BTO Solicitors LLP

Partner & Criminal Solicitor Advocate Alasdair is a criminal solicitor advocate with 16 years’ experience in both criminal and civil law. Alasdair’s experience in criminal casework encompasses acting primarily for large public sector organisations which represent the rights of their members. He also represents private and corporate clients in a number of high profile criminal cases. Alasdair has acted for high profile individuals from the world of sport, music and business in criminal cases which also require reputational management advice. He prides himself on providing a high level of service and care is required for those unfamiliar with the criminal process. Alasdair provides advice on Health and Safety, regulatory offences including Environmental offences, Bribery & Corruption (including embezzlement, fraud and procurement) & Corporate Manslaughter. His civil casework background includes Fatal Accident Inquiries, regulatory work, contract disputes and personal injury (including accidents at work) and medical negligence claims, where he has been successful in a number of multi-million pound actions. High profile litigation claims in which Alasdair’s strategic input has been key include a case which was taken to the House of Lords.

Alastair Dunn

Partner Alastair’s practice covers all aspects of company and contract law as well as public sector, third sector and project work. Within his general corporate practice, which covers the full range of acquisitions, disposals, investments and banking work, Alastair specialises in corporate disputes, forensics and insolvency. Alastair acts for a range of well-established clients including national and international organisations, owner-managed companies, entrepreneurs, funders, shareholder groups and investors. Instructions include sale of a utilities group; project, development and collaboration agreements; consultancy contracts; and high value company disputes/shareholder issues.

Alistair Barbour

Alistair is an Associate within BTO’s Insurance litigation team. Since qualifying in 2008, he has acted in personal injury actions, for 4 years as a Pursuer’s agent and for the last seven years, he has specialised in the defence of personal injury actions, including employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, public liability and motor claims. He is experienced in dealing with claims arising from occupational stress. In addition to his extensive experience in relation to all aspects of Personal Injury work, including the defence of claims raised at the Court of Session and Sheriff Court, he is also experienced in dealing with claims involving contractual disputes. Alistair has also undertaken a number of successful applications for mandatory reconsideration of CRU certificates, and he recently conducted a successful appeal against a mandatory reconsideration decision at the first-tier tribunal. Alistair recently acquired additional rights of audience and he is entitled to appear in the Court of Session, Supreme Court and Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Alistair is also a Notary Public.

Amy Anderson

Associate

Angus Wood

Partner

Angus Crawford

Partner Angus specialises in providing advice to insurers and commercial clients in respect of litigated matters and mediation. He is dual qualified and practises in both Scotland and England. He acts for both pursuers and defenders. He has extensive litigation expertise covering: construction and engineering claims; product liability claims; policy coverage/ determination; contractual disputes; oil and gas claims; transport claims; and cross-border litigation in European and North American jurisdictions. Angus is a practising mediator with ADR Group, Scottish Mediation and Strathclyde University Mediation Clinic. He acted on behalf of clients in many successful mediations before becoming a mediator. He has a valuable understanding of the needs of parties within a mediation, which helps to create an atmosphere of trust. He is pragmatic, with an approachable and informal manner. Angus has run a number of bespoke recovery schemes for insurer clients. The schemes have been very successful in maximising the monies recovered in as short a time frame as possible.

Audrey Blair

Associate Audrey, bringing with her over 16 years of experience in helping clients with all aspects of property matters. Having also practiced in commercial property and leasing in the past, Audrey now prefers to specialise in residential property, negotiating house sales and purchases, remortgages, transfers of title, boundary disputes and advising on all aspects of property ownership in general. She also carries out executry conveyancing, property transfers as a result of separation and divorce and has experience in shared equity and Help to Buy schemes, having in the past acted on behalf of Housing Associations. While she acts primarily for private individuals, Audrey also counts a number of landlords, investors and developers within her client base, acting on their behalf in bulk acquisitions, HMOs, buy to let purchase and sales and portfolio refinances. Audrey's personable and down to earth practical approach results in a high client retention level and she often acts for generations of families from first time buyers to downsizers and everything in between. She appreciates moving house can be one of life's most stressful events and thus provides a professional and friendly service to help guide her clients through every step of the process. This approach, coupled with an extensive knowledge of local property markets and a strong network of local contacts, results in a swift and efficient service. Following her graduation from Glasgow University, and completion of the Diploma in Legal Practice, Audrey worked for the Law School at the University on a project commissioned by Highland Health Board to produce guidance on resource allocation and difficult decisions in the NHS, before taking up a Traineeship with a well established local firm, qualifying in 2003. Audrey is also a Notary Public.

Beverley Addison

Senior Solicitor Beverley is a dedicated family lawyer and trained Collaborative Practitioner within BTO’s Family Law team. She has been with the firm since 2015 after undertaking a specialised traineeship in Family Law. Beverley is experienced in dealing with all aspects of family law including financial provision on separation and divorce, claims on the cessation of cohabitation and cases relating to children. She has experience pursuing all types of family actions through both the Sheriff Court and the Court of Session, and also in resolving matters amicably away from court via negotiation and the collaborative process. Beverley also spent 6 months working as a Corporate lawyer, giving her a real head for figures and a unique understanding of the corporate implications of a separation where family-owned businesses are involved. She regularly works with the country’s top forensic accountants to appropriately deal with the treatment of corporate interests upon divorce and holds a Certificate in Business Valuation from the ACCA. Beverley is also a well-known specialist in Fertility Law and Family Creation in Scotland, and regularly advises both individual clients and organisations about matters such as surrogacy, assisted or donor conception, adoption and parenting for LGBTQ+ couples through the firm’s Modern Families practice unit which she spearheaded the introduction of. She is a real pioneer for all kinds of Modern Families and has helped numerous clients fulfil their dream of becoming parents. Beverley is warm, comforting and personable with clients and takes pride in making the law easy to understand. She is committed to securing good outcomes whilst also looking after her clients’ wellbeing throughout what can often be a difficult process, and is a qualified Mental Health First Aider through the NHS.

Calum Sweeney

Associate Calum is a member of BTO’s Insurers’ Representation team specialising in non personal injury, product liability and multi-jurisdictional claims. Calum previously focused on motor, personal injury, employer liability and public liability claims for insurance based clients, principally in the Sheriff Courts. Calum trained with BTO, spending the majority of his training within the firm’s Insurance and Commercial Litigation departments. He has also been involved a variety of complex contractual disputes and appears regularly on behalf of BTO’s clients in a variety of evidential and procedural hearings in Sheriff Courts throughout Scotland. Calum is also a Notary Public.

Cara Docherty

Associate Cara is an Associate in BTO’s clinical defence team. She has practised exclusively in this area of law since qualifying as a solicitor in 2010. Cara assists in representing doctors and dentists at fitness to practise proceedings before the General Medical Council and General Dental Council, and representing medical professionals in clinical negligence claims brought in the Sheriff Court and Court of Session. She has also provided assistance at Fatal Accident Inquiries and Public Inquiries.

Caroline Carr

Partner and head of BTO’s employment team Caroline Carr, Partner and Head of the firm’s Employment Law team, has been accredited as a specialist in employment law by the Law Society of Scotland, since 2001. She is sought out by clients and regularly receives client referrals from other top Employment lawyers in Scotland. She advises a range of employers and senior executives on the full spectrum of employment law issues including disciplinary issues, managing exits, whistleblowing and discrimination claims and negotiating high level Settlement Agreements. She acts for the insured of global insurers under their employment practices liability insurance. Caroline also works closely with commercial and corporate colleagues advising on employment aspects of acquisitions and business transfers (TUPE) and in regulatory/corporate governance matters involving directors/Board members and reporting to the various Regulators. She successfully represents clients at Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunals throughout the UK. Caroline is well known for her expertise in advising doctors, consultants and dentists experiencing employment and disciplinary difficulties, which can significantly impact on their professional reputation, through representing the interests of members of various medical and dental defence organisations in regulatory disciplinary matters. She is now one of the few “go to” disciplinary lawyers in Scotland for healthcare professionals including doctors and dentists in particular, and for the professions generally. Caroline is also seeing increasing instructions from individuals in the Medical and Dental sector who are generally considered as self-employed, but who are seeking advice on their rights and potential “worker” status. Caroline also has a particular expertise in advising RSL and charity/third sector clients in relation to sensitive management, staffing and governance issues which can also trigger the Regulator’s Notifiable Events Guidance. She is well versed in the regulatory requirements governing RSLs and charities which adds an extra layer of “rules” within which these employers must operate. Caroline is sought out for her first -class practical advice to guide Directors and Committee members through significant staffing issues. She is one of the few “go to” lawyers for employment law advice in the social housing sector given her knowledge of the regulatory requirements and Notifiable Events guidance. In Caroline’s view, the role of a decent employment lawyer now extends beyond “just” employment law advice – as new categories of workplace and personnel arise, she and her team keep up with the times, expanding their reach and are advising many businesses and individuals on their rights – and not all are employees.

Cat MacLean

Partner

Catherine Currie

Partner and Solicitor Advocate Catherine is a Solicitor Advocate with over 30 years’ experience in personal injury work, principally defender reparation for the insurance industry. She heads the firm’s expanding catastrophic injury team with Carly Forrest and Garry Ferguson. Catherine handles complex and catastrophic high value cases. These include brain and spinal injury, amputations, and fatal claims for some of the UK’s largest insurers. Her caseload includes RTAs, employers’, public and product liability, and clinical negligence, including cases with an international dimension. Her cases regularly involve claims for multi-million pound sums. Litigated cases include the fatal jury case of Towers v Flaws and Another, child brain injury case Anderson v Imrie and Vibert v Zenith Insurance and Another, a catastrophic brain injury case where she successfully challenged a claim for contribution from another defender where there were allegations of cars racing each other. She frequently becomes involved in cases almost as soon as an accident has been reported and works with clients to co-ordinate investigations, rehabilitation and devise an action plan for the earliest and best possible resolution for the client. She has good relationships with her opposing solicitors and favours a collaborative approach to negotiating effective solutions for her clients. Catherine is the Scottish representative on FOIL’s Catastrophic Injury Special Focus Group.

Claire White

Partner Claire is a Partner in BTO’s Insurance team, and has over 20 years’ experience in Insurance litigation, acting for insurers and self-insured clients as Defenders in both the Court of Session and Sheriff Courts. Claire joined BTO in 2008 and has spent her entire career as a litigator instructed by many of the UK’s largest insurers. Claire is vastly experienced in dealing with all types of EL, PL and complex Motor claims, including catastrophic injuries; product liability claims, particularly injuries arising out of allegedly defective medical devices; clinical negligence; Health & Safety prosecutions arising out of workplace injuries and fatalities; marine accidents; and claims arising out of large scale incidents such as water pollution and gas leaks. She also often advises insurers on policy issues. Claire has a particular interest in claims where fraud is suspected, chronic pain, psychiatric injuries, and has also successfully defended a number of workplace stress / bullying claims.

David Gibson

Chairman / Partner Chairman of BTO. One of the most experienced commercial property practitioners in the Scottish market and highly regarded for his corporate and commercial property skills and depth of experience across an impressive range of sectors. Expert in corporate structures, public/private JVs, development projects, infrastructure, landed estates, charities, retail and renewable energy schemes. Advises national and multi-national companies, estates, charities, funders, public sector bodies, SMEs and others including e.g. Luss Estates Company, Audit Scotland, United Biscuits, Stena Line Group, TUI Group, Calor Gas, Isle of Arran Distillers, and Clic Sargent. Lead partner in Rural Business and Renewable Energy Units. Recent project experience includes lead property adviser to the Scottish Football Association in Hampden Stadium arrangements, a project of national significance.

Dawn Robertson

Partner Dawn is an Accredited Specialist in Employment Law with over 20 years’ experience of advising employer clients across the private, public and third sectors. Dawn has significant expertise in advising on the full spectrum of employment law matters, including issues arising from company acquisitions and sales, including workforce due diligence and TUPE matters. She is accustomed to applying her knowledge of employment law to a variety of commercial, corporate and litigation matters and regularly advises on employment status issues and how they may impact upon commercial situations. A hands-on, practical lawyer, Dawn is often instructed to advise on the management of difficult exits, particularly from senior management/executive director and founder positions. She is also frequently engaged by departing executives and senior employees to support them and protect their interests in these situations, often (but not always) where a protected conversation has taken place and a Settlement Agreement is being offered. Dawn is an experienced Tribunal practitioner having regularly appeared throughout her career for both respondents and claimants. Dawn has also appeared in the Edinburgh EAT. In the last year, Dawn has appeared on a variety of radio stations, applying her specialist knowledge to a wide variety of topical news stories, including on Stephen Nolan’s Radio 5 Live Saturday night show to discuss the Gary Linekar saga. Non-executive positions: Current board member of Edinburgh Science (formerly Edinburgh International Science Festival. In keeping with her interest in science education, Dawn was a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association’s Working Party responding to “Equity in the STEM workforce: Call for Evidence” – December 2020/January 2021 – where she was part of a small working party responsible for formulating the Association’s formal response to the UK government’s call for evidence.

Douglas Strang

Senior Associate Douglas specialises in employment law, providing advice to both employers and employees on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. He has considerable experience in representing both Claimants and Respondents at Employment Tribunals all over Scotland and England, dealing with such subjects as unfair or constructive dismissal, redundancy, breach of contract, discrimination and harassment cases, employee status, retirement age, and unlawful deductions from wages. He has also represented clients before the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Douglas is often called upon to draft and revise employment contracts, policies and procedures, and to advise a wide range of clients on many topics including disciplinary hearings and misconduct dismissals, redundancy dismissals, handling long-term sickness absences, altering terms of employment and the departures of senior executives. He advises many of the firm’s social housing clients and is very familiar with the particular rules and regulatory regime operating in this area. He is heavily involved in providing support to BTO’s corporate and commercial departments in relation to the employment law aspects of the corporate transactions being carried out by these teams. He has a particular interest in the TUPE Regulations, advising in relation to the applicability of the Regulations at the time of the potential transfer, as well as handling numerous employment tribunal cases relating to the applicability of the Regulations, and a successful appearance at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in relation to the interpretation of the Regulations. Douglas is an active participant in our Employment Law seminar programme.

Duncan Mawby

Consultant

Emma Barclay

Partner Emma is experienced in advising a broad range of clients on all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, group re-organisations, investments and joint ventures. She also has experience in relation to banking and finance transactions and restructuring, acting for institutional investors, funders, companies seeking investment and banks, as well as renewable energy transactions.

Fraser Hopkins

Fraser is recognised by the Law Society of Scotland as an Accredited Specialist in Construction Law (first Accredited in 2010). He is a specialist in risk and construction disputes with vast experience in working on high profile building and infrastructure projects across the UK for a mix of contractors, developers and construction professionals. Highly regarded in his field, Fraser leads BTO’s contentious and non-contentious construction team.

Garry Ferguson

Partner Extensive experience across the full spectrum of defender personal injury claims. His practice includes cases involving injuries such as head/brain injury, amputations, neurological conditions, chronic pain, psychiatric and psychological disorders and fatalities. He is regularly instructed in complex cases which have an international element to them involving arguments regarding jurisdiction and applicable law. Garry is also an accredited civil and commercial mediator and regularly acts as a mediator in a wide range of disputes.

Gillian Harman

Associate

Graeme Kelly

Partner Graeme has more than 25 years’ experience working in the commercial real estate and property markets. In recent years his main focus has been advising investors in the acquisition and disposal of office and industrial developments, and on legal issues arising in the management of investment portfolios, but traditionally Graeme’s particular specialism has been in advising developers, particularly in the development, operation and financing of hotels and other leisure and licensed premises. His clients include investment funds, as well as national hotel brands and smaller independent developers and occupiers. RECENT EXPERIENCE Wirefox/Dakota Capella LLP:- acting in the acquisition of multi-let office investment at Capella, Glasgow, price in excess of £40 million (completion August 2017). Peter Steven Estates Ltd:- acting in the acquisition of a number of industrial investments, including Bergen House, Altens, Aberdeen, price in excess of £3 million (completion July 2018) Waterhill Property Group Ltd:- acting in the acquisition of an industrial investment at Craigshaw Road, Tullos, Aberdeen, price in excess of £2.5 million (completion March 2018), and two separate retail portfolios of convenience stores in August and November 2018. Cringletie House Hotel:- acting in the sale of a country house hotel business in the Scottish Borders (completion February 2019). Allan Water Developments Ltd:- acting in the onward sale of a new hotel development in Stirling, with the benefit of a pre-let to Travelodge Hotels, price in excess of £5 million (completion March 2018).

Grant Hunter

Partner and Head of BTO’s Commercial Dispute Resolution Department, based in our Glasgow Office. Grant is an experienced litigator specialising in commercial dispute resolution, in particular corporate litigation including warranty claims, unfair prejudice petitions and associated shareholder disputes, corporate and personal insolvency, property disputes, asset recovery and commercial debt recovery litigation. He has a long and successful track record in these areas, having appeared regularly in Sheriff Courts and Tribunals throughout Scotland since 1991. Grant also litigates in the Court of Session and conducts arbitration and mediation for commercial clients. Grant also acts for insolvency practitioners in personal and corporate insolvencies and for other Chartered Accountants in commercial disputes. Via Mackrell International, he is involved from time to time in cross border dispute resolution. Grant’s client base includes well known Scottish and UK SMEs, major UK banks, global credit card companies, European credit insurers, some PLCs, Registered Social Landlords, property management companies.

Gregor Mitchell

Partner

Jaimie McGready

Solicitor

Jane Steel

Partner Jane has a very successful commercial property practice, acting for private investors, developers, landlords, tenants and funders with commercial property interests. She specialises in investment and retail matters, acting for numerous well known brands in relation to high street drive throughs and shopping centre deals, as well as all types of commercial property acquisitions and disposals.

Jennifer King

Associate Jennifer is an Associate in BTO’s clinical defence team, ranked Band 1 by Chambers UK and the Legal 500. Jennifer provides representation and advice to professionals in matters arising from fitness to practise investigations, fitness to practise hearings and interim order hearings. She has experience providing representation to a variety of professionals including those in the medical, dental, nursing and finance professions. She also acts for medical and dental professionals in clinical negligence claims raised in the Sheriff Court and Court of Session. Jennifer worked with BTO’s employment law team for over five years, providing advice to both employers and employees in a variety of contentious and non-contentious matters and has significant experience pursuing and defending Employment Tribunal claims. Jennifer’s experience has involved advising employers on issues with unfair dismissal, constructive unfair dismissal, collective redundancy consultation, disciplinary and grievance matters and ill health retirement. She has also advised individuals in claims arising from unfair dismissal, constructive unfair dismissal, breach of contract, redundancy, discrimination and unauthorised deductions from wages. She is experienced in negotiating settlement agreements for both employers and employees and providing guidance on contracts of employment and disciplinary and grievance matters.

Jennifer Mackenzie

Jennifer Mackenzie is an Associate within BTO’s Insurance Catastrophic Injury Team dealing with high value, catastrophic injury and fatal claims. She was admitted as a solicitor in 2010 having joined BTO as a trainee in 2009 and has worked for the firm ever since. Jennifer works on catastrophic and high value road traffic, employers’ liability, product liability and public liability cases in both the sheriff court and Court of Session. Jennifer has experience in dealing with cases involving fatalities and injuries such as head/brain injury, severe spinal conditions, and amputations, psychiatric and psychological disorders. She regularly becomes involved almost as soon as an accident has been reported and works with clients to co-ordinate investigations, rehabilitation and an action plan for the earliest possible resolution. Jennifer regularly deals with claims from the pre-litigation stage to final conclusion and consistently adopts a practical and pragmatic approach obtaining economic results for her clients. Jennifer also takes an active role in monitoring legal developments, regularly producing providing practical, user-friendly and up-to-date resources for clients and contacts on important legal developments.

Jennifer Stewart

Senior Associate Jennifer has specialised in personal injury litigation since qualifying as a solicitor in 2004 and has over fifteen years of extensive experience in the field of industrial disease including noise induced hearing loss, hand arm vibration, silicosis and occupational asthma claims She has a range of experience dealing with the investigation of claims from the initial pre litigation stage to final conclusion either by negotiated settlement or by raising and handling court proceedings. She has dealt primarily with asbestos related disease claims for the last eleven years acting for pursuers and defenders in actions raised in the Court of Session and Sheriff court which has given her an in depth knowledge of the issues that these types of cases involve. In particular, she has specialised in high value cases in which fatal injuries have been sustained.

Jennifer Whitelaw

Partner Jennifer is a Partner in the Property and Real Estate team. An experienced property lawyer, she acts for landowners, land managers and housebuilders. She deals with all aspects of large and small scale site assembly from acquisition to disposal including securing and granting appropriate infrastructure and utility rights. She also assists clients with planning promotion and option agreements. Jennifer advises both landowners and hydro electric and wind farm operators in the property aspects of renewable energy schemes.

Jeremy Glen

Partner Highly esteemed in his field, particularly for his ability to provide clarity in all situations, Jeremy provides commercial and corporate advice to banks, major construction companies, property developers, plcs and hotel chains, as well as a range of owner-managed businesses. Practice areas: acquisition/disposal of licensed property/companies/businesses; partnership agreements (including medical); commercial contracts of all natures (including commercial agency); corporate/asset acquisitions and disposals; consortium/joint venture agreements; funding arrangements & Bank finance; commercial securities.

Jill Harris

Senior Associate Jill is a Senior Associate in BTO’s clinical defence team which is ranked Band 1 by Chambers UK. Legal 500 identifies Jill as a rising star in the “medical negligence: defender” category. Jill represents doctors and dentists in proceedings brought before their professional regulators, the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council. She has also presented cases on behalf of professional regulators in proceedings brought against teachers and actuaries. Jill also represents clinicians in civil claims involving allegations of medical negligence in the sheriff court and in the Court of Session. She has assisted in Fatal Accident Inquiries and was involved in defending doctors in two long running public inquiries. Jill has completed two secondments to the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland’s legal department.

Kirsteen Maclean

Senior Associate Kirsteen has wide-ranging experience of handling litigation for businesses and individuals, not only at the Sheriff Courts and the Court of Session but also the Supreme Court of the UK. Described in the Legal 500 as 'friendly and knowledgeable', she advises business and personal clients daily, on litigation issues and remedies arising out of a range of commercial contracts. Kirsteen has a wealth of experience in debt recovery actions, including protective diligence and enforcement action, both in Scotland and in other jurisdictions. Kirsteen regularly acts for Trustees under Trust Deeds and Sequestrations, Receivers, Administrators and Liquidators. She holds the Certificate of Proficiency in Insolvency (Scotland) qualification, from the Insolvency Practitioners’ Association. The CPI is a most respected qualification, one which very few Scottish lawyers possess. The qualification provides added value and expertise to the clients who Kirsteen represents, fulfilling her aim in securing it. Kirsteen is also an Affiliate member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association and of the Institute of Credit Management. Recent cases: Acting for the respondent in the UK Supreme Court Dooneen Ltd (t/a McGinness Associates) and another v Mond (Scotland) [2018] UKSC 54

Kirstine MacRae

Partner

Kirsty McGuinness

Senior Associate

Laura Salmond

Partner An Accredited Specialist in Employment Law, Laura has specialised in employment law for over 19 years, she deals with all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, and has a very loyal client following. She advises on the full spectrum of employment issues arising in the workplace, including equality and diversity, redundancy, conduct, performance management, whistleblowing, ill health absences, flexible working and disciplinary and grievance matters. She also undertakes mediation, provides tailored employment documentation and advises on the enforceability of restrictive covenants and settlement agreements. Laura has a wealth of experience advising a broad range of commercial and corporate clients, charities, employers in the education sector and senior executive employees on all aspects of the employment relationship. As well as advising clients on day-to-day employment issues, Laura is a trusted advisor for both new and long-established clients. Clients appreciate her commercial acumen combined with her friendly and approachable manner. She is described as someone who “approaches conflict with a calm demeanour and incisive wit” and as “someone who genuinely cares about the client and the case they are pursuing”. Laura is particularly experienced in advising and representing trade union and federation members in a wide range of employment-related matters. Laura represents both employees and employers at Employment Tribunals throughout Scotland and at the Employment Appeal Tribunal, she is therefore able to see a case from both sides and clients rate Laura’s ‘can do’ attitude.

Laura Donald

Partner and Solicitor Advocate Laura is a highly experienced solicitor advocate who has worked in the field of clinical negligence for over 20 years. Since 2009, she has practised exclusively in the healthcare field, representing medical and dental members of all three medical defence organisations: (MDDUS, MPS (including DP) and MDU (including DDU). Her caseload is divided between clinical negligence, handling a caseload across both the Court of Session and Sheriff Courts, and professional discipline. She has been highly ranked for a number of years and continues to operate at the highest levels within her field, regularly carrying out her own advocacy in the courts in respect of Fatal Accident Inquiries, Public Inquiries and claims. Laura has great experience before the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council and is increasingly being instructed in relation to other professions, generally conducting the interim stages without counsel. She has also represented students before University fitness to practise and disciplinary hearings. Laura is applauded for her dynamic preparation and is considered “a force to be reckoned with”. She enjoys working with her clients to ensure the best outcomes for them. A “formidable opponent”, her empathy, tenacity, focus and efficiency are second to none and continue to make her a sought-after lawyer in the clinical defence sphere.

Lauren McFarlane

Associate

Lesley Gray

Senior Associate Lesley is a Senior Associate within the Commercial Property team who joined BTO as a trainee in 2001. She has expertise in a wide range of areas such as banking and finance, site acquisitions, site disposals and leasing and acts for a number of commercial institutions and limited/private companies. Lesley is experienced in site acquisitions and disposals for house builders and developers including negotiation and drafting of option agreements, purchase and sale contracts, dealing with any planning issues and ensuring that the site has all necessary title rights in order to facilitate development. She has significant experience in acting for Banks in lending transactions and acting for commercial clients in refinancing deals. Lesley also acts for landlords and tenants (both commercial clients and housing associations) in relation to commercial leases and all aspects of lease management.

Lesley Gordon

Partner Lesley is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in family law and has practiced exclusively in this area for 28 years. She heads BTO’s team of family specialists and is considered one of the foremost experts in Scotland. She has a wide breadth of experience in all aspects of family law with both a contentious and non-contentious practice. Lesley deals principally with the financial issues arising from the formation or breakdown of relationships, including those involving an international dimension. She has particular experience in high net worth cases litigated in the Court of Session involving the valuation of companies and the interface between partnership law and family law. Lesley also has significant expertise and a strong success rate in pursuing high value, complex, cohabitation claims. Lesley is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as CALM mediator and receives regular instructions from family law colleagues in other firms in both child and financial mediations. She draws on her experience as a mum and her range of skills in day-to-day negotiation and is renowned by clients and peers for her calm, unflappable demeanor, incisive approach and exceptional service delivery. Lesley is also one of the first group of family Arbitrators trained in Scotland and is secretary and national committee member of FLAGS (the Family Law Arbitration Group Scotland). An experienced collaborative lawyer, Lesley is longtime chair of the Edinburgh Consensus pod and is passionate about Collaborate Practice and the benefits it offers to separated families. Lesley is often called upon by other lawyers to provide expert opinions in a variety of specialist family matters including professional negligence cases. Lesley is regularly requested to contribute to media coverage of family law matters and in speaking roles.

Lesley Grant

Associate Lesley is a member of the employment team who practices both contentious and non-contentious employment law. She is experienced in advising both employers and employees on a wide range of legal issues, including discrimination, unfair/ constructive dismissal, redundancy, discipline, grievance, performance/ absence management, whistleblowing, flexible working, restrictive covenants and ill health retirement. Lesley is experienced in drafting and advising clients in relation to settlement agreements, terminations and exits. She regularly provides HR support and drafts bespoke documentation, including contracts and policies for a range of sectors. She has represented clients in Employment Tribunals throughout Scotland and England. With a background of general corporate law, Lesley is also well placed to provide advice on employment aspects of corporate transactional work. Lesley is a member of the Law Society of Scotland and is a Notary Public. She is valued for her enthusiasm and her ability to provide practical, sensible commercial advice in an approachable and sensitive manner.

Lewis Richardson

Lewis is an Associate within BTO’s insurance team, where he focuses on defending motor, employers and public liability claims in the Sheriff Court. These include a number of claims arising from asbestos exposure. Lewis trained solely in litigation at a firm specialising in insurance defence work. Upon qualifying he moved to a firm where he appeared regularly in Edinburgh Sheriff Court as local agent in both procedural and contentious matters. He has also conducted Proofs, Opposed Motions and Appeals on behalf of his own clients in courts throughout Scotland. In addition to his Sheriff Court work Lewis has experience dealing with a wide variety of Court of Session matters. He volunteers as a tutor at the Mock Court competition for Scottish secondary schools.

Lily Morrison

Solicitor

Lindsay MacNeill

Senior Associate Lindsay joined BTO’s thriving Health and Safety, Regulatory and Criminal practice as a newly qualified solicitor in 2012 to specialise in defending regulatory prosecutions under the direction of Partner Vikki Watt. Following a period of time with an international firm, she returned to the team as an Associate. Prior to joining BTO, Lindsay trained as a solicitor with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and worked on a number of high profile cases within the Proceeds of Crime Unit. Following her time in Crown Office, Lindsay worked in a busy Procurator Fiscals’ office and has prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases from statutory breaches to common law charges in Court, from early procedural hearings through to trial. Chambers and Partners UK 2014 commented on Lindsay’s appointment to the BTO team, noting that her recruitment from the Crown “has strengthened the firm's insight into prosecuting bodies”. Now a dedicated criminal and regulatory defence solicitor, Lindsay has represented clients in a wide range of criminal proceedings. She has also appeared with clients, including medical professionals and companies, in Fatal Accident Inquiries involving both Health and Safety and medical treatment issues. Having gained experience of appearing as both prosecution and defence in Court, Lindsay is able to consider cases from each perspective and offer sound advice on the prospects of criminal matters at an early stage. Lindsay is also a Notary Public.

Lynn Richmond

Lynn is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in Intellectual Property and is WS Accredited in Commercial Litigation. She is described by her clients as a versatile and able civil litigator with strong advocacy, negotiating and drafting skills. Her experience covers a variety of legal areas, including intellectual property, technology, data protection, freedom of information and general commercial litigation. Lynn undertakes both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property and technology work, advising clients on all aspects of IP transactions, licensing, protection, enforcement and commercialisation. She has worked on a number of high profile intellectual property disputes, both for and against major international companies. Lynn also advises on data protection compliance, data breaches, claims and subject rights and advises on freedom of information matters for a variety of businesses and organisations in many sectors. Lynn has regularly appeared in the sheriff court at first instance and on appeal, and in contentious matters before the UK trade mark tribunal. She also has significant experience in representing her clients at mediation and arbitration.

Marion Davis

Senior Associate Experienced in charity and public law matters, Marion is one of the few solicitors accredited by The Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in charity law. She provides corporate, governance and business advice in relation to charities, social housing, regeneration, local authority and regulatory matters, including regulatory intervention. Many clients seek Marion’s advice on: becoming a charity; SCIOs and other constitutions for charities; non-charitable trading; proposed activities for charities and subsidiaries; contracts; policies; regulatory and governance issues. She also advises charities and trustees on applications for reorganisation under the Charities legislation or change of legal form, which are often complex and can involve more than one charity. For example, assisting a large unincorporated association to transfer into a company where, as well as charity regulatory requirements, there are specific requirements to meet in order to manage historic pension liabilities. Charities and other organisations working in highly regulated spheres seek Marion’s opinion on matters within the governance and regulatory areas in which she specialises. Marion also regularly provides training on charity law and good governance for clients and others, including the Legal Services Agency. Having completed a secondment with the charity regulator earlier in her career, Marion has particular insight into the Scottish charity regulation.

Mark Morton

Partner and Solicitor Advocate Mark works in BTO’s Insurance team providing advice on property disputes; construction & engineering claims; product liability and on policy coverage. He is the head of that team which comprises 4 Partners, 5 associates and others. Mark has been a Solicitor Advocate for over 17 years and has over 25 years’ experience of working in dispute resolution. He now works principally in the role of counsel for Court of Session cases and appears in the commercial court on a regular basis. Recent work includes being junior counsel in a £19 million pound claim involving a leaking leisure centre & a defective chapel: Agro Invest v Morgan Associates; a £1.5 million claim involving defective cladding and roofing; an insurance coverage dispute: Wayne Gardner Young v RSA, claims arising from the high profile E.coli outbreak in 2016; an RTA resulting in a major oil leak: Mackenzie v DHL and Asda: and a commercial dispute about whether a product was responsible for the loss of a major strawberry crop.

Mark Colquhoun

Senior Associate Mark has advised clients for over 15 years on a wide range of commercial real estate issues. His client base includes a range of institutional investors, funds, local developers, private investors, and occupiers. He acted for one of the “Big 4” supermarkets for over a decade on all aspects of their Scottish property portfolio including the development of both large format stores (including complex sale and leaseback structures); the rollout of leasehold convenience stores and in their disposal and repurposing programme. He acts for investment funds in the acquisition and disposal of city centre office blocks, shopping centres and industrial estates. He is a notary public.

Senior Associate

Senior Associate

Associate

Partner Nicolas acts for various high-profile lenders in property and development finance and secured lending matters. He is a go to advisor for many banking contacts and BTO’s key contact for the likes of Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Triodos Bank, TSB and Close Brothers. Nicolas and his team advise in the property aspects of bank secured funded and project finance funded renewable energy schemes, including wind energy and hydro projects acting for funders, developers and landowners, and he has a particular interest in ethical and social finance (being the principal property solicitor in commercial loans for Triodos bank). He is one of the few Scottish solicitors on the commercial lending panel for Close Property Finance and he and his team were recently appointed to the TSB Bank commercial lending panel – another significant panel appointment and testament to his and his team’s reputation for expertise.

Paul Motion

Partner and Solicitor Advocate Paul is a versatile and highly experienced civil Solicitor Advocate who has used his Rights of Audience continuously and prominently since 1998. He has been qualified 39 years. In 2018 he became the first Accredited Specialist in freedom of information and data protection law, in private practice, in Scotland. Paul is one of the most experienced commercial litigation solicitors practising in Scotland. He qualified in 1984 and so has been practising for 38 years. He has been a solicitor advocate since 1998. He practised in New Zealand between 1990 and 1993 appearing as counsel at many levels including the New Zealand Court of Appeal in 1991. Paul is the current Convener of the Law Society of Scotland’s Extended Civil Rights of Audience training programme. Amongst the vast range of litigation Paul has handled during his long career are included many judicial reviews (two in 2022) and two international arbitrations together with related Court of Session appeals (in 2016/2018 and 2019/2022). Paul has handled many complex company and shareholder disputes. In 2021 he was involved in a multi-jurisdictional £58m shareholder dispute involving Scotland, England, Cyprus, China and the Cayman Islands. Paul is often called upon to carry out emergency litigation and has huge experience in dealing with interdict (injunction) applications as well as “Dawn Raids” (*formerly Anton Piller orders in England). He dealt with an urgent injunction in the High Court Queens Bench Division over Christmas 2021/2022, seeking to restrain the holding of a meeting. He appeared in 2008/9 in the Wishart case which remains the leading Scottish authority on shareholder derivative actions: ALEXANDER MARSHALL WISHART v. CASTLECROFT SECURITIES LIMITED AND OTHERS (scotcourts.gov.uk) Paul is also recognised in Scotland as a leading practitioner in data protection (one of only three Accredited Specialists in private practice in Scotland), social media and reputational law. He is regularly in court on these matters. See CAROL BEYTS AGAINST TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB SCOTLAND LIMITED (scotcourts.gov.uk); ANTHONY WOOLLEY AND DEBORAH WOOLLEY AGAINST NAHID AKBAR OR AKRAM (scotcourts.gov.uk); and Heather Hiram -v- Alana Mullen 2020scedin23.pdf (scotcourts.gov.uk) He has contributed comment to BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Five Live Drive on these topics, often at short notice. He writes articles for the legal and mainstream media and lectures on his subjects regularly. He has also engaged with Facebook, Twitter, TripAdvisor and US news websites in relation to reputational matters. Paul founded and heads BTO BeCreative, a niche team focused on servicing the legal needs of the Scottish creative industries. He devised and presented seminar/workshops at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to an audience of theatrical agents and managers for the ten years. Paul was instrumental in persuading BTO to set up RGDP LLP in 2019. This is a JV company in which BTO’s partner is ComputerLaw Training. RGDP which provides outsourced Data Protection Officer services to nearly 90 customers. Paul is the Board Chairman of RGDP LLP.

Peter Graham

Partner Peter joined BTO in 2013. Peter has extensive experience in a wide range of commercial property transactions within a number of sectors, including retail, office, residential and industrial. These include acquisition, development and sale of retail and mixed use developments, as well as investment sales and purchases for private and institutional investors and syndicates, based in the UK and abroad. Peter also acts for a number of private housing developers in their site assembly and development programmes and has completed a number of acquisitions and disposals for a major UK car retailer. Peter is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in commercial leasing.

Rhona McKerracher

Rhona McKerracher is a senior solicitor within BTO’s insurance litigation team. Rhona joined BTO as a trainee in 2011 and upon qualification in 2013, joined our Catastrophic Injury Team where she deals with: employers’ liability; public liability; occupiers’ liability; and motor claims. Rhona typically deals with high value and complex claims arising from all manner of accidents including road traffic accidents, accidents at work, slips and trips and farming accidents. In particular, Rhona deals with claims where fatal or ‘catastrophic’ injuries have been sustained. These include claims for devastating spinal injuries, serious brain injuries, severe orthopaedic/crushing injuries, chronic pain and psychiatric injury. Rhona is regularly involved in the investigation and analysis of liability and quantum and works closely with clients to develop a strategy to enable the case to progress to a satisfactory conclusion. Rhona has gained experience in the Sheriff Court, the All-Scotland Personal Injury Court and the Court of Session (both the Outer and Inner House) and has assisted in Proofs, Jury Trials, Appeals and Fatal Accident Inquiries. Rhona also completed two periods of secondment at an international insurance company, where she dealt with a variety of complex personal injury claims in a number of jurisdictions. Rhona is also a Notary Public. Prior to joining BTO, Rhona obtained a joint honours degree in Law and German and studied Law in both Scotland and Germany.

Rhona Wark

Consultant Rhona, is a highly experienced commercial litigator who demonstrates diverse expertise across a spectrum of legal disputes, including contractual claims, shareholder disputes, director’s malfeasance, partnership disputes, interdicts, breach of copyright and covenants, debt recovery and property disputes. Rhona also holds a master’s degree in employment law and has a particular interest in that field. She has vast experience in commercial dispute resolution, both pursuing and defending in all the Scottish courts and at the Supreme Court. Rhona also has extensive advocacy experience before tribunals and panels, in particular at the Employment Tribunal. Rhona’s practice includes advising individuals and businesses across a broad range of sectors, including financial services, property, construction and retail, ranging from PLC'S to SME's and start-ups. She provides advice in relation to all aspects of their businesses involving commercial and contractual disputes. These include the full range of employment law issues, such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, TUPE, senior executive exits and redundancy. Rhona enjoys working closely with her clients on all facets of their business in relation to commercial matters and people management. The range and depth of Rhona’s experience allows her to identify strategic issues early on and to ensure that, wherever possible, matters are resolved without recourse to court or tribunal proceedings. Rhona is particularly adept at delivering pragmatic commercial solutions which meet her clients’ needs, but she is also known for her determination and tenacity where court is unavoidable.

Scott Wyper

Partner Scott is an established corporate lawyer involved in advising a broad range of clients, across many sectors, on all aspects of corporate law. He provides clients in corporate transactional matters such as acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and financing. In addition, Scott provides advice on contractual matters such as consultancy agreements, collaboration agreements, investment agreements and management agreements. He provides corporate advisory advice to clients on matters such as structuring corporate ventures, corporate governance and constitutional matters, shareholders’ agreements, directors’ duties and responsibilities and finance matters. Scott is also heavily involved in corporate finance and restructuring, acting for institutional investors, funders, companies seeking investment and administrators. He provides corporate advisory advice to clients on matters such as structuring corporate ventures, shareholders’ agreements, directors’ duties and responsibilities and finance matters. Scott is also heavily involved in corporate finance and restructuring, acting for institutional investors, funders, companies seeking investment and administrators. Deals include: Acquisition of a number of competitors for Scott Group Ltd and sale; foreign investment in a manufacturing and distribution client to fund the acquisition of competitor; acting for a number of clients in the acquisition / sale of dental practices; refinance of £15m wind farm project; acting for Triodos Bank in the funding of a £13m wind farm; acting in a number of shareholder / partnership disputes.

Scott Buchan

Scott has over 25 years’ commercial property experience with an extensive track record in a wide range of commercial property transactions across all sectors including office, retail, leisure, industrial and student accommodation. As well as mainstream acquisitions and sales and landlord and tenant work, Scott has significant experience of large cross border portfolio transactions, strategic site assembly and development projects, substantial investment transactions and real estate advice and support to insolvency practitioners. He acts for a wide spectrum of property investment and development clients ranging from private investors and property companies to public and third sector bodies. Scott has acted on a number of substantial high value deals in the last year for a range of clients which include, for example, three significant office investment purchases in Glasgow for Robt Jones Holdings (New Zealand’s largest property investment company); London based investors including Wittington Investments (investment arm of the Weston family, 50% owners of Associated British Foods and 100% owners of Fortnum & Mason); and foreign based investors including Quatar based Investra and Al Ajlan & Brothers (one of Saudia Arabia’s largest international corporations). Highest profile deal within the last 12 months involved acting for vendor of strategic riverfront site in relation to sale to Drum Property Group, the major part of which site is to be developed as one of Barclays Bank’s Global Hubs supporting initially 2,500 jobs. Scott’s client base extends also into the broader commercial world and testimony to this is the fact he is lead client partner for the United Wholesale Group (Scotland’s largest Cash and Carry business) and the Scott Group (the UK’s largest pallet manufacturer) with each business having an annual turnover well in excess of £100m. Clients, intermediaries and colleagues are all impressed by Scott’s proactive, pragmatic and considered approach which, allied with his ability to focus on what matters, helps ensure clients’ objectives are met.

Stephen Bryceland

Partner Stephen is the leader and manager of our large and growing team dealing with higher volume, lower value insurance work. He is experienced in dealing with all aspects of motor, employers’ liability and public liability personal injury claims and has extended rights of audience in the higher courts as a Solicitor Advocate. Recognising the importance of quality, economy and efficiency, his team provides a first rate service to insurers specifically targeted at early settlement and minimising costs. This specialist team is very important to BTO’s clients and Stephen’s experience and guiding hand ensures they keep on delivering results time and time again. He is considered by insurance clients as the “go to” solicitor for no nonsense, pragmatic and sensible advice on volume claims.

Tim Edward

Tim is a partner and a member of our Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice, focusing on insolvency and company litigation with experience of handling large-scale commercial litigations. He heads up the Dentons Commercial Dispute Resolution practice in Scotland. He has almost 30 years of experience in handling commercial disputes. Tim is an accredited specialist in professional negligence by the Law Society of Scotland.

Timothy Webster

Associate Initially training and qualifying in Scotland, Tim worked for a large insurer defender firm in London and qualified to be admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales. His clients were several high profile insurance brands who instructed him in the defence of litigated personal injury and property damage claims. Tim has experience dealing with RTA, EL and PL cases across the County Courts in England. His caseload was largely Fast Track and Multi Track, with some Small Track. He would appear regularly in Case Management Conference Calls involving solicitors from either side and the Judge from the Court. Tim would also instruct Senior and Junior counsel on a regular basis for Trials and Paper Hearings where appropriate. Now an Associate for BTO’s large insurance team, he defends claims for insurance clients, ranging from motor claims to employers’ liability and public liability claims. His portfolio of cases is equally split between claims raised in the Court of Session, claims raised in the All Scotland Personal Injury Court and Sheriff Courts across Scotland. Recent successes include the abandonment of a dog bite claim brought under The Animals (Scotland) Act 1987 and the abandonment of an alleged assault at work claim.

Vikki Watt

Partner and Solicitor-Advocate Vikki heads BTO’s top tier Health & Safety, Regulatory and Criminal defence practice. She is a Solicitor Advocate specialising in the defence of health and safety, environmental and white collar criminal prosecutions. With two decades at the top of her field, she is recognized for her accomplished advocacy skills by both clients and professional colleagues alike and combines a sharp analytical mind and empathetic approach. She acts for a number of high-profile Insurers, as well as individuals, SMEs and multinational companies. Instructed regularly at the outset when a major incident or fatality occurs, Vikki has a wealth of experience in advising clients at all stages, ranging from strategic advice in the immediate aftermath of a serious incident to representation at interviews under caution and the conduct of Tribunals, Trials, Fatal Accident and Public Inquiries. This includes providing crisis management and reputational advice at all stages. Vikki is the ‘go to’ Panel solicitor for a number of insurers, LAs, charities and construction companies in health and safety matters and regularly receives referral work from market leaders both north and south of the border. Vikki's non-contentious work also sees her heavily involved in training for other lawyers and clients. She is a regular presenter on all aspects of health and safety law to bodies such as the MGAA, the Solicitors’ Group, Lloyds of London and provides bespoke training to her private clients.

Wendy Thomson

Partner A Civil Solicitor Advocate with over 20 years’ experience of acting for Defenders in a wide range of insurance cases and for commercial and private clients in commercial and civil litigation. Acting predominantly as solicitor advocate for insurance clients for last 15 years. Personal injury practice includes a range of industrial disease cases as head of team as well as other employers’ liability cases, public liability cases and road traffic claims, including high value and fatal claims. Also has experience of cases in the Commercial court. Has acted for commercial and private clients in a wide range of commercial disputes and civil matters, including interdict and defamation cases. Wendy is one of the few Solicitor Advocates to appear regularly in the Court of Session. She conducts settlement negotiations and pre-trial meetings. Regularly instructed in cases against senior and junior counsel. Extensive knowledge of Court of Session practice and procedure and excellent reputation as an insurance litigator in the Court of Session.

Will Cole

Partner Will is a Partner in our Commercial Dispute Resolution team based in our Edinburgh office. He is an a experienced litigator, an accredited mediator and a qualified arbitrator. He specialises in helping clients develop and implement strategies for resolving disputes, often with international aspects. Will has acted in numerous important reported property cases over the course of his career. He brings the knowledge and experience to his role heading up our Property Litigation team. Will also has a particular interest in sports law, having previously acted on secondment as the Scottish FA’s first ever independent Compliance Officer, personally prosecuting numerous football disciplinary cases before independent tribunals. He heads up our Sports Law Team and continues to act for the Scottish FA in litigation and arbitration matters. Will has the skills to deal with sensitive, business critical matters, and has acted in many significant pieces of commercial litigation for businesses, public and third sector organisations, and individuals. Reported cases cover areas such as competition law, arbitration, share purchase agreement warranties, unfair prejudice, insurance coverage, commercial contracts, and title conditions. Clients praise Will’s ability to cut though details and clearly explain the technicalities of disputes and procedure, as well as his personable, forthcoming, and pragmatic approach.

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