Commercial Dispute Resolution

Ampersand has long been regarded as one of the leading commercial law sets at the Scottish Bar.

The set has experienced senior and junior counsel who receive regular instructions from the top commercial firms in Scotland across a wide range of disputes. Our members have expertise in a variety of commercial matters, including insolvency, construction, real estate, professional negligence and intellectual property disputes. The Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide ranks Ampersand as one of only 2 sets in Scotland for Commercial matters and notes that our members “typically act for leading corporates and financial institutions, and are popular choices with leading solicitors in the market”.

Our aim is to combine advocacy of the highest quality with a commercial approach. We appreciate that many clients involved in commercial disputes want more than just good legal advice; they want somebody who understands the commercial realities of a dispute and can achieve cost-effective and innovative solutions.

What the Legal Directories say about Ampersand in Commercial Dispute Resolution

Chambers & Partners UK Bar 2025

Commercial Dispute Resolution (Band 2)

Ampersand Advocates is admired for its skilful work in high profile commercial disputes. The stable offers a large team comprising highly rated advocates at the senior and junior levels. The advocates are instruction behalf of corporations and financial institutions and are involved in a variety of related areas of practice including intellectual property and insolvency. Recent work highlights include Rankine v Livingston FC Limited, a series of disputes arising out of the acquisition of Livingston FC concerning allegations of fraud and shadow directorship. A commentator remarks: “Ampersand is one of the go-to stables in Scotland for any commercial property dispute.”

Rankings include Robert Howie KC, Graeme Hawkes KC, Laura-Anne van der Westhuizen KC, Paul Reid KC, Usman Tariq KC, Ross G. Anderson, Timothy Young, Giles Reid, Eoghainn MacLean, Mark Boni, Micheal Way and Nicholas McAndrew

See full table here.

Legal 500 UK Bar 2025

Commercial Dispute Resolution

TIER 2

Ampersand Advocates has an excellent track record in handling high-profile commercial disputes. The team’s broad workload includes contentious construction, professional negligence, insolvency and intellectual property issues. Paul Reid KC has extensive experience in advising on professional liability claims, and Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC is well versed in assisting with disputes relating to insolvency, planning and shipping matters. Among the juniors, Ross Anderson is ‘reliable and easy to work with’, Timothy Young has ‘razor-sharp focus on the particulars of a case’, and Michael Way is ‘an accomplished litigator’ with ‘unmatched pure, raw intellect’. In recent work for the stable, newly appointed silk Usman Tariq KC, who attracts praise for his ‘huge depth of knowledge of IP law’, acted as sole counsel for the respondent in D&M Winchester Ltd v Coleburn Distillery Ltd, which involved a dispute over a trade mark; this case was the second ever appeal from the UK Intellectual Property Office to the Court of Session under the Trade Marks Act 1994.

An impressive roster of silks includes Robert Howie KC, Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC. Ross Anderson, Eoghainn MacLean, Mark Boni, Nicholas McAndrew, Timothy Young are recognised as leading juniors.

See full table here.

Stable Testimonials

‘Alan Moffat is great’
‘Alan Moffat and Kathryn Ferguson are very helpful’
‘The clerks are attentive and efficient’
‘Very efficient, friendly and reliable’
‘Ampersand is an exceptional stable’
‘A go-to stable for any commercial dispute, and the range of advocates is very impressive’
‘Ampersand is an excellent stable’