Colin is a paralegal within BTO’s residential department and joined the Firm in 2017. He has many years of experience in dealing with purchases, sales, re-mortgages, transfers of title, right to buy as well as new build plot sales and purchases.

Caroline heads up BTO’s employment team of five employment lawyers which provides “excellent service from general advice to tribunal representation” (The Legal 500). She has been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in Employment Law since 2001.

With vast experience in advising clients on all aspects of employment law, Caroline is well known for her practical and user friendly approach to finding solutions for clients and advising them on strategic employment issues. She is viewed as "very approachable and straightforward" and “a tenacious lawyer who fights to the end” (Chambers UK) - “second to none.” (The Legal 500).

Caroline advises a range of employers in a variety of sectors from plcs and construction companies to law firms, accountants and registered social landlords. She has the added advantage of advising senior executives on the full spectrum of employment law issues and therefore she sees the issues from both sides. She also acts for the insured of global insurers under their employment practices liability insurance.

As businesses in many sectors become more regulated, Caroline is known for ‘getting on top’ of clients’ employment issues and understanding the regulatory regime under which her clients operate, resulting in first class tactical advice. She is praised for her “high-quality” guidance and her “adroit handling of factually difficult cases” (Chambers UK). She also works closely with colleagues in the firm’s commercial and corporate teams advising on the employment aspects of acquisitions and business transfers to ensure staff matters are handled with care and to allow clients to concentrate on running their businesses.

Caroline has extensive experience of successfully representing clients at Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunals throughout the UK. She has a successful track record of defending her employer clients at the Employment Tribunal in cases where clients wanted to defend their position. She has achieved equal success for employer clients in negotiating exit packages which ensure the smooth, swift and efficient exit of employees and, where possible, for business as usual to be maintained.

Caroline has also built up a niche area of expertise in working closely with colleagues in BTO’s Professional Discipline and Clinical Defence team advising doctors, consultants and dentists who experience employment and disciplinary difficulties, which can significantly impact on their professional reputation and career. Caroline represents the interests of clinicians as members of various medical and dental defence organisations and also clinicians who are not in such organisations.

External Appointments: Caroline is a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Employment Law Group and the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers. She is also a frequent speaker at external employment training sessions for clients and enjoys training others on how to manage employment law issues in the workplace.

After Hours: Tennis, golf and travel.

Will is a Partner in our Commercial Litigation team based in our Edinburgh office. He is an experienced commercial litigator with an exceptional range of expertise.  He specialises in helping clients develop and implement strategies for resolving complex issues, often with international aspects, across areas such as commercial contracts, real estate, competition law, corporate applications and tax through negotiation, court proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution procedures such as mediation and arbitration. 

Will has the skills to deal with sensitive, business critical matters, and has acted in many significant pieces of commercial litigation for businesses, public and third sector organisations, and individuals.  Reported cases cover areas such as real estate litigation, competition law, share purchase agreement warranties, unfair prejudice, insurance coverage, commercial contracts, and title conditions, including “the most important case on real burdens for many years”, according to Professors Gretton and Reid of the University of Edinburgh. 

Will also has a particular interest in sports law, having previously acted on secondment as the Scottish FA’s first ever independent Compliance Officer, personally prosecuting numerous football disciplinary cases before independent tribunals.  He continues to act for the Scottish FA in litigation and arbitration matters.

Clients praise Will’s ability to cut though details and clearly explain the technicalities of disputes and procedure, as well as his personable, forthcoming and pragmatic approach.  He has been recommended in the Legal 500 for his thorough preparation of cases and his analysis of evidence. 

“Will Cole communicates very well without wasting time.  He has been very quick to understand the issue, very clear thinking in his assessment of our position and totally focussed and definite in progressing the action.  He is excellent.  We are very impressed and have complete confidence in his capability.”  Legal 500 - Commercial Litigation - 2022. 

Will has a Postgraduate Diploma in EU Competition Law from King’s College London.  He is an Accredited Mediator and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Property Litigation Association and the Scottish Competition Forum.

Roisin is a solicitor with the Family Law team and is over two years qualified. She completed her specialist family law traineeship with a tier one family law firm in January 2020. Roisin has experience advising clients in matters relating to financial provision, child contact disputes and has experience in appearing in the Sheriff Court and as an instructing agent in Court of Session actions.

Roisin is interested in the evolving landscape of family law. She was invited to speak at the International Academy of Family Lawyers conference in Kiev on the subject of “Digital Media and the Family Lawyer” and has written about the impact of social media and online communication for clients going through a relationship breakdown.

Roisin speaks German, having spent her ERASMUS year studying German Law at the Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg. She uses her language skills and knowledge of international aspects of family law to assist clients where she can.

Roisin is a member of the Scottish Young Lawyers Association and the Young Mediators Group. 

Michael is a Senior Associate in BTO’s Corporate team in Edinburgh, focusing on corporate law generally, particularly in relation to advising SMEs.

Michael has impressive experience of advising businesses in a wide spectrum of services and sectors.

He works closely with BTO’s wider corporate team and the Firm’s commercial property and employment teams, as well as addressing the corporate aspects of family law and other corporate legal work for individuals.

He is also in charge of developing BTO’s corporate offering in Edinburgh. With an in-depth knowledge of the Edinburgh market and being well-known himself within that market, Michael is an ideal fit for this role.

Angus has over 25 years experience of litigation in the UK. He is dual qualified and practices in Scotland and England.

Angus is a practising mediator with ADR Group, Scottish Mediation and the Strathclyde Mediation Clinic.

Angus specialises in dispute resolution and provides advice to insurers and commercial clients in respect of litigated matters, mediation and negotiation.

He has extensive litigation expertise covering: product liability claims, construction and engineering property damage claims, contractual disputes, oil and gas claims, transport claims, policy coverage/determination, injunctive relief, environmental claims, business interruption claims, and cross-border litigation in European and North American jurisdictions.

Angus has been listed in the leading legal directories for several years as a key individual:

Described as "extremely knowledgeable and organised" Angus is "highly client-focused in terms of getting results," and has noted expertise in advising on contractual disputes (Chambers UK).

Angus Crawford “takes a commercial approach to situations” (Legal 500).

Catherine has over 24 years’ experience in personal injury work, principally defender reparation for the insurance industry. She has dealt with the full range of personal injury cases of all types and all values. 

Her case load includes RTAs, employers’, public and product liability, including cases with an international dimension.  Catherine is described by clients as “technically tremendous” and praised for her "expert legal mind" and her "extraordinary attention to detail."  (Chambers UK).  She now heads up the firm’s expanding catastrophic injury team and handles complex and catastrophic high profile and high value cases for some of the UK’s largest insurers.

Catherine becomes involved in cases from almost as soon as the accident has happened, investigating the circumstances and working with the clients to control the case. She has good relationships with her opposing solicitors and is able, through early intervention, discussion and rehabilitation, to negotiate an effective solution for her insurance clients.

Catherine is adept at guiding such cases through to fruition often through the court process, but increasingly often without litigation, reflecting our clients’ principal aims. 

She has extensive court experience, including as a solicitor advocate in the Court of Session, and is able to utilise her extensive experience using the litigation process as a tool to achieve the clients’ aims.

Catherine regularly presents lectures and seminars to insurance clients throughout the UK.

Catherine is a member of FOIL (Forum of Insurance Lawyers).