Legal500

Balfour + Manson LLP

54-66 FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH, EH2 1LS, SCOTLAND

Tel:: Work 0131 200 1200
Fax:: Fax 0131 200 1300
DX:: ED4 EDINBURGH

Web:: www.balfour-manson.co.uk
Email:

Edinburgh, Aberdeen

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Scotland

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation, tier 5

Elaine Motion heads the litigation team at Balfour + Manson LLP, which was strengthened in 2010 by the arrival of Gordon Deane from Shepherd and Wedderburn.

Human resources

Within Employment Employment

Insurance

Within Medical negligence: pursuer, Balfour + Manson LLP is a first tier firm,

Balfour + Manson LLP’s experience includes high-value cerebral palsy claims. Team head Fred Tyler is highly esteemed, and is an expert in obstetric negligence cases. David McIntosh and senior associate Ann Logan are also recommended.

Within Personal injury: pursuer, Balfour + Manson LLP is a first tier firm,

Balfour + Manson LLP is ‘one of the top personal injury firms for pursuers’, and has expertise in offshore cases. The ‘first-rate and thorough’ Lisa Gregory and practice head Fred Tyler are recommended along with David McIntosh, who is ‘one of the leading pursuer PI Court of Session solicitors in Scotland’.

Within Professional negligence, Balfour + Manson LLP is a third tier firm,

Balfour + Manson LLP represents clients under the Law Society of Scotland’s Master Policy. David Flint heads the team, in which David McIntosh is praised for his ‘calmness in stressful situations’.

Overview

Private client

Within Charities, tier 5

Balfour + Manson LLP’s team is ‘very approachable and fully conversant with all aspects of charity law’. Practice head John Hodge is ‘an expert in his field’. The team advised on the establishment of The Linda Norgrove Foundation.

Within Family, Balfour + Manson LLP is a second tier firm,

Balfour + Manson LLP is ‘highly efficient and experienced in handling all types of family law cases’. Shona Smith ‘excels in her field’, and is ‘diligent and calm under pressure’; and practice head Andrew Gibb is also recommended.

Within Personal tax, trusts and executries, Balfour + Manson LLP is a third tier firm,

Balfour + Manson LLP’s private client practice is led by Brenda Rennie, who ‘provides a very high level of personal service’. The team has particular expertise in welfare support for elderly clients. David Campbell ‘inspires total confidence’, and all of the partners are commended for their ‘very good bedside manner’.

Further information on Balfour + Manson LLP

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Balfour + Manson LLP in other jurisdictions.

Scottish Bar

Civil liberties, human rights, public inquiries, public and administrative law (including local government) : Civil liberties, human rights, public inquiries, public and administrative law (including local government)

Scotland

Offices in Aberdeen and Edinburgh

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

COUNCIL TAX

In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.

- 11KBW
QUEEN’S SPEECH

Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.

- 11KBW
Standards

In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.

- 11KBW
A justified retrospective

Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation

- 11KBW
Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:

- 11KBW
Public Sector Equality Duty

Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.

- 11KBW
Judicial Review

The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.

- 11KBW
The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.

- 11KBW
Immigration update May 2012

In this issue:

- Penningtons Solicitors LLP
Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.

- Penningtons Solicitors LLP