Paul Reid

Year of Call: 2011

paul.reid@advocates.org.uk
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He's very good, very helpful and will go out of his way to do things for you. His advice is always clear and helpful.

Chambers & Partners

In December 2020, Paul was appointed First Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government (having first been appointed a Standing Junior in 2015). In that capacity advises the Scottish Government in respect of a broad range of public law matters. In addition to his work for the Scottish Government, Paul has particular experience in professional liability (especially claims against solicitors, surveyors and medical professionals). He also has experience of advising and representing both professions and professionals on regulatory and disciplinary matters. 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. 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. He was instructed by the NHS in 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. 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 by Chambers and Partners (2021) in the fields of professional liability (Band 1: “an excellent junior with experience appearing unled”), administrative and public law (Band 2: “He’s always well prepared and on top of the issues”), clinical negligence (Band 2: “Approachable, pragmatic and realistiche’s very easy to work with”) and commercial dispute resolution (Band 2: “Paul is very able and tactically astute”).

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