Chambers UK have just published their review of Levy & McRae and key individuals within the firm for 2010. This is what they say…
November 19, 2009
| FIRM PROFILE |
Senior Partner: Peter Watson
Partners: 7
Assistants: 6
Other fee-earners: 9
The Firm
Levy & McRae is one of Scotland’s leading law firms. The firm has a particularly strong reputation for litigation, media and personal injury.
Principal Areas of Work
Litigation: Extensive litigation practice including representing British Sky Broadcasting Limited in the enforcement of all copyright and licensing matters arising in Scotland.
Media: One of the largest media law practices in the country providing advice to an extensive range of clients in the print and broadcast media.
Dispute Resolution/Reputation Management: Prominent individuals from the world of business, TV, film, music and sport retain the services of Levy & McRae to ensure that reputations are protected from unwarranted intrusion and defamation.
Crime: Uniquely, the firm has an in-house investigation team of senior ex-police officers and by using the latest technology in software and data management, the firm has achieved great success in a number of high profile and complex cases.
Personal Injury: The firm deals with a high volume of reparation claims arising from workplace, road traffic, aircraft and shipping accidents. The firm has extensive experience dealing with complex, multi-million pound claims, often involving high profile media interest.
Inquiries: The firm appears regularly in Public and Fatal Accident Inquiries throughout Scotland representing the interests of families, police officers, prison officers and companies (most recently SEPA) to ensure its clients’ interests are fully protected or advanced at such Inquiries.
International: Levy & McRae are involved in litigation around the world including in France, Spain, Turkey, Italy and the United States. As part of Legal Netlink, the firm offers worldwide access to local counsel.
| RANKINGS |
| Crime – Scotland (Band 1) |
THE FIRM
This firm’s Glasgow-based criminal practice receives a significant number of instructions from the Scottish Police Federation and has extensive experience in handling SOCA prosecutions.
KEY INDIVIDUALS
Alasdair Gillies is the key contact.
| Defamation/Reputation Management – Scotland (Band 1) |
| Peter Watson (Band 1) |
| Angela McCracken (Band 2) |
THE FIRM
The team here enjoys one of the largest defamation practices in Scotland. It regularly acts for big-ticket clients such as Trinity Mirror, the Sunday Herald and ITV, as well as advising a number of publishers. In addition, it does reputation management work for celebrities and high-profile individuals, as well as for Glasgow City Council and South Lanarkshire Council.
KEY INDIVIDUALS
Senior partner Peter Watson is “the name that people know in the market.” Angela McCracken has a well-respected media practice that includes advising on print, broadcast and online defamation issues, both pre and post-publication.
| Dispute Resolution – Scotland (Band 3) |
| Peter Watson (Band 2) |
THE FIRM
The sensible and pragmatic lawyers in this firm’s litigation team are instructed in a number of high-profile cases, particularly in the media sector and in defamation matters. Other areas of activity for the team include corporate governance and restructuring issues and IP disputes. Clients are drawn from a range of industries and include construction companies, stockbrokers, investment banks, hedge funds, service businesses, football clubs and various television and newspaper clients. The team also advises a number of government organisations, law enforcement agencies and individuals. Recent work includes advising on international mediations, settling disputes to the value of over £1 million.
KEY INDIVIDUALS
Litigation head and senior partner of the firm, Peter Watson is a “very well-known figure in terms of insurance litigation – he’s been in the market a long time and attracts a lot of work with his excellent name.”
| Media & Entertainment – Scotland (Band 3) |
| Peter Watson (Band 1) |
THE FIRM
This specialist Glasgow-based team continues to impress the Scottish market with its expertise in defamation, libel and day-to-day news operational matters, acting for print and broadcast media. In addition to reviewing scripts for Scottish TV, it also advises Newsquest, publisher of the Sunday Herald, and recently acted for the Daily Record in an action brought against it by AppA Therapy Beds.
Sources Say: “Polished, stable and dedicated.”
KEY INDIVIDUALS
Senior partner Peter Watson is praised for his contentious work.
| Partnership – Scotland (Band 2) |
| William Macreath (Band 2) |
THE FIRM
Levy & McRae continues to command great respect for its Scottish partnership work.
KEY INDIVIDUALS
William Macreath is an impressive name in the sector with noted technical expertise. “He is our first port of call if we are conflicted out,” say competitors.
| Corporate/M&A |
| Andrew Sleigh (Band 3) |
| Restructuring/Insolvency |
| Andrew Sleigh (Band 2) |
| KEY INDIVIDUALS |
|
Peter Watson peterwatson@lemac.co.uk |
Ranked in:
Scotland – Defamation/Reputation Management (Band 1)
Scotland – Dispute Resolution (Band 2)
Scotland – Media & Entertainment (Band 1)
Specialisation: Media; defamation; libel; aviation; international claims and litigation; personal injury litigation; public and fatal accident inquiries; civil and criminal litigation including cases which have been heard at the House of Lords and Privy Council; Legal Advisor to Rangers Football Club plc including successful appearances before UEFA disciplinary committee; Represented Shirley McKie and secured acquittal following the first successful challenge to finger print evidence in the world; Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise investigation; employment law; partnership law; Secretary of the Lockerbie Air Disaster Group; Secretary of Braer Disaster Group; Member of the Steering committee of the Piper Alpha Disaster Group; Member of the Stockline Disaster Group; Gecas v Scottish Television plc; Regina v Flight Lieutenant Williams; Cavendish v The Scotsman Publications & Others; representing the Dunblane Families at the Dunblane public inquiry; representing owner of care home prosecuted under Health & Safety & Work Act 1974- HMA v Balmer & Others; Solicitor of the Year 2008 - The Law Awards of Scotland; involved in litigation in more than 12 countries other than the UK.
Professional Memberships: Law Society of Scotland; SSC Society; sits as a Part Time Sheriff (Judge); APIL; ATLA; past President of the Society of Solicitor Advocates; past Chairman of the Scottish Mediation Bureau; Member of the IBA.
Career: BA in Economics, University of Strathclyde; Bachelor of Law, University of Edinburgh; research at Scandinavian Maritime Institute and thereafter at Dundee University, Centre for Petroleum and Mineral Law Studies; visiting scholar in International Law, Nova University, Florida, USA; on the board of Anglia Sports Law Research Centre.
Publications: Author of ‘In Pursuit of Pan Am’ and ‘The Search for Justice - A Case for Reform to the Civil Justice System in Britain’. Addressed the UN Summit on The Third UNECE/ REAG Land for Development Programme (LFDP) Forum, ‘Property Rights for the Poor: A Global Perspective’ in Rome on December 12th and 13th December 2004 delivering the speech on the ‘Rule of Law and Economic Prosperity’.
Personal: Golf, horse racing; travel; married with two daughters, Anna and Sophie.
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William C Macreath billmacreath@lemac.co.uk |
Ranked in:
Scotland – Partnership (Band 2)
Specialisation: Partner in Litigation Department specialising in work for professionals particularly solicitors, doctors architects etc; partnership dispute resolution advice; LLP advice; large divorce practice.
Professional Memberships: Law Society of Scotland; Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Court; Founding Director of the Director of the Legal Defence Union.
Career: Glasgow University; McLure Naismith Brodie 1974-76; Strathclyde Regional Council 1976-78; Paton and Co Partner 1978-90; Levy and McRae Partner 1990-date.
Publications: Articles in professional publications on professional ethics, complaints against solicitors and their handling, and articles on divorce and the valuation of business interests on divorce; on coping in private practice; articles on partnership. Regular speaker at professional seminars for medical and legal profession.
Personal: Married.
Interests: the arts, reading, cinema, golf, travel and politics. Former Member Greater Glasgow Health Board 1988-99; former Member Scottish Medical Services Committee 1994-97; former Council Member Royal Faculty of Procurators Glasgow 1998-2001; former Member Client Relations Supervisory Committee of the Law Society of Scotland. Director since 1985 of the Legal Defence Union.
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Andrew Sleigh andrewsleigh@lemac.co.uk |
Ranked in:
Scotland – Corporate/M&A (Band 3)
Scotland – Restructuring/Insolvency (Band 2)
Specialisation: Andrew is a well known practitioner in the SME corporate sector in Scotland. He has recently acted for the vendors of Border Rail in their sale to Powerlines of Austria and the vendors of Richardson Oils in their sale to Irish Food Processors. Andrew is also well known for his expertise in corporate insolvency and he has recently acted for the purchaser of Cullen Packaging from its administrators. Andrew continues to handle governance and policy issues for the SFA. The newly established Corporate and Commercial Unit at Levy & McRae also handles commercial contracts and has recently been involved in commercial agency;whisky distribution; and sports image agreements. The recession has seen an increase in shareholder and director disputes and Andrew is also prominent in this sector.
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Angela McCracken amc@lemac.co.uk |
Ranked in:
Scotland – Defamation/Reputation Management (Band 2)
Specialisation: Angela McCracken is a Partner with Levy & McRae and specialises in media law providing 24/7 advice to all of the firm’s media clients both in broadcasting and print. She has been involved in many ground breaking media cases and acted for The Scottish Countryside Alliance in challenging the validity of the Scottish legislation banning fox hunting. She also has wide ranging expertise in civil litigation, including international litigation and acts for a number of high profile clients and organisations.
Career: She was educated at Westbourne School for Girls and then went on to study law at The University of Glasgow and has practised law with Levy & McRae since leaving University.
Personal: Her hobbies include tennis, keeping fit and reading.
