Gillespie Macandrew LLP

gillespiemacandrew.co.uk

Eilidh is a Partner based in our Perth office and specialises in tax and succession planning for individuals, families and trusts. Eilidh has the experience and expertise to help individuals navigate succession and tax planning at each stage of life and always aims to deliver her advice in a clear and pragmatic manner. Eilidh advises on lifetime and post death tax planning, Will drafting, asset protection and all aspects of trust and executry administration. She advises on Powers of Attorney and associated incapacity issues. She has dealt with a number of cross border estates and has written articles on the EU Succession Regulation. Eilidh has a particular interest in succession planning for rural clients and has significant experience advising on and claiming business and agricultural property relief. Eilidh is a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians, an Affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and a Notary Public.

Fiona advises on a wide range of disputes and acts for clients across a variety of sectors, public and private. She has particular interest and expertise in property litigation and employment disputes. Fiona’s work in property litigation involves a variety of property related disputes including dilapidations, rent and service charge arrears, termination of leases, title and boundary disputes, and servitude and access rights. She has experience in Sheriff Court, Court of Session, Lands Tribunal and Land Court litigation. In the employment sphere, Fiona advises employee and employer clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters including restructures, TUPE, unfair dismissal, discrimination, absence and performance management, redundancy and exits. She advises and represents clients in Sheriff Court and Employment Tribunal proceedings. Fiona is a RICS accredited mediator, a Scottish Mediation Board member, an Employment Law Group member and a Property Litigation Association member.

Chris is a graduate of King’s College, London. He qualified as a solicitor first in England in 2004 and in Scotland in 2010. He has been a partner in Gillespie Macandrew since 2018. Chris is experienced in most types of corporate and commercial work, including private and public company mergers and acquisitions and share incentives. Chris has worked on a large number of schemes of arrangement in the Scottish Courts and is also experienced at working with owner managed businesses, having assisted several management teams from start up through to exit. Chris has been a member of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland since 2014.

Rae advises on the property aspects of renewable energy transactions and projects. She has considerable experience in large-scale energy projects, including onshoring land requirements of offshore wind farms and major onshore wind farms, including wind farm extensions, access sharing and oversail pinch points. She also handles solar – ground, mounted and rooftop -and battery storage projects and routinely carries out property due diligence for competitive tender processes, financing, acquisitions, and divestments. Rae manages volume utility and infrastructure deals, advising large energy companies on their network infrastructure, grid infrastructure, and substation and connection arrangements across Scotland. She also acts for strategic land owners in relation to development of land for housing and commercial units.

Alan is a partner in our corporate team and advises businesses, charities and individuals on a wide range of matters. Alan supports commercial clients to set up, purchase, grow and sell businesses, as well as, establishing joint ventures and advising on contracts generally. Alan’s work in the charity sector extends to preparing governing documents, managing applications for registration of new charities, implementing reorganisation schemes for older charities and helping charity trustees through regulatory inquiries. Alan was formerly a Legal Officer with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and is accredited by The Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in charity law.

Colin’s planning and environmental work covers the full spectrum from advice on planning applications, development plans and environmental impact assessments through to planning appeals and judicial reviews. He has developed significant experience of compulsory purchase orders, having acted for both the promotion of and objection to orders together with questions of compensation. In addition, Colin manages a property (including agricultural holdings) and commercial dispute resolution practice. He also advises clients on regulatory/criminal investigations. In 2018 Colin’s expertise in contentious cases was reflected in him qualifying as a Solicitor Advocate. As a solicitor Colin has gained significant experience in judicial reviews, particularly those involving the environment, acting for successful parties in Sustainable Shetland v Scottish Ministers [2015] UKSC 4 and RSPB v Scottish Ministers [2017] CSIH 31. Colin also acted as solicitor to the first party to strike down part of a civil Act of the Scottish Parliament: Salvesen v Riddell [2012] CSIH 26. Colin is a member of the Law Society of Scotland Planning Law Sub-Committee, the UK Environmental Law Association, the Compulsory Purchase Association and is a Tutor on the Law and Practice of Construction Management LL.M, University of Strathclyde. He is also a Writer to His Majesty’s Signet and Notary Public.

Kenny has extensive knowledge of property issues for multi-national and large corporate clients, SMEs and family businesses operating in a wide range of sectors including finance, investment, retail, development, energy and waste management. Kenny frequently leads cross-border transactions and works with other teams in Gillespie Macandrew and collaboratively with other professionals and intermediaries. Recent assignments include acting on behalf of a syndicate of banks in a multi-million cross-border financing transaction, land sales on behalf of major high street and out of town retailers and various purchase and leasing arrangements for mid to large corporate organisations. Kenny allies his technical ability with excellent market knowledge and a pragmatic attitude. Clients value Kenny’s “can do” approach to their work. According to the latest edition of legal directory Chambers & Partners, one client calls him “an excellent lawyer who is very practical and focused on what he needs to do to complete the deal”.

As a Partner in our Housebuilding team, Andrew is experienced in all aspects of residential development work, and currently acts for a range of builders from UK PLC housebuilders to smaller bespoke and luxury developers. Andrew provides advice to guide clients through the entire lifecycle of a development site from the initial acquisition of the land, completing all required infrastructure work, preparing Deed of Conditions, and processing plot sales. Andrew is also experienced in acting for landowners in sales and options to housebuilders. Andrew has particular understanding of the complexity of housebuilding transactions, and residential development, and takes a pragmatic approach to ensure that transactions proceed in as timely and smooth a manner as possible.

Fraser has experience in all aspects of renewable energy work and has a particular specialism in on shore renewable energy projects acting mostly for landowners. Fraser provides advice to clients from inception Projects through to completion. Fraser has particular expertise in assisting clients with renewables projects where the clients’ land is subject to either Agricultural Tenancies or Crofting Tenure. Fraser also has considerable experience dealing with timber compensation issues where clients’ land is subject to commercial forestry.

With over 20 years’ experience and, having worked not only in private practice, but in-house within a major bank, Agnes has the depth and breadth of skills and knowledge to deliver an outstanding service for her clients. Agnes advises on a wide range of personal, legal and tax issues including wills, trusts, inheritance tax and all other aspects of wealth preservation. She has specialist knowledge of more complex and contentious executries/trusts and has extensive experience in the administration of complex estates with international issues. Agnes often advises families with complicated affairs and she has a keen interest in succession planning for family businesses. She works with other teams within the firm on these and other matters.

John specialises in complex tax, trust and succession issues and regularly works with other professional advisers to provide advice on structuring complex multi faceted estates to maximise their tax and succession efficiency. He regularly provides opinions to other professionals on legal, tax and other contentious matters including wills, trusts and executries and has significant experience in all areas of personal tax, and tax planning, particularly Inheritance Tax and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. John is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Trust Law and regularly speaks at legal courses for STEP, other legal education providers and the Law Society of Scotland. He presents seminars to other professionals on legal and tax matters and has published articles in the Journal of the Law Society of Scotland and The Scotsman. John is as a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. He is one of the few lawyers in Scotland who can call themselves a Chartered Tax Adviser and he was until recently the Treasurer of a charity with a turnover of around £1m. He is also a member of the Society of Writers to her Majesty’s Signet.

Derek McCulloch

Derek has over 20 years of experience advising and counselling global and domestic businesses on their major corporate, land and energy projects on a UK and international level. Derek has project managed the delivery of legal services on several infrastructure and renewable energy projects both onshore and offshore, each valued in the hundreds of millions. Recently, he has led and advised on several significant M&A deals and strategic energy portfolio investments including the sale of Rio Tinto’s UK Smelter and power operations. He has a track record in advising on natural resource regulation, low carbonisation projects, university commercialisation, and complex joint venture and consortium deals. He is a non-executive board member and trustee for a number of organisations and up to March 2020, held the position of Honorary Consul of the Republic of Korea in Scotland. Derek co-ordinates international cross border projects and trade and is Chair of the global legal network, Lexwork International in Europe and Asia. Clients comment that he provides a real understanding of all sides of every issue, as well as possessing great business acumen and an innate appreciation of project risk.

Amy is experienced in all aspects of complex property work and has a particular specialism in onshore renewable energy and strategic land development projects – acting for both landowners and developers. Amy provides advice to clients throughout the development of a project, often from the starting point of agricultural-use land through to commercial operation, such as the commissioning of a wind farm or construction of a new town settlement. Amy’s experience in renewable energy developments ranges from providing advice for small scale hydro developments through to 450MW+ onshore wind developments and land corridors for 4.1GW+ offshore wind developments. She has acted in various large scale residential and mixed use developments, including a new town development with outline planning permission for circa 5,000 units. She also has considerable experience in complex portfolio sales and purchases. Amy has particular expertise in assisting clients who are developing projects on land subject to crofting tenure. Where a proposed development site is subject to crofting rights Amy works with the developer to identify and assess the various options available to enable development to proceed. Amy joined the firm as a Trainee and progressed through our academy process to Partner.

Lizzie McFadzean

Lizzie is a Partner in our Land and Rural Business team based in our Perth office. She advises individuals and businesses on a broad range of rural matters with particular expertise in the sale and purchase of large farming and forestry estates, country properties and onshore renewable energy projects. Lizzie joined Gillespie Macandrew as a Partner in 2024 bringing a wealth of experience advising in the rural sector. Lizzie guides clients through complex transactions providing clear and practical advice tailored to their individual requirements.

Greg has extensive experience in all legal aspects of commercial real estate transactions with a focus on retail, development, investment and property finance. He has in excess of twenty five years’ experience in the commercial property market, including experience working for a large regional UAE legal practice in Dubai. In that time Greg has acted for large corporate clients, investment funds, SMEs, SIPPs and family businesses across a wide range of sectors, providing concise and commercially aware legal advice to allow his clients to make informed commercial decisions. He prides himself in efficiently driving transactions forward making the best use of technology, to ensure deadlines are met. Greg acts for a number of Scottish developers, international investors and retailers, including a global coffee operator and global apparel and footwear retailer.

Robert Andrew Scott-Dempster

Robert is an accredited specialist by the Law Society of Scotland and his main area of practice lies in agriculture and landed estates, rural businesses, renewable energy, ownership structures, capital taxation and succession. Robert has acted in some of Scotland’s most high profile transactions and has first-hand experience of dealing with community and crofting community purchases, acting for both private individuals and communities. He is a frequent speaker at conferences on agriculture and rural affairs as well as providing regular legal opinion pieces for both legal and industry publications. Robert is Chairman of Scottish Land & Estates Legal Committee and a Scottish committee member of the Agricultural Law Association. Robert is also a Specialist Adviser for the Farm Advisory Service and is a director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust.

Partner specialising in land acquisition and disposals for housebuilders, site assembly, plot disposal, planning, funding and development agreements.

John B Stirling

Partner and Solicitor-Advocate specialising in property litigation; (Danish Forestry Ltd v Scottish Coal Ltd, Sustainable Shetland v The Scottish Ministers), RSPB v Scottish Ministers, corporate reconstructions (Sportech plc Petitioner), Premier Oil plc, construction (Maxi Construction v Mortons Rolls; Holt v Colt), constitutional law (Clancy v Caird; Salvesen v Riddle), and charities (clerk to the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Clerk to the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of Edinburgh).

Kevin has experience in managing a wide variety of commercial property matters as well as particular expertise advising on acquisitions/sales and property factoring/management. Kevin also has experience advising on property finance acting for both borrowers and lenders. On the lender side, Kevin regularly acts for our asset-backed lenders. On the borrower side Kevin has acted on behalf of borrowers in the refinancing and private placement transactions involving housing developments valued between £5m – £65m. Kevin also regularly advises charitable/not-for-profit organisations, and has acted for many large public sector and charitable bodies. Kevin has a particular focus on community purchases and has been instructed on a number of Community Asset Transfers throughout Scotland, including for the purchasers in the first set of Community Asset Transfers from Glasgow City Council. Kevin’s Community Asset Transfer portfolio also includes an Edinburgh based community arts initiative, a north-east health and wellbeing facility, local agriculture and horticulture facilities, and local community groups. Kevin also has an extensive knowledge of property factoring that enables him to assist with factoring queries relating to common parts of development sites and individual tenements or a flat within a tenement. Kevin regularly advises both property factors and homeowners on how to interpret title conditions and the possible options to vary such conditions.

Sandy is a real estate lawyer advising developers, landowners and public sector bodies on a wide range of complex and high-profile development projects, with a particular expertise in promoting large scale housing development through the planning process. He is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Scottish planning law and procedure and is ranked by clients and peers in the legal directories as a leading individual in his field. Sandy is also a Legal Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Alan is a partner in the land and rural business department at Gillespie Macandrew. He has experience in a broad range of rural matters, including forestry, sporting interests and salmon fishings, crofting law, sale and purchase of farms and estates, succession planning and associated tax planning issues. Alan has a particular interest in agricultural holdings and general land management and environmental issues (including various grant schemes), renewable energy (wind and hydro) and minerals. Alan has recently been involved in various sales and acquisitions of a number of properties ranging from small residential estates with salmon fishings, through arable/livestock farms to large estates with significant sporting, farming and forestry aspects; he is currently advising on a number of renewable energy projects covering a range of generating capacities each involving unique intricacies varying from timber crop compensation and re-planting, crofting issues, to partnership structures between developer and landowner for tax planning purposes.

Simon leads the English real estate team as an experienced energy project and development specialist, with a particular interest in emerging technologies including hydrogen and marine clean gas derivatives. Our energy team routinely supports European and UK-based developers, investors and landowners with the delivery of legal services for various projects including real estate, CPO and planning for linear cable routes, energy park assembly and oversail and overrun. These schemes are offshore, Island and mainland GB. Simon is an active member of Hydrogen Scotland, Scottish Renewables, Solar Energy UK, the Law Society Energy Sub-Committee and contributes regularly to working groups and Government Consultations. Simon also undertakes a number of pro bono activities for communities and local organisations.