Advocacy Unit

Simpson & Marwick has seven qualified solicitor advocates led by Michael Jones QC : Peter Anderson, Paul Wade, Alan Cowan, Ranald Macpherson, Graeme Watson and Lynne Macfarlane. All seven have rights of audience in the Court of Session, Scotland's Supreme Court. Peter and Paul were among the first solicitors in Scotland to obtain this qualification.

Our Advocacy Unit provides a key strand of our dispute resolution practice.   Historically, only members of the Faculty of Advocates had the right to appear in the Supreme Courts in Scotland.  Since 1993, appropriately qualified solicitors have been granted extended rights of audience and Simpson & Marwick were among the first to seize this opportunity to provide a complete dispute resolution service for our clients.

Our Advocacy Unit provides a swift, accessible and integrated service.  Our in-house advocates liaise closely with solicitors at every stage of a dispute, to ensure better outcomes for clients, while maximising value.

We provide early and effective strategic management of complex personal injury actions, from the drafting of written pleadings to consultations, pre-trial meetings and contested hearings.  We are committed to the efficient, effective and early resolution of disputes on our clients' behalf, by negotiation and mediation wherever possible.

We are skilled and experienced in commercial court advocacy, with its high level of judicial scrutiny and management, appearing in the commercial court for case management hearings, debates and trials.  Our practice includes insurance matters, contractual disputes, construction, professional indemnity, insolvency and intellectual property.

Partners:

Michael Jones, QC: Michael heads our Dispute Resolution Department. Widely regarded as the leading advocate of his generation, he has an unrivalled practical understanding of dispute resolution, gained from a career spanning 30 years at the Scottish Bar and the Bar of England and Wales. He has pioneered the use of electronic case preparation and presentation in major litigations and has undertaken high profile cases in the spheres of aviation, oil and gas, media law and product liability.

Peter Anderson: Peter qualified as a Solicitor in 1976 and as a Solicitor Advocate in 1993. His work includes professional negligence, personal injury, commercial litigation and aviation litigation. He has acted in the litigation following a number of major accidents including the Pan Am/Lockerbie crash and the Chinook Helicopter crash at Sumburgh, and has lengthy experience in most types of personal injury litigation. He handles cases for architects, accountants, surveyors, engineers, brokers, IT consultants and insurers. He also deals with insurers' fire cases and advises extensively on policy interpretation and disputes.

Alan Cowan: Alan has successfully acted in a wide range of litigations in the Court of Session, including commercial disputes and personal injury claims. He has an in-depth knowledge and wide ranging experience of employment law, and advises clients on all aspects from recruitment to dismissal. He regularly appears in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeals Tribunal.

Ranald Macpherson: Ranald has conducted cases in most of Scotland's Sheriff Courts acting for major insurers and public bodies including local authorities. In 2004, he gained extended rights of audience in the Court of Session, as a Solicitor Advocate. Since then, he has regularly appeared in the Supreme Courts, particularly for defenders in personal injury claims. He also appears in commercial actions and in proceedings for judicial review. He is currently representing the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police in a major public inquiry, the Fingerprint Inquiry, which arose from the case of former police officer Shirley McKie.

Graeme Watson: Graeme has degrees in both Scots and English law and qualified as a Solicitor in Scotland in 2000, gaining extended rights of audience in 2006. He has considerable experience of personal injury litigation, with a particular emphasis on disease cases, including occupational stress, historic child abuse and asbestos claims. In pursuing his professional indemnity practice, he represents surveyors, accountants, insurance brokers and engineers.

Associates:

Lynne Macfarlane: Lynne is the first woman in Simpson & Marwick's history to obtain rights of audience in the supreme courts as a solicitor advocate. She has extensive experience as a court litigator having appeared on numerous occasions in Sheriff Courts throughout Scotland, in respect of both criminal and civil matters, and at Fatal Accident Inquiries. Having trained with Simpson & Marwick in the Edinburgh office and transferring to the Glasgow litigation team in 2001, Lynne has an in-depth defender personal injury background, dealing with road traffic and workplace claims on a daily basis. She has particular expertise in dealing with claims on behalf of local authorities and was recently described by one of her insurance clients as a strong and competent negotiator, whose calm approach was instrumental in brokering an excellent resolution to a litigated sheriff court action.

Consultants:

Paul Wade: Paul is managing partner of our Glasgow office. His career has been devoted to litigation and contentious work. In 1993, he was in the first group of solicitors to be afforded extended rights of audience in the Court of Session. He has extensive experience in contractual disputes, health and safety prosecutions and complex personal injury cases. With Michael Jones, he successfully defended the first culpable homicide case brought against a company in Scotland.