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Ampersand News

3 new QC appointments for Ampersand

4th September 2009

Her Majesty The Queen approved the appointment of 12 new Queen's Counsel, on the recommendation of First Minister, The Rt Hon Alex Salmond, MSP including Ampersand's Geoffrey Mitchell, Simon Bowie and Craig Sandison.

This brings the number of senior counsel in Ampersand to 19, which includes many senior’s who are considered leaders in their respective fields of expertise; this is the highest number of senior counsel offered by a Scottish set.

Geoffrey Mitchell is a well instructed civil practitioner, acting on behalf of defenders, health boards, local authorities and individual claimants, and has over 15 years of advocacy experience.  As a senior Advocate Depute, he prosecuted in High Court criminal trials, and is consequently well used to the examination and cross examination of witnesses. Such experience is of great benefit in civil proofs and Fatal Accident Inquiries, in both of which he is regularly instructed.

Simon Bowie has a varied civil practice with considerable experience in a broad range of commercial and other matters. He has acted in a significant number of high profile and complex cases including as junior counsel in the longest running and highest value of the ''Braer'' tanker oil pollution claims. He regularly acts for insurance companies and other commercial and high profile organisations such as Scottish Power and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland. In the public law field he has regularly appeared on behalf of both the Home Department and the Department for Work and Pensions. He joined the Crown office as an Advocate Depute in 2008.

Craig Sandison practises primarily in all areas of commercial law, particularly in commercial contracts, property and conveyancing, and corporate and personal insolvency, with subsidiary practices in media and entertainment law, trusts and executries and judicial review, for a very wide variety of litigants. He frequently appears as leading counsel in a variety of courts and tribunals, including House of Lords, Inner and Outer House of Court of Session, Sheriff Courts, commercial and other arbitration. He is a Reporter to the Court of Session on the variation of public and other trusts from 2001 to date.

Of the appointments, Ampersand Stable Director, Simon Di Rollo QC, said:

“I am pleased for Geoffrey, Simon and Craig.  Their appointments represent an acknowledgement of their advocacy skills and their diligence.  I am sure that as senior counsel they will be a real asset to the stable and to those that use our services.  They join 16 senior counsel already in our ranks.  This means an unparalleled breadth of expertise at the senior and junior bar, across the wide range of areas of our practice, reinforcing our reputation as one of Scotland’s leading sets.”

The rank of Queen's Counsel is generally reserved for those who have distinguished themselves in practice in the Supreme Courts. Advocates and Solicitors with Rights of Audience in the Supreme Courts are eligible to apply to the Lord Justice General, Scotland's senior judge. Before making recommendations, the Lord Justice General consults other judges, the Lord Advocate, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and the President of the Law Society of Scotland.

The press release from the Scottish Government can be viewed here.

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