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‘The primary set for clinical negligence counsel’ for many, Ampersand Advocates‘ ’highly experienced‘ team is regularly instructed by pursuers and defenders in a range of high-profile cases. Una Doherty KC represented the defender before the Supreme Court in McCulloch and others v Forth Valley Health Board, an appeal pertaining to a claim of alleged negligent care by a cardiologist, involving issues of assessment of reasonable treatment options, informed consent and causation. The Court granted decree of absolvitor, concluding that the correct test to apply to what constitutes a reasonable alternative treatment is the Bolam test, and there was no breach of duty on the part of the cardiologist. Among the juniors, Jennifer Nicholson-White ’knows the intricacies of clinical negligence principles’ and ‘truly holds her own in court’, and the ’confident‘ Ayla Iridag is very experienced in acting for defenders in clinical negligence and personal injury claims. David Stephenson KC retired in late 2023, and James McConnell KC took silk in September 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Alan Moffat and his team of clerks are always excellent.'
- 'Sheena Hume is excellent. She will always communicate, is efficient and organised, and very accommodating.'
- 'Alan Moffat is a very capable senior clerk.'
- 'Alan Moffat stands out for his approachability and standards of service.'
- 'Alan Moffat is always great to deal with - completely sensible and understands the needs of solicitors.'
- 'Alan Moffat runs a highly efficient stable. Nothing is ever a problem and he will always do everything he can to assist and find solutions when problems arise.'
- 'Alan Moffat is excellent. He has a formidable ability to keep on top of instructions and anticipate needs.'
- 'Ampersand has a great deal of strength-in-depth.'
Silks
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
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Una Doherty KC
Ampersand Advocates 'Una is one of Scotland's most experienced and specialised counsel in the field of medical law. Nothing fazes her. She is calm and collected as well as extraordinarily thorough. She will not shy away from running complex arguments, and has an ability to unpick and clearly present complicated evidence.'
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Lisa Henderson KC
Ampersand Advocates 'She is analytical, thorough and prepared, and fights her client's corner.'
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Euan Mackenzie KC
Ampersand Advocates 'Euan is highly respected at the Bar because of his specialist knowledge, his expertise and talent. He is professional but able to deal with the sensitive issues and reassure families. He is certainly an expert in his field.'
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Maria Maguire KC
Ampersand Advocates ‘Maria is a magnificent advocate. She has superb attention to detail, is dynamic in negotiations, takes everything in her stride and appears completely unflappable. She is a stand-out silk in the field of clinical negligence.’
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Geoffrey Mitchell KC
Ampersand Advocates 'An excellent communicator with strong analytical skills. He has great insight, and an ability to simplify even the most complex issues.'
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Graham Primrose KC
Ampersand Advocates 'Graham is a brilliant advocate, persuasive and intuitive as to when to press a point, and when to draw a line.'
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Lauren Sutherland KC
Ampersand Advocates 'Tenacity, intellectual rigour, and passion are all strengths of Lauren's. She is dedicated to the cause for pursuers.'
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Douglas Ross KC
Ampersand Advocates 'Douglas' strengths are his attention to detail and his grasp of the finer details of each case he presents. It is reassuring to have counsel who know their papers inside out, and can provide guidance to his instructing agents as well as well-informed advice to clients.'
2023 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
2024 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
James McConnell KC
Ampersand Advocates ‘He is excellent with medical experts. A well balanced advocate.’
Juniors
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Jennifer Nicholson-White
Ampersand Advocates 'An acknowledged expert in clinical negligence cases, Jennifer's courtroom skills display her deep knowledge of this area of law. She is analytical, indefatigable, and robust.'
Ayla Iridag
Ampersand Advocates 'Ayla is a robust and knowledgeable counsel, as well as pragmatic and a good communicator.'
Shane Dundas
Ampersand Advocates 'Shane's depth of knowledge and understanding within the highly complex field of medical litigation is of a golden standard.'