Arnot Manderson Advocates welcomes the news that stable member Neil Mackenzie has been appointed Queens Counsel.  This brings the number of Senior Counsel in Scotland’s full service stable to twelve.

The rank of Queen’s Counsel is generally reserved for those who have distinguished themselves in practice in the Supreme Courts.  Advocates and Solicitors with Rights of Audience in the Supreme Courts are eligible to apply to the Lord Justice General, Scotland’s senior judge.  Before making nominations to the First Minister, the Lord Justice General consults other judges, the Lord Advocate, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and the President of the Law Society of Scotland.

Neil is currently the Director of Training and Education at the Faculty of Advocates, a role he combines with his busy practice.  The Faculty appointed Neil as Director of Training and Education in 2017 and in that role he has responsibilities for the training: of devils (lawyers who wish to become Members of Faculty), of Members of Faculty, and for the Faculty’s Quality Assurance programme.  The Faculty has a worldwide reputation for the quality of its training programmes, and Neil has delivered advocacy training in Kenya, Malaysia, South Africa and Hong Kong. 

Neil specialises in the areas of Professional Negligence and Industrial Disease.  He is regularly instructed in difficult high value Medical Negligence cases where he is considered an expert in complex causation questions. Neil also has a keen interest in Alternative Dispute Resolution and he is a CEDR-accredited mediator.

Practice Manager Andrew Sutherland commented “We are delighted to see Neil recognised in this way.  This is a well deserved accolade and everyone at the stable is extremely proud.  Neil has an enviable practice and he exemplifies the commitment of the Stable and the Faculty to the highest standards of legal education both here in Scotland and abroad”.