In our series 'Life at Brodies', we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at a leading UK law firm. In this episode, legal director Rory Forbes and solicitor Nina Munro discuss their career paths into the real estate team at Brodies, address some misconceptions around what being a real estate lawyer actually involves, and explain how the energy transition is creating new and exciting work for the real estate market. ...

In our series 'Life at Brodies', we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at Scotland's largest legal firm. Do you want to know what it's like to work in one of the busiest private client teams in Scotland? In this episode, Iona Clark and Nikki Neal talk about their experience working in the personal law team at Brodies; each sharing their own journey to becoming private client lawyers. Iona shares her insight...

In this episode of Podcasts by Brodies, legal experts Emily Pike and Stewart Gibson discuss the subject of inheritance and succession planning, unpacking the findings of an exclusive YouGov survey commissioned by Brodies. The survey showed that only 25% of respondents have a full estate plan in place— and highlighted a significant gap between awareness of the subject of succession planning and action. Emily and Stewart explore common misunderstandings around inheritance tax, gifting, an...

Receiving court papers can be daunting, but understanding what happens next is essential to resolving the issues at hand. In this episode of Podcasts by Brodies, Carly Forrest and Gemma Nicholson break down everything you need to know about dealing with Scottish court documents, ensuring you can respond effectively and avoid potential pitfalls. We examine the importance of understanding which court has served the papers, whether you need to respond to the papers and how you resp...

In this episode we discuss the growing popularity of buying and selling Scotch whisky casks, risks of fraud and some advice for buyers. Grant Strachan is a partner at Brodies LLP, with a specialist focus on the food and drink sector, and Vikki Bruce is the founding director of CaskNet, a tech start-up that is building a register for Scotch whisky casks. The Scotch Whisky Association has recently published updated guidance for 2025 on personal investment in Scotch whisky casks. This guid...

Prior to the case of Miss Mary Davidson who died in 1999, the law in Scotland had been that, in the absence of any special facts, a solicitor engaged by a testator in connection with the making of a will could not be said to owe a duty of care to intended beneficiaries. In England, the law had developed so that such a duty might be said to exist. Following Miss Davidson's death, the judge reviewed the evolution of the law of negligence over the 20th century, so what was the resul...

In this episode we discuss rights to light and the challenges they pose for developers in cities across England and Wales. Lisa Stratford is a legal director at Brodies who specialises in property-related disputes in England and Wales, and Neil Lovell-Kennedy is a chartered surveyor and a rights to light specialist at Proximity. The information in this podcast was correct at the time of recording. The podcast and its content is for general information purposes only and should not be regarded ...

In The Case Files, we look back at notable court cases over the last 150 years. In this episode Susie Mountain and Debbie Reekie discuss the issue of the habitual residence of a child in a case related to the separation of a couple who decided to live in different countries. To add further complexity, the case involved parental abduction of the child. In situations like this, a key part of the judgement is to establish where the child is habitually resident, but what does this mean? And what ...

Our family law experts delve into the complexities of international divorces. Jacqueline Stroud, experienced mediator and litigator and Susie Mountain solicitor advocate and a trained collaborative lawyer share their insights into navigating the challenges posed by divorces involving multiple countries. Highlighting the importance of seeking legal advice at an early stage and discussing issues such as jurisdiction, impact of where in the world assets are held, how child cont...

In this episode of The Case Files, Christine O'Neill KC and Clare Bone discuss two relatively recent cases which raised the importance of anyone accused of crimes having access to independent and impartial legal decision-makers, a right that is protected by article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The first case, Clark v Kelly (2004) is about whether it was proper for the clerk in the District Court to give advice in private to the presiding justice of the peace ...

We dive into the world of mediation and explore how it offers a more flexible, cost effective and less adversarial way to resolve disputes outside the courtroom when dealing with family law matters. Jacqueline Stroud is a partner in Brodies Family Law team and an expert in mediation and collaboration and Ewan Malcolm is a highly experienced award-winning mediator who is currently chief executive of Relate London, Northwest and Hertfordshire. The information in this podcast was ...

Family law experts from either side of the England and Scotland border, Victoria Varty, senior associate at Brodies and Louisa Bestford, senior associate at Hay & Kilner discuss the differences between English and Scottish courts in considering children's voices in family disputes. Covering what age a child is typically able to express a view in family disputes; the weight their view has on decisions made about them; the role of Children's Guardians or Child Welfare Reporters in represen...

In our new series Life at Brodies, we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at Scotland's largest legal firm. In this episode graduate engagement manager Wendy Murphy talks about the recruitment process for trainee lawyers at Brodies including how to make your application stand out from the crowd and what candidates can expect at the interview stage. Wherever you are in your career find out more about making that next ste...

In our new series Life at Brodies, we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at Scotland's largest legal firm. In this episode health and safety solicitor Eve Gilchrist and real estate senior paralegal Alex McDonald discuss qualifying as a lawyer via the pre-PEAT traineeship as an alternative to completing a Scots law degree as part of the route to qualifying as a solicitor in Scotland. Wherever you are in your caree...

Following a number of high profile cases in regulated financial services firms and changing societal expectations, the Financial Conduct Authority is proposing to change its approach to non-financial misconduct. Employment law partner Tony Hadden and senior associate Chris Boyle discuss the significance of the FCA's proposals and how regulated firms can make sure they're on the front foot with their handling and reporting of incidents. The information in this podcas...

In our new series Life at Brodies, we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at Scotland's largest legal firm. In this episode, Regan Lambert and Robert Bough talk about their experience as trainee solicitors at Brodies; each sharing their own journey to studying law at university, the application and interview process behind securing a training contract and uncovering what it is really like to work at Scotland's largest ...

In this special episode of Podcasts by Brodies, David Lee speaks to Stephen Goldie, Brodies' managing partner. Stephen, who has been with the firm for almost two decades, took up the role in May 2024, succeeding Nick Scott. He was previously head of the disputes practice at Brodies. In 2023, Brodies achieved a major milestone, becoming the first Scottish legal firm to break through 100 million in annual revenue, as well as launching its first international arm, Brodies Middle East LLP,...

The breakdown of a relationship can be difficult for a child and many parents worry about the impact it can have on their child. In this episode, Brodies' family law expert Sarah Lilley is joined by Professor Ewan Gillon, First Psychology. Together they discuss the importance of keeping the child at the centre of the process and their involvement of effectively working with children and families in challenging circumstances. The information in this podcast was correct at the time of ...

In the third of Podcast by Brodies' focus on international arbitration, we take an in-depth look at the role of the arbitrator. Ken MacDonald, Partner at Brodies LLP and Professor Derek Auchie of The University of Aberdeen consider what it means to be an arbitrator. Issues addressed include: Is judging and arbitrating the same? Has the role of arbitrator changed over the years? What extraneous factors influence arbitrators and is there an ideal personality type for arbitrator? Th...

The use of video technology to conduct virtual hearings in international arbitration, and other legal hearings, become commonplace following the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside many obvious advantages, virtual hearings have also highlighted concerns of cybersecurity and breach of confidentiality, among other issues. So what does the future hold for virtual hearings? In this podcast Iain Rutherford and Keith Kilburn, both from Brodies LLP, discuss the use of video technology in the context of in...