Clinical Negligence

Ampersand Advocates "has huge experience in dealing with highly complex cases" and retains its reputation as a "go-to chambers for medical negligence work." Its advocates continue to provide expert legal advice and representation to both pursuers and defenders in a wide range of disputes, including claims relating to birth and catastrophic brain and spinal injuries. Its members are well versed in cases arising from alleged failures in diagnosis and surgical errors, and regularly appear at fatal accident inquiries. The stable also houses considerable expertise in obstetric negligence cases. Ampersand's members recently acted in McCulloch v Forth Valley Health Board, which re-examined the law on reasonable treatment options and was heard before the UK Supreme Court.

"The clerks at Ampersand Advocates are very efficient and also friendly and helpful."

"The head clerk, Alan Moffat, is extremely responsive and very quick to get in touch. There is excellent service from the clerks."

"Ampersand's clerking is brilliant - really proactive and responsive. Alan Moffat does a great job of managing them all."

"Ampersand's clerks are always approachable and helpful in finding solutions."

"The clerking of the stable is excellent."

Maria Maguire KC is the leading silk in the field of Scottish clinical negligence litigation. She acts on behalf of both defenders and pursuers in a diverse array of cases and has a particular knack for high-value birth injury claims. Her extensive advocacy experience enables her to get to the heart of the thorniest medical causation issues. "It is hugely reassuring to have Maria on a case as she knows it all inside and out, and always has valuable insight to offer." "Maria Maguire is top class. She has amazing attention to detail and knowledge of the law." "Maria Maguire is a highly skilled lawyer with in-depth knowledge of the client and their needs."

Euan Mackenzie KC acts for both pursuers and defenders in a range of complex medical negligence claims. His caseload includes delayed diagnosis, surgical negligence resulting in significant disability, and obstetric claims resulting in birth injury. "Euan Mackenzie is receptive and insightful, with a fantastic ability to focus on relevant points." "Euan Mackenzie is the cool head when everything is falling apart." "There is never any doubt that Euan has read every scrap of paper in a case. He has always been consistently dependable."

Lauren Sutherland KC is a strong silk who brings her skills to bear in the full array of clinical negligence and personal injury cases. She is adept at navigating complex causation and quantum issues, and is especially knowledgeable about claims relating to cerebral palsy, brain injuries and fatal incidents. Instructing solicitors frequently praise her for her medical knowledge. "Lauren is fearless. She is one of the most experienced and specialised counsel out there and utterly committed to the client and her cases." "If you have Lauren on your team, the opposition has a problem! She really understands the medicine and she is very passionate about her clients. She is a delight to work with." "Lauren Sutherland can quickly get to the root issue of the matter and gives clear and concise advice. With clients she is able to explain complex issues in a clear and straightforward way." "Lauren always goes above and beyond for the pursuer. She is willing to explore the law and push the boundaries in order to achieve the best outcome." "She is excellent with clients - patient, warm and approachable - but also a formidable opponent. Simply put, she absolutely knows her stuff and is tenacious in pursuing a client's case."

Lisa Henderson KC is a highly impressive silk with a fantastic track record of taking on clinical negligence instructions of the utmost severity. She represents both pursuer and defender clients and has an aptitude for handling cases with complex quantum and causation issues arising from brain and birth injuries. "Lisa Henderson is a star. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of complex cerebral palsy cases and is one of the leading advocates in this field." "Lisa is approachable, effective and great with clients dealing with extremely complex issues. She can get a lot out of experts and is excellent at distilling difficult cases into their key issues." "Lisa is incredibly sympathetic with clients and a very good leader in long relationships with clients. Her legal and medical knowledge are also exceptional."

Mark Fitzpatrick manages a busy defence-side clinical negligence practice and often undertakes advocacy on behalf of health boards. His cases touch on such issues as medical consent, failures to diagnose and delays in diagnosis, and typically involve difficult causation elements. "Mark is highly skilled at clinical negligence work. He is very thorough, efficient and excellent with both written and oral work." "Mark is an incredibly reliable counsel. He is very diligent and has excellent attention to detail." "Mark is an exceptionally good senior junior."

Simon Bowie KC is a highly regarded silk who is regularly retained to defend institutions and individuals implicated in alleged medical negligence. His instructions concern a variety of matters, from catastrophic injuries to fatalities. He is widely recognised for his thoughtful approach and his involvement in large group actions. "Simon Bowie is an exceptional counsel. He has excellent judgement and is an absolute pleasure to work with." "Simon has an exceptional eye for detail. He is very strategic and a good listener who is really helpful and easy to work with. He is extremely focused on getting results." "His particular strength is as an orator. His delivery and oral submissions are excellent and he is also very considered when providing a written opinion or advice."

Una Doherty KC is a former solicitor who concentrates on litigating cases in the connected areas of clinical negligence, personal injury and professional negligence. She focuses her practice on the representation of defenders in connection with the gravest of allegations, including those pertaining to childbirth-related injuries. "Una has experience of the most complex and difficult cases, and in spite of her understated demeanour she will not back away from the challenge of running a difficult case or argument." "Una Doherty is very conscientious, responsive and has huge attention to detail. In court she is very confident and she has a wealth of experience."

Geoffrey Mitchell KC has a wealth of experience in handling complex clinical negligence claims for pursuers and defenders. He demonstrates an impressive proficiency in instructions involving surgical errors, failures to diagnose and serious injuries sustained at birth. His practice also encompasses fatal claims. "Geoffrey Mitchell is a lovely guy with a calm demeanour. He is a smooth operator in court; everything he delivers is smooth in a very nice way." "Geoffrey is a very good senior to work with. He doesn't get bogged down in the details of a case and he is a very persuasive and calm advocate." "Geoffrey Mitchell is good on his feet and good before the judge. A very persuasive and calm advocate." "Geoffrey Mitchell is extremely well organised, well-spoken and takes action when needed."

Graham Primrose KC is a notable silk praised for his calm demeanour when dealing with claims of the utmost complexity. He represents both pursuers and defenders in surgical errors, fatal claims and cases concerning failed or delayed diagnosis. "Graham Primrose has a keen eye for detail and a gift for quickly grasping complex technical data and detail. He is technically astute and good on his feet, with the ear of the court." "Graham takes a commercial approach and is very good."

Isla Davie KC is a well-regarded advocate whose civil law practice spans personal injury, medical and professional negligence, and commercial and property law. She acts for both defenders and pursuers, and complements her injury practice with her expertise in fatal accident inquiries. "Isla is particularly skilled in complex claims. She is excellent on the technical detail, willing to think creatively to achieve the best outcome and compassionate with clients." "She is approachable and empathetic, and her written and oral advocacy is clear, thorough and exceptionally persuasive. Her direction and advice on strategy leads to excellent results for the clients."

Jamie Dawson KC is a committed advocate who has vast experience acting for both pursuers and defenders in complex clinical negligence matters. His wide-ranging caseload spans such circumstances as birth injuries, dental malpractice and fatal accidents. He also has experience in mental health and cancer diagnosis cases. "Jamie is exceptionally good counsel and is regarded highly." "Jamie is absolutely brilliant on his feet." "Jamie is absolutely dedicated to what he does. He doesn't suffer fools gladly."

Jennifer Nicholson-White is a highly regarded clinical negligence junior who has a burgeoning reputation within this area. She acts for both pursuers and defenders in a range of complex medical negligence matters. Her work covers incorrect and failure to diagnose claims, birth injury claims and negligence resulting in amputation. "Jennifer holds her own well against seniors and more senior juniors and is very thorough in her preparation. She has always read everything." "Jennifer is fast becoming my go-to senior junior. She is efficient, responsive and really knows her stuff." "She is approachable and always happy to have detailed discussions with agents, but always clearly and effectively presents her client's case to the other side and to the court." "You can always rely on her to deliver good quality. She gets on well with clients and is good at negotiating on their behalf. She can get to the root of the problem."

Philip Stuart is a well-regarded advocate whose practice comprises a mix of clinical negligence and personal injury instructions. His cases concern delayed diagnoses and fatal claims, in addition to surgical errors and other serious injury cases. "Philip is a very capable and conscientious junior."

Vinit Khurana KC is a former GP who is held in esteem for his command of the medical intricacies behind clinical negligence cases. He is primarily instructed by defenders and has dealt with a vast array of allegations, including delays in diagnosis and birth injuries. He also has notable experience advising clients on complex disputes concerning lack of consent. "Vinit is a fantastic senior to work with. He has a calm and careful demeanour, while strongly presenting his client's case before the court. he is persuasive and marshals a legal team."

Shane Dundas focuses on clinical negligence, industrial disease and personal injury cases. He has significant experience concerning failure to treat and failure to diagnose claims and in matters regarding injury sustained from negligent surgery. "Shane is an outstanding junior counsel. He has excellent legal analysis skills and is very diligent." "Shane is very responsive, with great attention to detail. His advocacy is very good and he adds a lot of value to cases."

Fiona Drysdale KC represents clients on both the pursuer and defender sides of clinical negligence cases. She is noted for her strength in claims resulting from maximum-severity birth injuries. She is also experienced in fatal claims and delayed diagnosis cases. "Fiona is extremely efficient, well prepared and easy to deal with."

James McConnell is an experienced advocate who assists both pursuers and defenders with a variety of impressive clinical negligence claims ranging from catastrophic birth injury to brain injury cases. He is also well versed in cases concerning lack of consent and failed diagnosis. "James McConnell is absolutely one of our first-choice counsel. He is thorough and meticulous, but also will not shrink from battling things out if needed." "James is an exceptionally diligent counsel. He is highly skilled at undertaking legal analysis in complex matters." "James is decisive, well organised and has an excellent grasp of complex clinical negligence issues." "James is extremely thorough and diligent. He produces good results." "James is an exceptionally able and very clever counsel. He gets to grips with complex cases quickly and it's a dream getting a note from him because it will be so clear."

Paul Reid KC is a prominent advocate who is sought after by clients on both the pursuer and defender sides of clinical negligence claims. He is well acquainted with the full range of allegations, including cauda equina, delayed diagnoses, delays in treatment and birth injuries. He also has significant experience handling matters concerning defective medical products. "Paul is meticulous in his preparation and has very strong courtroom skills." "Paul's written advice and advocacy were excellent. His advice was very clear and coherent." "Paul Reid is definitely a rising star. He is an excellent advocate, superb on his feet and also very user-friendly. He is excellent with members and solicitors and a ferocious negotiator."