Ampersand Advocates is ‘an excellent stable for commercial advocates’. Usman Tariq KC is viewed as ‘the leading KC for intellectual property disputes in Scotland’, and Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC has extensive experience in advising on contentious planning, company and insolvency matters, as well as handling contractual disputes. Among the juniors, Eoghainn MacLean‘s workload includes contentious competition matters and professional liability claims, while the ’responsive‘ Giles Reid is sought after for his expertise in advising on commercial litigation, IT disputes and professional negligence claims. Timothy Young is ’one of the very best commercial juniors operating at the Scottish Bar‘, Michael Way ’has strong advocacy skills and the ear of the court‘, and Mark Boni is ’a calm and balanced presence in court and an asset to a legal team‘.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Alan Moffat is a very experienced clerk.'
- 'Alan Moffat is a stand out individual.'
- 'All the clerks are brilliant.'
- 'The service is top notch.'
- 'Ampersand has excellent quality advocates.'
- 'An impressive collection of advocates and there is always someone who is able to help.'
Lawyers
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Laura-Anne Van Der Westhuizen KC
2024 Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Usman Tariq KC
Usman is hugely intelligent, he is right at the top of his game when it comes to intellectual property. He is fantastic with clients, who appreciate his calm demeanour, his clear knowledge of the subject area and his thorough preparation. He has the ear of the court.'
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Ross Anderson
Ross is conscientious and very responsive, and provides quality legal analysis on complex issues of law.'
Eoghainn MacLean
Giles Reid
Giles is a super brain. He is pragmatic and a real asset, particularly when working as part of a team.'
Mark Boni
A junior who is calm, collected and persuasive in court.'
Nicholas McAndrew
He is measured and sensible, with an exceptional skill for breaking down complex legal issues.'
Timothy Young
An exceptional junior who is well liked by clients.'
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
Michael Way
Michael is detail oriented and grasps complicated aspects of a case quickly. He is personable, and is able to build a rapport with clients quickly.'