Alan Dewar KC

Alan Dewar KC was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1989 and took silk in 2002. He was the Treasurer of the Faculty of Advocates from 2007 to 2011. Over the years he has appeared in a wide range of civil and criminal cases, particularly in the fields of commercial, public law, and professional and clinical negligence. In addition, he has acted for and advised companies and public authorities on contractual and delictual disputes, public procurement, regulatory and licensing issues, as well as other agencies such as the Registers of Scotland, and professional bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). He is a legal adviser to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. He has also represented companies, other corporate bodies and individuals in a number of public inquiries, planning inquiries, fatal accident inquiries, defamation actions, and intellectual property disputes. In the public law sphere he has extensive experience in the field of judicial review, human rights and immigration. Alan is also often appointed by the Court to act as Commissioner in Section 1 (“dawn raid”) petitions.

Alan has extensive advocacy experience arising from practising as a solicitor and advocate for more than 30 years. This includes Inner and Outer House experience in the Court of Session as well as a significant number of appearances in the House of Lords, Privy Council, the UK Supreme Court, the European Commission in Strasbourg and the UEFA Disciplinary Tribunal in Geneva. He was junior counsel to the Orkney Inquiry; standing junior counsel to a number of Government Departments including the Department of Trade and Industry and the Scotland Office; an Advocate Depute for three years; and also has extensive experience in planning and other inquiries, and before various other Tribunals. Between 2009 and 2011 he successfully represented the Lord Advocate and the Scottish Ministers in the AXA insurance case (which confirmed the validity of the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions)(Scotland) Act 2009), ultimately in the UK Supreme Court.

He also acted for the Scottish Ministers in the Clostridium Difficile Inquiry chaired by Lord MacLean: the Report of the Inquiry was published in 2014. In November 2013 he successfully represented the pursuer/appellant in Cramaso LLP v Viscount Reidhaven’s Trustees in the UK Supreme Court, a case concerned with the tenancy of a grouse moor in which the principal issue was whether there was sufficient proximity between an individual and a LLP such as to create a duty of care in the context of negligent misrepresentations. He also acted for the successful pursuers in Frank Houlgate Investment Co Ltd v Biggart Baillie LLP [2014] CSIH 79 in which The Inner House upheld the decision of Lord Hodge after proof. The pursuers established that a solicitor and his firm were liable to the pursuers for facilitating a continuing fraud when the solicitor had continued to act for a fraudster even after he had confessed to the fraud. More recently he has acted for a number of asylum seekers in various challenges to the operation of the Dublin II and III Regulations, and for the successful petitioners in Ochiemhen and Menuba v SSHD [2016] CSOH 179 and 180 (concerned with alleged breaches of visas granted to the petitioners to operate as entrepreneurs in the UK) and Alagoz v SSHD [2017] CSOH 27 (concerned with the operation of the EEC – Turkey Association Agreement).

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Christian Marney FCIArb

Christian Marney’s interest and considerable experience is in professional negligence and commercial litigation; employment and personal injury reparation. He is regularly instructed in professional negligence matters in particular, though not exclusively, by the Law Society of Scotland professional indemnity insurers. He is currently pursuing and defending actions in the Court of Session and Sheriff Court on behalf of solicitors and construction and housing professionals. He has a well established track record in personal injury having acted for most of the major insurers for most of his professional career. However, he also ensures that he continues to pursue cases on behalf of individuals and succeed in securing full compensation on behalf of those injured persons. He has a longstanding interest and involvement in employment matters, both advisory and litigated. He is one of a small number of junior counsel recognised in this area at the Scottish Bar. He has advised and represented UK plc’s, Local Government and major insurance companies in all of those areas. Christian was admitted to The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2017 as a Fellow in October 2018.

Recent cases:

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Eoghainn CM MacLean

Eoghainn MacLean is a leading commercial litigator, ranked by Chambers and the Legal 500.

In 2020, he returned full time to the commercial bar after a year as permanent Crown Counsel, leading High Court (i.e. Crown Court) prosecutions in back to back jury trials, preliminary and sentencing hearings.

“If you need someone in your corner instruct Eoghainn. Quick to get up to speed. Superb on his feet in court – and he explains what is going on to clients. Best at complex commercial cases. Superb legal brain. Good with clients and wins cases.”
Stuart MacFarlane, partner & office head, Weightmans, solicitors, Glasgow

“Eoghainn is consistently thorough and very user-friendly. He is exceptionally good at analysing complex issues and explaining difficult concepts to clients.”
Fraser Geddes, partner & head of dispute resolution, Anderson Strathern, solicitors, Glasgow

“Eoghainn is a determined and focused litigator who pounces on the relevant facts and applicable law. He makes the complex understandable and navigates your case in the correct direction. You definitely want him on your side!”
Richard Frenz, partner & head of court department, Miller Hendry, solicitors, Perth

“Eoghainn relishes mastering complex issues …and will not shy away from running difficult cases.”
John McHugh, partner, Harper MacLeod, solicitors, Edinburgh

“Eoghainn is particularly good at presentation of the client’s case in Court. He has shown he “can deliver” in the most complex of cases.”
Drew Taylor, Consultant, Shepherd and Wedderburn, solicitors, Edinburgh

“Eoghainn’ s careful approach is invaluable in complex commercial cases”
Graham Craik, Partner, Levy & McRae Solicitors, Glasgow

“Eoghainn is an outstanding advocate who gave us the confidence to pursue our case and win.”
Eileen Gallagher OBE & Ann McManus, co-founders Shed Productions, London

Eoghainn has handled hundreds of commercial, competition, property (including planning and IP) and professional liability cases before the highest civil courts. He conducts them as lead counsel.

A pdf of his full CV is available from the tab on the left.

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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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Lisa Henderson KC FCIArb

Lisa Henderson KC called to the Scottish Bar in 1995. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in September 2016. She was called to the Bar in England and Wales in 2019 and is a tenant at 42 Bedford Row, London. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Ambassador for the Scottish Arbitration Centre.

Lisa specialises in the most serious clinical negligence and personal injury litigation. She has considerable experience in claims involving cerebral palsy, amputation, complex brain and spinal. She has acted in numerous multi-million-pound settlements.

Lisa is ranked Band 1 in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar for both clinical negligence and personal injury:
“…she has an aptitude for handling cases with complex quantum and causation issues arising from brain and birth injuries”

“Lisa is rigorous, thorough and a really hard worker.” “She is a good advocate and very experienced in clinical negligence.”

The Legal 500 lists her in personal injury and medical negligence saying: “She is extremely hardworking, with extensive experience in high-value personal injury cases.”

Lisa was the author of  the personal injury elective for Edinburgh University’s Diploma in Legal Practice and former lead tutor. [2011 and 2017] She is a former honorary senior lecturer at Glasgow University School of Medicine [2012- 2018] and was a visiting lecturer at Pavia University, Italy. [2014 and 2015]. She has also taught at Aberdeen University School of Law. She is regularly invited to chair or present at conferences. She teaches advocacy skills on a regular basis. She is an advocacy skills instructor on the Faculty of Advocates devils [pupils] training programme.

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Ross G. Anderson

Ross is ranked by Chambers & Partners (2026) as a Band 1 junior for Commercial Dispute Resolution, Company, Real Estate Litigation, Restructuring/ Insolvency and Tax. He is also ranked in the Legal 500 (2026) as a Band 1 Leading Junior in Commercial Disputes, Administrative and Public Law, and Property and Construction.

Ross Anderson is probably the best senior junior at the Scottish Bar” Chambers, 2026

“An absolutely first class advocate with an in-depth understanding of public law.”

“He is commercial, detailed, brilliant with clients, great on his feet and a pleasure to work with” (Legal 500, Administrative & Public Law, 2026)

“Ross is one of the best non-silks. He gives clients a lot of assurance and he is also seen as one of the leading advocates in all of Scotland” (Chambers 2025)

Ross is one of the best juniors at the Scottish Bar. He’s a joy to work with and there is no case which is too complex” (Chambers 2025)

“Ross is a go-to counsel for property disputes. He is very accessible, bright and the quality of his written work is very good. In my view, he has the experience to deal alone with complex matters.” (Chambers, 2025)

“Ross has an ability to crack on with complex factual matters and really understand the factual issues, which then allows him to be one step ahead in relation to the legal arguments.” (Chambers, 2025)

“He is a first-rate junior counsel – a go-to advocate in commercial, property and sports disputes. He is excellent to work with.” “He is incredibly intellectually sharp, and his opinions and analysis are first rate.” (Chambers 2023)

“Ross is excellent with clients; he has a brilliant ability to appease and calm clients while also being firm, decisive and straight-talking. He is very thorough and has a fantastic sense of commerciality. He is very able on his feet and he has got an amazing ability to get to grips with vast quantities of documentation and huge amounts of detail” (Chambers, 2021, Commercial Dispute Resolution)

“Highly intelligent, great with clients and very approachable.” (Chambers, Commercial Dispute Resolution, 2020)

“Very thorough and gets to grips with complex issues quickly. He’s so commercial, practical in his approach and proactive. He is hugely impressive.” (Chambers 2020)

“Very impressive ability to translate academic skills into practical advice to clients. Good on his feet as well” (Chambers, 2019) “He’s a junior with an extremely good sense of commerciality and pragmatism and has an excellent manner when dealing with solicitors and clients.” “He’s very good on particularly complex technical disputes.” (Chambers, 2018)

Ross’s practice focuses on commercial dispute resolution, company and insolvency law, property law, public law, trusts and tax. Ross is a standing junior counsel to the UK Government (having been assigned to HM Revenue & Customs from 2015-2024). He appears regularly in UK tribunals as well as in the Court of Session.

Selected cases:

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