychiatric injuries and regularly acts in significant judicial review petitions for government bodies.
She has been listed in Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide consistently at Band 1 or higher.
Previous entries for Personal Injury describe her as “Frequently noted as a formidable negotiator, she has significant experience of acting for both pursuer and defender in high-level catastrophic injury claims”; “She’s had some pretty spectacular results – she is an extremely skilful QC; and “She’s awesome – scarily so.”; “She is one of the best advocates, if not the best, in Scotland. She is very nice and approachable with clients but in a courtroom she is just fierce.”; “She doesn’t give in easily. She is very robust and formidable on cases.”
For Clinical Negligence her previous entries note: “She is absolutely superb. She is very well prepared and is brilliant with clients.”; “She is someone who for many years has been entrusted with the most complex and difficult cases in Scotland.”; “a first-class clinical negligence advocate who is revered for her straightforward and hard-working approach. She specialises in complex brain injury and cerebral palsy cases and clients are left impressed with her ability to ‘always take every available argument‘.” ; “has produced some fantastic results” ; Unanimously regarded as a standout advocate in this arena, Maria is constantly in high demand. Of late, she has been focused on acting for pursuers in cases of the utmost complexity and severity. Strengths: “An absolute star at clinical negligence.” “She carries a great deal of weight in the court.”
She has been described in The Legal 500 as “‘quite superb’, absolutely diligent in all aspects of her work ’, and with an ‘immense’ knowledge base is able to ‘conduct fairly high-brow medical consultations with expert witnesses intelligibly and concisely without missing anything out” ; “A leading silk whose experience, judgement, intellectual ability and attention to detail are second to none.”
In Chambers 2019 she is rated as a Star Individual in both Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence with the following entries:
Personal Injury
“A towering figure in both personal injury and clinical negligence matters. She specialises in complex catastrophic injury claims as well as fatal accidents, abuse claims and psychiatric injuries. Her competitors agree that she is a formidable opponent in court. “ ‘At the top of her game in every respect. She deals with highly complex matters and still manages to communicate with clients so that they both understand her and have total faith in her representation.”; “ She has excellent attention to detail , is excellent on her feet and as a strategist she has no equal.”
Clinical Negligence
“Routinely considered the leading silk in the field of Scottish clinical negligence litigation…. Her extensive advocacy experience enables her to get to the bottom of the thorniest of medical causation issues”; “Top class. She has an eye for detail and knows the law”; “Supremely able and highly skilled”; “Absolutely superb. I would pretty much let her take my appendix out. Her knowledge of medicine is second to none and she is a great tactician.”
Legal 500 entry notes her as a leading silk in both fields and ‘A formidable advocate who commands respect.’
Maria acts on behalf of defenders, insurers, local authorities, professional bodies and individual pursuers – including those funded via legal aid, trade unions or on a speculative basis. Maria also acts for clients in Health & Safety Prosecutions.
As a member of the court user’s group dealing with court procedure she drafted the basis for the Chapter 42A procedures for catastrophic injury cases in Scotland and Practice Notes in order to improve the management of such cases. She continues to be active in monitoring and improving the procedure. She currently chairs a sub group of the Personal Injury Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council developing a Voluntary Pre Action Protocol for Clinical Negligence cases.
Selected significant reported cases
Confidentiality prohibits the details of the numerous claims which have settled without recourse to the courts or in the course of proof
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Paul Reid KC
Since calling to the Bar in 2011, Paul Reid has built a strong practice anchored around professional liability and public law. In 2020, he was appointed the First Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government (having first been appointed a Standing Junior in 2015). In that capacity he has advised the Scottish Government in respect of a broad range of public law matters and represented them in numerous high profile cases of constitutional significance (e.g. the 2022 Referendum Reference to the Supreme Court). In that capacity, he has also represented the UK Government before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He has particular experience in respect of prison-related litigation (including several high profile Fatal Accident Inquiries following deaths in custody) and planning-related litigation (including compensation claims before the Lands Tribunal and planning appeals to the Inner House).
Paul also has particular interest and experience in professional liability and regulation (especially claims against solicitors, surveyors and medical professionals). As well as conducting litigation on behalf of professionals and professions, he has appeared before fitness to practice panels (medical profession), the Scottish FA’s judicial panel (sporting) and has represented legal professionals seeking leave to appeal decisions of the SLCC. He has appeared in a number of regulatory appeals to the Court of Session (both following substantive fitness to practice proceedings and in respect of extensions of interim orders). In that respect, he has experience represented both professionals and regulatory bodies. Paul is regularly instructed by the NHS in Scotland to advise on a wide range of matters, including clinical negligence claims, mental health issues and advice in relation to various issues of statutory and regulatory compliance, including advise in respect of medico-legal ethical issues. He was instructed by the NHS in their successful defence of the Scottish mesh litigation and acts on behalf a firm of engineers in another group litigation before the Court of Session (the Watling Street litigation). He represented the driver of the Glasgow bin lorry in the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the December 2014 disaster. He has also represented parties before the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and the UK Infected Blood Inquiry. Although predominantly instructed on behalf of defenders, Paul also has experience of pursing a range of claims (professional liability, commercial and property). He regularly appears before the Court of Session and other tribunals.
Paul has taught public law at the University of Edinburgh since 2004, regularly lecturing and tutoring on various aspects of the subject. He has a particular interest in judicial review, surveillance powers and electoral law. In July 2024, he was appointed an Honorary Teaching Fellow at Edinburgh Law School and he will join the Editorial Board of the leading journal, Public Law, in January 2025. Paul regularly publishes articles and blogs on public law and has written the third and fourth editions of the Green’s Concise Guide to Public Law (published in October 2015 and August 2020, respectively). He also regularly speaks at seminars on public law and professional liability.
Paul is ranked in five different areas by Chambers and Partners (2024): Administrative and Public Law, Clinical Negligence, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Product Liability and Professional Negligence.
In 2022, Paul was appointed as a part-time Sheriff and in 2023 he was appointed King’s Counsel.
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Simon Bowie KC
Listed as a Leading Silk (Legal 500, 2024)
“A highly regarded silk who is regularly retained to defend institutions and individuals implicated in alleged medical negligence….He is widely recognised for his involvement in large group actions. (Chambers 2024)”
“A thoughtful, detailed, organised and clever advocate who has the ear of the court. A very thorough, calm and methodical approach” (Chambers 2023)
“An excellent strategist…an excellent advocate… first-class skills in dealing with clients… very approachable” (Chambers 2022)
“Regularly retained to defend institutions and individuals implicated in alleged medical negligence…..very responsive” (Chambers 2021)
“A highly regarded silk….an excellent advocate…” (Chambers 2020)
“A highly experienced and astute senior counsel who hides considerable steel under an air of unflappable congeniality” “A highly regarded silk” (Chambers 2019)
“Very good in court… very knowledgeable… always very well prepared” “His attention to detail is second to none.” “Extremely user friendly. Very good with clients” (Chambers 2018)
“Has the ear of the court… excellent at defending cases” (Chambers 2017)
“Very intellectually able… measured, unflappable and very dedicated” (Chambers 2016)
“Always ensures that the client’s best interests are kept centre stage” (Chambers 2015)
“Widely recognised for his work on behalf of both clinical institutions and health professions” (Chambers 2014)
Simon Bowie KC undertakes a wide range of civil litigation. He has “an impressive and broadranging practice which covers a wide range of civil and commercial work.” (Chambers 2014) He has over 19 years experience; he has appeared at most levels of the Scottish criminal and civil court systems.
He has extensive experience of oral advocacy. “He is very calm, self assured, reasonable and a very smooth advocate”. “He has excellent attention to detail”. His “ability to swiftly grasp vast amounts of information is superb.” (Chambers 2015) He has appeared in proofs and reclaiming motions in the Court of Session, and prosecuted serious crime in the High Court and the Appeal Court. He has acted in high profile cases involving complex and novel points of law: shipping/oil and gas law (The “Braer” Oil tanker litigations), construction law (Costain Engineering v Scottish Rugby Union arbitration), negligence/scope of duty of care of police (Gibson v Chief Constable of Strathclyde); corporate insolvency (Geddes Petitioner). Between 2005 to 2008 he was appointed standing junior to the Department for Work and Pensions (social security) and the Home Department (immigration).
Recent high profile instructions/cases: UK/Scottish Covid Inquiries for Public Health Scotland (2023); UK Infected Blood Inquiry for Scottish Health Boards and SNBTS (to January 2023); Mesh litigation “class action” – principal senior counsel for NHS Scotland defending around 500 cases – largest medical litigation in Scottish legal history. Retained by the Scottish Football Association.
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Vinit Khurana KC
Vinit Khurana KC is the only practising member of the Scottish Bar dually qualified in law and medicine. He has the unique distinction of having practised as a medical General Practitioner for over a decade as well as being an Advocate since 1999. He took silk in 2018.
Vinit has a wide ranging practice involving both appearance and advisory work. He has experience of acting for and against private individuals and corporations. He also has experience of acing for and against public bodies. He regularly acts for and against health boards in professional negligence and personal injury cases.
Vinit specialises in all aspects of Medical Law including clinical negligence, judicial review, professional disciplinary matters, regulatory work and mental health. He is one of the most experienced practitioners at the Scottish Bar in relation to Fatal Accident Inquiries having appeared at over 20 such Inquiries since 2000. Since calling in 1999 his medical knowledge has proven to be a valuable asset in a wide variety of cases. His instructions have encompassed both civil and criminal work. Examples of the breadth of his instructions include: fraud cases brought by Health Boards against Optometrists before the NHS Tribunal; the chairing of the NHS Classification Appeal Committee in respect of disciplinary matters; appearances on behalf of the National Appeal Panel in judicial review petitions for entry to the pharmaceutical list; and advisory work in connection with many other matters related to the provision of healthcare including competition law issues in the provision of dispensing services by pharmacists and GPs, optometric and pharmaceutical services regulation, contractual arrangements between Health Boards and GP primary care providers, mental health matters and ECHR issues in the areas of organ donation and treatment refusal.
Vinit was the Chair of the Faculty of Advocates Sub-Committee which responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the reform of mental health legislation. He has also responded on behalf of the Faculty of Advocates to Scottish Government consultations on organ donation and transplant. He is currently a member of the Faculty Committee that oversees all of the Faculty’s responses to Scottish Government consultations.
Throughout his career Vinit has been prepared to work in new areas. He enjoys new challenges. He is a conscientious and hard worker. This has allowed him to gain an understanding of the particular circumstances of and the legal background to the cases in which he has been instructed. As well as appearing in court in complex, high profile and urgent matters, he regularly provides written advice on a wide variety of matters.
Vinit was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2019. He can accept instructions in England and Wales via his clerks at Whitestone Chambers.
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