The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP maintained a high transactional workload, including acting for Associated Seafoods Limited in a £12.9m investment by Scottish Seafood Investments. Glasgow-based Kenneth Shand leads the 11-partner team, which includes the highly regarded Brian Moore in Edinburgh. Richard Cockburn joined the Aberdeen office from Shepherd and Wedderburn.

Within Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in Scotland, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Despite Alastair Wyper’s departure to form Blackwood Partners LLP, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP maintains an active presence in Aberdeen through Uisdean Vass, Gordon Hobkirk, and oil and gas specialist Richard Cockburn, who joined from Shepherd and Wedderburn.

Within Corporate tax, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s corporate tax practice brings together legal and chartered accountancy expertise, with the combined offering making it ‘as good as, if not better than, the Big Four accounting firms and the Magic Circle’. In 2011 it advised Scottish Equity Partners on the tax implications of its investment in Media Ingenuity Holdings. Gwen Souter heads the practice, which also features director Lorna McCaa, who has ‘superb knowledge of tax law’.

Within EU and competition, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP provides ‘faultlessly useable advice’. Michael Dean and two other partners cover the full gamut of competition law matters, from merger clearances to complex investigations. In 2011 it acted for Stagecoach Group in a Competition Commission investigation into the local bus market. Dean combines ‘amenability with a no-nonsense approach to his area of the law’, and Catriona Munro has ‘a grasp of detail few can match’.

Within Licensing, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Ewan Easton leads the team at Maclay Murray & Spens LLP, which acts for clients including House of Fraser and The Hibernian Football Club.

Within Commercial litigation, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s ‘partner-level advice is very comprehensive and assistance at the more junior level is top notch’. Tim Edward leads the practice, and Ewan Easton ‘methodically approaches cases from every angle’. In 2011, the team defended Lloyds Banking Group against a claim brought by Lloyds TSB Foundation.

Within Debt recovery, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP gives ‘consistent’ and ‘very professional’ service, and represents intermediaries in the property management sector including Savills, Jones Lang LaSalle and Drivers Jonas Deloitte.

Within Banking and finance, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s finance team is noted for its ‘expert knowledge and useful, constructive advice’, particularly its ‘detailed knowledge of PFI projects and bank requirements’. In 2011 it acted for a club of six banks in the refinancing of John Wood Group’s £800m revolving credit facilities. Practice head Susan Kelly is ‘a very accomplished finance expert’, and Robert Laing is ‘very good at explaining the detail’. Chris Dun is also recommended.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

HBJ Gateley’s ‘excellent, partner-led service’ was further strengthened in 2011 with the arrival of Craig Darling from Dundas & Wilson CS LLP and Tim Cooper from the Manchester office of Squire Sanders LLP. It is one of only three firms on the Scotland corporate recovery panels for Lloyds Banking Group, RBS, Clydesdale Bank and Barclays, indicating its strength in complex restructuring matters. Practice head Graeme Henry is ‘a first-class commercial lawyer and project manager’, and is supported by the ‘responsive and experienced’ Jamie McIntosh. Douglas Blyth joined Maclay Murray & Spens LLP.

Within Unit trusts, OEICs and investment trusts, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP represents some 30 listed investment funds as well as a broad range of alternative, onshore and offshore retail funds. Highlights included acting for Dalmore Capital Limited on the establishment and restructuring of the asset management group and an initial capital raise for an infrastructure fund. Edinburgh-based David Young is recommended.

Within Employment, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP advised the Educational Institute of Scotland on industrial action in 2011. Other clients include Lothian and Borders Police, and Aberdeen Asset Management. Amanda Jones leads a ‘business-aware’ team, praised for its responsiveness.

Within Pensions, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP advised British Polythene Industries and Vallourec Mannesmann on their new definitive trust deed and rules, and Weir Group on its final salary schemes.

Within Professional negligence, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP recently represented Primary Healthcare Centres (Broadford) in a claim against former solicitors concerning an alleged failure to specify a claim accurately. Tim Edward leads the practice.

Within Regional review, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP and Shepherd and Wedderburn remain dominant forces in Scotland, having also expanded southwards across the UK. Maclay Murray & Spens LLP was in merger talks with Bond Pearce LLP, but these were aborted in early 2012.

Within Agriculture and estates, tier 4

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s clients include forest enterprise companies and leisure industry companies. Gregor Mitchell heads the team.

Within Charities, tier 4

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP gives ‘excellent service and good explanations’ to its clients, which include NASA, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Scottish Opera. Team head Alan Eccles is ‘superb’ and has ‘extensive knowledge of charity law’.

Within Family, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s practice provides ‘outstanding’ service, is ‘absolutely committed to the case’, and has ‘exemplary’ knowledge. Associate Noel Ferry, who leads the team, has experience in high-net-worth divorces, prenuptial agreements and child relocation cases. Senior solicitor Roger Mackenzie is ‘efficient and highly effective with an endearing and unassuming manner’.

Within Personal tax, trusts and executries, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP has a ‘good-quality client base’ and, ‘a breadth of experience that is unrivalled locally’. Andrew Biggart leads a ‘strong and reliable’ team, in which Norman Kennedy is ‘excellent’ and Eleanor Kerr is ‘very knowledgeable’.

Within Energy (excluding oil and gas), Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s energy practice straddles the transactional and regulatory arenas through renewables head David Cruickshank and energy regulatory expert Michael Dean. In 2011, the team acted for the Combination of Rothes Distillers Limited regarding a £60.5m bio-energy joint venture.

Within Oil and gas, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s Aberdeen-based oil and gas team advised AF Decom Offshore UK Limited on its plans to establish a new decommissioning base in Shetland. Uisdean Vass is ‘unflappable’, and Richard Cockburn is ‘precise and clear’.

Within Projects, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP has ‘very commercial and knowledgeable PFI expertise’. In 2011 it represented John Laing Investments Limited and Laing O’Rourke in their bid for the £200m Glasgow College NPD project. Euan Wilson and Rod Munro are highly recommended.

Within Education, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP recently advised the Educational Institute of Scotland on industrial action, and the University of the West of Scotland on the construction of student accomodation. Other clients include Carnegie College and City of Glasgow College. Hilary Kane leads the group.

Within Local government, tier 4

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s local government practice is a subset of the firm’s employment group, led by Amanda Jones. Clients include Glasgow City Council, Falkirk Council and West Lothian Council.

Within Parliamentary and public affairs, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s ‘responsive, flexible and personal’ team recently advised the Scottish Police Services Agency in a judicial review inquiry arising out of the Lord Advocate v Shirley McKie case, relating to crime-scene fingerprints. Other clients include Transport Scotland and Network Rail. Michael Dean heads the practice.

Within Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s clients are ‘consistently satisfied with the service provided’ by its nine-partner commercial property team. In 2011 it represented the Universities Superannuation Scheme Limited, the second-largest pension fund in the UK, in its £31.25m acquisition of St John’s shopping centre in Perth. Gordon Aitken and the ‘always available’ Gillian Downie are recommended.

Within Commercial property: Elsewhere in Scotland Commercial property: Elsewhere in Scotland

Within Construction, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s construction practice is ‘robust enough to deal with any complex legal matters that can arise’. Mark Macaulay’s team was strengthened by the arrival of contentious construction expert David Scott from McGrigors LLP in 2011. Highlights included representing RBG Limited in a dispute with SGL Carbon Fibers.

Within Environment, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Highlights for Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s practice included advising Total E&P UK on the proposed EU changes to environmental health and safety legislation affecting the oil and gas industry. Chris Smylie became the firm’s chief executive in 2011; so associate Pamela Coulthard now heads the practice.

Within Planning, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s planning team acted for Bancon Developments in challenging a refusal of planning permission for a 26-house development in Banchory. Gillian Simpson leads the practice.

Within Property litigation, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a first tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s property litigation team has ‘in-depth knowledge of the market’. Practice head Ewan Easton provides ‘a clear strategy that is always mindful of the client’s objectives’. In 2011, the team acted for Thus Group Holdings in challenging arbitration awards relating to the rent review of a national property portfolio.

Within Social housing, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s Chris Dun provides ‘first-class advice’ in social housing finance, acting for prominent banks such as RBS and Clydesdale Bank.

Within Intellectual property, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a second tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP provides ongoing IP advice to Pringle of Scotland, and other clients include Polaroid Eyewear and Integrated Environmental Solutions. Alison Bryce is an accredited specialist in IP law.

Within IT and telecoms, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s clients include Robert Wiseman Dairies & Sons, which the team recently advised on entering into contracts to upgrade its internal software systems. Other clients include Integrated Environmental Solutions and Scottish Power.

Within Transport , Maclay Murray & Spens LLP is a third tier firm,

Mark Macaulay heads Maclay Murray & Spens LLP’s transport practice, which recently represented Larsen Oil & Gas in two disputes in Scotland arising from contracts for drill ships based in Angola and Mexico. Other clients include Network Rail Infrastructure and Transport Scotland.