Ampersand Advocates welcomes 2 new members: Sarah McWhirter and Tony Convery
Ampersand is delighted to welcome Sarah McWhirter and Tony Convery to the stable, following their call to the Bar on Friday, 27th June 2025.
On the new members’ arrival, Stable Director Isla Davie KC, said: “We are delighted that Sarah and Tony are joining Ampersand. They are already highly regarded as lawyers, and this is the start of incredibly promising careers for both at the Bar. Not only does their considerable experience lend itself well to our existing practice areas, but they are also lovely people and we look forward to welcoming them into the stable.”
Ampersand’s Practice Manager, Alan Moffat added “I am delighted to welcome our newest members of Ampersand. Their addition to our set brings the membership to 61 and the experience which each of them brings is a fantastic fit for Ampersand’s core areas of practice. They will be a real asset to those looking to instruct counsel. I am sure that joining Ampersand will offer them rewarding opportunities and collaborative support”.
Sarah and Tony featured in Ampersand’s “& the Devils in the Detail” Hey Legal Live chat in May. You can watch clips of Sarah and Tony discussing their practice areas here.
Sarah McWhirter
Sarah specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury actions. She has extensive experience in complex and high-value claims. She has particular expertise in birth injury, spinal injury, amputation and fatal claims.
Prior to calling to the Bar, Sarah specialised in clinical negligence and personal injury work for over 10 years. Latterly, Sarah was Head of Clinical Negligence (Scotland) and a Principal Lawyer (partner) at a large UK-wide firm. She was ranked ‘Band 1’ in Chambers and Partners for Clinical Negligence: Mainly Claimant (2025). Sarah has experience of representing both pursuers and defenders.
As a solicitor Sarah, appeared in the All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court and regularly dealt with cases raised in the Court of Session.
During devilling, Sarah enhanced her existing experience in clinical negligence and personal injury work. She expanded her knowledge of specialist personal injury claims, including industrial disease and historical child abuse. She also gained experience in other areas of law, most notably mental health, professional regulation and public law.
Sarah is the Course Organiser for the Personal Injury elective course on the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh.
Tony Convery
Tony specialises in commercial litigation and public law. He calls to the Bar as the Lord Reid Scholar. That Scholarship is awarded annually to the outstanding candidate. He previously worked at a leading commercial law firm.
Tony has considerable commercial litigation experience, including in professional negligence, company and property law disputes. He also has experience of group proceedings, procurement litigation and proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Tony has a broad public law practice. As well as core constitutional and administrative law, Tony has experience in: (i) equality and human rights, (ii) planning and (iii) information law (including data protection and freedom of information). He has a wealth of experience in advising on legislative competence challenges.
Tony also has experience of acting in environmental, regulatory, education and media law disputes, as well as inquiries. He provides advice on trade/financial sanctions and related regulatory schemes.
Tony was a research assistant to Professor Jim Murdoch CBE in relation to the fourth edition of the leading textbook, Human Rights Law in Scotland. He has also published in his own right. He is a tutor at the University of Glasgow.
For further information about their practices view their profiles on the Ampersand Advocates website: Our People – Ampersand Advocates
To instruct either of them, please contact the Ampersand Clerking Team: ampersandclerks@advocates.org.uk.
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Tony Convery
Tony Convery specialises in commercial litigation and public law. He called to the Bar in 2025 as the Lord Reid Scholar. That Scholarship is awarded annually to the outstanding candidate. He previously worked at a leading commercial law firm.
Tony has considerable commercial litigation experience, including in professional negligence, company and property law disputes. He also has experience of group proceedings, procurement litigation and proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Tony has a broad public law practice. As well as core constitutional and administrative law, Tony has experience in: (i) equality and human rights, (ii) planning and (iii) information law (including data protection and freedom of information). He has a wealth of experience in advising on legislative competence challenges.
Tony also has experience of acting in environmental, regulatory, education and media law disputes, as well as inquiries. He provides advice on trade/financial sanctions and related regulatory schemes.
Tony was a research assistant to Professor Jim Murdoch CBE in relation to the fourth edition of the leading textbook, Human Rights Law in Scotland. He has also published in his own right. He is a tutor at the University of Glasgow.
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Sarah McWhirter
Sarah McWhirter specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury actions. She has extensive experience in complex and high-value claims. She has particular expertise in birth injury, spinal injury, amputation and fatal claims.
Prior to calling to the Bar in 2025, Sarah specialised in clinical negligence and personal injury work for over 10 years. Latterly, Sarah was Head of Clinical Negligence (Scotland) and a (Principal Lawyer (partner) at a large UK-wide firm. She was ranked ‘Band 1’ in Chambers and Partners for Clinical Negligence: Mainly Claimant (2025). Sarah has experience of representing both pursuers and defenders.
As a solicitor Sarah, appeared in the All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court and regularly dealt with cases raised in the Court of Session.
During devilling, Sarah enhanced her existing experience in clinical negligence and personal injury work. She expanded her knowledge of specialist personal injury claims, including industrial disease and historical child abuse. She also gained experience in other areas of law, most notably mental health, professional regulation and public law.
Sarah is the Course Organiser for the Personal Injury elective course on the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh.
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Marlene Simpson & Faye Anne Campbell v Dumfries & Galloway Health Board
Ampersand’s Scott Clair acted as sole counsel for the defender and respondent health board in this appeal (having also appeared at first instance), in relation to whether a fatal claim for clinical negligence was time-barred due to the operation of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, and, in the event the claims were found to be time-barred, whether the court ought to exercise its equitable discretion to allow the pursuers and appellants to bring their claims albeit late.
The case was tragic and involved the suicide of a young man. The pursuers argued that nurses employed by the defender and respondent had negligently assessed the deceased earlier on the day that he died, which led to his death. They went on to make a formal complaint to the defender and respondent shortly after the deceased’s death and, where that was not upheld, to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (‘SPSO’). The SPSO did not produce its decision until more than three years following the date of the deceased’s death. The pursuers argued that, whilst they were ‘suspicious’ of negligence on the part of the nurses, the three-year limitation period did not commence until the date on which they received the SPSO decision.
The defender and respondent were successful at first instance before Sheriff Fife. He found that the pursuers’ claims were time-barred as they knew all they required to know for the three year period to commence at the time they made a formal complaint to the health board, and, that in the circumstances it was not equitable to allow them to bring their claims late. The pursuers appealed both parts of that decision and the Sheriff Appeal Court have now dismissed the appeal in its entirety.
The judgment of the Sheriff Appeal Court can be found here.
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Determination into the deaths of Leo Lamont, Ellie McCormick and Mira-belle Bosch [2025] FAI 15
Ampersand’s Vinit Khurana KC acted for the Scottish Ambulance Service and James McConnell KC and Scott Clair acted for Greater Glasgow Health Board in this Fatal Accident Inquiry. The Inquiry was into three neonatal deaths, and was presided over by Sheriff Principal Anwar. Her detailed determination, extending to over two hundred pages, can be accessed here.
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Determination into the deaths of Leo Lamont, Ellie McCormick and Mira-belle Bosch
Ampersand’s Vinit Khurana KC acted for the Scottish Ambulance Service and James McConnell KC and Scott Clair acted for Greater Glasgow Health Board in this Fatal Accident Inquiry. The Inquiry was into three neonatal deaths, and was presided over by Sheriff Principal Anwar. Her detailed determination, extending to over two hundred pages, can be accessed here.
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