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Dundas & Wilson CS LLP’s IT and telecoms practice was strengthened by the arrival of senior associate Reg Dhanjal, who brings expertise as former head of T-Mobile’s commercial and legal compliance group. The group advised Scottish Water on outsourcing its virtualised infrastructure estate to Fujitsu Services; and also acted for the Scottish Exhibition Centre on its appointment of AEG Facilities. Laurence Ward heads the team.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s IT practice, led by John Salmon, handles transactional and contentious matters. The department’s capacity to combine its IT and insurance expertise sees it acting for clients including Allianz, Chartis and AXA.

Brodies LLP is ‘excellent on all counts’. Andrew Rigby is an ‘outsourcing guru’; practice head Grant Campbell is recommended; and associate Martin Sloan is also noted, for IT contracts.

David Goodbrand heads Burness LLP’s IP group, in which Helena Brown and Colin Hulme are also recommended; all three are noted for their ‘ability to analyse and pick out the key aspects of work’. Senior solicitor John Pope is valued for his ‘acumen, exuberance and passion’.

DLA Piper Scotland LLP advises on complex projects for financial services clients such as National Australia Group Europe and Lloyds Banking Group. Scott Thiel’s ‘grasp of individual IT contracts and breadth of knowledge is excellent’.

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s Alison Bryce is leading advice to Integrated Environmental Solutions on four technology strategy board collaborations. Gill Grassie heads the group, which has successfully attracted new clients including Scotserve, ASCO and Credosoft. Robert Buchan has been promoted to partner.

The ‘highly professional’ team at MacRoberts LLP is ‘willing to go the extra mile if needed, and breeds confidence’. Practice head David Flint and newly promoted partner Valerie Surgenor are recommended.

McGrigors LLP’s ICT group delivers ‘excellent service’, and is led by the dual-qualified Matthew Godfrey-Faussett. The group has been strengthening its data protection capabilities, and won the appointment to advise NHS 24 on outsourcing its IT systems.

Paul Carlyle heads Shepherd and Wedderburn’s media and technology team, which continues to receive a significant number of instructions from the financial services sector. Recent highlights include advising Alliance Trust on aspects of procuring a new data centre.

Anderson Strathern’s IT work is led by Simon Brown. The group advised Napier University on reviewing a software licence and maintenance agreement for payroll software. Other clients include Random House and the National Trust for Scotland.

Biggart Baillie LLP advised the Highland Council on its multimillion-pound second-generation ICT outsourcing project, which completed in 2010. Colin Miller leads the group, and senior associate Douglas McLachlan is also recommended.

McClure Naismith LLP’s key contact, David Gourlay, is ‘very knowledgeable, commercial, and client focused, and a pleasure to work with’. Clients include Scottish Widows Investment Partnership.

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Legal Developments in the UK

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