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Terra Firma Chambers

PARLIAMENT HOUSE, HIGH STREET, EDINBURGH, EH1 1RF, SCOTLAND
Tel:
Work 0131 260 5830
Fax:
Fax 0131 225 3642
DX:
549302 Edinburgh 36
Web:
www.terrafirmachambers.com
Email:

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Scottish Bar

Commercial litigation

Within Commercial litigation,

Terra Firma Chambers’ Roy Martin QC is highly regarded in this field, and routinely advises on high-value cases. Roddy McIlvride recently appeared in the Supreme Court without a leader in a mortgage-related dispute.

Employment

Within Employment,

Terra Firma Chambers’s Peter Grant-Hutchison has a wide employment practice and is currently 
acting for a Scottish Police Authority in a significant indirect discrimination case involving colour-blind 
men, whose condition denies them entry into a police force.

Overview

Within Lists of government-appointed counsel Standing Juniors

Within Scottish Stables Stables – mainly civil law practitioners

Personal injury, medical negligence and professional negligence

Within Personal injury, medical negligence and professional negligence,

Rory Anderson QC at Terra Firma Chambers is recommended for medical negligence matters, and has recently been involved in the Penrose Inquiry.

Planning, environmental and licensing

Within Planning, environmental and licensing,

Terra Firma Chambers is the leading planning law stables in Scotland. Douglas Armstrong QC is an ‘absolute expert on planning and environmental law’, ‘adept at expressing himself in opinion work and stellar in presenting cases at inquiries or in court’. Roy Martin QC and Gordon Steele QC are also excellent practitioners. James Findlay QC provides ‘unique ideas on cases that may not have been picked up beforehand’; is highly praised for his ‘quick response times and paper turnarounds’; and his advice is ‘at all times clear’. The ‘very well respected’ Ralph Smith QC handles planning and general property work, and Alasdair Burnet is a strong planning law junior. Maurice O’Carroll is recommended for planning appeals.

Property, construction and agriculture

Within Property, construction and agriculture,

Terra Firma Chambers’ Robert Sutherland, who is ‘easily accessible, helpful and direct in his advice’, is recommended for agricultural matters and rural issues. Iain Maclean is recommended for agricultural and crofting matters, and Anthony MacIver is recommended for rating matters. David Bartos continues to develop his arbitration practice.

Tax, trusts and pensions

Within Tax, trusts and pensions,

‘There are few in Scotland who take tax cases at all, so to have a specialist with the ability’ of Philip Simpson of Terra Firma Chambers is ‘a bonus’: he is ‘exceptionally intelligent and articulate, but at the same time personable. Nicholas Holroyd and Derek Francis are also recommended for tax matters.

Further information on Terra Firma Chambers ()

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Terra Firma Chambers () in other jurisdictions.

Scottish Bar

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Legal Developments in the UK

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

  • HOUSING

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  • 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.
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  • Standards

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    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.
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    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.
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  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
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