Getting the Most out of Legal Technology
Ampersand Advocates hosted a seminar on ‘Getting the Most out of Legal Technology’ on Thursday 9th November 2017.
Attendees at the seminar heard from a range of speakers from technology companies and from Ampersand members. Dana Forbes gave a practical demonstration of the creation of electronic binders of documents and how best to manage them. Jamie Gardiner offered an insight into ways in which litigation risk might be more precisely quantified, using the specialist software developed by his company, CaseQuant. Paul Reid shared practical reflections on his experiences of technology in the Scottish courts, in particular the use of LiveNote and his experiences in the Glasgow Bin Lorry Inquiry. Finally, Giles Reid examined the provision made in the Rules of Court for technology, and looked at the developments practitioners might expect to see over the coming years. Attendees also heard from Moore Legal Technology on online marketing, Premonition AI on their data on decided cases in the UK and worldwide, and Nalytics on the assistance that specialist software can provide in reviewing and analysing data.
Comments from attendees included, “The best event on legal technology that I have attended.” Giles Reid, one of the seminar organisers, said “It was really useful to hear from both those who provide and develop legal technology and also those at the sharp end of practice who use it. Increasingly, becoming familiar with the advantages and pitfalls of legal technology is something that clients expect and something where specialist knowledge can make a real difference.”
Slides from the presentations can be viewed on our event page here.
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Top Rankings success in latest Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide
Ampersand has again received top tier rankings across a number of areas of practice in the latest published guide to the legal profession, Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide 2018.
Ampersand received 56 listings across 15 areas of practice, ranking as top tier (band 1) in Clinical Negligence as a Set, and band 2 in Administrative & Public law, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Planning & Environment, Personal Injury, Product Liability and Restructuring/Insolvency as a Set. In addition to this Aidan O’Neill QC is ranked in the London Bar Guide. 4 members are noted as “star individuals”.
Noted as a Band 1 set for Clinical Negligence, Ampersand has 18 rankings in this area. The guide says “As far as top Scottish clinical negligence practitioners are concerned, the name Ampersand is synonymous with excellence. This premier stable is acknowledged to have “the widest range of counsel in medical negligence with the broadest range of experience and knowledge.”
Band 2 listings include Administrative and Public law where Ampersand’s high-level public law challenges are noted and is described as “a good stable of advocates”. In Civil Liberties & Human Rights the Band 2 listing notes Ampersand’s “considerable expertise in the civil liberties field, drawing on their experience in employment, equality and EU law”.
In Commercial Dispute Resolution Ampersand is noted as “A highly respected stable with far-reaching experience across the commercial spectrum. It boasts an impressive roster of senior counsel and upcoming juniors, and is home to strong generalists as well as leading insolvency, shipping and real estate advocates”. Ampersand’s Commercial expertise is further noted in Restructuring and Insolvency, which includes “Star Individual” David Sellar QC, stating Ampersand “combines a renowned commercial practice with numerous high-level insolvency specialists” being described as a “go-to set for insolvency matters” and “excellent commercial stable”.
Ampersand’s Personal Injury work is again acknowledged with the guide noting “an impressive breadth of personal injury knowledge to individuals, major insurers, local authorities and other government agencies. The stable’s expertise in medical issues means it is well placed to advise pursuers and defenders on the full range of personal injury cases, including stress at work, motor accidents and clinical negligence claims. The team’s “practical approach to cases” is lauded by clients, who also comment that the advocates are “approachable, good to deal with and prompt at returning calls and emails, which is important.”. The listing includes Maria Maguire QC and Graham Primrose QC as “Star Individuals”.
Ampersand is listed in 2 new areas as a set this year. In Planning and Environment Ampersand is noted as being “A highly respected stable that is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the arena of planning and environment law. Advocates at the stable are particularly well-versed in matters involving infrastructure and renewable energy. They are frequently instructed in major inquiries, and act for a variety of clients, including developers, promoters, objectors and decision-makers. The stable also vaunts expertise in planning appeals and judicial review proceedings.” This includes “Star Individual” Malcolm Thomson QC. Ampersand is also a Band 2 set in Product Liability stating “Ampersand Advocates enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the top-ranked sets in Scotland. It undertakes product liability work to the same excellent standard as the many other areas of the law it practices in. Members here work across a wide range of industry sectors and act for both claimants and defendants. The set has a particular reputation for handling cases that arise from the healthcare sector”.
The Clerks also receive high praise noting “The whole team is very organised.” and “their clerks are excellent, very responsive and helpful”.
Ampersand’s full listings can be viewed on the Chambers and Partners website here.
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“Ampersand houses ‘an excellent group’ of advocates” – Strong showing for Ampersand in latest Legal 500 listings
Ampersand is delighted to be once again be recommended as a top-tier set by The Legal 500 UK Bar Directory.
The guide says “Ampersand houses ‘an excellent group’ of advocates, who handle a broad spectrum of practice areas, including commercial, planning, property and public law. The stable is particularly noted, however, for its very strong personal injury and clinical negligence team.”
32 Ampersand advocate’s are listed in The Legal 500 UK 2017 guide to outstanding counsel published on 11 October 2017.
Civil liberties, human rights, public inquiries, and public and administrative law (including local government) – Civil liberties, human rights, public inquiries, and public and administrative law (including local government) – Leading silks
– Aidan O’Neill QC A natural orator.
– Dorothy Bain QC Hardworking, determined and confident in court
– Douglas Ross QC Very intelligent and personable.
– Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen Very bright and a pleasure to work with.
Commercial litigation
– Alan Dewar QC A formidable practitioner.
– Craig Sandison QC A standout silk.
– Robert Howie QC An incredibly bright and extremely talented silk.
– Ronald Clancy QC Highly recommended for a broad spectrum of commercial cases.
– Eoghainn MacLean Determined in court.
Company and insolvency
– David Sellar QC A first-choice silk for complex company and insolvency matters.
Employment – Employment
– Russell Bradley Very experienced in TUPE, restrictive covenants and whistleblowing cases.
Intellectual property, information technology and media
– Craig Sandison QC Brilliantly clever and tenacious in court.
– Usman Tariq He has considerable experience on his feet.
Personal injury and medical negligence
– David Stephenson QC He is great to work with due to his unflappable demeanour.
– Euan Mackenzie QC A meticulous silk with a first-class intellect.
– Graham Primrose QC He has impressive technical knowledge.
– Hugh Campbell QC Very experienced across the spectrum of disease and injury cases.
– Lauren Sutherland QC A highly dedicated silk.
– Lisa Henderson QC She has fantastic attention to detail and notable client empathy.
– Maria Maguire QC Her remarkable grasp of the facts enhances her focus on a case.
– Simon Di Rollo QC A very effective court performer.
– Archie MacSporran Very experienced in complex and high-value clinical negligence cases.
– Christian Marney Well known for acting in personal injury matters.
– Fiona Drysdale Hardworking with a very detailed approach.
– James Dawson He has a sound understanding of complex scientific material.
– Una Doherty Reliable and well organised
Planning, environmental and licensing
– Ailsa Wilson QC Highly experienced in regulatory environmental disputes.
– Malcolm Thomson QC A patrician of planning law.
– Marcus McKay QC Recommended for cases involving renewable energy.
– Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen Painstaking and great with clients.
Property, construction and agriculture
– Christopher Haddow QC Recommended for a broad range of property matters.
– Robert Howie QC A go-to silk for construction law matters.
– Eoghainn MacLean Willing to explore every possibility to assist his clients.
Full listings can be viewed here.
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McClure Naismith v Harley Haddow Partnership [2017] CSOH 125
Debate in commercial action: prescription argument arising from engineers’ appointment to construction project. Relevancy argument sustained. Decision here.
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Tayside Contracts v D Geddes (Contractors) Limited [2017] CSOH 108
Commercial action for claim that chippings were not of satisfactory quality and that they were not fit for the purpose of use as surface dressing on roads in eastern Scotland; and that as a result the defender was in breach of the terms implied into the contracts of sale by sections 14(2) and 14(3) of the Sale of Goods Act 1979. Decision here.
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Usman Tariq KC
Usman Tariq has extensive experience of high-value and complex commercial disputes and public law litigation. His core areas of practice include contractual, intellectual property, insolvency, banking, company and professional negligence disputes. He also specialises in administrative and public law, including judicial reviews, and has experience of advising clients on sanctions law. He has appeared at all levels of the Scottish court system, including the UK Supreme Court.
The breadth of his experience and expertise is recognised in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide 2025 in which he is ranked as a leading individual in eight practice areas. This is the highest number of individual rankings for the Scottish Bar. He was recognised as Advocate of the Year at the Law Awards of Scotland 2017 and the Legal 500’s Junior Counsel of the Year at the Scottish Bar at the Legal 500 UK Awards 2019.
He has held a number of professional appointments. Since 2022, he is appointed as counsel to the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett. He is a member of the legal team investigating core political and administrative governance and decision-making in relation to the pandemic. He was involved in high-profile public hearings in January 2024 in which key individuals involved in the pandemic response in Scotland gave evidence. He has gained significant experience of acting in public inquiries. He was also a Standing Junior counsel to the UK Government in Scotland for nine years and latterly served as Second Standing Junior to the Advocate General for Scotland before his appointment as silk. He has served as a full-time Advocate Depute at the Crown Office between 2021 and 2022.
He has been described in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide as being “universally respected at the Bar, including by opponents and the judiciary” and a “very highly regarded practitioner” who has “the ear of the court” and is “very popular with the judiciary”. He is ranked in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide 2025 for the following eight practice areas: (i) commercial dispute resolution; (ii) intellectual property; (iii) information technology; (iv) media law; (v) restructuring / insolvency; (vi) professional negligence; (vii) administrative and public law; and (viii) civil liberties and human rights. He is also ranked in the Legal 500’s UK Bar Guide 2024 for commercial disputes and administrative and public law.
He acts in cases across the commercial spectrum. He is ranked in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide 2025 and in the Legal 500 UK Bar Guide 2024 for commercial disputes. He is described in the Chambers & Partners Bar Guide 2024 as “an absolute standout advocate, a superb all-rounder who is great with clients” and whose “legal analysis is outstanding”. His expertise in professional negligence claims is recognised by Chambers & Partners who note that he has a “reputation for his handling of professional negligence claims, primarily against firms of solicitors”. He also undertakes a significant amount of work in the field of personal and corporate insolvency. Chambers & Partners note that “he is regularly instructed to act for administrators, liquidators and trustees, among other parties, in complex corporate and personal insolvency cases”.
He has developed a market-leading reputation for intellectual property disputes. He has been described by the Legal 500 as “The best all-round IP junior in Scotland”. Chambers & Partners has noted that he is a “real standout in IP” and “well deserving of his reputation as a go-to IP barrister”. In addition to appearing in most of the leading IP cases in the Court of Session over the past decade, he has experience of conducting proceedings in the UK Intellectual Property Office. He also has a leading reputation for Information Technology disputes. He is the only junior counsel in Scotland recognised by Chambers & Partners for expertise in this practice area. Chambers & Partners note that he “garners critical acclaim in the market for his abilities in a host of cases including those involving the IP rights in games, television and related merchandise”. He has acted in high-profile cases in the gaming industry, including for Sony Interactive Entertainment and Naughty Dog in relation to the hack of servers and leak of footage from the “Last of Us Part II” video game before its release, and Rockstar Games in relation to modding of the software of the “Grand Theft Auto V” video game.
He has significant expertise in administrative and public law as well as civil liberties and human rights. He is ranked in both the Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 UK Bar directories for administrative and public law. In his role as a Standing Junior counsel to the UK Government in Scotland, he has advised and represented a number of UK government departments including the Cabinet Office, Home Office, Department of Work and Pensions, Department of Energy Security and Net Zero and the Ministry of Defence. He is described by Chambers & Partners as having a “busy public and administrative law practice, in which he acts mostly for central government”. He is also described as a “well-regarded civil liberties and human rights advocate” who is “particularly adept at judicial reviews concerning EU, human rights and immigration law”. He has significant experience of EU law, including having advised on the applicability of the sanctions regime.
He has experience of alternative dispute resolution as counsel in mediations and arbitrations. He has been appointed as the arbitrator in commercial disputes. He has also been a legal member of the Scottish Football Association’s Judicial Panel.
He is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). The IVLP is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange programme in which emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields are invited to the U.S. to meet with professional counterparts and cultivate lasting relationships. In 2022, he spent time in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Portland and Montana meeting with various federal and state governmental bodies, NGOs and stakeholders in a human rights project on Advancing Minority Rights in Europe.
He is a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland (YAS). YAS aims to bring together young professionals from all sectors to work together on projects that benefit Scotland and the world.
He is passionate about improving inclusion in the legal profession in Scotland. In 2017, he co-founded the Scottish Ethnic Minority Lawyers Association (SEMLA). SEMLA aims to improve ethnic diversity in the legal profession in Scotland. The group is supported by the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates. SEMLA has collaborated with some of the largest law firms and organisations across the UK on events and work placements for law students from ethnic minority backgrounds. In 2021, he was appointed to the Law Society of Scotland’s Racial Inclusion Group which undertook a systematic review of racial inclusion in the profession and produced a report with recommendations. In 2023, he was appointed to the Scottish Government’s Future of the Legal Profession short-life working group. The purpose of this group is to examine the evidence and propose improvements to address the challenges of recruitment and retention in the profession and to provide support for the planning, collaboration and improvement of legal services in Scotland.
He called to the Bar as the Faculty’s Lord Reid scholar for 2010/2011. This scholarship is awarded annually to the outstanding candidate to the Bar. He is a graduate of the University of Glasgow and the University of Cambridge.
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