Practice Manager: Emma Potter
Deputy Clerk: Andrew Veitch
Deputy Clerk: Tracy Whitelaw
THE CHAMBERS Terra Firma Chambers was established in January 2008 with the purpose of providing specialised services in the areas of property, planning, commercial and administrative public law. It was quickly recognised as a leading set with members ranked in each of its core practice areas in either Scotland or England. It has also established an enviable reputation for the service provided by its members and clerks. The current Advocate General for Scotland was formerly a member and it has attracted the previous Lord Advocate for Scotland as a member after she left office in 2011. The chambers contains 41 counsel, including 12 Queen’s Counsel. It has the largest number of dual qualified members of the Scottish and English Bars of any Scottish set, with several members in leading chambers at the English Bar. It also has more specialist arbitration advocates (and more arbitration academics) than any other set at the Scottish Bar, including one of the first specially accredited commercial arbitrators by the CEPMLP at Dundee University. Several members hold appointments as part-time sheriffs or part-time tribunal judges. Members of chambers accept instructions under the Faculty of Advocates Direct Access Rules.
WORK UNDERTAKEN The members of Terra Firma Chambers carry out the whole gamut of work related to property, planning, commercial and administrative law. Because many of the areas of law in which members specialise are also regulated by the European Union and the Human Rights Act 1988, members are also well placed to advise on the EU and ECHR aspects of any issue.
Property: Access rights, agriculture and crofting, boundary disputes, charities, commercial property, common good, conveyancing, executries and succession, housing, intellectual property, landlord and tenant, pensions, professional negligence, regulatory enforcement and liability, servitudes and wayleaves, taxation and estate planning, trusts and judicial factors, unjustified enrichment, valuation and rating, wills.
Planning: Conservation, compulsory purchase and compensation, contaminated land, drainage and flood prevention, environmental (civil and criminal) regulation, housing, industrial, infrastructure development, leisure, minerals, nuisance, planning, pollution prevention and control, renewable energy, retail, roads, sewage, telecommunications, waste.
Commercial: Bankruptcy and diligence, building and construction, contracts, commercial arbitration and dispute resolution, discrimination, employment, energy, health and safety, insolvency, intellectual property, partnership, professional negligence, public procurement, regulatory liability, restrictive covenants, roads and transport, taxation, valuation and rating. Members act as advocates, mediators and arbitrators within Scotland, England and internationally.
Administrative & Public Law: Charities, community care, constitutional law, election law, freedom of information, human rights, judicial review, licensing, local government, professional and disciplinary proceedings, public procurement, regulatory enforcement and liability, statutory appeals and review, valuation and rating,welfare law. Members regularly appear before courts, tribunals, inquiries, hearings and local authority committees.