Shoosmiths LLP

Commercial litigation.

Stuart is an experienced commercial litigator and leads the dispute resolution team in Edinburgh. He specialises in the resolution of commercial disputes, with significant expertise in corporate, contractual, insolvency and property related disputes.

Stuart is also a Solicitor Advocate with rights of audience in the Court of Session and the Supreme Court and has considerable experience acting for and appearing on behalf of clients in the Court of Session, the Sheriff Court, the Land Court and the Lands Tribunal.

Stuart also regularly advises insolvency practitioners, companies and directors on all aspects of insolvency law and has acted on a number of high profile insolvency cases. In November 2015, Stuart delivered the legal update presentation for the fifth year running at the leading Scottish insolvency conference run by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

His recent experience includes:

Acting on behalf of liquidators in an application to the court for directions on the previously untested question of whether liquidators in Scotland have the power to disclaim onerous property. Representing a global supplier of diving and subsea equipment in the successful resolution of a multi-million pound contractual dispute at mediation. Acting on behalf of the purchasers of a company in a substantial damages claim for breach of warranty in respect of the seller’s failure to disclose, under the terms of a Sale and Purchase Agreement, information regarding the supply of defective products. Representing a high net worth private investor in a successful claim for £1.1million under a put and call option agreement. The claim involved the calling up of a standard security granted as security for the debt, and the defence of a petition for suspension and interdict in relation to that calling up process.

Stuart joined Shoosmiths in July 2016.

Law Society of Scotland; Solicitor Advocate; WS Society Signet Accredited (Commercial Litigation)

Peterhead Academy and University of Aberdeen: LLB Hons (2000); DipLP (2001)

Golf, cycling.