Ampersand Advocates ranked as top tier set by Legal 500 in 2023 guide

Ampersand is delighted to once again be recommended as a top-tier set by The Legal 500 UK Bar Directory in their latest listings for the 2023 guide. Listed as tier 1 in Administrative & Public Law, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence and Property, Planning & Construction, and tier 2 in Commercial Disputes, Ampersand has collected 22 Senior Counsel rankings, 21 Junior Counsel rankings, including 2 rising stars, across the Scottish Bar listings.

Administrative and Public Law

TIER 1

Ampersand Advocates is home to a team of ‘excellent public and administrative law counsel‘. In a prominent case highlight, Douglas Ross KC and Paul Reid represented the Scottish Ministers in Fair Play for Women Limited v Registrar General for Scotland & Scottish Ministers, concerning a judicial review challenging the guidance issued to accompany the “sex question” in the 2022 Scottish census; the review was refused and the challenge thrown out. Aidan O’Neill KC (who has dual tenancy with London-based set Matrix Chambers) garners praise for his ‘outstanding knowledge‘, and successfully acted for rewilding charity Trees for Life in a judicial review brought against Scottish Government agency NatureScot, on the grounds that the agency’s policy of issuing licences to cull beavers was unlawful.

Testimonials

Stable

‘Very helpful and responsive.’

‘Considerable strength in depth.’

Leading silks

Band 1

Aidan O’Neill KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Aidan is beyond talented. He thinks of novel and innovative approaches to arguments, as well as having an extraordinary base of legal and historical knowledge which can be brought to bear.’

Douglas Ross KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Douglas excels at seeing a clear route to a sound and practical solution through competing arguments. He has the confidence of clients in a tight situation and the total respect of the court; he wears his learning lightly and deploys it persuasively. He is an ideal public law silk.‘

Band 2

Susanne Tanner KC

Leading juniors

Band 1

Paul Reid

Band 2

Ross Anderson

Usman Tariq

Timothy Young – Ampersand Advocates ‘Timothy has a pragmatic approach to cases. He is an extremely safe pair of hands.’

Rising Star

Michael Way – Ampersand Advocates ‘Michael is exceptionally thorough and meticulous, very insightful in his drafting, and exceptional on his feet.‘

Commercial Disputes

TIER 2

Viewed as ‘one of the best stables for commercial disputes counsel‘, Ampersand Advocates‘ team fields expertise in handling insolvency matters, IP-related cases and professional negligence issues, to name a few. Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC has notable experience in advising on commercial disputes with planning and real estate elements. Graeme Hawkes KC is ‘very responsive‘ and regularly acts in litigation involving commercial contracts. Timothy Young ‘delivers complex legal issues in an easy to understand and pragmatic way‘. Shareholder disputes form a core pillar of Paul Reid‘s practice.

Testimonials

Stable

‘Good pool of advocates.’

‘Extremely efficient, friendly and responsive.’

Leading silks

Band 2

Alan Dewar KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘A silk who is extremely knowledgeable, concise and certainly has the ear of the court.’

Robert Howie KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Robert is able to identify core issues in highly complex litigation quickly and with razor sharp focus, and provides practical advice on and solutions to those issues. His analytical skills are first-rate.’

Leading juniors

Band 1

Ross Anderson – Ampersand Advocates ‘Ross is a good communicator and a first-rate advocate who is quick on his feet. He provides sound and detailed advice.’

Eoghainn MacLean – Ampersand Advocates ‘He thoroughly considers the issues in a case.’

Usman Tariq – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is assiduous and tremendously user-friendly. Judges like his understated approach in court.’

Band 2

Mark Boni – Ampersand Advocates ‘Mark is extremely professional in his approach. He has a good manner with clients and provides clear and concise advice on difficult legal issues.’

Paul Reid – Ampersand Advocates ‘Paul understands the pressures solicitors and clients are under and is incredibly easy to work with. He is across every detail, and can be relied upon to explain complex issues in simple language.’

Timothy Young – Ampersand Advocates ‘Timothy is extremely commercial, and takes time to understand the client’s objectives and the wider context of the dispute. He is excellent under pressure and he is extremely robust. His written work is clear and persuasive, and he is equally impressive on his feet.’

Rising Star

Michael Way – Ampersand Advocates ‘Michael is very knowledgeable, and builds a strong rapport with solicitors and clients alike.’

Personal Injury and Medical Negligence

TIER 1

Ampersand Advocates garners particular praise for its ‘unique depth and range of expertise in clinical negligence‘; complex, high-value personal injury work is another core pillar of strength for the team. Maria Maguire KC has solid expertise in advising on cases involving psychiatric injuries and catastrophic injury matters. Lauren Sutherland KC, who is also a member of Byrom Street Chambers in Manchester, is well known for handling cerebral palsy and brain injury cases, and has niche expertise in advising on issues of consent in relation to clinical negligence matters. Among the juniors, Jennifer Nicholson-White is active in both areas, and represents pursuers and defenders in a range of litigation.

Testimonials

Stable

‘Very high calibre of advocates.’

‘The stable has a wealth of experience.’

Leading silks

Band 1

David Stephenson KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘David is a brilliant and skilled orator, who is highly effective on his feet in court. He is a very safe pair of hands in complex, high value clinical negligence cases.’

Euan Mackenzie KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Euan is an excellent advocate, with a mild demeanour that belies a steely core.’

Geoffrey Mitchell KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is a skilled and practical negotiator. A silk with a calm presence in court, unfailingly polite but rigorous in questioning.’

Graham Primrose KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Graham is simply outstanding in his field. A stalwart negotiator and a quality operator at the top of his game.’

Lisa Henderson KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Lisa is excellent with clients, and they are well aware of her dedication to the case. She is thorough in her preparation.’

Maria Maguire KC -Ampersand Advocates ‘Maria is a class act. She is top of her game in this field. She is a master at analysing complex cases and providing clear and straightforward advice to clients.’

Simon Bowie KC -Ampersand Advocates ‘Simon is an exceptional silk who is always thorough in his preparation, calm in his approach and extremely personable. He is clever, thoughtful and level headed.’

Band 2

Lauren Sutherland KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Lauren is fearless, tenacious and has meticulous attention to detail. She also easily builds rapport with clients and gains their trust. She has an unparalleled knowledge of relevant cases, however obscure.’

Alan Dewar KC – Ampersand Advocates

Douglas Ross KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is always well-prepared and goes the extra mile. A very calm and measured advocate with a very understated manner, and always treats others with respect.’

Una Doherty KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Una is incredibly calm and instils confidence She is determined and dependable, and has the ability to cut straight through the superfluous and immediately identify the issues at the heart of an action.’

Vinit Khurana KC – Ampersand Advocates

Leading juniors

Band 1

James McConnell – Ampersand Advocates ‘A well respected junior. He is organised, extremely thorough and diligent. Excellent with clients and experts.’

Band 2

Fiona Drysdale – Ampersand Advocates ‘A diligent, perceptive and highly able junior.’

Jennifer Nicholson-White –Ampersand Advocates ‘She offers clear and focussed advice to clients and presents cases well in court. She is very personable, making her extremely easy to work with, yet is prepared to stick to her guns where appropriate and goes above and beyond for all clients.’

Shane Dundas – Ampersand Advocates ‘An outstanding advocate who is great to work with. He is responsive, proactive and excellent in court.’

Property, Planning and Construction

TIER 1

Ampersand Advocates ‘has a wide offering of quality advocates‘ and an excellent reputation for its expertise in planning and construction law matters. Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC is ‘a very impressive advocate‘ who provides ‘clear, considered and strategic advice‘ across a wide range of planning matters. Marcus McKay KC is viewed as ‘one of the best at the senior Bar in planning and environmental matters‘. Timothy Young is sought after for his solid track record in advising on construction contractual disputes and contentious property work, including crofting and agricultural issues. Nicholas McAndrew is ‘a first class junior, particularly when it comes to construction and engineering disputes‘.

Testimonials

Stable

‘Ampersand is very responsive and easy to work with.’

‘Ampersand is a strong stable with a fantastic choice of advocates.’

Leading silks

Band 1

Robert Howie KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘A superbly analytical and utterly top drawer silk who is excellent in court.’

Marcus McKay KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘Marcus is a very pragmatic silk, and he is extremely easy to work with. He presents cases in a clear and logical manner and is good at seeing the bigger picture.’

Malcolm Thomson KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is an exceptional advocate.’

Ailsa Wilson KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘A silk with a very strong planning law practice.’

Leading juniors

Band 1

Eoghainn MacLean – Ampersand Advocates

Timothy Young – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is a fierce advocate who you want on your side in a contentious matter.‘

Band 2

Nicholas McAndrew – Ampersand Advocates ‘An incredibly able junior with a very calm, measured and methodical way of approaching cases. He is conscientious, and clear and concise in his advocacy.’

Ross Anderson – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is an impressive court performer and provides solid commercial advice.’

Giles Reid – Ampersand Advocates ‘Giles has an exceptional knowledge of Scottish property law. He is diligent, attentive and very user-friendly.’

Employment

Aidan O’Neill KC – Ampersand Advocates ‘He is an excellent communicator and exceedingly bright. He is also wonderfully adept under pressure.’

Full listings, including all Scottish rankings can be viewed on the Legal 500 website here.

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Scott Clair

Since calling to the Bar as a Lord Hope Scholar in 2022, Scott Clair has built a strong practice anchored around professional liability, commercial litigation and public law. In 2024, he was appointed as Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General for Scotland (UK Government). In that capacity, he has advised and represented the UK Government in respect of a broad range of matters, ranging from a judicial review in relation to immigration law, to director’s disqualification proceedings.

Scott also has particular interest and experience in professional liability and regulation (especially claims against solicitors, advocates and healthcare professionals). As well as conducting litigation on behalf of professionals, he has appeared before fitness to practice panels. Scott is regularly instructed by the NHS in Scotland to advise on a wide range of matters, including clinical negligence claims, fatal accident inquiries and advice in relation to statutory and regulatory compliance. He has also carried out work as an ad hoc junior counsel to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. Although predominantly instructed on behalf of defenders, Scott also has experience of pursuing claims on behalf of pursuers (professional liability, commercial and property litigation). He regularly appears in the Court of Session and other courts and tribunals. He has appeared in several appeals and has appeared a number of times as sole counsel before the Inner House of the Court of Session.

Scott has tutored in a range of subjects, including public law, delict, commercial law, and evidence at the University of Edinburgh. He continues to retain an interest in legal education, as an accredited instructor for the Faculty of Advocates’ training for devils programme.

Scott is also a reporter for Session Cases, the most authoritative law reports in Scotland. He is also a member of the Faculty of Advocates’ Law Reform Committee and in that capacity has assisted with the preparation of consultation responses to the Scottish Government on behalf of the Faculty.

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Katharine Muir

Katharine Muir called to the Bar in 2022 after 6 years as a solicitor in private practice. She has a varied civil practice which includes professional regulation, clinical negligence, product liability, judicial review, defamation, construction litigation and contractual disputes. She appears regularly in the Sheriff Courts and Court of Session and has been instructed in group proceedings.

Katharine has a particular interest in product liability. She has worked on some of the most high-profile product liability cases in Scotland as solicitor and since coming to the Bar. She has also advised manufacturers on product compliance and safety, labelling and advertising.

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Rough justice, smoother delivered – An article by Ampersand’s Nick McAndrew

An article by Ampersand’s Nick McAndrew appears in this month’s edition of the Law Society Journal, and will hopefully be of interest to those familiar with – and new to – construction adjudication. He comments on new services for resolving ‘Low Value’ disputes, and the Dickie Moore decision on ‘severance’ of an adjudicator’s award.

Full copy of September’s Journal can be found here: https://lnkd.in/dyRE-H7

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Mark Boni

Mark Boni called to the Bar in 2020, having qualified as a solicitor in 2014. Since 2022, Mark has been ranked by Legal 500 as a tier 2 leading junior in commercial disputes and since 2024 has been ranked as a tier 1 leading junior in private client and family disputes. In the UK Bar Guide 2025, Chamber & Partners identified him as an “up and coming” junior counsel in commercial dispute resolution as well as real estate litigation.

Mark has experience in a wide range of commercial and private law litigation, with a particular interest in contractual and property disputes, prescription, personal insolvency and private client litigation.

He regularly appears for pursuers and defenders at proofs, debates, procedural hearings, opposed motions and interim orders hearings.

Mark has experience, both as a solicitor and at the Bar, of litigating in the Sheriff Courts, Sheriff Appeal Court, Lands Tribunal, Court of Session (Outer and Inner Houses) as well as the UK Supreme Court. Mark also has experience in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.

Whilst devilling, Mark was a Lord Hope Scholar and was involved in a variety of complex and high value cases, including professional negligence claims and intellectual property actions.

Since 2012, Mark has tutored part-time at the University of Edinburgh. He presently tutors “Commercial Law” and “Contract and Unjustified Enrichment” and previously tutored “Public Law of the UK and Scotland” and “Public Law and Individual Rights”.

Mark wrote the reissue edition of “Prescription and Limitation” in the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia (published 2023) and has rewritten the Scottish prescription and limitation online content for Lexis+.

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Nicholas McAndrew

Nick called to the Bar in 2020, having been a solicitor for five years in a large Scottish commercial law firm specialising in Construction Litigation. Since calling, Nick has focused his practice on Construction and Commercial Disputes together with Planning & Environmental law issues.

Nick is rated as a Leading Junior (Band 1) in Legal 500 for Property, Planning and Construction disputes, with solicitors emphasising his strong written work and methodical approach to cases.

He is also ranked in Chambers as Band 1 for his Planning & Environment practice.

Previously as a solicitor, and now as an Advocate, Nick has litigated in the Courts (Sheriff Court & Court of Session (Outer and Inner House)), Lands Tribunal, Adjudication, and at Arbitration.

Selected cases:

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