The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > Scotland > Commercial litigation

‘Brodies has developed a good relationship with us and a deep understanding of our offshore business. This in turn fosters a good synergy for both sides and enables for an effective collaboration on any disputed matters.‘

‘Brodies provides good litigation and dispute advice in a commercial context and not in a legal vacuum. They compare favorably to other law firms in their ability to debate strategy on how to achieve an acceptable outcome rather than advising on what the contract does or doesn’t say.‘

‘Brodies extensive industry experience has earned them a formidable reputation in the oil and gas sector not only locally but internationally. One of the few law firms we use globally that are conscious and worked hard to assist us to manage cost challenges during the industry down-turn. As a result, they earn my respect and additional follow-on work.‘

‘Brodies really cares about our business and makes us feel valued. Their partnership approach with us, as their client, coupled with their professionalism, reliability and knowledge makes them stand out. I particularly like how they go the extra mile and take the time to explain what complex legal decisions mean and use their knowledge of our industry to steer us with their recommendations.‘

‘Ken MacDonald is a seasoned litigator with a remarkable depth of expertise in the oil and gas sector. He provides commercially focused advice with the breadth and depth of knowledge to deliver solutions that meet our legal needs.‘

‘Iain Rutherford is very bright and able to discuss and debate dispute strategy that takes account of desired commercial outcomes rather than just legal positioning. Not afraid to challenge thinking or take challenge, while delivering advice in an easy-to-understand way that allows for the dispute strategy to take account of the given circumstances.‘

‘Iain Rutherford: Professional whilst remaining “human” and accessible is one of Iain’s many qualities. Iain has the ability to explain complex legal jargon and decisions in a language we can understand and with an injection of humour!‘

‘Very effective and efficient team which seems well coordinated. Excellent communications. I had not worked with them before, but was very impressed.‘

‘A great regional law firm which handles a lot of interesting, high-value cases. Although they are a medium-sized firm, they often handle large, complex international litigations and arbitrations.‘

‘A leading Scottish firm with the client as their primary focus, whilst delivering a quality service within agreed timeframes.‘

‘The team within dispute resolution that I have experience working with is Gary Moffat’s team. I have found the whole team to be very well trained and very knowledgeable in the areas in which they specialise. This allows work to be done at the appropriate level without impacting on quality. I have found cases that the team deal with to have been very well managed. It is clear that time is spent at the outset analysing cases and advising clients of the different approaches that could be taken together with the benefits and weaknesses of each. This is hugely important in litigation where too many firms will simply raise proceedings and then only start thinking about the intricacies of the case at a later stage.‘

‘Jody Crockett is a very good communicator and was clearly working very hard in the background between calls. He also turned documents around quickly and managed the lay client well, despite the time difference. I was impressed by his diligence at every turn.‘

‘Jody Crockett is a fantastic lawyer, who is very talented. He is extremely capable and, in the case on which we worked together, was very adept at coming up with creative, effective solutions to procedural issues.‘

‘The individual I have worked with most is Gary Moffat. Gary is a very experienced commercial litigator with a specialism in insolvency and company law work. He is very client-focussed. One of the areas where he is particularly strong is in putting together the right team for a case. This involves consideration of both the client and the type of dispute. He clearly spends a lot of time training his team and helping them to further their own specialisms. This can be seen from the fact that Stuart Murdoch, who was one of his associates, became a partner in the division specialising in financial litigation. The benefit in investing in people in this way is that clients and counsel know that the person they are dealing with understands the issues in the case and can take them forward.‘

‘Gary Moffat provides excellent customer service and quality work.‘

‘Anderson Strathern is among the best firms of commercial litigation solicitors in the country. They have long and deep experience of working with counsel on large commercial disputes before the Court of Session, especially its commercial court, and on appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. Their team, from new qualifieds to experienced partners, are all knowledgeable, motivated and cohesive. They are quick and efficient in following up on all enquiries, preparations and tactics advised by counsel.‘

‘In a major construction project-related dispute resolution context, the firm has a powerful team of dedicated lawyers at a variety of experience levels looking after the procedure, substance and management of the dispute. The breadth of skills and experience is helping us reach successful outcomes.‘

‘Anderson Strathern, or more accurately Gillian Jamieson, has been extremely capable with attention to detail and fully and quickly understanding issues on various matters raised.‘

‘Fraser Geddes is a very capable commercial litigation solicitor. He has long and deep experience in all areas of commercial dispute resolution, especially commercial property, construction and professional negligence.‘

‘This team is unique in Scotland in having significant amounts of European law and competition law experience. They are uniquely placed to provide advice in relation to such matters in Scotland.‘

‘Excellent teamwork, strategic advice, superb risk analysis and excellent coordination.‘

‘What makes this practice unique is the investment placed by the team in you as a client and a deep understanding of their client’s needs – they have a proactive, pragmatic, solutions-based approach to legal issues.‘

‘The team is always available and provides strong advice on which route to take. They have a very strong skill-set and often identify issues which other firms have missed.‘

‘I have worked with Douglas Blyth on a number of litigations. He has exceptional attention to detail. He is rightly highly regarded for dealing with high-value, complex, commercial litigation. He is very good at breaking down complex legal concepts in a way that clients can understand.‘

‘Douglas Blyth has sound commercial awareness which sets him apart from his peers.‘

‘Douglas Blyth is incredibly sharp, highly perceptive and very personable; unlike his competitors he is focused on solutions (rather than problems) and makes himself readily available to provide sound advice.‘

‘Douglas Blyth is technically very strong with a very engaging and understanding personality. This mix is ideally suited to dispute resolution.‘

‘Great service and good value for money, while maintaining all the professionalism levels you would expect.‘

‘David Kerr is technically strong and has a pragmatic, commercial approach. David is likable, measured, diligent and enjoyable to work with – his background in accountancy assists massively. A trusted advisor, who remains calm in situations of time pressure. He is approachable and listens to requests, putting client requirements first and responding well to clarification and/ or challenge queries.‘

‘David Kerr stands out as an extremely adept commercial litigator. He combines a sharp intellect with real world down-to-earth practical nous to great effect. He is always a pleasure to work with and serves his clients very well.‘

‘Excellent at providing advice in plain English and without getting bogged down in technical detail.‘

‘The team is particularly personable and helpful. Sheila Webster in particular is very experienced and knowledgeable.‘

‘I have worked with Sheila Webster and Greg Flett. Each of them are particularly personable, down-to-earth and easy to work with.‘

‘Both Greg Flett and Sheila Webster are proactive and very quick to pick up commercial points.‘

‘The team can handle large or small issues in both Scotland and England and shows itself to be extremely commercial in its view.‘

‘DWF has a vast amount of experience and incredible depth in their team. They are commercially astute and understand client’s needs.‘

‘Naomi Pryde is a breath of fresh air to the Scottish legal landscape. Highly commercial in her understanding and with great client empathy. Naomi cuts through disputes to advise clients to a successful conclusion and is always mindful of the costs of all outcomes.‘

‘Naomi Pryde has exceptional client management skills, plus strong legal knowledge.‘

‘Naomi Pryde is unflappably brilliant. She has the ability to distill huge amounts of information quickly and analyses a case’s strengths and weaknesses immediately.‘

‘Lindsays is an excellent firm offering a very wide selection of specialities. In my experience, Lindsays provides an excellent, reliable service, which is cost-effective. As a company Lindsays has a wide and varied talent pool allowing them to meet the needs of most clients regardless of their requirements or situation. This has not been my experience with other firms.‘

‘This could be called a boutique practice and its great merit compared to the larger firms in this field is that individual attention is genuinely given by the responsible solicitor – work isn’t just farmed out to whoever is available or who the firm wants to get more practice.‘

‘This is a well-established firm with a depth of legal expertise.‘

‘The level of service and commitment from John Bett and his team has always and continues to be first class, their levels of communication when dealing with our issues is excellent and always keep us well informed of progress.‘

‘John Bett the partner who we would normally deal with is always courteous and extremely helpful, he always makes it clear that he is available for discussion and updates at any time night or day even outwith normal office hours. This we have found extremely helpful and we thank Mr Bett very much for his unwavering support for our business.‘

‘Brent Haywood was the partner in charge of my case. He is an exceptional individual and a fantastic solicitor advocate. In my experience, Brent is very knowledgeable in his field. He is a kind and compassionate gentleman. One generally seeks legal advice during those difficult times in life, Brent Haywood is the man you want in your corner.‘

‘In the field of dispute resolution my best contact is Brent Haywood. I trust his judgment in resolving difficult issues without turning them into crisis.‘

‘Brent Haywood is a subtle and intelligent litigator who can see further round corners than most.‘

‘The team is firm with the opposing side – robust, yet measured and polite. They give sensible advice to their own clients, being realistic about what can be achieved in litigation. Good capability allows them to stick to the necessary deadlines.‘

‘Richard McMeeken is knowledgeable, and combines that with a good grasp of practicalities. His team works well together.‘

‘This is a very friendly and down-to-earth team. They are commercially aware and give prompt attention with excellent legal advice which takes into account tactics and the possible requirement to negotiate settlements. Stronachs also offers very competitive rates compared to some of the larger national and international firms, but in my view the legal advice is equally as good, therefore Stronachs offers better value for money.‘

‘Stronachs is unique among North East Scotland firms in their scope, approach and reputation. There are no other firms operating exclusively in the North East that deliver what they deliver or perform at their level. The firm handles a wide variety of commercial litigation and we’ve come across them in a number of different, complex areas. I cannot speak more highly of their team.‘

‘In depth experience of contractual warranty claims, dispute resolution and court litigation, primarily via Robert McDiarmid.‘

‘The team is headed by the extremely knowledgeable, friendly and tenacious Robert McDiarmid, who has stepped in to Bobby McDonald’s shoes seamlessly.‘

‘Robert McDiarmid takes a very pragmatic approach, has a most personable manner, shows respect for all parties, has strong analytical skills and very good communication skills.‘

‘Robert McDiarmid has been very approachable, gives detailed legal advice that has helped us tactically to negotiate the best way forward. The advice sets out the pros and cons to any action that we may take, which has been essential to how we have strategically dealt with matters to try and obtain the best outcome. Robert’s advice has been first-class, and in that regard Robert has really become part of our team.‘

‘Their defence in the case against us was well constructed, its unique approach not only upend the opposite side, it has become a case study in application. It secured our counter claim being settled out of court. Great result.‘

‘The dispute resolution team at Aberdein Considine is very knowledgeable, has strength in depth and an offering that is able to punch well above its weight. Excellent advocacy and negotiation abilities but also an ability to calmly deliver advice even in challenging circumstances.‘

‘The team is highly responsive, with excellent attention to detail and it was quickly able to grasp the key commercial issues facing us and to design and deliver a legal strategy to support the company.‘

‘The team at AC is excellent at understanding our commercial requirements and making sure that my business is protected. They are always willing to work to tight deadlines and give us good straightforward advice to speed up the process. I believe that we are getting a brilliant service that is great value for money.‘

‘Euan McSherry always makes time to discuss any contractual issues and goes the extra mile to get the job done, he genuinely has our companies best interest at heart and understands our requirements. He also explains complicated legal language in simple terms so that we properly understand the meaning of the clauses and potential consequences.‘

‘The team is approachable and easy to work with. They provide practical advice as and when required. The fees are also at a reasonable rate for this type of work.‘

‘Provides practical and easy-to-understand information.‘

‘Alistair Drummond understands our business and what we wish to achieve.‘

‘Excellent team – good breadth of knowledge and personable. Talent at all levels.’

‘Stuart Clubb stands out – he is an excellent lawyer. He has great technical ability, cares about his cases, but is very personable.’

‘Andrew Foyle is a seasoned veteran of banking disputes, responsive and very user-friendly.’