Stronachs LLP

Kirsten Anderson

Kirsten is a Partner of the Firm who advises on all aspects of Private Client law, including estate planning, trust creation and administration, executry administration, incapacity planning and charity law. She deals regularly with highly technical matters, including bespoke Will drafting, complex trust arrangements and succession planning to meet specific client requirements. She also advises clients on contentious trust and executry matters and Legal Rights claims. Kirsten has a particular specialism in multi-generational succession planning for high net worth individuals, with a particular emphasis on those with business interests and landed estate owners.

Callum Armstrong

Callum is a Partner who has more than 10 years’ experience in corporate law, advising both domestic and international clients on a wide variety of general corporate work. He regularly advises on share or asset acquisitions/disposals, corporate reorganisations and commercial contracts, including joint venture agreements and banking/security documentation. Callum has worked with a broad range of corporate clients, with a particular emphasis on SMEs and owner-managed businesses in the oil & gas service and food & drink sectors.

Duncan Campbell

Partner and head of commercial property with over 20 years' experience. Experienced in all aspects of commercial property, including in acquisitions, investments, sales, development work and construction. Heads up the firm’s commercial property team and oversees various commercial property matters. As well as dealing with various public sector organisations, also handles the commercial property requirements of many of the firm’s oil and gas sector clients.

Partner in the Employment Team with more than 28 years’ experience of providing advice on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment law issues, acting for a diverse client base across various sectors including oil and gas, renewables, food and beverages and professional services. David’s experience includes a long term in-house secondment at Shell U.K. Limited, for whom he also carried out a wide range of work as external counsel. David has a particular focus on employment litigation and employment related compliance issues, including data protection and cybersecurity, and health and safety. David also advises senior executives and professionals in relation to new employment, disputes with their employer and managing exits.

Velvet is a Senior Solicitor who advises on matters relating to Private Client law such as Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Wills, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, Guardianships and Trusts. Velvet enjoys problem solving in cases and helping find solutions to clients’ problems. Velvet has a particular interest in Charitable Trusts.

Neil is a Partner in the Firm's corporate team with over 25 years' experience. He has handled a range of corporate work including M&A and equity raising for a variety of clients from large corporates to SMEs. Neil has substantial experience in the energy, transport and technology sectors. He is also a member of the Firm's restructuring team dealing with corporate insolvency and restructuring work.

Partner in the Corporate Department since joining Stronachs in November 2015, Ross has more than 17 years' experience in corporate and commercial law, advising businesses and private individuals in a range of industry sectors with a particular emphasis on the SME marketplace. He has developed broad experience including a number of high-value sale, MBO, investment and refinancing transactions in the construction, sports, renewable energy, oil and gas (service) and care sectors. He particularly enjoys acting for and developing relationships with SMEs and owner-managed or family owned businesses as they grow from the early start-up stage, to becoming larger organisations - with the ultimate aim of achieving an exit via a sale to an independent buyer, or to the incumbent management team.

Deborah is a partner and has over 10 years’ experience in dispute resolution, advising clients from the pre-litigation stage through to representation in formal court proceedings or alternative dispute resolution. Deborah has an interest in personal and corporate insolvency and regularly advises insolvency practitioners, distressed companies and directors. She chairs the firm’s cross discipline insolvency team and is a member of R3, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation and the Grampian Area Insolvency Practitioners Group. Deborah also advises business clients of all sizes both domestically and internationally in a full range of commercial disputes. She is commercially focused and endeavours at all times to provide clients with clear and practical advice. Deborah has experience in representing clients at all levels of the Scottish Court system, in international arbitration and mediation.

Raiya is an Associate in the Private Client department and advises clients on all aspects of estate and succession planning from Wills, Trusts and other tax planning measures to winding up estates. She has a keen interest in executry administration, assisting vulnerable adults, including setting up Powers of Attorney, and providing advice to Guardians. Raiya is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and was awarded in 2011 the Trust Law and Practice Student of the Year and Outstanding Student of the Year Scotland awards. In 2013, she was further awarded the STEP Trust and Executry Accounting Scottish Student of the Year award.

Corporate Partner working from our Inverness office since 2012. Ross handles a range of corporate and commercial contract work. His main area of practice includes M&A, joint ventures, service and logistics contractrs and commercial lending. Ross acts for a range of prominent Highland businesses and national lending institutions.

Paula is an Associate in the Private Client department and provides advise to clients across a wide spectrum of private client matters with a particular emphasis on complex Will drafting, asset protection, Powers of Attorney, inheritance tax planning and executry administration and focuses on finding solutions for clients based on their priorities, needs and personal and financial circumstances.

David is a Partner with considerable experience working within the rural and renewable energy sectors. Particular specialisms include: the purchase and sale of farms, estates and woodlands; agricultural leasing; security and refinancing of land assets; salmon fishings and other sporting rights; renewable energy projects; wayleaves; diversification; planning agreements; and residential lettings. David works closely with other departments within the Firm (particularly the Private Client, Property, Dispute Resolution, Family and Renewables teams). Whilst based in Aberdeen, David’s client base extends across the whole of Scotland and includes the Firm’s Inverness office from where he can make himself available, if required.

Robert McDiarmid

Robert is a Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Team. Robert advises a broad range of clients (foreign and domestic) on commercial dispute matters. He has extensive experience in advising and representing clients (and managing cross-border teams) in both high value and complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes. He has advised on litigation in the Scottish Court of Session, Sheriff Appeal Court and Sheriff Courts, English High Court and County Court and various forms of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration, adjudication and mediation. He has particular experience of commercial disputes within the energy and construction industries. Robert has an advanced qualification from, and is a member of, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) and he is qualified to practice as a solicitor in Scotland, England and Wales. Robert is also a Committee Member of the Northern Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Gavin is a Solicitor within the Private Client team. He advises clients on estate administration, legal rights and their own succession planning encompassing advice on Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, and Inheritance Tax planning. He has a keen interest in the administration of executries, including contentious estates.

James is a Partner in the Energy team with more than 16 years’ experience in the sector. He has experience advising on projects in the UKCS and internationally, including in Romania, Egypt, Mexico and others. He advises on a wide range of matters from asset and corporate level acquisitions and disposals to field developments and renewables projects. James also has wide experience advising on supply chain and commercial contracts and has spent time in-house.

Annika Neukirch

Annika is a partner in the Employment Team with experience of providing advice on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment law issues including employment litigation, HR advisory work and employment aspects of corporate transactions for a diverse client base.

Patrick is an Associate who has more than 6 years’ experience in corporate law, advising on share and asset acquisitions and disposals, corporate reorganisations and commercial contracts. Patrick has worked with a wide range of clients, both domestic and international, with a particular focus on SMEs and academic spin-outs in the oil & gas, food and drink, and technology sectors.

Karen joined the firm in 2009 and advises clients on all aspects of estate and succession planning from Wills, Trusts and other tax planning measures to winding up estates. She has particular expertise in complex Trust matters and advises a wide range of clients including high net worth individuals, farming clients and landed estate owners. She has a keen interest in assisting vulnerable adults, including setting up Powers of Attorney, providing advice to Guardians and putting in place suitable Trust arrangements. Where clients have received compensation payments as a result of an accident or injury, she can guide them through the creation and ongoing administration of an appropriate Personal Injury Trust, helping preserve their right to means tested benefits and ensuring that their funds are appropriately managed. She also enjoys acting for charity clients. Drawing on personal experience as a Charity Trustee, she is experienced in establishing and running all types of charity, from Charitable Trusts to Charitable Companies and Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIOs). Karen is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and was presented with the STEP Wills, Trusts and Executries Scottish Student of the Year Award during her studies. Karen is recommended in the 2023 edition of Legal 500 UK.

Consultant, with over 40 years' corporate experience. Specialising in acquisitions/disposals, equity investment and banking. David continues to act for a diverse range of clients including privately owned companies, as well as those with investor backing, across a number of different industry sectors. Clients include Peterson, Xodus Group and Paradign Group.

Karyn is an Associate in the Private Client team based in Inverness and advises on a full range of Private Client matters including Wills, Powers of Attorney, Legal Rights, Estate Planning and Asset Protection. Karyn also has experience in the creation and administration of trusts as well as succession planning for high net worth individuals. Karyn has a particular interest in succession planning for business owners and agricultural/crofting clients. Karyn is interested in the Adults with Incapacity Act and assisting vulnerable adults. She has experience in guardianship/intervention orders as well as Power of Attorney/Guardianship administration and surrounding advice.

Jaclyn is a Partner and Head of the Private Client team. She advises a wide range of clients including business owners, farming clients, landed estate owners and high net worth individuals on tax planning, wills, powers of attorney, living wills and trust and estate administration. She specialises in tax and estate planning matters and has a particular interest in business succession planning, cross border cases and the administration of charitable entities . Jaclyn is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) having attained the STEP Diploma with distinction. In 2015 she was awarded the STEP Trust and Executry Accounting Scottish Student of the Year award and in 2014 she achieved the STEP Trusts Law and Practice Scottish Student of the Year award. She holds the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (England and Wales) and is also a former tutor of Revenue Law and the Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Aberdeen.

Colin Sandilands

Colin is a Partner and solicitor-advocate advising a wide range of clients across the north of Scotland. He specialises in property litigation, commercial litigation and professional negligence claims, representing clients in pre-litigation matters, the Courts, at mediation and in arbitration. Colin heads up Stronachs LLP’s Inverness office.

Michelle is a Senior Associate and has more than 12 years experience in family law. She is a member of the Family Law Association Scotland and is trained in Collaborative Family Law. Michelle advises on a range of family law matters including separation, divorce and financial provision, and child residence and contact matters. Michelle is also well placed to advise in relation to cohabitation and prenuptial agreements, and guardianship applications.

Partner in commercial property team. Liz has over 20 years’ experience in all manner of commercial property transactions including acquisitions and disposals, leases, financing, sale and purchase of land for development, option agreements, joint ventures, renewable energy projects, acquisition/sale of investment portfolios, sale, lease and acquisition of going concerns including licensed premises, property support work for corporate acquisitions/sales. Liz qualified in 2000 and has been a partner with Stronachs since 2015. Liz is also highly experienced dealing with the property elements of security and finance work whether acting for Bank or Borrower.

Emily is a Senior Solicitor of the Firm who advises on all aspects of Private Client law including estate administration, estate planning, trust administration, legal rights and asset protection. Emily enjoys complex estate administration and estate planning for high-net-worth clients. Emily has an interest in adults with incapacity and has experience in guardianship orders and intervention orders as well as Powers of Attorney with a particular focus on assisting Attorneys with the management of the Granters affairs.

Jonathan Wemyss

Jonathan is an Associate in the Dispute Resolution team with more than 5 years’ experience in advising a wide range of clients on disputes of various types. Whilst Jonathan’s main focus is on commercial disputes, he regularly advises clients in relation to other matters including construction disputes, property disputes and professional negligence claims. Jonathan has experience advising clients in relation to litigation in the Scottish courts and appearing in the Sheriff Court. Jonathan also has experience of alternative methods of dispute resolution such as mediation and adjudication.