Property, Planning And Construction

Ampersand Advocates
Terra Firma Chambers

Leading Silks

1
James Findlay KC – Terra Firma Chambers ‘He is very persuasive on his feet. At his best he makes his conclusions seem obvious; it can be like listening to prophecy come true. He wins clients' confidence with ease but does not over-promise.’
Robert Howie KC – Ampersand Advocates 'A silk who thinks ahead and anticipates the opponent's next move.'
Steven Walker KC – Themis Advocates 'A litigation tactician and strategist who is a very good communicator and brilliant with clients.'
Ailsa Wilson KC – Ampersand Advocates 'Ailsa is an incredibly knowledgeable and experienced advocate in planning law. Clients like her; she is extremely personable and down to earth. She is precise and calm in her advocacy, with nothing fazing her.'
2
Douglas Armstrong KC – Terra Firma Chambers 'Douglas is great at working with witnesses and putting them at ease in stressful settings. He is excellent in court, and calm in challenging circumstances.'
Jonathan Barne KC – Axiom Advocates
Alasdair Burnet KC – Terra Firma Chambers 'A KC who is very experienced in handling the full range of property disputes, great to deal with and good at strategy. Clients like him.'
Marcus McKay KC – Ampersand Advocates 'Marcus is an exceptional advocate. He is hands-on, extremely approachable and an excellent strategist. His knowledge of the energy sector is second to none.'
Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC – Ampersand Advocates

Leading Juniors

1
Ross Anderson – Ampersand Advocates 'An advocate who is very good at getting to grips with and mastering the details of his brief.'
Graham Dunlop – Terra Firma Chambers 'Graham is unflappable and firm but fair, even with challenging clients.'
Denis Garrity – Terra Firma Chambers 'He is a diligent and insightful lawyer.'
Eoghainn MacLean – Ampersand Advocates
Scott Manson – Axiom Advocates
Nicholas McAndrew – Ampersand Advocates 'Nick is a fantastic advocate to work with: he is bright, articulate and commercially focussed. He gets straight to the point. He is robust and tenacious but is also pragmatic and user friendly. Nick is always able to identify different angles and approaches when it comes to presenting arguments.'
Adam McKinlay – Axiom Advocates
Maurice O’Carroll – Terra Firma Chambers ‘Maurice has exceptional knowledge of planning law and renewable energy cases.'
Timothy Young – Ampersand Advocates 'Tim has great attention to detail - he spots the nub of the issue for the client at the outset, and focuses on achieving the best possible outcome for them.'
2
Ewen Brown  – Terra Firma Chambers 'Ewen is a very impressive advocate. He is always thoroughly prepared, and provides valuable, measured and strategic advice underpinned by a remarkable knowledge of the law.'
Louise Cockburn - Ampersand Advocates 'Louise is very knowledgeable and a great communicator. She is easily approachable, and demonstrates great advocacy skills in a court setting.'
Fergus Colquhoun – Terra Firma Chambers 'A user-friendly junior whose written and oral advocacy is first rate.'
Brian Crook – Terra Firma Chambers ‘Brian is adept at breaking down complex property disputes into an easily understandable opinions. His complete understanding of the issue and relevant law is evident in his examination and cross-examination of witnesses.’
Alan Innes - Terra Firma Chambers 'He has deep knowledge of property litigation. A junior who shows meticulous attention to detail and a good grasp of complex legal concepts. His advice is clear and client friendly.'
Charles Oliver – Arnot Manderson Advocates
Giles Reid – Ampersand Advocates 'A fiercely intelligent advocate, with a client-friendly manner. He has a strong presence in the court.'
Robert Sutherland – Terra Firma Chambers 'He has a great ability to break down complex problems for clients into manageable pieces.'

Rising Stars

Kenneth Young – Terra Firma Chambers 'He is very responsive, and delivers what is promised. He communicates well with clients.'

Property, planning and construction in Scottish Bar

Ampersand Advocates


At Ampersand Advocates, Ailsa Wilson KC is sought after for her expertise in advising on land ownership disputes, infrastructure development issues and contentious matters relating to environmental protection regulations. Marcus McKay KC continues to act for energy companies in work concerning the planning aspects of large-scale energy infrastructure projects in Scotland. In recent work for the group, McKay KC and Nicholas McAndrew represented SSEN Transmission in a public local inquiry concerning planning permission for the construction of a 275kV overhead electricity line in Argyll and Kintyre, as part of a 13.3km energy infrastructure development project; the Scottish Government granted approval for the construction. Louise Cockburn is well-versed in advising on planning and environmental matters.

Les références

‘Alan Moffat is always available and helpful.’

‘Sheena Hume is always extremely helpful and efficient.’

‘The clerks are very responsive and provide a high level of service.’





Terra Firma Chambers


Terra Firma Chambers is ‘an excellent stable for advocates specialising in planning and environmental law‘, and has ‘good strength in depth in property law‘. Alasdair Burnet KC is ‘very knowledgeable in planning and property law‘, and James Findlay KC – a dual tenant with English set Cornerstone Barristers – is ‘the pre-eminent planning KC in Scotland‘. Among the juniors, Ewen Brown has an established track record in advising on leasing and commercial property disputes, and Brian Crook continues to handle cases relating to contested property rights. Fergus Colquhoun acted for one of the petitioners Petitions by Greenpeace LTD & Uplift for Judicial Review challenging the decision made by the Secretary of State for the Environment to grant consent for oil and gas developments at the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields; it was ruled that that the Environmental Impact Assessment consents granted for the fields were unlawful as "Scope 3" downstream emissions were not taken into account in the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Les références

‘The clerks at Terra Firma are fantastic. Emma Caskie-Potter is brilliant and will also go above and beyond, as do her deputy clerks.’

‘Emma Caskie-Potter is an absolute pleasure to deal with and always goes the extra mile.’

‘Emma is simply unmatched! Her passion and enthusiasm are infectious.’