The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > Scotland > Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow

‘A good breadth of experience in relevant situations and solutions such that advice and support across the corporate and commercial spectrum is both accurate and efficient’.

‘David Lightbody deals with the majority of corporate support we get: he quickly developed good understanding of our business and has consistently provided accurate advice and support’.

‘Commerciality and pragmatic no nonsense approach’ 

‘Strengths include their impartial and professional conduct as well as their networking with Scotland and beyond’.

‘Strong expertise in the hotel sector with solid M&A credentials’.           

‘The team looking after us from Brodies, is sharp, energetic, extremely hard working, experienced and pragmatic’.

‘David Lightbody is a shining example of what qualities a young partner in a successful law firm should and must have’.

‘We have been delighted by the cohesion amongst departments, the quality of knowledge and speed of reaction and completion of tasks’.

‘The team were extremely responsive and straightforward to deal with’.

‘I was very impressed with every aspect of the service provided by Shuna Stirling and would recommend her to a colleague without hesitation’.  

‘Very responsive, commercial attitude by the team – willing to explore multiple options. Very good at disseminating complex legal structuring points into commercial headlines for the deal team.’

‘Very high quality people who are focused on delivering for their clients and are able to focus on the important issues and get things done with minimum fuss.’

‘Mark Ellis and Chris Gotts are genuine subject matter experts who are able to keep abreast of all developments in the process and give guidance and input where it is needed. Incredibly patient and pragmatic and very good at managing transactions, and the various parties involved in a transaction, to a successful conclusion.’

‘Our experience with everyone we have worked with at the firm is consistent: Burness Paull is excellent at taking complex legal issues that have significant business and finance implications and developing pragmatic an straight-forward solutions. they are always very clear on what the practical solution is and not getting completely caught up in largely irrelevant technical issues.’

‘Highly commercial team: proactive, responsive, high quality advice.’

‘David Kirchin is great to work with, providing an unflappable, commercial approach. He gets things done and guides his team, in which Laura Falls also  excels.’

‘Addleshaw had a solid understanding of my business which was of great support and comfort to me throughout each transaction.’

‘Murray Jack is by far the best lawyer I have engaged to work with during my +30 yrs in business. Always approachable at any time and even when busy with other clients’ work, he makes the time to respond as soon as he can.’

‘Knowledgeable, professional, responsive, especially in the face of tight deadlines.’

‘Anna Brown is our go-to partner within AG. In addition to doing her job to an exceptional professional standard, her wry sense of humour and ability to stay cool under pressure are great assets.’

‘Iain Sutherland provides excellent partner-led, personable, no-nonsense advice’.

‘A truly diverse team who all work in a highly collaborative manner to deliver a great client experience’.

‘They have an in-depth understanding of our business and its needs and can provide top quality advice on time and to budget every time’.

‘Response times are excellent and partner availability is second to none’.                                          

‘Their range of specialist skills is exceptional; from M&A and deal structuring, to employment, contracts and IP, they have a strength and depth which is excellent’.

‘The whole team is extremely personable and professional and will always go the extra mile to get a job over the line’.

‘Donald Smith has delivered outstanding service and really sets the bar in terms of pro-active client support’.

‘They are proactive and commercial in their approach’.

‘Bruce Farquhar and Ewan Regan have a down to earth, pragmatic approach and demonstrate a genuine interest in the businesses they work with’.

‘They establish strong, supportive relationships and a working environment of mutual trust’. 

‘They support companies through the business transfer process and work hard to ensure all interests are addressed and aligned’.

‘Bruce Farquhar is supremely knowledgeable and instils confidence in clients’. 

‘Ewan Regan is a pleasure to work with, he makes the information accessible to non-legal people and is excellent at explaining complex legal jargon’.

‘Their wealth of experience and knowledge is invaluable and we always feel safe in the knowledge that the advice we are being given is correct’.

‘The individuals we have worked with have been extremely helpful, always available and extremely knowledgeable’.

‘Nicholas Howie is a superb corporate partner’. 

‘Level of personal service and attention is excellent’.

‘The team handles any queries and correspondences quickly and to detail’.

‘Davidson Chalmers Stewart are, in my experience, a fully professional outfit and at the same time very friendly and approachable. I have been very satisfied with the legal knowledge and attention to detail when dealing with legal contracts and issues.’

‘Davidson Chalmers Stewart are a quality Scottish law firm. Their lawyers are pragmatic deal-doers who get things done. They have a particular strength in property but are very good across general corporate and lending work. In terms of comparison, our feeling is that you get a partner-led approach for a very reasonable price and that partner-led ethos is at the key of their value proposition. They are nice people too.’

‘Quality practical advice from very experienced practitioners.’

‘They provide a very personal and flexible service that can be tailored to your needs on an ongoing basis as projects develop and/or new projects begin. They seem to have less rigidity than other firms and can therefore adapt accordingly and more easily to accommodate budget and time considerations.’

‘Craig Stirling has incredible legal knowledge. He is a great guy also and invests himself on a professional and customer-friendly level. In Craig’s absence I have used others in DCS who all gave great support.’

‘Craig Stirling’s legal knowledge and the way he explains things is a great quality.’

‘Craig Stirling is a no-fuss corporate lawyer who gets to the heart of the matter quickly and looks to find solutions to keep deal momentum and get things done. Nice guy.’

‘Stephen Smith was very knowledgeable in his field and able to offer additional advice through liaison with other colleagues to cover broad spectrums of corporate law. Stephen was able to manage the relationship in a friendly manner that switched to serious at appropriate times so that I always felt trust in what he was doing and the advice he was giving. He was an excellent communicator and never was frustrated by repeated or ‘silly’ questions.’

‘They stand out from their competitors for their no-nonsense approach, focusing only on the issues that really matter’. 

‘The DWF corporate team are not only knowledgeable, but approachable’. 

‘The DWF team listen to the details of the given situation and frame their responses in relation to the problem using whichever team member is best placed to address the issues at hand’.  

‘The individuals are knowledgeable, experienced and good listeners’. 

‘Paul Pignatelli is very commercially focused, prepared to go the extra mile and will take the time to understand what is needed’.  

‘The individuals who have advised us are always accessible and available, sometimes at short notice and occasionally at personally unsociable hours, which all helps to ensure that challenging deadlines are met’.   

‘Their lawyers are personable, down to earth and know and understand the local business worlds of Glasgow and Edinburgh (and across Scotland)’.

‘They provide their clients with sound, practical and effective advice’.

‘Jo Nisbet performed all aspects of her role with expertise, professionalism and humanity offering plenty support throughout the whole process’.

‘The team has a clear focus on clients’ interest’.

‘James MacGregor is a very experienced professional with a deep desire to fully understand the commercial drivers of his clients’ business’.

‘The team are very commercially focused and provide commercially valuable advice alongside technical legal advice’.

‘All are prepared to go the extra mile when required’.

‘Paula Skinner is an excellent source of advice and practical solutions’.

‘I trust Paula Skinner’s judgement and know that she genuinely cares about me and my business’. 

‘Prepared to do pro-bono work to help start-up businesses’. 

‘They genuinely care about your issues and bend over backwards to support you and your business’.

‘Partner led advice at all times, very knowledgeable and good value’. 

‘David Wood is not only excellent in his knowledge, but just as importantly to me, easy to get on with’.

‘Their advice over the years has helped me grow a small business into one very successful company’.

‘They always deal with you promptly and efficiently and are a joy to work with’.

‘They handled a very difficult and frustrating case with superb professionalism’.

‘Always felt they were going above and beyond and we could truly trust them to get the work done on time, and accurately’.

‘They gave sage advice when difficult options presented themselves and always communicated technical details in easy to understand terms’.

‘Douglas Roberts understood the personal stress created by the nature of our deal and what needed to be done for us’.

‘They seemed to work very well as a team, each knowing the bigger picture, but making sure every detail was covered and liaising with others in the firm when required’.

‘Commercial and efficient- a combination of broad experience and strong legal knowledge’.

‘David Beveridge is a well-connected and experienced operator’.

‘Really strong team that care about their clients, very solution-driven’. 

‘Fraser Morrison is an excellent lawyer who is practical, patient, knowledgeable and professional’.

‘MacDonald Henderson are a small team but they have such a range of knowledge and work so well together’. 

‘They have experience in dealing with small clients, from start-ups or university spin outs through to larger organisations on the SME spectrum’. 

‘The individuals I deal with, in particular Fraser Morrison and David Beveridge, are a delight to work with’. 

‘Key strengths are responsiveness and attention to detail’. 

‘Creative thinking to complex situations in finding solutions in negotiations’.

‘Great people from partners down to paralegals and support’.

‘Commercial mind-set, allied with a strong technical skillset’.

‘Fast and responsive’.

‘Very personable, clearly are able to build good client relationships, they think long rather than short term’.

‘Technically good at their role but understand when they need to bring in their specialists and know precisely who would have the technical skills but also who would be able to work well with the client’.    

‘For me there is no doubting their M&A expertise, however it is their unparalleled healthcare sector knowledge and their unrelenting drive for customer satisfaction that makes Shoosmiths stand out from the crowd’.

‘Practical problem solving solutions’.

 ‘April Bingham is very knowledgeable but also very down to earth’

‘Excellent knowledge on corporate law’.

‘They were always available to answer any questions’.

‘The team is approachable and quick to respond to client needs’. 

‘They are very service-focused and have the ability to describe technical language in ways which clients understand’.     

‘Bellwether Green demonstrate huge amount of experience within all aspects of work undertaken for us and give us great confidence with their succinct and thorough reviews’.

‘In comparison to some other firms we finds them to be more responsive and straightforward to communicate with’.

‘The team are excellent they work together to deliver an excellent client service with exceptional expertise’.       

‘Clear understanding of a range of different business sectors and clarity and professionalism when negotiating and concluding deals’.

‘Danny Lee has provided exceptional support in a number of areas of corporate advice and is always extremely professional and pragmatic’.

‘What makes the team here stand out is their calming influence in a negotiation’.

‘Danny Lee has a solid technical ability, valued experience, trusted opinion and willingness to be client-facing as well as deliver the work’. 

‘Ready access to the partner responsible for the work, supported by an efficient team at the right level, leading to a cost-effective service for the client’.

‘Good communication and prompt response to tasks and queries alike’.

‘Wide range of experience amongst the partners in the Edinburgh office enabling most requirements to be dealt with through that office but also has the support of wider network if required’.

‘Damien Bechelli has a unique capacity to make the client have real confidence in his advice and actions and to deliver what he promises.’