Legal 500 2019

Gilson Gray are delighted to be ranked in the Legal 500 for Commercial Litigation, Debt Recovery, Insolvency and Corporate and Commercial.

Commercial Litigation – Rank 3

Gilson Gray, which launched in 2014, ‘really punches above its weight in terms of generating consistently high quality instructions‘. Its team is led by ‘top performer‘ Rosie Walker, who is ‘technically very sound and tactically astute‘. Walker is experienced in cases involving cross-border issues, particularly those with a nexus to the Middle East; she is heading up a team, which is advising RMJM as the defenders on Court of Session litigation arising from the sale of a Dubai-based engineering business. Another highly rated individual is senior associate Keith Anderson, who is a ‘go-to man in a crisis‘. The group also benefits from the experience of its three solicitor advocates: Iain Clark (who undertakes commercial litigation and is also on the Law Society of Scotland’s Specialist Accreditation Panel on Arbitration), Alex Garioch and Steven Jansch. In addition to having strong commercial litigation practices, Garioch and Jansch have expertise in construction litigation and insolvency law respectively. Garioch and solicitor Iain Grant are representing Scottish Salmon Company (a multinational producer of farmed salmon) as the pursuer in a multimillion pound action against a supplier in relation to the sale of defective fish-feed.

Debt Recovery – Rank 4

Gilson Gray‘s practice head David Alexander has been instrumental in growing the debt recovery practice, since the firm’s inception in 2014. The firm acts for clients ranging in size from small local businesses to large multinational companies. Alexander, who has a particular specialism in landlord and tenant matters, has been successful in winning work from commercial and social landlords, housing associations, insolvency practitioners, and construction firms, among other clients. Alexander has more recently focused on generating mandates from English law firms and debt collection agencies. Another recommended individual is solicitor advocate Steven Jansch, who holds accreditations from the WS Society and Law Society of Scotland in commercial litigation and insolvency law respectively. In addition to handling insolvency and property-related debt recovery work, the team assists clients with recoveries arising from employment contracts and commercial contracts, among other areas. Fife Housing Association, Gordonstoun School and Debt Collect UK are among the entities on the client roster.

Insolvency – Rank 4

Gilson Gray‘s team head is solicitor advocate Steven Jansch, who is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as an insolvency law specialist. Jansch works with members of the debt recovery, real estate and commercial litigation teams to assist clients with commercial litigation arising from insolvency-related events, the realisation of distressed real estate assets, restructurings, administrations and liquidations. Craig Darling has more than 20 years of experience of business restructuring and recoveries.  Murray Stewart and senior associate Keith Anderson are other key individuals in the group. In 2017, a highlight involved defending private clients at the Court of Session against an action by the office of the Accountant in Bankruptcy, which sought to reverse the transfer of a family home to the clients on the grounds of alleged gratuitous alienation. Campbell Dallas, EY, Stirling Park and Wylie & Bissett also instruct the firm.

Corporate and Commercial – Rank 5

Derek Hamill, who heads up Gilson Gray‘s practice, is particularly experienced in corporate transactions involving procedural complexities or irregularities (such as those where there were historic improperly issued or improperly transferred shares). In addition, Hamill (who is dual-qualified in English and Scottish law) is knowledgeable about the IT, IP and competition law issues that arise from transactions. Elsewhere, other areas of expertise include employee ownership trusts, data protection and commercial contracts; in 2017, a highlight involved Hamill and solicitor John Kielski advising Delete Limited on a digital transformation agreement with Southampton Football Club. Another matter saw Hamill assist Fullclear Limited with an equity fundraise.

Private Client 

Dorothy Kellas was recognised in the Legal 500 during her time at Lindsays and were delighted to have taken over the North Berwick office with Dorothy at the helm.

Dorothy is (‘professional and easy to talk to’) predominantly assists individuals and families with issues including asset protection and property matters. In addition to possessing wide-ranging experience in executries.