Neil MacDonald

Neil is an Associate in our Regulatory and Criminal Defence Team.

He has significant experience of defending complex and high-profile Health and Safety cases from the outset through to conclusion.

Regularly appearing in Court from early in his career, Neil has proved himself to be an excellent trial lawyer having conducted multiple summary and Sheriff & Jury trials in Courts throughout Scotland, he has secured acquittals for clients in very difficult cases.

He has been instructed in cases ranging from minor offences to the most serious, including serious assaults, misuse of drugs matters, serious and organised crime, public order offences, offensive weapons, proceeds of crime and serious sexual offences.

He has provided expert representation in a wide variety of road traffic matters ranging from fatal cases being prosecuted in the High Court and involving the instruction of Counsel, to offences such as careless driving or causing serious injury by dangerous driving in the Sheriff or JP Courts.

Neil has also represented clients in complex multi-million pound proceeds of crime and fraud cases.

Neil has experience of acting in Fatal Accident Inquiries and in high profile Public Inquiries.

Legal directory rankings

• Leading Associate: Crime: General (Scotland) – Legal 500 UK  2025

Experience

• Successfully defended at trial an international businessman accused of serious assault to permanent disfigurement on the basis of self-defence, where a conviction would have had serious implications for the client’s career.
• Secured an acquittal after trial for a shop owner accused of abduction, assault, blackmail, and making threats to life.
• Secured an acquittal after trial for a pub landlord accused of assaulting a patron, a conviction would have had consequences for his licence.
• Successfully secured an absolute discharge for a police officer accused of careless driving on his way to a 999 call.
• Secured an acquittal for a director accused of being responsible for the death of an employee as a consequence of health and safety breaches.
• Instructed Counsel in a complex fraud trial that lasted 9 weeks in the High Court.
• Successfully argued exceptional hardship and saved the driving licence of a delivery driver in a case where disqualification would have had serious implications for the client and his family.
• Acted in high profile public inquiries including the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry, and the Scottish and UK Covid Inquiries.