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Areas of expertise

Professional information

  • 2026: Admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
  • 2025 – 2026: Devil and Lord Hope Scholar (Devilmasters: Ross Anderson, Ewen Campbell and Euan Dow)
  • 2023 – 2025: Brodies LLP – Associate
  • 2023: Gateley Legal, London – Associate
  • 2022: University of Strathclyde – Tutor in Public Law and Civil Litigation
  • 2016 – 2023: Anderson Strathern LLP – Senior Associate
  • 2011 – 2016: University of Strathclyde – LLB (Hons) (2015) and Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (2016)
Professional experience

Liam called to the Bar with almost a decade of experience in acting for clients in a broad range of commercial and public law disputes.

He spent seven years at a large commercial firm primarily advising clients on commercial disputes in relation to contract, professional negligence, property, construction and company law. He also appeared in a substantial number of fatal accident inquiries. Liam then worked within a competition and group litigation practice in London before returning to Scotland to join a leading Scottish firm. During that time, Liam advised clients on a wide range of public law and regulatory matters including judicial reviews, statutory appeals, investigations, inquiries and related commercial disputes.

Liam has significant experience in conducting proofs, debates and other contentious hearings. He previously tutored in public law and civil litigation and was called to the Bar as a Lord Hope Scholar.

Notable cases

Commercial

  • St Margarets Nursery Ltd v City of Edinburgh Council (No 2) 2026 SLT 392 (as Devil). Commercial action seeking damages, a declarator and an ineffectiveness order following breaches of the Public Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2015. Debate on inter alia whether the relevant contracts were public contracts within the scope of the Regulations.
  • Glasgow City Council v VFS Financial Services Limited 2020 SLT 1227 (Outer House) and 2022 SC 133 (Inner House) (as Solicitor). Pursued twenty-two commercial actions on behalf of local authorities seeking damages from several of the world’s largest truck manufacturers for breaches of competition law. These were the first European Commission follow-on damages claims to be raised in Scotland.

Public Law

  • Veale v Scottish Power UK plc 2026 SC (UKSC) 77 (as Devil). An appeal to the Supreme Court in relation to the interpretation of the Damages (Scotland) Act 2011.
  • R (Nobel Oil E&P North Sea Ltd) v Oil and Gas Authority (t/a the North Sea Transition Authority) [2025] EWHC 2139 (Admin) (as Solicitor). Interrelated judicial reviews challenging the lawfulness of advice given by the North Sea Transition Authority in relation to the decommissioning of infrastructure in the North Sea.
  • Faculty of Advocates and Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland 2025 SLT 171 (as Solicitor). Special Case before the Inner House in relation to the interpretation of the statutory eligibility criteria for judicial office.

Contentious Trusts and Executries

  • Binning’s Executor v Binning [2026] CSOH 33 (as Devil). Claim by executor seeking damages for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation. Preliminary proof on pleas of res judicata and forum non conveniens.
  • Currie v Currie’s Executor 2023 SLT 34 (Outer House) and 2023 SC 90 (Inner House) (as Solicitor). Action of accounting raised by a beneficiary against an executor and former attorney. Issues of competency and relevancy arose as the beneficiary sought an order ordaining the executor to seek an accounting from herself in respect of her intromissions as former attorney.

Fatal Accident and Public Inquiries

  • Appeared in a substantial number of contentious fatal accident inquiries, e.g. Zach Banner (7 days – Inverness – 2020), Kevin Connolly (7 days – Glasgow – 2021) and Stephen Masson (6 days – Glasgow – 2022).
  • Acted as instructing agent in various other high-profile fatal accident inquiries, e.g. Clutha Vaults Helicopter Crash (6 weeks – Glasgow – 2019), Louisa Fishing Vessel Capsizing (4 weeks – Lochmaddy – 2022) and the Carmont Train Derailment (2025/2026).
  • Acted for core participants of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and the Scottish and UK Covid-19 Inquiries.
Directories

 

‘Liam Smith has a good eye for detail, is efficient, responds quickly and communicates well.’

Legal 500