Ampersand Advocates

Practice Manager:

Alan Moffat - [email protected] (0131 260 5710)

Deputy Clerks:

Jennifer Dunn - [email protected] (0131 260 5614)

Sheena Hume - [email protected] (0131 260 5809)

Shawn McArthur - [email protected] (0131 260 5616)

Kathryn Ferguson - [email protected] (0131 260 5660)

Bonnie McCracken - [email protected] (0131 260 5628)

Set Director:

Isla Davie KC

Ampersand Advocates is a highly respected, progressive, and multi-disciplined stable at the Scottish Bar, recognised for delivering expert counsel and advocacy across a diverse range of practice areas. With a rich history and a forward-thinking approach, Ampersand has earned its reputation as a leading set, housing advocates who bring added value, experience and in-depth legal knowledge. Amongst its members are some of the Scottish Bar’s most highly rated and successful counsel and KCs. Established in 1981 the set presently has 60 members, including 28 KCs.

Ampersand provides the full range of services offered by the Scottish Bar, both in contentious and non-contentious work, including advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, advice and related written work. The members undertake work across courts across Scotland, the UK Supreme Court, the European Courts, Tribunals, Public Inquiries, Arbitrations, Mediations and Adjudications.

The set’s primary strengths are in Clinical Liability and Personal Injury, Public and Planning Law, and Commercial and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Each of these practice groups comprises advocates who have handled numerous high-profile and complex cases, ensuring that Ampersand’s clients benefit from leading-edge counsel.

• Clinical Liability and Personal Injury: Ampersand has long been at the forefront of clinical negligence and personal injury law in Scotland. The team features skilled practitioners who have acted in some of the most significant and high-value clinical liability disputes, from birth injury claims to surgical negligence,complex medical causation issues and catastrophic injury claims. Ampersand’s advocates are frequently sought after to represent pursuers (claimants), defenders, and insurers alike. Members of the stable are regularly instructed in health and safety prosecutions and Fatal Accident Inquiries.

• Public and Planning Law: Ampersand has a strong reputation in public law litigation and is home to some of the leading practitioners at the Scottish Bar in bringing and defending challenges to the decisions of public bodies including cases raising human rights issues. Ampersand has a deserved reputation as being at the forefront of planning and environmental law in Scotland, with considerable depth of experience to call upon, our members can advise on all aspects: such as statutory consent regimes, environmental impact assessment procedures, compulsory purchase and compensation. The stable excels in major development and infrastructure projects, and has achieved pre-eminence in energy related casework. Counsel appear regularly at public inquiries and in judicial review cases, including high profile challenges in the Inner House and Supreme Court.

• Commercial and Alternative Dispute Resolution: Ampersand has long been regarded as one of the leading commercial law sets at the Scottish Bar. The set has experienced senior and junior counsel who receive regular instructions from the top commercial firms in Scotland across a wide range of disputes. Our members have expertise in a variety of commercial matters, including insolvency, construction, real estate, professional negligence and intellectual property disputes.Ampersand is home to one of the largest ADR offerings at the Scottish Bar, both acting for parties or as an ADR facilitator, including Mediator, Arbitrator, Adjudicator, Expert Determinator and independent inquires.

• The work of Ampersand includes advice, advocacy and arbitration in relation to cross-border and international issues, disputes and Sanctions regime. Amongst Ampersand’s membership are dual-qualified counsel in English law, as well as European Union law.