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DLA Piper Scotland LLP’s projects team provides a ‘first-class service, consistently meeting and exceeding expectations at all levels’. In 2010, the group advised Transport Scotland on all procurement and contract matters relating to the Forth Replacement Crossing. Sharon Fitzgerald heads the practice, and ‘offers first-class advice on procurement matters, with close attention to detail’.

Dundas & Wilson CS LLP is a ‘leading firm for projects work’, and provides a ‘great level of service and strong input at partner level’. Michael McAuley leads the team, which advised Moray Council on its £35m contract for the design, construction and provision of services to two schools. Keith Armstrong is an ‘exceptional lawyer who has an outstanding ability to get deals concluded efficiently without wandering off into theory and point-scoring’; and Paul Massie is ‘an impressive lawyer with a great work ethic’. Michael Stoneham left for Brodies LLP.

MacRoberts LLP’s infrastructure team advised Forthspan on the Forth replacement crossing, and acted for the preferred bidder on the Western Isles School PPP project. Andrew Orr heads the team, which advises clients in the public, private and banking sectors.

McGrigors LLP is ‘an extremely modern, responsive and forward-looking firm with an array of talent at senior and junior levels’. Highlights for 2010 included advising Barclays, RBS and The Co-operative Bank as the lenders to the Tayside Mental Health PFI project, which was the first PPP healthcare project procured by means of the Non-Profit Distributing structure. PPP practice head Drysdale Graham is ‘a founding figure in the PPP sector’, while Michael Watson leads on the project finance side.

Pinsent Masons LLP fields a team of ‘infrastructure industry experts who always seem to solve complex problems efficiently’. It continues to advise the Scottish Futures Trust on market preparation for the hub initiative, a long-term PPP programme. Practice head Stuart Barr is ‘a very talented lawyer, with a big presence in the projects sector’.

Karyn Watt’s team at Anderson Strathern is ‘excellent by all measures’. In 2010, it acted for the building contractors on the £120m Aberdeen Schools 3Rs PPP, and continues to advise on the Glasgow School of Art’s Garnethill redevelopment.

Brodies LLP made a significant move in 2010 by recruiting Michael Stoneham from Dundas & Wilson CS LLP. Keith Patterson heads the projects group, whose highlights included advising Scottish Borders Council on a £80m procurement project for long-term residual waste disposal. The team also advised The Co-operative Bank on the project financing of 22 renewables projects during 2010.

Highlights for Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s projects practice included advising Aviva on financing the £50m Moray Schools project, as well as acting as Scottish counsel to Veolia Water on its acquisition of United Utilities’ unregulated water interests in the UK and Europe. Euan Wilson and Rod Munro are recommended.

McClure Naismith LLP advised the sponsor of the Aberdeen Schools PPP project, and represented Tayside Health Board on the £110m project for the construction of two mental health facilities. Steven Brown heads the practice.

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s sector expertise spans transport, health, waste, renewables, education and defence. Highlights for 2010 included advising Sgoiltean Ùra LLP as the SPV for the Western Isles Schools hybrid PPP project. Rhona Harper heads the practice.

Biggart Baillie LLP provides ‘well-considered and appropriately detailed advice’. The ‘pragmatic and sensible’ Martin Gallaher advised Ringway Infrastructure Services Limited, a leading provider in highway services, regarding negotiations for a new ten-year O&M agreement for the A92 DBFO roads project.

Chris Mackay heads the team at Burness LLP, which advised ten public sector bodies on the hub initiative.

Stephen Colliston has taken over at the helm of Tods Murray LLP’s projects practice following Ian McPake’s move to the Scottish Futures Trust. He ‘knows what he is talking about and has the ability to communicate well’, and the practice as a whole has ‘an engaging but unpatronising warmth to it’.

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