Harper Macleod appointed to Scottish Legal Complaints Commission panel
News
Leading law firm Harper Macleod has been reappointed to the advisory and litigation panel of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC).
The panel reappointment is effective from 1 October 2022 and runs for four years. It was awarded via a competitive tender process run by Public Contracts Scotland. Harper Macleod was first appointed to the SLCC panel in 2014, and reappointed in 2018.
The SLCC is the first point of contact for all complaints about lawyers in Scotland. It investigates and resolves complaints about service and refers conduct complaints to the relevant professional body for investigation.
The SLCC also produces guides for the legal profession and the public to assist in good complaint handling and preventing the most common situations from which complaints can arise.
Sandy Hastie, partner and head of dispute resolution at Harper Macleod, said: “This is a significant appointment for Harper Macleod and we want to thank the SLCC for considering our tender response.
“With one of the largest litigation teams in Scotland, we are fortunate to represent a breadth of clients in sectors including insurance, banking, real estate and the public sector. We are looking forward to working with the SLCC in achieving its key strategic outcomes.”
SLCC chief executive, Neil Stevenson, commented,
“As appeals of our decisions go to the Inner House of the Court of Session, we were looking for strong public law and litigation experience, and insight into how our strategy and values influenced our approach to litigation as we test law and seek to improve the process.
“Firms were asked how they could assist in tackling systemic issues around the failure by solicitors to respond and provide access to files, using our statutory powers and other legal solutions.
“With reform on the cards by both statutory instrument, and a more significant review of primary legislation, we need partners who can help us shape the future of legal regulation and complaints in Scotland. We also have the opportunity and challenge of non-lawyer owned legal businesses due to enter the market this year or next. For all of this, we’ll be seeking proportionality, risk confidence, and clear and concise advice.
“Our legal panel is vital in securing the outcomes we seek, but also in challenging our thinking, assisting with training for our staff and Board, and ensuring we are compliant across all our functions and statutory responsibilities.”
With one of the largest litigation teams in Scotland, we are fortunate to represent a breadth of clients in sectors including insurance, banking, real estate and the public sector. We are looking forward to working with the SLCC in achieving its key strategic outcomes.
Harper Macleod’s dispute resolution team is one of the largest in Scotland, with 60 lawyers involved in contentious work. As well as carrying out commercial litigation, the firm has a substantial private client base and deals with a diverse caseload across all levels of the Scottish judicial system for individuals and their families.