The Legal 500

PARLIAMENT HOUSE, PARLIAMENT SQUARE, EDINBURGH, EH1 1RF, SCOTLAND
Tel:
Work 0131 260 5700
Fax:
Fax 0131 225 3642
DX:
549302 EDINBURGH 36
Web:
www.westwateradvocates.com
Email:

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

Commercial litigation

Within Commercial litigation,

Westwater AdvocatesCalum MacNeill QC is a ‘real “all rounder”’, who is ‘very bright, thorough in his research and preparation, and is good on his feet’.

Crime

Within Crime,

Westwater AdvocatesGavin Anderson is frequently instructed in white-collar crime and HSE matters.

Employment

Within Employment,

Westwater Advocates’ ‘clients are always assured and confident of first-class advice and representation’. Alice Stobart is a ‘rising star’ who exhibits ‘strong analytical skills and commercial awareness’. James Peoples QC is ‘impressive’.

Family and childcare

Within Family and childcare,

Westwater AdvocatesMorag Wise QC is ‘most effective in a court setting and is a resilient negotiator’, and her ‘representation and advice is nothing short of excellent’. Lynda Brabender, whose ‘expertise on adoption and associated orders is second to none’, is ‘child-focused throughout an action’ and ‘will find a solution in the most challenging of circumstances’: she is increasingly more active with financial instructions. Ruth Innes is the ‘“go-to” junior counsel for financial provision cases’; is of ‘great intellect and takes a forensic approach’; and shows flare in interpreting and analysing extremely complex business accounts. Robert Hayhow is a ‘fairly feisty negotiator’, and Mary Loudon is adept at handling cases concerning children and adults who lack capacity.

Health and safety, and regulatory

Within Health and safety, and regulatory,

Westwater AdvocatesGavin Anderson is an ‘effective and canny advocate’, who ‘brings the benefit of excellent criminal advocacy experience’.

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,

Westwater AdvocatesAndrew Hajducki QC is an ‘expert advocate in the area of personal injury law’, and is regarded as an ‘authority in jury trial cases’. David Stephenson QC is a specialist complex medical negligence practitioner, and Gordon Lamont handles a high volume of PI pursuer claims. Laura Wray is also recommended for PI matters.

Planning, environmental and licensing

Within Planning, environmental and licensing,

Westwater Advocates’s Gavin Anderson is a specialist in environmental crime.

Property, construction and agriculture

Within Property, construction and agriculture,

At Westwater Advocates, Nick Ellis QC’s ‘reputation for analysing complex property and commercial disputes and providing clear and concise advice is second to none in Scotland’; he is ‘a real star’. Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt QC is recommended for agriculture and crofting matters. Greg Sanders is ‘building a good reputation for property litigation’, and Charles Cowie is an ‘extremely experienced junior with a broad commercial practice’ that extends to property and building matters.

Tax, trusts and pensions

Within Tax, trusts and pensions,

Westwater AdvocatesLaurence Cunningham is a specialist in trust and pension matters.


Legal Developments in the UK

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

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
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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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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
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  • 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:
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue: