Scotland’s leading commercial and regulatory lawyers

We have extensive experience advising on all types of commercial contract, including those relating to services, agency, distribution, manufacturing, outsourcing, franchising and licensing, the internet, apps and websites, and broadcasting. Our team is rated at Tier 1 in Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession in franchising law, and carries accreditation from the International Chamber of Commerce in relation to Incoterms matters.

Through our work supporting incubators such as Entrepreneurial Spark and public sector entities such as Business Gateway, we have significant experience dealing with grant funding, and commercial aspects of early stage investment transactions. In relation to core general corporate and M&A transactions, we support with key commercial and regulatory aspects, including investment restrictions, and deal critical commercial contracts and diligence. In addition, we have supported many clients in their growth out of Scotland to trade internationally, including in respect of foreign entity formation and management arrangements. We have also worked extensively with charities and the third sector, acting for industry bodies such as the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Our regulatory law practice is multifaceted. We have advised household names on consumer regulation, in areas such as online trading, and the use of gift and loyalty schemes, but also in areas such as the use of NFTs for customer engagement. Our team includes lawyers with in-depth knowledge of sanctions, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and tax evasion prevention laws, and we are often engaged to assist with the drafting of policies, procedures, to advise on risk and transaction structuring, and compliance disputes and issues.

Our team has worked on some of the largest IT and telecoms projects in Scotland in the last twenty years, including Superfast Broadband, Connected Communities, Pathfinder North and the Smart Cities projects. Our work revolves around providing a holistic service in which all relevant legal aspects are covered in conjunction, whether they relate to project critical contracts, property access, or regulatory frameworks. Our data and information law practice has advised multiple public and private sector entities on matters as diverse as data commercialisation strategies, the use of AI and patenting in data processing, the conduct of large scale information gathering exercises, such as the Scottish Census, and cross border data access and use projects.

We have extensive knowledge of EU law and frameworks, and often work upon EU funded matters. Our team has been recognised for its expertise by the European Commission under the Framework and Horizon programmes, and we have advised the Commission itself on policy and strategy. On competition law specifically, our experience stretches from advising on competition law aspects of M&A transactions, through patent licensing and technology transfer exemptions, through to subsidy regimes, differential pricing and selective contracting.

We have one of the largest public sector practices in Scotland, acting for multiple government agencies, local authorities, and the Scottish Government itself. In addition, our experience includes advising a number of organisations upon, and assisting with the drafting and progression of, new legislation at both the Scottish and UK parliaments.

Our IP team is recognised as one of the best in Scotland. In addition to advising on transactional IP matters and disputes, we operate one of the largest trade marks registration and management practices in Scotland, often acting for clients in respect of their worldwide portfolios. We also have significant patent related experience, having dealt successfully with a number of disputes both at Scottish Court and IPO level. Our work in media and entertainment is unmatched in Scotland, an includes dealing with a number of high profile copyright disputes, and acting for the Musicians Union and Publishing Scotland. We are also recognised as one of the leading UK firms in the sports sector, acting for clients such as Celtic FC and UEFA, and upon events such as the Commonwealth Games.

Our commercial and regulatory team often advises on the pre-action aspects of disputes. Our work here includes assessing risks and chances of success, discovery, and engagement in pre-action correspondence. Working closely with our litigation team, we provide a seamless service if formal proceedings are required. For a number of clients we also operate rights infringement monitoring services, in sectors such as clothing, sports and food & drink, identifying and dealing with rights infringement matters.