Call 1995 | Silk 2016 (Scotland)
Telephone 020 7831 0222
Email clerks@42br.com
Lisa was called to the Scottish Bar in 1995 before being appointed Queen’s Counsel in September 2016. She was later called to the Bar in England and Wales in 2019. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Ambassador for the Scottish Arbitration Centre.
Lisa specialises in the most serious of clinical negligence and personal injury litigation. She has considerable experience in claims involving cerebral palsy, amputation and complex brain and spinal injury.
Lisa was the author of the personal injury elective for Edinburgh University’s Diploma in Legal Practice and former lead tutor [2011 and 2017]. She is a former honorary senior lecturer at Glasgow University School of Medicine [2012- 2018] and was a visiting lecturer at Pavia University, Italy [2014 and 2015]. She has also taught at Aberdeen University School of Law.
She is regularly invited to chair and present at conferences and teaches advocacy skills on a regular basis. She is also an advocacy skills instructor on the Faculty of Advocates devils [pupils] training programme.
Courts and Tribunal Experience
Lisa regularly appears in the Court of Session in Scotland, as well as the Royal Courts of Justice. She has appeared in the High Court for both the Crown and the Defence. She has acted in fatal accident inquiries (inquests) and in criminal injury compensation claims. She has also acted as senior counsel in an international arbitration.
Lisa has considerable experience in acting in the most serious of personal injury claims. She regularly acts for claimants in cases involving, cerebral palsy, spinal injury, catastrophic brain injury, psychiatric injury and amputation. She is also instructed for defendants in similar cases. She has acted in numerous multi-million-pound settlements over the years.
In personal injury, a very high percentage of cases settle out of court. Many of these high value cases regularly involve children or incapax adults. The details of these cases are confidential. It would not be appropriate to list the names of the cases or details of those settlements. The following are examples of reported cases in which Lisa has been involved in the past.
Noteable Cases
Lisa was made a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2019. She acted as senior counsel for the defendants in an international arbitration, seated in Scotland in 2019.
Lisa acted as Junior Counsel in a CICA claim for an adopted child of a claimant with severe cerebral palsy in which the Authority made an award of £7.9 million.
Lisa acted for the family in relation to the death of a young girl who received an overdose of radiotherapy.
Lisa is currently acting for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, in the Public Inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh.
She is ranked Band 1 in the Chambers and Partners 2023 UK Bar guide for both clinical negligence and personal injury:
"Lisa is an extremely experienced and capable advocate."
"She has an excellent grasp of the complexities that arise in cases."
"Lisa has a wonderful manner with clients."
"Lisa is an extremely experienced and capable advocate."
"She has an excellent grasp of the complexities that arise in cases."
"Lisa has a wonderful manner with clients."
October 2019 - Barrister at 42 Bedford Row, London
July 2019 - called to England and Wales Bar (Middle Temple)
2019 - Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
November 2018 - Postgraduate certificate in International Arbitration (Aberdeen University)
29 August 2017 - Admitted as Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
September 2016 - Appointed Queen’s Counsel
July 1995 - Admitted to Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh
1994-1995 - Faculty of Advocates, Devil (Pupillage)
1993-1994 - John G Gray & Co, Edinburgh, Assistant Solicitor
1991 - 1993 - John G Gray & Co, Edinburgh, Trainee Solicitor
1990-1991 - Aberdeen University, Diploma in Legal Practice
1987-1990 - Aberdeen University (LLB)