“Ampersand’s advocates attract praise for their ‘excellent depth and breadth of knowledge’” – in latest Legal 500 UK Bar listings

Ampersand is delighted to be once again be recommended as a top-tier set by The Legal 500 UK Bar Directory in their latest listings for 2018 published today.

The guide says “Ampersand’s advocates attract praise for their ‘excellent depth and breadth of knowledge’ across a range of areas, particularly in the field of personal injury and clinical negligence. Practitioners also have expertise in planning, commercial, property and regulatory law. The ‘very user-friendly’ and ‘proactive’ Alan Moffat (‘when there are challenges he finds a solution’) leads the ‘efficient, friendly and helpful’ clerking team.”

Ampersand has 34 listings across 8 areas of practice in the Legal 500 UK 2018 guide.

Civil liberties, human rights, public inquiries, and public and administrative law (including local government)

Practitioners at Ampersand report an uptick in cases involving human rights matters, alongside public inquiry work and EU law cases. Members of the stable continue to act in the long-running Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

Aidan O’Neill QC – ‘Immensely intelligent and tremendous on his feet.’
Dorothy Bain QC – ‘Her practice covers the purview of civil and public law matters.’
Douglas Ross QC – ‘Intellectual, analytical, perceptive and thorough.’
Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen – ‘She is diligent and industrious.’

Commercial litigation

Ampersand’s practitioners are instructed across a broad spectrum of commercial disputes. Recent case highlights include up-and-coming junior Giles Reid appearing in the Court of Session in a matter relating to the enforcement of a judgment made in a Belgian court; the Court of Session found the enforcement of a demand for payment could not take place due to a lacunae in the law.

Alan Dewar QC – ‘Highly experienced across a range of commercial disputes.’
Craig Sandison QC – ‘A brilliant commercial silk.’
Robert Howie QC – ‘Exceptionally persuasive on his feet.’
Eoghainn MacLean – ‘Enthusiastic and conscientious.’
Giles Reid – ‘He has remarkable oral advocacy skills.’
Usman Tariq – ‘Very good on his feet.’

Company and insolvency

Ampersand’s advocates are instructed across a range of liquidation and insolvency matters, including director disqualifications, shareholder disputes and asset recovery matters.

David Sellar QC – ‘His knowledge of insolvency law is outstanding.’

Employment

Ampersand’s recent caseload includes unfair dismissal cases, TUPE and discrimination matters.

Russell Bradley – ‘He is proactive, commercial and precise.’

Intellectual property, information technology and media

In 2017, Usman Tariq at Ampersand successfully represented the respondents in CCHG Ltd (t/a Vaporized) v Vapouriz, an appeal resulting from a dispute between two prominent UK e-cigarette retailers over their respective trade marks; this case marked the first time the Court of Session heard an appeal from the UK Intellectual Property Office under the Trade Marks Act 1994.

Craig Sandison QC – ‘His practice includes trade mark disputes and defamation matters.’
Usman Tariq – ‘He has the ear of the court.’

Personal injury and medical negligence

Ampersand has ‘excellent depth and breadth of knowledge’ across the medical negligence and personal injury fields, with members handling a broad range of matters including birth injuries, brain and spinal injuries, cerebral palsy claims, as well as fatal and catastrophic injuries.

David Stephenson QC – ‘Very well known for representing NHS bodies in clinical malpractice matters.’
Douglas Ross QC – ‘He has encyclopaedic legal knowledge.’
Euan Mackenzie QC – ‘Highly methodical and brilliant in court.’
Graham Primrose QC – ‘Very experienced in personal injury reparation cases.’
Lisa Henderson QC – ‘She is extremely hardworking, with extensive experience in high-value personal injury cases.’
Lauren Sutherland QC – ‘She is a very conscientious and personable silk.’
Maria Maguire QC – ‘A formidable advocate who commands respect.’
Simon Di Rollo QC – ‘An expert on clinical negligence matters.’
Archie MacSporran – ‘Recommended for cerebral palsy and brain injury cases.’
Brian Fitzpatrick – ‘A tenacious negotiator.’
Christian Marney – ‘Robust and intellectual.’
Fiona Drysdale – ‘Recommended for catastrophic injury cases arising from road traffic accidents and medical negligence.’
James Dawson – ‘He has a very analytical eye.’
Una Doherty – ‘A high-calibre advocate.’

Planning, environmental and licensing

Members of Ampersand have solid experience in planning and environmental law matters. Energy and infrastructure projects form core areas of instruction for the team, with recent cases pertaining to challenges to wind farm and power line developments.

Ailsa Wilson QC – ‘A resourceful and determined advocate.’
Malcolm Thomson QC – ‘He commands the respect of the bench.’
Marcus McKay QC – ‘He is very experienced in renewable energy matters.’
Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen – ‘A safe pair of hands.’

Property, construction and agriculture

Practitioners at Ampersand have expertise in contractual matters as well as landlord and tenant disputes, among other areas.

Robert Howie QC – ‘He holds the ear of the judiciary.’
Eoghainn MacLean – ‘A very meticulous advocate.’

Full listings can be viewed here.

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UK Infected Blood Inquiry set to begin

A UK-wide Inquiry examining infected blood and/or infected blood products opens in London today with a commemoration of its victims.

The Inquiry will examine why men, women and children in the UK were given infected blood and/or infected blood products, the impact on their families, how the authorities (including government) responded, the nature of any support provided following infection, questions of consent and whether there was a cover-up,

3 days of preliminary hearings will hear from Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Inquiry and Jenni Richards QC, Counsel to the Inquiry, followed by the core participants, ahead of the main hearings scheduled to start in 2019.

Ampersand’s Aidan O’Neill QC with Jamie Dawson (and Kirsten Sjovoll of Matrix Chambers) as junior counsel, will deliver the Opening Statement on behalf of 248 individual core participants, Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum instructed by Thompsons Solicitors (Scotland) . Simon Bowie QC delivering the Opening Statement for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service is instructed by the Central Legal Office, NHS National Services Scotland.

Details of the Inquiry, including how to watch the live stream, can be found on the Inquiry website here.

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Ampersand’s Lauren Sutherland speaks at British Society of Paediatric Dentistry conference

Ampersand’s Lauren Sutherland QC was an invited speaker for the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry at their Annual Conference at the Caird Hall in Dundee on 11th September 2018.

Lauren spoke about “Consent and Montgomery: 3 years on. Where are we now?” The theme of this years conference was Discovery and Design.

Further details on the BSPD website here.

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FOA & Royal College of Physicians event – Doctors, Lawyers and Wolves: Till death do us part

Faculty of Advocates and Royal College of Physicians event

The Faculty of Advocates is teaming up again with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in a second medico-legal debate, examining assisted suicide.

In the first collaboration earlier this year, the spotlight fell on the implications and lessons of the Bawa-Garba case, in which a doctor was convicted of the manslaughter of a six-year-old boy by gross negligence and given a two-year suspended jail sentence.

The next event in the Doctors, Lawyers and Wolves series will see Ampersand’s David Stephenson QC, a specialist in medical law, joining a panel of medical experts to discuss, “Till Death Do Us Part”. Issues to be raised include legal aspects of end-of-life care and whether the law needs to be changed to permit physician assisted suicide.

Mr Stephenson said: “Assisted suicide is an issue that will not go away, despite failed attempts to legislate in both Scotland and England. The position in Scotland is unsatisfactory in light of the Inner House decision in Ross v Lord Advocate 2016 SC 502. The case suggests assistance will not in some circumstances be criminal in Scotland. If so, then the limits of legality and the regulation of practice in the interests of affected individuals and the wider public is a matter of acute concern.”

The event is on Wednesday, 12 September, from 6pm at the RCPE’s Great Hall in Queen Street, Edinburgh

See the Royal College of Physician’s website for full details and how to book here.

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Inspire MediLaw event – Clinical Negligence Conference

An Inspire MediLaw event, chaired by Ampersand’s Lauren Sutherland QC.

Ampersand’s Isla Davie is one of the speakers, talking about Causation and quantum issues in cancer cases.

Full details and how to sign up can be found on the Inspire MediLaw website here.

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Periodical Payment Order or Lump it?

The Scottish Courts are to be given power to impose periodical payment orders. Alteration to the method of fixing the discount rate, the impending legislative requirement to obtain actuarial advice and the perennial uncertainty of life expectancy all point to the need for both parties to consider whether to seek or resist a PPO in larger claims.

This seminar will consider the proposed legislative changes – the practicalities of PPOs and their security, indexation and life expectancy. Chaired by Ampersand’s Simon Di Rollo QC, leading speakers include financial consultants Ian Gunn and Richard Cropper from Personal Financial Planning, economist and specialist in Human Resource Management Professor Victoria Wass of Cardiff University and actuary Richard Auld.

This seminar will be of interest to all personal injury and medical negligence litigation specialists.

The confirmed Programme is:

9.10 – Registration
9.30 – Chair Introduction from Simon Di Rollo QC
10:00 – Kenneth Auld, Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, XPS Pensions “Periodical Payment Orders”
10:20 – Professor Victoria Wass “Indexation of Periodical Payments for Care”
10:50 – Break
11:15 – Ian Gunn, Personal Financial Planning Limited “PPOs and Security”
11:45 – Richard Cropper, Personal Financial Planning Limited “Financial advice on the form of an award for future losses”
12:20 – Ian Gunn, Personal Financial Planning Limited “The insurer’s perspective ”
12:30 – Panel discussion
13:00 – Q & A
13:15 – Close, followed by light lunch and networking

This event should qualify for 3 hours of CPD.

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