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With over 70 fee-earners including 20 partners in its property practice, Brodies LLP has one of the largest commercial property teams in Scotland, and its ‘cognisance of the client’s requirements, especially in terms of delivery timescale and general advice, is excellent’. The group has been advising RBS on £150m-worth of property finance facilities, and also acted for Moorfield Group on its £54m acquisition of Skypark in Glasgow. Practice head Nick Scott is ‘a very good leader’, and Johane Murray is also highly regarded.

Burness LLP’s property team delivers ‘response times, innovation, commerciality and value for money that is all first class’. The ‘exceptional’ Nick Naddell heads the team, which in 2010 acted for Kenmore Capital Skypark Limited and Kenmore Capital Skypark 2 Limited on the £54m sale of their interest in the Skypark Unit Trust to Moorfield Group. Steven McKinlay has a ‘fantastic knowledge base’. David Gifford and David Johnston both retired in 2010.

Dundas & Wilson CS LLP’s commercial property team ‘has the tools to do the job and provides the right level of support’ for clients, which include Asda and Glasgow City Council. The team was very active on the institutional investor front in 2010, including advising Standard Life Investments on the acquisition and forward funding of a 90,000 sq ft office and 1,100-space car park. Iain Doran and practice head Allan Wernham are recommended.

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP fields a ten-partner commercial property team across its Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen offices, led by Gordon Aitken. Clients include Dubai World, Edinburgh Quay Limited, and Holland & Barrett. The team acted for the administrators of Kilmartin and associated companies on the disposal of 76 properties across the UK.

Katharine Hardie heads the commercial property team at McGrigors LLP, whose highlights in 2010 included advising Strathclyde Pension Fund on the £60m acquisition of 141 Bothwell Street in Glasgow from Premier Property Group.

Commercial property is a cornerstone of Semple Fraser LLP’s success. Highlights in 2010 included acting for Tesco plc on various development deals, including a new 26,600 sq ft superstore at Buckie. Practice head Elspeth Carson is recommended, and Margaret McLean’s ‘ability instills complete confidence’.

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s ‘excellent’ commercial property practice ‘compares favourably with the best that other Scottish firms have to offer’. In 2010, James Dobie’s team advised an ING UK property fund on the sale and redevelopment of St Andrews House in Glasgow. David Mitchell provides ‘a superb level of service’, and Karen Shaw delivers ‘excellent client care and is generally very competent and organised’.

The real estate team at Anderson Strathern had an active 2010, including acting for The Crown Estate on the completion of lease agreements relating to the world’s first commercial wave and tidal energy project in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters area. The firm merged with well-respected commercial property firm Bell & Scott in July 2011.

Biggart Baillie LLP is highly regarded for property litigation, where it has ‘great depth of experience’; and its advice in commercial property matters is ‘always balanced with a commercial eye on the transaction’. Clients include Marks & Spencer, and Apex Hotels Limited.

Drew Wallace heads DLA Piper Scotland LLP’s real estate team, which provides ‘overall good levels of service’, and comprises 31 lawyers in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Highlights included acting for Hansteen Property Investments on the purchase of a £40m Scottish property portfolio, and for Telereal Trillium on the £50m financing of an outsourced Royal Mail portfolio.

HBJ Gateley’s commercial property team ‘gets to the heart of problems quickly, with no timewasting’, and is ‘responsive and knowledgeable’. Miles Ede heads the team, which advised IVG on the letting and subsequent sale of Broadway One. Andy Birrell’s ‘attention to detail’ attracts praise from clients.

MacRoberts LLP has a strong retailer client base, including Wm Morrison Supermarkets. Laurence Fraser heads the team, which recently combined with Alison Horner’s construction practice to advise Regent Capital on a combined £6m retail investment purchase and a BPRA refurbishment of a 17-storey tower block in Glasgow.

Morton Fraser’s commercial property practice ‘sets the benchmark for client care and quality of service’, with Brian Hutcheson regarded as a ‘high-calibre commercial property expert’. Its great strength is estate management, and it handles all requirements for many of Scotland’s biggest landowners, including Diageo, Scottish & Newcastle, and the Ministry of Defence. In 2010, the group advised new client Landesbank Berlin AG on financing the investment acquisitions of Broadway One and 110 St Vincent Street in Glasgow.

Tods Murray LLP’s commercial property team is valued for its ‘availability of personnel, commercial awareness and value for money’. In 2010, it advised Co-operative Insurance Society Ltd on the £69m sale of Clyde Shopping Centre. Elaine Todd is ‘outstanding’, and practice head Susie Thornton is also recommended.

Anderson Fyfe LLP’s real estate practice, led by Kenneth Meldrum, provides commercial property advice to clients such as Redrow Homes, Park Lane Developments and Cemex UK. Brian Armour is also recommended. Derek Hamill moved to Young & Partners.

Highlights for Archibald Campbell & Harley WS’ commercial property team, led by Robin Mitchell, included acting for longstanding client Boots on a store expansion programme. Rory Milne left the firm to establish his own practice.

Headed by the ‘solid and flexible’ James Dickson, Brechin Tindal Oatts’ team adopts a client-friendly approach, and its ‘service and response times are excellent’. The group’s retail expertise was utilised in 2010 when it advised Superdry on the acquisition of various retail units, including a new flagship store in Glasgow. Nicolas McBride ‘always adopts a practical approach to solving problems’.

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s Edinburgh office had a busy 2010, with highlights including advising RBS on the £16m purchase of the city’s Landmark Point Hotel. Timothy Pitt advises on Edinburgh real estate matters. The team was joined by senior associate Stephanie Mackenzie from Semple Fraser LLP.

Davidson Chalmers LLP’s real estate team has ‘a good overall perspective of all aspects of business’, and practice head Andrew Chalmers and Bruce Lancaster both ‘proactively provide a high-quality, professional service’. Highlights included advising Stockland Muir on the £11.5m sale of an investment at Aberdeen Gateway to Standard Life.

Harper Macleod LLP’s real estate team is valued for its ‘appropriate and timely advice and fair billing’. Graeme Nisbet heads the practice, and David Bell is very highly regarded. Clients include CBRE Investors and Arcadia Group.

Lindsays provides ‘satisfactory and effective advice and responses, with sufficient strength in depth to ensure continuity on instructions’. Derek Nash heads the team, which acted for the Royal National Institute of Blind People on leasing a property in Glasgow. The ‘knowledgeable and effective’ Kenny Gray is also recommended.

McClure Naismith LLP’s property practice head Philip Sim and Claire Sturrock are recommended.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s property team produces ‘good-quality work and delivers within the agreed timescales’, and strengthened its resources in 2010 by recruiting consultant Norman Smith. Highlights for Hugh Bruce-Watt’s team included advising Regent Capital on the £27m acquisition and development of a vacant Glasgow office building.

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