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.

Back

Scott Clair

Scott Clair called to the Bar in 2022 as a Lord Hope Scholar.

He has experience in a wide range of commercial, private and public law litigation. In the course of devilling, Scott was involved in a variety of complex and high-value cases including commercial disputes, clinical and professional negligence claims, regulatory, human rights and constitutional law cases. Scott has a particular interest in the latter and, whilst devilling, worked on a number of high-profile judicial review cases including a legislative competence challenge to an Act of the Scottish Parliament, a challenge to Scotland’s Census 2022 and the first removal of a judicial office holder under the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

He has appeared as sole counsel before the Sheriff Courts, the Sheriff Appeal Court, the Court of Session (both Outer House and Inner House), and during devilling assisted with the preparation of cases before the UK Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Before calling to the Bar, as a solicitor and then associate with a well-known litigation firm in Edinburgh, he gained substantial experience of appearing in court and regularly conducted proofs, debates and complex opposed motions including for interdict. Scott also gained experience in fatal accident inquiries and various forms of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration, adjudication and mediation.

Scott has particular interests in contract law, clinical and professional negligence, media law, private client litigation and judicial review.

Scott also has an interest in legal education. Since 2021, he has tutored in Commercial Law, Public Law and Individual Rights, and Evidence at the University of Edinburgh.

Back

Sheana Campbell

Sheana Campbell practices mainly in commercial law.

Prior to calling, Sheana was a litigation solicitor for 13 years. She trained and qualified into a large commercial firm before moving to a boutique firm in 2012, where she subsequently became a director. She obtained extended rights of audience in the civil courts in 2014.

Sheana has significant experience of a broad range of commercial disputes, especially those arising out of insolvency situations. She has been regularly instructed in disputes involving contractual, partnership or company related issues. She also has experience in property disputes.

Sheana’s personal insolvency practice was recommended in the 2022 Legal 500. She has been a member of R3’s Scottish Technical Committee since 2018 and the Lexis Nexis Scottish Restructuring and Insolvency Expert Panel since 2019.

Back

Ampersand Advocates welcomes Top Rankings success in latest Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide 2022

Ampersand has once 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 2022.

Ampersand received 68 listings across 17 areas of practice, ranking as top tier (band 1) in Clinical Negligence and Planning & Environmental Law as a Set, and band 2 in Administrative & Public law, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Personal Injury, Professional Negligence, Real Estate Litigation and Restructuring/Insolvency as a Set. 5 members are noted as “star individuals”. There is wide practice for the clerking team and client service too.

Noted as a Band 1 set for Clinical Negligence, “Ampersand Advocates retains its reputation as a market-leading stable for clinical negligence matters. Its advocates continue to provide expert legal advice and representation to both pursuers and defenders in a wide range of disputes, including claims relating to birth and catastrophic brain and spinal injuries. Members are well versed in cases arising from alleged failures in diagnosis and surgical errors, and regularly appear at fatal accident inquiries. The stable also houses considerable expertise in multiparty actions stemming from the use of medical equipment, and several of its advocates have recently been involved in the Scottish Mesh Litigation, a class action in which over 500 claims were brought against the NHS in connection with allegedly defective vaginal mesh. Our rankings include 2 “Star Individuals”, Maria Maguire QC and David Stephenson QC, with 10 further silks and 7 juniors also ranked – Simon Bowie QC, Jamie Dawson QC, Simon Di Rollo QC, Una Doherty QC, Lisa Henderson QC, Vinit Khurana QC, Archie MacSporran QC, Geoffrey Mitchell QC, Graham Primrose QC, Lauren Sutherland QC, Fiona Drysdale, Mark Fitzpatrick, James McConnell, Paul Reid and Phil Stuart.

Ampersand’s new Band 1 listing in Planning & Environment states “Ampersand is a leading stable with a strong offering of advocates in both the junior and senior ranks.” and “Ampersand Advocates is well regarded for the complex planning and environmental work undertaken by its advocates. Members of the stable regularly act in judicial reviews and challenges to planning permissions and frequently act on behalf of developers, objectors, public sector bodies and energy companies. Members are regularly engaged in high-profile matters, including those relating to large renewable energy projects. Rankings include Malcolm Thomson QC as “Star Individual”, Marcus McKay QC, Ailsa Wilson QC and new silk Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC.

Band 2 listings include Administrative & Public Law where Ampersand is praised “houses highly praised practitioners who are skilled at acting in public law cases involving significant constitutional and human rights issues. They frequently appear before the highest courts in the UK and the EU.” The rankings include “Star Individual” Aidan O’Neill QC, along with Douglas Ross QC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC, Paul Reid and Usman Tariq.

In Civil Liberties & Human Rights Ampersand is noted as a “highly regarded civil liberties and human rights stable, known for representing both private individuals and public bodies in significant proceedings. Practitioners at Ampersand are regularly instructed by the government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.” The rankings include Aidan O’Neill QC, Douglas Ross QC and Usman Tariq.

In Commercial Dispute Resolution Chambers state Ampersand is “well renowned for its consistent involvement in high-profile commercial disputes. The stable offers a large team comprising highly rated advocates at the senior and junior level. The advocates are instructed on behalf of corporations and financial institutions and are involved in a variety of related areas of practice including intellectual property and insolvency.” The rankings include Robert Howie QC, Graeme Hawkes QC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC, Ross Anderson, Giles Reid, Paul Reid, Usman Tariq and Tim Young.

Within Personal Injury “Ampersand Advocates is a highly regarded stable for personal injury matters and houses a number of dedicated senior and junior advocates. Members act for both pursuers and defenders, including several major insurers, in the full range of claims, and offer considerable expertise in the handling of catastrophic injury cases arising from road traffic and workplace accidents. The team is also well regarded for its expertise in complex product liability and occupiers’ liability disputes and matters involving accidents abroad. The stable’s tenants are regularly called upon to appear in fatal accident inquiries, where they have experience of acting for government agencies, health boards and local authorities.” Rankings include “Star Individuals” Maria Maguire QC and Graham Primrose QC with others ranked Isla Davie QC, Simon Di Rollo QC, Lisa Henderson QC, Euan Mackenzie QC, Douglas Ross QC, Alan Cowan, Chris Marney, Jenny Nicholson, Louise Milligan.

A new Set ranking in Professional Negligence declares “Ampersand Advocates is recognised as a leading set for professional liability matters in Scotland. The advocates often advise and act in proceedings on behalf of and against a suite of professionals including solicitors, surveyors, architects and financial advisers.” The rankings include Chris Marney, Paul Reid and Usman Tariq.

In another new Set ranking area, Real Estate Litigation, it exclaims “Ampersand Advocates offers a strong bench of well-regarded advocates who are active across a broad range of real estate litigation topics. The set demonstrates strong expertise in areas of overlap between commercial and real estate disputes. Members are instructed at all levels from the Supreme Court down.” Rankings include Robert Howie QC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC, Ross Anderson, Giles Reid and Tim Young.

Within Restructuring/Insolvency “Ampersand Advocates is well regarded for its handling of a wide range of restructuring and insolvency matters. The stable’s advocates are frequently instructed to represent administrators, companies, banks and insolvency office holders in complex claims involving allegations of wrongful trading and breach of fiduciary duty, among other matters. Members have experience of appearing in both domestic and cross-border matters, and are regularly called upon to act for and advise their clients on both contentious and non-contentious insolvency cases.” Rankings include Robert Howie QC, Ross Anderson and Usman Tariq.

There are individual rankings in: Agriculture and Rural Affairs for Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC; Company for Tim Young; Employment for Aidan O’Neill QC; Immigration for Alan Dewar QC; Information Technology and Intellectual Property for Usman Tariq; Product Liability for Paul Reid; and Tax for Ross Anderson.

The Ampersand clerks receive wide praise across all areas of practice described as “fantastic and always very helpful… approachable and knowledgeable….Very efficient and pleasant.” The client service is also noted as “ahead of the curve in terms of its responsiveness and use of technology” and notes Ampersand “was the first Scottish stable to offer video conferencing.”

On the recent rankings, Practice Manager, Alan Moffat, said: “This is again wonderful recognition and praise for all of the excellent work our advocates and my team does on a continual basis. My thanks goes to everyone who took the time to provide Chambers with their views. We work in collaboration with the profession and it is pleasing to hear those that instruct our members recognise the value our members bring to the legal team. I am also proud of the excellent and hard work my team puts in daily and am pleased to see that appreciated too.”

The full rankings can be viewed on the Chambers and Partners website here.

Back

Ampersand Advocates ranked as top tier set by Legal 500

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 2021. Listed as tier 1 in 3 areas and tier 2 in another, Ampersand has collected 14 Senior Counsel rankings, 19 Junior Counsel rankings, including 5 rising stars, across the Scottish Bar listings.

Administrative and Public Law

TIER 1

Ampersand Advocates features a number of highly in-demand advocates across public law work. Aidan O’Neill QC – who is also a member of Matrix Chambers in London and is well-known for his EU law expertise – represented the pursuer in Keatings v Advocate General, a case brought by a supporter of Scottish independence seeking declaration that the devolved Holyrood parliament has the power to declare independence. Douglas Ross QC continues to be the only Scottish advocate on the Attorney-General’s Public International Law panel. Turning to the stable’s juniors, Paul Reid is First Standing Junior (a role not dissimilar to the Treasury Devil in England when the role was held by a junior pre-2006), Ross Anderson is recognized for his tax law expertise. Dorothy Bain QC was appointed as Lord Advocate. Ranked individuals are: Aidan O’Neill QC, Douglas Ross QC, Vinit Khurana QC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC, Paul Reid, Ross Anderson, Usman Tariq and Tim Young. Rising Stars noted are: Mark Boni and Michael Way.

Stable Testimonials

‘They have excellent senior counsel who can be called upon in the most challenging of cases even at short notice, as well as experienced juniors. Their flexibility and forward-thinking approach to technology has made instructing seamless even during the difficulties of the pandemic.’

‘Ampersand has a wide ranging practice, and therefore can always recommend suitable advocates.’

Commercial Disputes

TIER 2

Ampersand Advocates is home to a team of civil litigation advocates adept at advising on a range of commercial disputes and IP/TMT-related work. Unled, Eoghainn MacLean represented Rangers in its dispute with the SPFL as to the termination of the 2019-20 season. Elsewhere in the stable, Paul Reid has notable expertise in professional negligence work, while Usman Tariq continues to excel in technology-related work – in one matter, he acted for Sony concerning leaked images, originally hacked in Scotland, of then-upcoming AAA video game The Last of Us 2. Recent news includes the elevation of Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen QC to silk in the 2021 round; Craig Sandison QC (as was) is now a Senator of the College of Justice; and Dorothy Bain QC was appointed Lord Advocate (the chief legal officer of the Holyrood government). Ranked individuals are: Ranked individuals are: Alan Dewar QC, Robert Howie QC, Graeme Hawkes QC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC, Paul Reid, Ross Anderson, Eoghainn MacLean, Chris Marney, Usman Tariq and Tim Young. Rising Stars noted are: Mark Boni and Michael Way.

Stable testimonials

‘I have the highest regard for Ampersand as a stable. Interacting with all members of chambers, I have the sense I was dealing with advocates at the top of their game, in terms of their grip on the law and sheer insight.’

‘I only use commercial litigation advocates as that is the focus of my practice, but in so far as Ampersand offers commercial litigation advocates, they generally have a range of possible candidates of varying levels of experience.’

Personal Injury and Medical Negligence

TIER 1

Ampersand Advocates is active in a range of heavyweight personal injury and medical negligence litigation, with to some extent a focus on the latter, an area in which it is instructed by Scotland’s leading pursuer firms as well as defenders. Douglas Ross QC is active in both these areas, and in the personal injury field, he has a following in pursuer-side work concerning workplace incidents. Graham Primrose QC and Simon Bowie QC are instructed for the NHS in the mesh implant class action litigation. Vinit Khurana QC, who is also a member of 2 Temple Gardens in England, is thought to be the only doctor-turned-advocate in practice in Scotland. Medical regulatory work is another area of expertise for the team. Alan Dewar QC, David Stephenson QC, Euan Mackenzie QC, Geoff Mitchell QC, Graham Primrose QC, Lisa Henderson QC, Maria Maguire QC, Simon Bowie QC, Douglas Ross QC, Una Doherty QC, Vinit Khurana QC, Archie MacSporran QC, James McConnell, Fiona Drysdale and Jennifer Nicholson. Rising Star noted: Shane Dundas.

Stable Testimonials

‘The stable has a great selection of advocates with very specialist medical negligence experience. I have never had an issue with availability of counsel.’

‘They provide annual training on clinical negligence which is always helpful. Very helpful clerking team. Good range of expertise.’

Property, Planning and Construction

TIER 1

Ampersand Advocates handles a lot of work concerning the use of space, with many areas crossing over with its public law and commercial expertise. Eoghann Maclean represents the Duke of Argyll in a £7m claim against the Ministry of Defence concerning large quantities of unexploded WW2-era ordinance in his forest, which there was an allegedly bungled attempt to clear in the 1970s, while Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen QC – a 2021 silk appointment – is particularly active in work concerning planning and rural property. Malcolm Thomson QC has been active in work concerning the Electronic Communications Code, which underpins the UK-wide legal framework for physical telecoms infrastructure. Ranked individuals are: Robert Howie QC, Marcus McKay QC, Malcolm Thomson QC, Ailsa Wilson QC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen QC, Eoghainn MacLean, Chris Marney, Tim Young, Ross Anderson, Giles Reid. Rising Star noted: Alex Sutherland.

Stable Testimonials

‘The stable has a full breadth of advocates at all levels of experience with expertise over a broad area of law.’

‘Ampersand is a leading stable with a strong offering of advocates in both the junior and senior ranks across a variety of practice areas. The offering for planning and environmental matters is particularly strong, and includes some of the most impressive advocates in this area.’

Employment

Aidan O’Neill QC ‘His forte is in debating the court – he is never satisfied with the final version of an argument and is always looking to improve it.’

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

Back

Mary Ellen Stewart

Mary Ellen Stewart called to the Bar in 2021, after training and qualifying with Brodies LLP, and latterly working there as a senior solicitor.

As a solicitor, Mary Ellen had a busy practice dealing with a broad range of commercial disputes. Her practice had a particular focus on commercial contracts, banking and finance, insolvency and professional liability litigation. When in private practice, Mary Ellen appeared in the Sheriff Courts and instructed Counsel in Court of Session cases.

Mary Ellen has a particular interest in professional liability and regulation. She also has an interest in maritime and shipping law, and is the Advocate member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Marine Law Sub-Committee. Mary Ellen is also a part-time tutor of Contract Law and Unjustified Enrichment at Edinburgh University.

Mary Ellen was appointed to the Advocate General’s panel of Nominated Presenting Officers to the Home Office in 2021.

Mary Ellen is fluent and fully literate in Scottish Gaelic and is well placed to undertake work involving consideration of documents in Gaelic.

Back