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Areas of expertise

Professional information

  • 2018 to present: Standing Junior, Office of Advocate General
  • 2017 to 2018: Lord Reid Scholar, Faculty of Advocates
  • Devilmasters: Chris Paterson, Dan Byrne, Sarah Livingstone
  • 2014: Chartered Insurance Institute, Diploma in Insurance
  • 2007 University of Edinburgh: LLB (Hons) (First Class)
  • 2008 – 2017: Brodies LLP
Professional experience

Adam has a particular expertise in professional liability and construction disputes. His other main areas of practice are commercial and public law.

Adam appears regularly in the Court of Session, including in the commercial court, and the Sheriff Court. He has appeared in the UK Supreme Court, Inner House and Sheriff Appeal Court. He is regularly involved in alternative dispute resolution, including adjudication, arbitration and mediation. He has significant experience of obtaining urgent interim orders.

Adam represents the UK Government in judicial review cases, including cases concerning human rights and immigration. He is also instructed on behalf of individual and corporate clients in public law matters.

Prior to calling to the Bar, Adam practiced in Brodies LLP’s Dispute Resolution department for seven years. He qualified as a Solicitor Advocate in July 2015. As a solicitor, Adam gained extensive experience of acting in professional negligence claims on behalf of solicitors, surveyors, accountants, IFAs, brokers, architects and construction professionals. Completing the CII Diploma in Insurance in 2014 enhanced Adam’s insurance industry knowledge.

Notable cases

Adam has significant experience in his core practice areas. He has been instructed in a number of high-profile cases, including Gordon’s Trustees v Campbell Riddell Breeze Paterson LLP (prescription in the context of a professional negligence action) and Whitehouse v Lord Advocate (malicious prosecution claim by former administrator of Rangers FC).

Professional Liability

  • Gordon’s Trustees v Campbell Riddell Breeze Paterson LLP 2017 SLT 1287 (as solicitor-advocate in Inner House and Supreme Court). Application of s11(3) of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 to a claim for economic loss.
  • Aird v Lamb (Greenock Sheriff Court, February 2020). Claim against solicitor arising from failure to report on existence of access rights (proof before answer)
  • Iain Ford v W & AS Bruce [2020] SCKIR 9. Debate on prescription arising from alleged failure by solicitor to advise on inclusion of survivorship destination in title
  • McKay v Sesame Limited (Aberdeen Sheriff Court, November 2019). Debate on whether claim for alleged negligent financial advice had prescribed

Construction

  • Barhale v SP Transmission Plc [2021] CSOH 2. Enforcement of adjudicator’s award arising from construction of electricity sub-station
  • Transform Schools (North Lanarkshire) Ltd v Balfour Beatty Construction Ltd [2020] CSOH 19. Enforcement of adjudicator’s award in circumstances where adjudicator had relied upon “without prejudice” correspondence in arriving at his decision
  • Ryrie & Salazar v J&E Shepherd (Edinburgh Sheriff Court, April 2019). Claim against surveyors arising from alleged inaccuracy in Home Report (proof before answer)
  • MP Burke Transport Limited v Charles Scott & Partners [2017] CSOH 67 (as solicitor-advocate). Proof regarding scope of duties owed by structural engineer.

Commercial

  • Briggs of Burton Plc v Doosan Babcock [2020] CSOH 100. Action for rectification of lease which departed from previously agreed heads of terms
  • Air Telecom UK Limited v ECG Building Maintenance Limited [2019] SAC (Civ) 40. Interpretation of contract for communication services

Public and Administrative Law

  • Whitehouse v Chief Constable of Scotland & Anr 2020 SC 133. Whether the Lord Advocate enjoys immunity from civil suit at common law
  • Whitehouse v Lord Advocate [2019] CSOH 38. Whether the Lord Advocate was entitled to assert legal advice privilege in the context of commission and diligence
  • The Salmon Net Fishing Association of Scotland & Others [2020] CSOH 11. Whether prohibition on retaining salmon caught in coastal waters breached Article 1 Protocol 1 rights of those holding heritable titles to fish for salmon by way of net
  • Cannon v Scottish Legal Complaints Commission [2020] CSOH 23. Whether the SLCC had the power to refer complaints to itself
  • DY v SSHD [2020] CSOH 60. Immigration judicial review
  • AA v SSHD [2020] CSIH 29. Immigration judicial review
  • Carlos Mendoza v SSHD [2019] CSOH 107. Immigration judicial review