EU and competition
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1
- MACLAY MURRAY & SPENS LLP Glasgow, Edinburgh
- SHEPHERD AND WEDDERBURN Edinburgh, Glasgow
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2
- MCGRIGORS LLP Glasgow, Edinburgh
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3
- Biggart Baillie LLP Glasgow, Edinburgh
- Brodies LLP Edinburgh, Glasgow
- Burness LLP Edinburgh, Glasgow
- Dundas & Wilson CS LLP Edinburgh, Glasgow
- MacRoberts LLP Glasgow, Edinburgh
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- Anderson Strathern LLP Edinburgh
- McClure Naismith LLP Glasgow
Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s market-leading cartels practice, which is led by regulatory specialist Michael Dean, continues to broaden into areas such as trade law, export control and product liability. The firm is currently acting on four appeals before the European Court of First Instance in relation to cartel decisions by the European Commission, and it also advised HBOS and Lloyds TSB in relation to the challenge brought by the Merger Action Group against BERR’s clearance of their merger. One impressed client hails Catriona Munro as ‘the most expert EU lawyer I have ever met‘.
Under Gordon Downie, Shepherd And Wedderburn’s ‘strong‘ team advised Scottish Enterprise on public procurement and state aid issues relating to both its ‘Energetica‘ scheme to create a corridor of energy business locations between Aberdeen and Peterhead, and its redevelopment of the Aberdeen Science and Energy Park. Other clients include Total and Scottish Power. Aberdeen-based Richard Cockburn and the highly rated John Schmidt are praised as ‘commercial in their approach and easy to work with‘.
McGrigors LLP operates separate practices for competition, led by Rob Lambert, and procurement state aid, led by director Alan Boyd. The team’s workload for 2008 included acting for a major retailer in the high-profile OFT investigation into supermarket price-fixing, and advising Seawell on its acquisition of Noble’s North Sea platform drilling business.
Led by Colin Miller, Biggart Baillie LLP advised Graham Dairies on the OFT investigation into alleged cartel activity in the Scottish milk market, and represented Lightways (Contractors) in interim interdict and damages actions before the Court of Session in relation to a local authority.
Brodies LLP’s team is jointly led by Rodger Murray and Christine O’Neill. The firm continued to advise Shetland Islands Council on state aid issues, and advised Aberdeen City Council on issues relating to the Aberdeen schools NPD project. Other clients include Glasgow City Council.
David Goodbrand heads Burness LLP’s ‘experienced, knowledgeable and extremely helpful‘ competition team. The firm continued to represent Arla in its claim against a number of Scottish milk companies and related OFT complaint, and advised Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney on issues relating to the establishment of a joint procurement vehicle to deliver infrastructure projects. Stephen Phillips and James McLean are also recommended.
Dundas & Wilson CS LLP’s ‘professional and pragmatic‘ team is led by the ‘thoughtful, proactive, commercial‘ Peter Willis, who splits his time between the firm’s London and Scottish offices. The firm recently advised Scottish & Southern Energy on an Ofgem investigation into a suspected abuse of a dominant position for the supply of balancing electricity.
2008 saw MacRoberts LLP advise on public procurement contracts with an aggregate value exceeding £2bn, advising clients on merger clearance, compliance and OFT investigations, including cases under its whistleblowing policy. Team head David Flint is recommended.
Led by corporate head Simon Brown, Anderson Strathern LLP advised Strathclyde Partnership for Transport as authorised undertaker of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link scheme.
New to the ranking, McClure Naismith LLP advisedInfratil on competition issues relating to Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Colin Millar is recommended.