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Headed by Joan Cradden, Brodies LLP’s five-partner team includes several star names, including the ‘very impressive‘ Emma Bell, who is ‘highly responsive, always available, precise, practical and to the point‘. The firm recently acted for International Paper on the collective consultation process connected to the proposed closure and restructuring of the Inverurie Paper Mill. Clients include RBS, Standard Life and Scottish Power.

Dundas & Wilson CS LLP’ ‘excellent‘ team is praised for its ‘timely, focused and pragmatic advice‘, ‘great business acumen and extremely in-depth knowledge of all aspects of employment law‘. Group head Eilidh Wiseman is commended for her ability to ‘manage successfully, highly complex individual casework‘, while partner David Walker is ‘diligent, responsive, creative and innovative‘.

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s highly rated five-partner team is headed by Jane Fraser. It successfully represented Fife Police in the defence of a sex discrimination claim brought by a former employee, and Leisurecorp on its acquisition of the Turnberry Hotel and related arrangements for its temporary closure and refurbishment. Amanda Jones and Mark Hamilton are recommended.

McGrigors LLP offers clients a ‘very good‘ four-partner team in Scotland, which is commended for its ‘extremely flexible and rapid response rate‘. The extremely well-regarded Diane Nicol heads the group, which successfully represented the Scottish Ambulance Service in a multiple-party claim involving work time issues. Clients include the University of Aberdeeen, Asda and BAA.

Anderson Strathern LLP’s ‘first-rate‘ employment unit is headed by Neil Maclean. The firm is the University of Edinburgh’s sole employment counsel, while other clients include Scottish & Southern Energy, Invitrogen and Strathclyde Passenger Transport. Alun Thomas is recommended.

The ‘excellent‘ Ronald Mackay heads the team at Burness LLP, where ‘response levels are timely‘ and you get ‘a sense that they provide more than simply what the fee buys‘. Highlights include advising Glasgow City Council on the proposed TUPE transfer of 9,500 employees to new employers. David Morgan is, according to one client, ‘the best employment lawyer I have every worked with‘, while associate Morag Moffett is ‘a star in the making‘.

Macroberts LLP is currently representing two thirds of Scotland’s 32 local authorities on employment law issues, and in 2008 it won two appeals for the Highland Council relating to the statutory grievance procedure. Stephen Miller’s team does advocacy work before the Employment Appeals Tribunal and has gained several impressive new clients including Peel Ports and Flyglobespan.

Morton Fraser’s ‘excellent and wholly professional‘ team boasts a complement of ‘approachable and knowledgeable‘ lawyers, including ‘superb‘ group head Innes Clark and partner Duncan Murray. Clients include the MoD and the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association.

Led by Sean Saluja, Paull & Williamsons represented the employers in the Offshore Working Time Cases, which went to the Employment Appeal Tribunal in 2008.

Pinsent Masons LLP advises clients across the full range of sectors on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Clients include HSBC, RBS, Serco and Amey. The highly rated Kirsty Ayre heads the team.

Clients commend Shepherd And Wedderburn’s ‘excellent service, and responsive, robust advice‘. Headed by the ‘exceptionally knowledgeable‘ 
Sheila Gunn, the firm acted on several major TUPEcases for clients including City Building, which outsources all of Glasgow City Council’s building services, and Scottish & Newcastle. Kim Pattullo comes highly recommended.

Paul Brown heads the ‘friendly and efficient‘ team at Biggart Baillie LLP. Clients include Scottish Power, Aberdeenshire Council and the British Transport Police Authority.

Brechin Tindal Oatts is particularly strong in the social housing sector, representing clients such as Key Housing Association and Craigdale Housing Association. Caroline Carr heads the team.

Russell Bradley heads the team at DLA Piper Scotland LLP. The firm recently advised Atlas Air on the collective redundancy and TUPE implications of its downsizing at Prestwick Airport.

Paul McMahon’s team at Harper Macleod LLP acts for a solid mix of public and private sector clients, including The Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus.

Alan Thomson heads the team at McClure Naismith LLP, which gained several new clients including DBM Group and the Highland Council.

Simpson & Marwick’s ‘excellent‘ team is headed by the ‘quick-thinking‘ Sandy Kemp, who enjoys an excellent reputation. Its Aberdeen office has, alongside two local firms, been representing the offshore employers on the high-profile Offshore Working Time Cases.

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