The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial Edinburgh and Glasgow: , Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s strong oil and gas capability ensures that it attracts upper-end deal mandates, and in 2010 the team acted on 35 transactions with a combined value exceeding £2.1bn, including acting for the vendors on the £600m disposal of Production Services Network (PSN) Limited to John Wood Group plc. Practice head and renewable energy expert Barry McCaig and Alan Diamond are recommended.

Within Corporate tax , Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s team ‘delivers timely and accurate advice, while taking the time to explain key issues’. Its strength on the corporate front translated into an impressive slate of corporate tax mandates in 2010, spanning M&A, investments, joint ventures, real estate transactions and employee incentive arrangements. Practice head Karen Davidson is ‘timely and excellent’, and advised the shareholders of PSN Limited on the tax aspects of its sale to John Wood Group. Senior associate Christine Yuill – ‘a very good and responsive deputy’ – advised Nevis Capital in relation to its investment in Dieselec Generators Limited.

Within Elsewhere in Scotland, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s corporate offering in Aberdeen remains a prominent presence in the oil and gas sector, and in 2010 the team hired David McEwing from Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace. The group advised Superior Energy Services on its £103.5m takeover of AIM-traded Hallin Marine Subsea International. UK-wide corporate head John Rutherford is recommended.

Within EU and competition, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

At McGrigors LLP, Jim Cormack in Edinburgh is noted for his competition and regulatory expertise. The firm also has competition law capability in London and Belfast.

Within Licensing, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s licensing team offers expertise to clients such as Gala Casinos, Hilton Hotels, PizzaExpress and Prezzo. Senior associate Audrey Ferrie heads the team and is praised for her ‘good, practical knowledge, consistency, dedication and results’.

Within Commercial litigation, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s six-partner team is many clients’ ‘first port of call’, and in 2010 secured instructions from new clients such as Barclays, Balfour Beatty and Scottish Power Renewables. Practice head Laura Cameron is highly regarded, as is Edinburgh-based Jacqueline Harris, who gives ‘considerate support and assistance’. Tom Stocker has ‘an assured manner, quickly backed up by competent and ordered thinking’, and Jim Cormack is ‘a truly outstanding litigator with superb commercial understanding’.

Within Banking and finance , Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s ‘first-class’ finance team is noted for its ‘ability to meet tight deadlines without compromising knowledge and competence’. In 2010, it advised the banks on their provision of $120m of multi-option facilities to Northern Offshore Limited, and acted for Glasgow Housing Association on £700m term loan and grant facilities provided by a combination of an RBS-led syndicate of banks and the Scottish government. Edinburgh-based Iain Macaulay is ‘knowledgeable, pragmatic, commercially aware, and more than able to hold his own against Magic Circle firms’.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

At McGrigors LLP, Kevin Devanny leads an eight-partner team which recently advised KPMG on the Scottish property aspects of a large retail insolvency.

Within Unit trusts, OEICs and investment trusts, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Highlights for Frank Doran’s practice at McGrigors LLP included advising Ignis Fund Managers on the creation of new bespoke fixed-interest funds. West Coast Capital is also a client.

Within Employment, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP offers a ‘good-sized, geographically spread team’ – with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen – and has ‘extremely strong industry knowledge’. Diane Nicol heads the practice, which represents BP, Scottish Power and the Royal Mail. Peter Sharp has specialist knowledge of offshore employment matters.

Within Health and safety, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

McGrigors LLP advises clients such as BP Exploration Operating Company, Lagan Construction and McDonald’s regarding health and safety matters. Laura Cameron heads the team, and Tom Stocker receives praise as being ‘consistently ahead of the game’.

Within Pensions, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP has recently been advising Heineken and AEGON, and new client wins include Edinburgh Woollen Mill Pension Scheme and the trustees of the Norbord Pension Schemes. Practice head Ian Gordon is noted for his ability to ‘understand key issues, cut to the nub of the matter, and get off the fence with his advice’.

Within Regional review, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

Edinburgh and Glasgow: Emerging from three years of economic turmoil, the Scottish legal market looks significantly different to that which rode the crest of the transactional wave in 2007. With no firm untouched by the downturn in transactions, different and competing strategies and goals have emerged. As a result, Scotland’s ‘Big Four’ have moved forward: Dundas & Wilson CS LLP, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP, McGrigors LLP and Shepherd and Wedderburn are still dominant players in Scotland but also deliver a broader capability, offering English law advice in London and across the UK. Brodies LLP is among the vanguard pursuing the Scotland-only strategy, increasing critical mass to provide a full service to the local market. Dickson Minto WS continues to plough a successful furrow in the corporate finance sector; and Turcan Connell is dominant on the private client front. DLA Piper Scotland LLP continues to build its reputation, particularly in corporate restructuring following some key lateral hires, while CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s Edinburgh offering is also expanding.

Within Charities, tier 5

McGrigors LLP’s charities group is now led by Caroline Wallace, after consultant Alan Boyd retired from the partnership. The team focuses on charities in the public sector, such as educational establishments.

Within Energy (excluding oil and gas), Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s Bob Ruddiman leads an energy team of ‘true specialists who know the business and regulatory environment well and have an excellent client orientation’. In 2010, the team advised AES Wind Generation on its acquisition of Your Energy Limited from Mistral Energy. Euan McVicar is ‘a very talented, remarkable and reliable professional, with deep knowledge of the energy sector in general and of the renewables business in particular’.

Within Oil and gas, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP stands out for its strength in depth in the area, and practice head Bob Ruddiman is valued for his ‘experience and industry knowledge’ and ‘strategic thinking’. Highlights in 2010 included advising PSN Limited on its £600m merger with John Wood Group, and acting for Dana Petroleum on the $650m financing and acquisition of Suncor’s UK business.

Within Projects, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Education, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s education team includes Victoria Miller, who has expertise across facilities management, outsourcing, and infrastructure matters; and Tracey Menzies, who assists University of Aberdeen in relation to its property portfolio.

Within Local government, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Gordon McCreath and consultant David Nash in Pinsent Masons LLP’s public sector group are advising City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council on two PPP waste projects. Yvonne Dunn heads the team, which is acting for five councils and other entities that form the hub North territory in setting up the ‘hubco’, helping to facilitate the Scottish government’s hub initiative.

Within Parliamentary and public affairs , Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP has a well-established reputation in public law and public policy work; the team, led by the ‘measured, experienced and well-connected’ Alastair Ross, has ‘excellent in-depth knowledge of Scottish parliamentary process and procedures’. Michelle Cullis joined the team in 2010 from parliamentary monitoring agency NewsDirect.

Within Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Construction, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

Pinsent Masons LLP’s construction practice has a ‘professional approach and extensive knowledge and experience’. Highlights included advising Morgan Sindell (Construction) Limited on subcontract and live project issues relating to the Tayside Mental Health Developments PPP. Kenny Valentine leads the practice, and is ‘an excellent construction disputes lawyer’, and clients also highlight Julia Maguire’s ‘sound knowledge of contract drafting and interpretation’.

Within Elsewhere in Scotland, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

John Curran retired from the partnership at McGrigors LLP in 2010, but still advises on a consultancy basis. Aberdeen-based Tracey Menzies is now the key figure, advising clients on bespoke office developments and forward funding, sale and commercial leasing matters.

Within Environment, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s environment team has ‘excellent industry knowledge’; ‘while many firms are branching into renewables, few have the knowledge and experience prevalent in this team’. Practice head Jennifer Ballantyne is ‘very knowledgeable of the wider renewables industry and gives practical, commercial advice’, and has been leading advice to Scottish Power Generation Limited on all environmental and consent aspects of the proposed carbon capture plant at Longannet power station.

Within Planning, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Jacqueline Harris leads the UK-wide planning team at McGrigors LLP, with the Scottish contingent appreciated for ‘well-founded advice and a very quick and efficient response to all queries and instructions’. In 2010, the team advised Scottish Power on the consent aspects of its proposed carbon capture and storage 
plant at Longannet power station. John Curran retired from the partnership, but remains on hand as a consultant.

Within Property litigation, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s property litigation team adopts a ‘pragmatic and thoughtful’ approach, with ‘a level of understanding that is invaluable’. Laura Cameron heads the team, which advised MacTaggart & Mickel Homes on a contract dispute regarding the purchase of a development plot.

Within Social housing Social housing

Within Intellectual property, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s ‘very responsive’ IP team, led by Seona Burnett, handles contentious and non-contentious matters, and ‘continually demonstrates excellent commercial awareness’. It is advising DestiNA Genomics on its spinout from the University of Edinburgh. George Campbell is ‘commercially savvy but easily able to dive into detail’. Jane Cornwell left in 2010 to become an IP law lecturer.

Within IT and telecoms, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Media and entertainment, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

John Salmon leads Pinsent Masons LLP’s media practice. Yvonne Dunn led the team in advising New Media Partners concerning a consultancy project to establish a media content creation zone in Abu Dhabi (twofour54).

Within Sport, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

McGrigors LLP’s sports law team has built a strong reputation since its inception in 2009. This UK-wide practice is ‘experienced and proactive’, with Jim Cormack recommended in Scotland. Clients include Scottish Rugby Union and Scottish Disability Sport.

Within Transport, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Pinsent Masons LLP’s work in the transport projects area is ‘excellent’. Michael Allan heads the group, and Stuart Barr is ‘a very talented lawyer with a large presence in the sector’. The firm advises clients including CalMac Ferries Limited, BAM PPP and Bilfinger Berger.