Simon Bowie KC
A respected counsel.'
‘The primary set for clinical negligence counsel’ for many, Ampersand Advocates‘ ’highly experienced‘ team is regularly instructed by pursuers and defenders in a range of high-profile cases. Una Doherty KC represented the defender before the Supreme Court in McCulloch and others v Forth Valley Health Board, an appeal pertaining to a claim of alleged negligent care by a cardiologist, involving issues of assessment of reasonable treatment options, informed consent and causation. The Court granted decree of absolvitor, concluding that the correct test to apply to what constitutes a reasonable alternative treatment is the Bolam test, and there was no breach of duty on the part of the cardiologist. Among the juniors, Jennifer Nicholson-White ’knows the intricacies of clinical negligence principles’ and ‘truly holds her own in court’, and the ’confident‘ Ayla Iridag is very experienced in acting for defenders in clinical negligence and personal injury claims. David Stephenson KC retired in late 2023, and James McConnell KC took silk in September 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Alan Moffat and his team of clerks are always excellent.'
- 'Sheena Hume is excellent. She will always communicate, is efficient and organised, and very accommodating.'
- 'Alan Moffat is a very capable senior clerk.'
- 'Alan Moffat stands out for his approachability and standards of service.'
- 'Alan Moffat is always great to deal with - completely sensible and understands the needs of solicitors.'
- 'Alan Moffat runs a highly efficient stable. Nothing is ever a problem and he will always do everything he can to assist and find solutions when problems arise.'
- 'Alan Moffat is excellent. He has a formidable ability to keep on top of instructions and anticipate needs.'
- 'Ampersand has a great deal of strength-in-depth.'
- 'The stable has great number of talented advocates in the field of clinical negligence.'
- 'The stable is always easy to engage with, responsive and has high quality advocates.'
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.
Una Doherty KC
Una is one of Scotland's most experienced and specialised counsel in the field of medical law. Nothing fazes her. She is calm and collected as well as extraordinarily thorough. She will not shy away from running complex arguments, and has an ability to unpick and clearly present complicated evidence.'
Lisa Henderson KC
She is analytical, thorough and prepared, and fights her client's corner.'
Euan Mackenzie KC
Euan is highly respected at the Bar because of his specialist knowledge, his expertise and talent. He is professional but able to deal with the sensitive issues and reassure families. He is certainly an expert in his field.'
Maria Maguire KC
She is a stand-out silk in the field of clinical negligence.’
Geoffrey Mitchell KC
An excellent communicator with strong analytical skills. He has great insight, and an ability to simplify even the most complex issues.'
Graham Primrose KC
Graham is a brilliant advocate, persuasive and intuitive as to when to press a point, and when to draw a line.'
Lauren Sutherland KC
Tenacity, intellectual rigour, and passion are all strengths of Lauren's. She is dedicated to the cause for pursuers.'
Alan Dewar KC
Vinit Khurana KC
Archie MacSporran KC
Douglas Ross KC
Douglas' strengths are his attention to detail and his grasp of the finer details of each case he presents. It is reassuring to have counsel who know their papers inside out, and can provide guidance to his instructing agents as well as well-informed advice to clients.'
2023 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.
Fiona Drysdale KC
She is extremely capable, hard working and reliable.'
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.
James McConnell KC
He is excellent with medical experts. A well balanced advocate.’
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.
Shane Dundas
Shane's depth of knowledge and understanding within the highly complex field of medical litigation is of a golden standard.'
Ayla Iridag
Ayla is a robust and knowledgeable counsel, as well as pragmatic and a good communicator.'
Jennifer Nicholson-White
An acknowledged expert in clinical negligence cases, Jennifer's courtroom skills display her deep knowledge of this area of law. She is analytical, indefatigable, and robust.'