Harper Macleod LLP > Inverness, United Kingdom > Firm Profile

‘Harper Macleod is a market leader in professional negligence matters. They have vast experience in such disputes. Their strength lies in their versatility – they act for individuals, companies, insurance companies and large multinationals on both sides of the disputes. The sheer breadth of their practice gives them an advantage over other firms that specialise in, for example, pursuer or defender work.’

‘Andrew MacKenzie has good technical knowledge and is very active in this field. He appears in many of his own cases, and also instructs counsel. Laura McCorquodale is a standout. She is great to work with – very friendly, approachable and great at communication. She is also highly intelligent and experienced in this field of law.’

‘An outstanding team.’

‘Sandy Hastie must be amongst the best lawyers in the country. David Kerr is a highly capable individual. I’d instruct him in a heartbeat; he just gets it. John McHugh is very clever and has considerable experience of professional negligence claims. E-Ming Fong is a tenacious litigator with finely tuned commercial instincts.’

‘Harper Macleod is a firm that works with the client and for the client. Gets to grips with a situation very quickly, great strategic thinking and impeccable attention to detail.’

‘Adam De Ste Croix is particularly rigorous in identifying the facts and researching the legal position that pertains. He is keen to identify the truth and to identify the waypoints and circumstances that have led to a negligent outcome. In some cases, it has taken detailed searches, patient information gathering and sheer persistence to gain disclosure of key facts which were not otherwise being made readily available. He is not scared to cross boundaries or ruffle feathers in pursuit of the truth and an honest outcome.’

‘The team has an excellent reputation for delivering a high level of service and for the in-depth knowledge and experience they have of the Scottish housing sector, over a range of areas including regulation, governance, finance and procurement.’

‘They are undoubtedly the market leader in Scotland for advising housing associations.’

‘Derek Hogg is a recognised industry expert in the regulation of housing associations. He demonstrates a high level of skill in terms of the advice he gives but also is very pragmatic in his assessments.’

‘This firm gives me absolute confidence. The experience and approach of their staff is second to none.’

‘Bruce Caldow is the expert. He advises us regularly and has been key to us developing a sector-leading conduct in sport process.’

‘Tom Thomas supports the governance side of our organisation and has helped us further review and develop our articles of association as well as put together template commercial agreements.’

‘For us, what makes Harper Macleod unique is that fact they offer a personal service, understanding our needs and requirements, but with the depth and support of a large firm.’

‘Harper Macleod is a very reliable firm.’

‘Andrew Hunter (Partner), Natalie Dissake (Partner), Keri Preece (Associate) – all with good knowledge of all relevant legislation and advise with a commercial head in mind.’

‘Eilidh Crawford is succinct and efficient and has always taken time to explain something further if required. Would definitely recommend.’

‘Helpful and knowledgeable staff.’

‘Strong work ethic, very focused on the client, well organised.’

‘Amy Dickson is an excellent solicitor. Very good with clients – human, accessible, diligent – but also good on the law and working with experts in this field.’

‘Experienced and knowledgeable partners in this field. They also have several excellent associates, who are able to run their own complex cases. The more junior solicitors are well supported, including the trainees. A class act.’

‘Heather Calderwood is the living embodiment of “an iron fist in a velvet glove”. She is a powerhouse in terms of the volume of quality work that she delivers and she is always professional and focussed on results. Amy Dickson was recently promoted to partner and is practical and commercial with a skill for getting things done. Her clients trust her as she tells it like it is. She is a very talented lawyer, who is very reliable and consistently achieves results.’

‘Great breadth of experience and knowledge, with a mix of different personalities that complement and support one another. The quality and diversity of work is excellent.’

‘Suzanne McGarrigle is highly professional and experienced, alive to commercial realities and litigation risks but also focussed on getting the best results for her clients.’

‘Amy Dickson is practical and commercial with a skill for getting things done. Her clients trust her as she tells it like it is. She is a very talented lawyer, who is very reliable and consistently achieves results.’

‘Diligent preparation, client-focused, knowledgeable advice and representation.’

‘Harper Macleod is particularly attuned to understanding their clients’ needs.’

‘Heather Calderwood is an exceptional lawyer with a unique combination of empathy, objectivity and communication skills.’

‘A very good team.’

‘Amy Dickson is an excellent lawyer. Justifiably confident in her abilities. Down-to-earth approach with her clients.’

‘Laura Ann Sheridan is outstanding.’

‘I found that the team was able to exercise great adaptability in dealing with foreign jurisdiction personal injury cases.’

‘I found the solicitors I have dealt with, in particular Laura Ann Sheridan, show great initiative and diligence in the preparation of their cases.’

‘Amy Dickson is practical and commercial with a skill for getting things done. Her clients trust her as she tells it like it is. She is a very talented lawyer, who is very reliable and consistently achieves results. Christina Wason: Astute and up to date with the law, Christina works tirelessly to achieve the best outcomes for her clients in a supportive but no-nonsense way. She deals effectively with the other side, especially when they are being difficult.’

‘Tom Gray has acted for us in buying additional land and an loch area from adjoining owners with great skill and attention. He is always first to offer advice and to take us to task if ambitions are not reasonably achievable. We delighted in his appointment as partner, which was richly deserved. His attention to detail and a relentless terrier attitude to our instructions mark him apart in our very high-value transactions.’

‘We have an excellent relationship with Tom Gray. He seems to be ahead of the curve with the latest on land and forestry policy as well as the legal side. We have been particularly impressed with their grasp of the renewable energy sector. HM is a one-stop shop for everything that our farming business needs.’

‘Tom Gray has been excellent to deal with over the past few years. He has always made himself available – even after normal working hours, and I feel that he is also invested in the success of our business. There is also a good element of trust to the extent that I have made Tom one of the five trustees of my will alongside family members and close friends.’

‘Responsive on a wide range of rural issues. Advice from across the team according to individual specialisms.’

‘Tom Gray and Graeme Nisbet have provided excellent support. Responses are timely, and they provide the reassurance necessary to proceed with rural public sector casework.’

‘This practice is reliable and consistent, staff is readily available to offer advice and support to my business, no matter how large or small the issue.’

‘Individuals are quick to return advice, offering candid views, simply explaining their interpretation of situations.’

‘Calum MacLeod has a good understanding of the sector.’

‘An excellent team with deep and varied knowledge.’

‘The team as a whole is very strong.’

‘They offer a one-stop shop across a range of areas and issues, which are relevant to our activities. They are sound advisors and able to look at the application of the law in a practical and even tactical manner.’

‘James McMorrow possesses extensive knowledge of issues relating to our activity and is able to communicate this to laypeople in a manner that enhances their understanding.’

‘The team is connected. Whoever you speak with knows your situation and seems to understand your specific needs. My experience throughout a difficult period in my life has been one of empathy, compassion, understanding and support.’

‘Alexis Harper has been “my” lawyer since day one. She’s listened, she’s guided and she’s been unendingly supportive and honest. She’s clearly not out to make money but to get me the best outcome, and my confidence in her grows with every conversation. The difference between Alexis and other lawyers I’ve worked with has been her approach to difficult conversations. There’s no judgement. She assesses and advises. Steers without ever taking control away from me. She has empowered and supported me from the outset and I can’t recommend her highly enough.’

‘Jenny Smith is simply outstanding with a no-nonsense approach providing sound and easily understandable advice.’

‘Jenny Smith works in a collaborative way to avoid adversarial correspondence. Alexis Harper is highly diligent and effective as is Jane Blackwood. Amanda Masson is robust in pursuing her client’s interests.’

‘I have worked with Amanda Masson on a number of matters. Her client care skills are excellent. I have witnessed Amanda’s attention to detail, her knowledge of the black letter law and her commerciality.’

‘This is a strong and innovative family law team. They have been proactive in exploring developments in family law, for example through their “Modern Families” initiative.’

‘I work mostly with Amanda Masson, who impressed this year by tenacious work in overcoming obstacles in an international case. Despite matters looking almost insuperable, she persisted and secured a good result for her client. Karen Gibbons and Alexis Harper are excellent partners and Linda Walker is worth watching.’

‘Amanda Masson is the head of the family law team. She has great experience across multiple practice areas, including financial provision on divorce, adoption, permanence orders and relocation. She is very well organised, diligent and insightful. Jenny Smith is considered, thoughtful and hard-working. She is a clear thinker with a keen appreciation of what her clients want to achieve. She is very detailed in her work. Alexis Harper has very strong technical knowledge of the law and of court procedure. She is extremely robust in her client’s interest. She is well organised and focussed and has an empathetic manner.’

‘Always attentive to customers’ needs.’

‘Jamie Watt is instrumental in navigating complex issues for his client’s business.’

‘Collaborative team and easy to work with.’

‘Jamie Watt and Tom Thomas are very approachable, which makes it easy to work with them.’

‘Jamie Watt is an excellent commercial lawyer offering sound, sensible and pragmatic advice that goes to the heart of the issue at hand.’

‘Jamie Watt’s communication style is efficient and to the point, which makes it clear and easy to understand.’

‘Jamie Watt is an excellent professional, smart, responsive and pragmatic.’

‘Great, efficient and clear service supporting a consolidated global intellectual property portfolio.’

‘We have always been very impressed with their commercial approach to dealing with quite complex areas of law. We often need them to filter their Scottish law advice into our wider UK advice and they do this seamlessly and in a way which is pitch perfect for our clients.’

‘Jamie Watt is responsive, vastly experienced and delivers spot on advice through a commercial lens.’

‘Jamie Watt is an excellent commercial lawyer offering sound, sensible and pragmatic advice that goes to the heart of the issue at hand. His communication style is efficient and to the point, which makes it clear and easy to understand.’

‘Extremely capable and approachable team that are a pleasure to work with. No matter what is thrown at them and at what notice (from IP, property, share options, fundraising, contractual…) they never let you down.’

‘Capable, flexible, and responsive.’

‘The way in which they complete transactions at pace, this is what makes Harper MacLeod unique.’

‘The team are exceptional.’

‘The Harper Macleod partnership provides a full-service offering, with specialist partners in all areas needed.’

‘The lead partner is always available and takes the trouble to explain in detail the intricacies of the contract negotiation.’

‘We are usually working on multiple transactions together, which are all at different stages, but we always deliver and work as a team to do this.’

‘The team are exceptional.’

‘Harper Macleod has a strong commercial litigation team. It is a Scottish-based litigation firm that is perfectly capable of matching some of the large multinational firms operating in Scotland. It has a truly commercial and client-oriented manner.’

‘The team is full of standout individuals. Sandy Hastie is one of Scotland’s leading commercial litigators. There is nobody better in the market in terms of technical knowledge, detailed understanding of a client’s case and pragmatic, commercial advice. He is definitely a star. Laura McCorquodale is absolutely brilliant. She is great at dealing with clients, understanding their issues and concerns, and provides clear and intelligible advice. She is great to work with. David Kerr is another standout partner. He is vastly experienced in all areas of commercial litigation. His real strength is in giving clear, commercial advice to his clients.’

‘One of the strongest commercial litigation teams in the country.’

‘E-Ming Fong has been highly efficient and communicative in our litigation case.’

‘In the field of complex commercial litigation, often dominated by international law firms, Harper Macleod puts forward an incredibly strong and accessible offering, capable of going toe to toe on a client’s behalf in any adversarial situation.’

‘Sandy Hastie is very bright and pragmatic. His ability to understand and process complex commercial information and present solutions to his client is second to none. He is robust in protecting his client’s position and does not appear to be intimidated by an inequality of bargaining power.’

‘John McHugh is very personable and able to provide advice in an organised manner, such that any litigation risks are clearly understood.’

‘Easy to collaborate with on cross-border cases, solutions-driven and responsive.’

‘Excellent team, always helpful and efficient.’

‘They always deliver in a timely manner and are extremely commercial in their thinking and focus on getting a transaction completed whilst protecting their clients’ interest.’

‘Individuals are personable, engaging and highly knowledgeable.’

‘Their availability, focus on the transaction to get it completed together with their forthcoming legal advice is key.’

‘Top-class service across the various disciplines in the team, always available and with commercial sense when conducting negotiations on either side of the table.’

‘Tony Cameron’s relationship skills are second to none.’

‘Tony Cameron is an excellent ambassador for the firm, and his clients would have no hesitation recommending Harper Macleod to any of their contacts across the Scottish business community.’

‘Access to the specialist areas of legal work I require to a high standard with local offices, reasonable pricing and good service levels.’

‘Unique insights to the public sector and a good geographical coverage.’

‘Gordon Hollerin is a long-established and highly regarded restructuring expert who quickly gains the trust and confidence of directors of distressed businesses, which is vital in situations where people are under pressure.

‘Gordon Hollerin’s manner is reassuring and supportive, and he is able to deliver technical matters simplistically to ensure the clients understand the position.’

‘Very good access to senior members of the team who have a very strong in-depth knowledge and great deal of experience of restructuring and insolvency scenarios.’

‘Gordon Hollerin has a huge amount of experience of dealing with contentious and complex scenarios, but is equally very approachable and responsive.’

‘Gordon Hollerin is well known within the insolvency profession and has a wealth of experience in insolvency matters to draw upon for giving practical advice and solutions.’

‘The team is responsive, hardworking, provides clear advice, and is pleasant to work with.’

‘Gordon Hollerin is good at keeping in touch, provides an excellent service, and introduces others in the firm with the requisite expertise for the various assignments.’

‘Harper Macleod is a commercial practice with a very personal dimension.’

‘I have found all of the solicitors that I have been in touch with to be helpful, approachable and friendly. Their feedback and advice is invariably practical, commercial and a solution-based legal response, providing a culture of excellence.’

‘A successful blend of friendliness combined with professionalism. They are always willing to listen in order to help build relationships.’

‘A high level of personal service and efficiency.’

‘What really stands out about the Harper Macleod team is the depth in their knowledge and expertise. They have experienced practitioners in most areas, including the ones where regulation is fast evolving, such as ESG.’

‘The partners and associates at Harper Macleod are extremely easy to deal with. I found them to be experts in their fields and to be very accessible. Their collaborative approach is refreshing.’

‘First-class understanding of onshore wind property and planning matters.’

‘The Harper Macleod team are very knowledgeable about the Scottish energy market and go above and beyond for their clients.’

‘Omar Ali is great to work with; he is personable and responsive, and knows the Scottish energy market and shares his insights with clients.’

‘Pamela Todd is an outstanding legal profession who is able to provide expert advice while understanding the commercial nature of transactions, which allows solutions to be found.’

‘Highly experienced in the PFI environment and always able to distill complex contractual issues into terms that can be easily understood. Strong knowledge of current issues and developments.’

‘Euan Pirie is highly capable and hard working and will go the extra mile as a matter of routine. He is able to explain very complex issues and find innovative solutions to resolve matters much quicker than had been anticipated.’

‘Harper Macleod has a great depth of knowledge in the PPP market which makes them the go-to practice.’

‘Euan Pirie’s knowledge of the PPP market is invaluable, and he uses his vast experience on each of the projects he undertakes.’

‘They are very close to the local market, with experience of working on all sides of transactions. This enables the team to provide tailored advice with full understanding of other parties’ drivers and points of view.’

‘Clients get genuine partner time and engagement, which is important in moving projects / matters forward in desired timescales.’

‘Our main contact and key person is Euan Pirie, who is generally very busy, but manages to find time to ensure a high-quality service is provided.’

‘Euan Pirie is constantly looking to innovate.’

‘The team is unusual in that it regularly acts for petitioners AND respondents whereas the tradition in Scotland has usually been to focus on one or the other.’

‘Jennifer Jack and Calum Gee are a winning team. Their expertise and determination make them highly sought after by petitioners and by public bodies. They really stand out in their knowledge and experience.’

‘Calum Gee – one to watch for the future. He would make an excellent partner. Calm and friendly with an enviable ability to distill complex information into easy to read summaries for busy clients. He could not have been more understanding and supportive. Five stars!’

‘My main contacts are Andrew Kerr, Euan Bowie and Ross Thomson. Their guidance and advice is excellent and they always keep me updated even during difficult transactions where we are having limited feedback from the other side. I always learn something when I’m working with them.’

‘Andrew Kerr, Euan Bowie and Ross Thomson are all incredibly supportive. They help to take the stress out of the difficult aspects of property sales and also offer up ambiguity-free advice.’

‘They respond quickly and deal efficiently with our requests.’

‘Able to respond quickly with reasoned advice.’

‘They have established an excellent reputation in a short amount of time. Their IT systems and platforms are excellent at handling the volume of papers involved in such large construction disputes.’

‘Laura McCorquodale is a standout in this area. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in construction disputes. She has been proactive in developing the team into the force it is.’

‘Laura McCorquodale’s strength lies in her communication skills – she gives incredibly user-friendly and clear advice.’

‘Sandy Hastie is a star and one of the best litigation partners in Scotland. He is knowledgeable about all areas of law and has the eye for detail that is essential in construction disputes.’

‘An increasingly prominent player in the contentious construction sector.’

‘Sandy Hastie, John McHugh, and Laura McCorquodale are all very impressive.’

‘Laura McCorquodale has considerable experience of adjudication and has been instrumental in the development of the firm’s presence in the market.’

‘Jennifer Jack is a very prominent public law specialist who has an excellent grasp of the issues at hand. She quite correctly has received many professional accolades in the past.’

‘Friendly and helpful.’

‘Peter Ferguson is always eager to help.’

‘A very strong team with dedicated specialists in property litigation.’

‘Andrew Upton is an excellent lawyer with impeccable instincts – knows when to twist and when to stick.’

‘Jennifer Grosvenor is very impressive – pragmatic but not scared to push for her clients.’

‘They are a well-resourced firm with impressive litigation experience.’

‘John McHugh is an astute and commercially minded litigator who combines a practical mindset with a strong legal understanding.’

‘Great knowledge of technology and IP.’

‘They have taken time to get to know our business and seem genuinely interested in what we do. They have supported us at events and help raise our profile.’

‘The team is very approachable and very easy to work with.’

‘They have provided us with excellent support and advice, sometimes at very short notice. They are fully knowledgeable and helpful with any advice needed, or reviews of documentation.’

‘Scott Milligan is excellent and very approachable, and always meets timescales.’

‘Practical, no-nonsense application of the law.’

‘Where necessary the team offers alternative solutions to complex issues which has added additional value to client assets.’

‘John Meehan has always provided excellent advice and is generally very reactive and willing to offer up solutions where necessary.’

‘In depth knowledge and experience.’

‘Caroline Summers’ extensive knowledge in the sector helped us avoid all the contractual pitfalls and ensured a successful project completion.’

‘Knowledge and market experience is second to none.’

‘John Meehan provides a service that is consistent and efficient.’

‘Strong background in advising public sector clients, offering cost-effective advice and representation.’

‘Jennifer Jack and Peter Ferguson are very experienced with sound judgement and a personable manner.’

‘Jennifer Jack is a very prominent public law specialist who has recently appeared in many high-profile planning inquiries. She quite correctly has received many professional accolades in the past.’

‘Peter Ferguson is always keen to help out.’

‘Very experienced and capable team.’

‘Peter Fergusson offers excellent pragmatic advice.’

‘Jennifer Jack is a very good public lawyer.’

‘Calum Gee is a rising star.’