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Areas of expertise

Professional information

  • 2022: Appointed silk
  • 2009: Called to the Bar
  • 2008 – 2009: Devilmasters- The Hon Lord Harrower (Sean Smith QC) and Lorenzo Alonzi
  • 2006 – 2008: Head of Legal, McDermott Caspian Contractors, Inc., Azerbaijan
  • 2004 – 2006: Solicitor, Construction Disputes, London
  • 2005: Admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales
  • 2000 – 2004: Solicitor, Construction Disputes, Edinburgh
  • 2000: Admitted as a solicitor in Scotland
Professional experience

Alasdair has specialised in construction and professional liability for over 20 years, initially as a solicitor and latterly at the Bar. He is ranked Band 1 by Chambers & Partners in those two areas. Alasdair’s busy practice extends to other areas including commercial cases and insolvency matters. His clients are employers (including local authorities and housing associations), contractors and sub-contractors as well as architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, solicitors, accountants and their insurers. Alasdair has Court experience at all levels, including the UK Supreme Court, as well as experience of arbitration, adjudication and various other types of alternative dispute resolution.

Notable cases

Construction

  • Greater Glasgow Healthboard v Multiplex Construction Europe [2021] CSOH 115. Acting for the defender in a very high value defects claim.
  • Agro Invest Overseas Limited v Stewart Milne Group Limited and others [2020] SCLR 530 (and subsequently). Acting for the pursuer in a multi-million-pound defects claim.
  • Field Systems Designs Ltd v MH High Tech Projects UK Limited [2020] CSOH 17. Defended enforcement of an adjudication decision based on failure to exhaust jurisdiction or to provide adequate reasons.
  • British Overseas Bank Nominees Ltd v Stewart Milne Group Limited 2020 SC 24. Whether the defence of contractual bar, related to prescription, was available in relation to a claim for breach of a collateral warranty.
  • Pentland Investments Limited v Aitken Turnbull Architects Limited 2018 SLT (Sh Ct) 284. Defended enforcement of an adjudication decision – adjudicator dealing with related disputes under different contracts without consent.
  • T Clarke (Scotland) Ltd v Mmaxx Underfloor Heating Ltd 2015 SC 233. Whether a party to a construction contract could be interdicted from commencing multiple adjudications against the other party.

Professional Liability

  • Arbitration. Acted on behalf of designers in relation to allegations of professional negligence arising out of a major national infrastructure project.
  • Midlothian Council v Raeburn Drilling & Geotechnical Ltd and others [2019] CSOH 29. Defending consulting engineers from a multi-million-pound claim, based on a novel prescription point.
  • George Leslie Ltd v Halcrow Group Ltd [2017] CSOH 106. Acted for the pursuer in a claim against design engineers relating to the failure of a welded plastic water pipe.
  • Huntaven Properties Ltd v Hunter Construction (Aberdeen) Ltd and others [2017] CSOH 57. Acted for a firm of consulting engineers in relation to a claim arising out of the construction of a pipe storage yard facility.
  • Instructed on behalf of a firm of accountants in relation to a claim arising out of allegedly negligent tax advice.
  • Instructed on behalf of a firm of solicitors in relation to a loss of opportunity claim relative to a wind farm.
  • Instructed on behalf of a firm of solicitors in relation to a loss of opportunity claim relative to a run of river hydro electric scheme.

Commercial and Insolvency

  • Martin v Hughes [2021] CSOH 109. Defending a section 994 petition.
  • Kidd v Lime Rock Management LLP and others 2021 SLT 1499. Whether the pursuer’s settlement of earlier proceedings against alleged joint wrongdoers barred his claim against the present defenders in relation to fraudulent conspiracy.
  • AWPR Construction Joint Venture v Everprime Ltd and others [2020] CSOH 78. Acted for one of the parties in an action of multiplepoinding relative to claims made on the fund in medio following the Carillion insolvency.
  • Wills v Strategic Procurement (UK) Limited 2016 SC 367. Whether an error by one contracting party, known to and taken advantage of by the other contracting party, is a sufficient basis to found a claim for reduction of contract.
  • Royal Bank of Scotland plc v Carlyle 2015 SC (UKSC) 93. Whether a verbal promise made on behalf of a bank was binding.
Directories
  • Chambers UK Bar – Recommended as leading junior in Construction (Band 1) and Professional Negligence (Band 1)