The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial Edinburgh and Glasgow: , tier 4

Morton Fraser’s ‘professional yet approachable’ corporate team advised Begbies Traynor, as administrators of video game company Realtime Worlds, on the sale of assets arising from its insolvency. Adrian Bell heads the team, and Austin Flynn exhibits ‘great knowledge and professionalism’.

Within Licensing, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser’s licensing practice, headed by David Hossack, provides ‘an excellent service on a wide range of topics’. It recently won licensing work outsourced by the City of Edinburgh Council. Other key clients include Travelodge and Heineken.

Within Commercial litigation, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser’s strong commercial litigation practice represents clients such as Lloyds Banking Group and Heineken. Recent instructions include acting for Heineken in a £2m dispute with RBS. Former practice head Ewan McIntyre recently moved to Burness LLP.

Within Debt recovery, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser advises Nationwide on secured and unsecured recovery matters. Maggie Moodie heads the team.

Within Banking and finance , tier 4

Morton Fraser has steadily developed a reputation for ‘first-class service and invaluable advice that is always correct’. This translated into a raft of panel appointments in 2010, including by Santander, Standard Chartered and HSBC. Susan Younger heads the team, in which Andrew Meakin is recommended for his ‘in-depth knowledge and understanding’.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Morton Fraser is a third tier firm,

Morton Fraser has a ‘strong team and high degree of technical knowledge’.

Within Employment, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser advises employers and employees, and has won new clients including HM Revenue & Customs, Spirit AeroSystems and the MoD. Lindsey Cartwright and the ‘meticulous’ Innes Clark are highly recommended.

Within Health and safety, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser continues to act as legal adviser to 
the HSE in appeals against enforcement notices served under the HSWA. Team head Ewan McIntyre is recommended.

Within Personal injury: defender, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser’s PI defence team is led by accredited specialist Ewan McIntyre, and works across employers and public liability, road traffic and catastrophic injury cases. Insurer clients include AMEC, AXA and Chartis.

Within Agriculture and estates, Morton Fraser is a third tier firm,

James Rust leads the agriculture and rural property team at Morton Fraser, which was appointed to act for a discretionary trust on the purchase of a mixed estate. Clients include the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Balmoral Estates and the Scottish Agricultural College.

Within Charities, Morton Fraser is a third tier firm,

Morton Fraser provides a ‘very high-quality service, and is responsive, pragmatic and practical’. Adrian Bell heads the charities group, which advised on the merger between Deaf Action and the Tayside Deaf Association. Scott Rae retired in 2010.

Within Family, Morton Fraser is a first tier firm,

Morton Fraser’s family law team is singled out for its ‘experience based on years at the top, and good, strong new talent coming through the ranks’. Practice head Leonard Mair is ‘a true professional’, well supported by ‘impressive’ associate Lucia Clark. Rhona Adams ‘provides calm, clear and skilful advice’, and Fiona Sasan ‘tackles difficult cases with intelligence, commitment and diligence’.

Within Personal tax, trusts and executries, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser’s service is ‘excellent, quick and efficient’. Sarah McKinlay, who was recently promoted to partner, is ‘very polished and very good technically’. Sue Hunter heads the team, whose clients include the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Trustees of Sir Henry Wade’s Pilmuir Trust. Senior associate Morna Coutts joined from Turcan Connell.

Within Energy (excluding oil and gas), tier 4

Morton Fraser provides ‘sensible, not flashy’ advice, and has a niche focus on nuclear energy for clients such as the UKAEA. Litigation head Ewan McIntyre leads the energy team.

Within Local government, tier 4

Morton Fraser was appointed to all three of City of Edinburgh Council’s legal panels. Jonathan Seddon heads the team, which has handled some significant contentious matters for its local government clients.

Within Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Construction, Morton Fraser is a third tier firm,

Highlights for Morton Fraser’s construction practice in 2010 included winning appointment to City of Edinburgh Council’s construction law panel. Jonathan Seddon heads the practice.

Within Elsewhere in Scotland Commercial property: leisure and hospitality

Within Environment Environment

Within Planning Planning

Within Property litigation, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser consistently provides ‘the highest level of professional service in an approachable and personable manner’. John Barrie heads the team, which in 2010 acted for Bank of Scotland in an access dispute relating to one of its long-lease premises.

Within Social housing, Morton Fraser is a second tier firm,

Morton Fraser attracts praise for its ‘excellent 
level of service and response times, and exceptional value for money’. Sector specialist Andrew Meakin has ‘up-to-date knowledge of the challenges and issues facing housing regulators, housing associations and lenders’.

Within Transport, Morton Fraser is a third tier firm,

Morton Fraser’s transport group is known particularly for its strengths in aviation and shipping. Jonathan Seddon heads the team’s non-contentious work, while Ewan McIntyre leads on contentious matters. Clients include BAA Airports, Transport Scotland and the Private Jet Club.