Tommy has over 40 years’ experience of dealing with property and personal legal matters and was formerly the senior partner at Carruthers Gemmill - one of the West of Scotland’s most established and successful law firms.

Dedicated to client care, he takes pride in providing a prompt and thorough response to his clients' needs and whether it is moving house, winding up an estate, wills or tax planning, he is known for his friendly and approachable service.

Tommy has specialised for many years in advising lottery winners on how to avoid the legal and taxation pitfalls of significant wins. As such, he has a diverse clientele stretching from Shetland to Stranraer.

External appointments: Tommy is the Secretary to the Board of Governors at The Glasgow Academy.

After hours: He has a passion for all sorts of travel and enjoys curling and golf.

Alison is a paralegal within BTO’s Debt Recovery Team in our Glasgow Office. Alison joined us in March 1999.  She brings with her many years of debt recovery and repossession experience having worked in commercial litigation since 1999. Alison specialises in raising Small Claims, Summary Cause and Ordinary actions in the Sheriff Courts.  She takes pride in delivering a friendly and efficient service to clients and dedication to meet necessary deadlines and good recovery for her clients.  

Partner, David Gibson is a leading commercial lawyer with over 30 years of experience at the highest level. He has an outstanding breadth of experience in commercial real estate, corporate and commercial projects. His expertise extends over an impressive range of industry sectors, including complex project and property work in both the private and public sectors. David’s expertise includes advising large estate landowners, particularly commercial diversification projects. He also advises on all transactional/non-contentious aspects of marine related matters, particularly ports and harbours.

David’s advice is sought not only in handling a wide range of challenging legal issues, but also for commercial and strategic guidance at Board level. He advises several charities and not-for-profit organisations on various aspects of their business, including governance issues.

David’s clients have commented:

• “superb in all respects” (long standing client, major multi-national company)
• “deal doing attitude”, “pro-active and solutions driven advice”, “good commercial, pragmatic advice” (Legal 500)
• “a ‘go to’ man for complex or time critical work ... you are reassured when you know he is on the case” and “nice to deal with ... and really good” (long standing clients)
• "very attentive to our needs and extremely diligent on all matters" (Chambers UK)

One of the most experienced commercial property practitioners in the Scottish market, David gives superb added value to clients and colleagues alike as a provider of sound business, as well as legal, advice.

After Hours

Golf, tinkering with classic cars

Alasdair is a partner & criminal solicitor advocate with over 20 years’ experience in both criminal and civil law.

Alasdair's represents private and corporate clients in a number of high profile criminal cases. He specialises in defending corporate crime allegations such as bribery & corruption (including embezzlement, fraud and procurement) and money laundering allegations.

He has vast experience acting for many private clients and those in the Emergency & Uniform Services facing serious criminal allegations within the High & Sheriff courts in relation to the full spectrum of Common law & Statutory criminal offences (including Road Traffic, Data Protection, Health and Safety, Wildlife crime, Environmental offences, Maritime offences & Corporate Manslaughter).

His civil casework background includes Fatal Accident Inquiries, Public Inquiries, personal injury (including accidents at work and medical negligence claims), regulatory work and contract disputes.

Jeremy provides commercial and corporate advice to banks, major construction companies, property developers, plcs and hotel chains among others.

Jeremy takes a proactive and enthusiastic approach to servicing his clients and on a regular basis he is involved in: acquisition/disposal of licensed property/companies/businesses; partnership agreements (including medical); commercial contracts of all natures; (including commercial agency); property acquisitions and disposals; consortium/joint venture agreements; and commercial finance and securities. Described in the Legal 500 as 'forensic, calm and results-driven', he is experienced in relation to the acquisition and disposal of companies, businesses and assets across the disciplines listed as well as acting for either borrower or lender in relation to financing such transactions.

After Hours

Sailing and travelling.

Lesley is ranked in the Chambers UK legal directory and is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in family law and also as a CALM mediator.

She has specialised in this area for twenty five years and is considered one of the foremost experts in Scotland. Rated highly by peers and clients alike, one source comments: “She has financial knowledge and gravitas. I think she is faultless” (Chambers UK). Lesley has a wide breadth of experience in all aspects of family law and has both a contentious and non-contentious practice.

Lesley is “extremely effective in dealing with clients who struggle to understand the financial side of things. She is very sensitive to clients’ needs” and “she can explain things simply and effectively while also managing their expectation.” (Chambers UK)

Lesley deals principally with the financial issues arising from the formation or breakdown of relationships, including those involving an international dimension. She has particular experience in cases involving the valuation of companies and the interface between partnership law and family law.

Lesley is convenor of the Edinburgh pod of Scottish Collaborative Practice Group “Consensus” and is secretary of FLAGS, the Family Law Arbitration Group Scotland.

BTO has its own dedicated Family Law website. To visit the site, click here: www.btofamilylaw.co.uk

Peter has extensive experience in a wide range of commercial property transactions within a number of sectors, including retail, office and industrial. These include acquisition, development and sale of retail and mixed use developments, as well as investment sales and purchases for private and institutional investors and syndicates, based in the UK and Ireland.

Peter has also acted for a number of private housing developers in their site assembly and development programmes.

Peter has become well known for his work in the retail sector dealing with lettings in many of Scotland’s major shopping centres, retail parks and in high street locations, as well as recent experience of portfolios sales in significant administrations in the retail sector.

Peter has represented household retail and leisure names in their Scottish acquisition programmes and recently acted for Paperchase in the letting of their flagship Scottish store at the Buchanan Quarter in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street.

Peter is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Commercial Leasing.

External Appointments

Member of British Council of Shopping Centres, Member of Glasgow Property Professionals, Member of Commercial Real Estate Lawyers’ Association and Committee Member of Spifox Too charity.

Lesley is a member of the employment team who practices both contentious and non-contentious employment law. She is experienced in advising both employers and employees on a wide range of legal issues, including discrimination, unfair/ constructive dismissal, redundancy, discipline, grievance, performance/ absence management, whistleblowing, flexible working, restrictive covenants and ill health retirement.

Lesley is experienced in drafting and advising clients in relation to settlement agreements, terminations and exits. She regularly provides HR support and drafts bespoke documentation, including contracts and policies for a range of sectors. She has represented clients in Employment Tribunals throughout Scotland and England.

With a background of general corporate law, Lesley is also well placed to provide advice on employment aspects of corporate transactional work.

Lesley is a member of the Law Society of Scotland and is a Notary Public. She is valued for her enthusiasm and her ability to provide practical, sensible commercial advice in an approachable and sensitive manner. 

Lesley is a Senior Associate within the Commercial Property team who joined BTO as a trainee in 2001.

She has expertise in a wide range of areas such as banking and finance, site acquisitions, site disposals and leasing and acts for a number of commercial institutions and limited/private companies.

Lesley specialises in site acquisitions and disposals for house builders and developers which includes negotiation and drafting of option agreements, purchase and sale contracts, dealing with any planning issues and ensuring that the site has all necessary title rights in order to facilitate development.

She has significant experience in acting for Banks in lending transactions and also acting for commercial clients in refinancing deals.

Lesley also acts for landlords and tenants (both commercial clients and housing associations) in relation to commercial leases and all aspects of lease management.

Paul is dual-qualified in Scots and English law and has extensive experience in dealing with a broad range of commercial property matters (sales, purchases, leases and security transactions) both north and south of the border, including in the retail, leisure and office sectors, as well as acting for a number of public sector clients. Additionally, Paul has represented a number of personal pension (SIPP and SSAS) providers over many years in dealing with sales, purchases and leases of commercial properties.