Burness Paull LLP

The firm: Proudly based in Scotland, Burness Paull is a full-service, independent law firm working with leading organisations across the UK and internationally. Burness Paull is the exclusive UK member of Lex Mundi - the world’s leading network of independent law firms – and has worked in over 60 jurisdictions in the last three years. Top Scottish deal making firm since 2017.
www.burnesspaull.com

Principal areas of work
Corporate/M&A: Burness Paull has the largest specialist deals teams in Scotland. The firm has continued to prove its market-leading position in Scotland and expand its global reach - with a significant proportion of work done worldwide for UK-based clients as well as international investors acquiring companies and equity stakes in the UK.

Energy: Burness Paull’s energy practice is built on our deep experience of advising on the legal and commercial issues of global oil and gas and renewable energy projects. We bring experience from both sides of the fence, as advisors in private practice able to count upon experienced former in-house professionals from operators, developers and service providers. The firm's energy lawyers have advised on high-value deals from Norway to Nigeria and have worked in over 100 jurisdictions.

Property: The firm’s tier one-ranked real estate team is one of the largest in Scotland, with specialist expertise in retail, leisure and hospitality, investment, housebuilding, development, renewables, public sector, agriculture and estates, and real estate finance. Combined with planning, it has delivered a number of innovative projects and has a depth of experience in acquisitions, disposals, finance and development, including investment portfolios and UK-wide financing.

Construction: With one of the largest construction law teams in Scotland, Burness Paull offers a truly integrated service in both contentious and non-contentious matters. The team provides advice across the whole spectrum of construction and engineering, from offshore engineering contracts and major public sector infrastructure projects, through to traditional mixed-use commercial developments.

Planning: The firm’s planning team, works across private and public sectors on a full spectrum of developments: conventional energy, renewable energy, regeneration, retail and residential. Its work includes planning appraisals, representation on development plans, community consultations, submission of applications, discussions with planning authorities and consultees, negotiation of planning agreements, preparation and submission of appeals and reviews, appearances at public inquiries and hearings and compulsory purchase orders.

Banking: Burness Paull’s banking team is recognised for its exceptional track record of leading complex transactions and the delivery of practical solutions and advice. It acts for international and domestic financial institutions, private equity houses and corporate borrowers. Many of the team have City or in-house experience and all have exemplary credentials in a range of financings, including oil and gas, renewables, acquisition, asset-backed and real estate, as well as restructurings and securitisations.

Funds: The firm’s 20+ strong team is Scotland’s leading private funds practice. Its client base is made up of City and international law firms and domestic, European and North American fund managers. While the team has built its market-leading reputation on the sponsor side, the last three years have seen the growth and development of a significant investor-side practice.

Commercial dispute resolution: Burness Paull’s dispute resolution team is one of the strongest commercial litigation teams in Scotland. It handles high-value, complex cases for international businesses, global conglomerates, government agencies and high-profile individuals. Each of the team’s partners are specialists in their respective fields of intellectual property, property litigation, product liability, insolvency, reputation management, and marine and offshore. The IP team was named Scottish Patent Contentious Firm of the Year and also IP Transactions & Advisory Firm of the Year at the Managing IP Awards in 2022.

Health and safety: The firm’s health and safety practice provides strategic advice across energy, food and drink, shipping, marine and subsea, aviation, manufacturing and construction, and pharmaceuticals. It supports clients through every stage of H&S litigation, from emergency healthcare response and incident investigation through to representation at inquiries or criminal prosecutions. The team also advises on financial crime and is highly-experienced in representing clients in FAIs.

Employment: Burness Paull’s award-winning employment practice is the largest dedicated team in Scotland, advising some of the  best-known employers across the UK. The market-leading contentious employment litigation practice includes a number of highly experienced litigators and solicitor advocates, and is fully capable of advising in relation to English employment law matters.

Pensions: The firm’s impressive pensions practice advises on M&A, corporate restructuring, alternative funding arrangements and insolvency. It also advises trustees and local authorities on all aspects of running pension funds, and insurance companies on the pension products they provide to the market. Comprising lawyers dual-qualified in English and Scots law, the firm has the only pensions team with a full-time presence in Aberdeen.

Technology and commercial: Burness Paull’s tech and commercial team has market-leading expertise across a range of specialist tech areas, including outsourcing, procurement, complex commercial contracts, and the use of information. The team includes commercial lawyers with specialisms in IT, IP, information law, FinTech and financial services regulation.

Immigration: Burness Paull’s immigration team is the market leader in Scotland, acting for public and private sector clients and individuals. The highly specialised team advises on the full spectrum of immigration issues, including the sponsoring of foreign workers and international migrants, relocation to the UK for investment or business start-up purposes, settlement applications, complex family migration cases, and immigration litigation.

Public law and regulatory: Burness Paull has one of the strongest, dedicated teams of lawyers who focus purely on matters relating to government, the public sector and their relationship to business and society. The team acts for a wide range of private sector companies in respect of their interactions with state bodies and have represented a number of key individuals and groups across all manner of public law challenges, including statutory appeals, judicial review, tribunals, disciplinary proceedings, inquiries, investigations and procurement challenges.

Family and divorce: Burness Paull employs Scotland’s leading family law experts who advise on a range of matters, including divorce and separation agreements, child-related issues arising between separated couples, cohabitation agreements and separation, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, international and cross-border issues, and adoption.

Rural Business: Burness Paull's Rural Business team cover a range of services including transactional business across all rural property types, traditional conveyancing matters, succession planning, business structuring, partnership reorganisation and agricultural holdings.