Douglas Mill, LLB., BA., MBA., D.Univ. – spent 18 years in private practice and over 11 years as Secretary and Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland. Before taking up the post in 1997 he was the Deputy Director for the Centre for Professional Legal Studies at Strathclyde University and the leader of the Law Society Practice Advisory Service. Currently Douglas is a Director at the University of Glasgow School of Law.

Specialises in employment law; has appeared in the European Court of Justice, House of Lords, Court of Appeal in England, Inner and Outer Houses of the Court of Session, Employment Appeal Tribunal in Scotland and England, the Central Arbitration Committee and Employment Tribunals throughout Scotland, England and Northern Ireland; appeared in the Piper Alpha Inquiry, the Ocean Odyssey Inquiry, the Orkney Inquiry and the Scotland/Northern Ireland Electricity Interconnector Inquiry.

Also practises as a barrister in England from Old Square Chambers and is a part-time Employment Tribunal Judge in Newcastle.

Contributor to the ‘Encyclopaedia of Employment Law’; contributor to the employment section of the ‘Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia’.

Chairman, Employment Law Group of the Law Society of Scotland, 1981 to date

Chambers UK 2012 describes him as one of the “foremost employment lawyers at the Bar in Scotland” and “allies a thorough knowledge of employment law with genuine tactical nous

 

Educated at Perth Academy and Edinburgh University, Jock is a former Merchant Seaman, Police Officer and Senior Depute Procurator Fiscal.  Jock called at the Bar in 1983 and took Silk in 2000. He is one of the most experienced and highly regarded Senior Counsel at the Scottish Criminal Bar. His many years as a successful court practitioner for the defence and as an Advocate Depute (Jock worked as an ad hoc Advocate Depute under 3 successive Lord Advocates and was appointed as a full time Advocate Depute by the former Lord Advocate now Dame Elish Angiolini) have given him a wealth of experience and insight.
He has recently resigned from Crown Office and returned to full time practice as defence counsel.

In his earlier years Jock was a keen rock-climber, skier, sailor and windsurfer. He was a folk-singer and guitarist and co-founder of Perth Folk Club; Director on the Board of the award winning company, Opera on a Shoestring and briefly served on the Editorial Board of The Firm magazine.
 

Born in Shropshire and graduate of the University of Wales, career in Scotland began at the Edinburgh Evening News 22 years ago and prior to joining The Herald worked at the Daily Record, The Scotsman and Business AM.
Involved in the inception and creation of the initial heraldscotland.com site and was Herald & Times editorial representative on the Scottish News Consortium bid (with Johnston Press, DC Thomson and TV production company Tinopolis) to produce news for a third television channel in Scotland.
Outside the newsroom acts as an ambassador for The Herald and often called upon to speak at and host public events, such as The Herald Student Press Awards. Created, and chair judging of, The Herald Society Awards, which are now in their sixth year. Also a committee member of the Journalists’ Charity in Scotland.

Married with two young daughters and lives in central Edinburgh.
 

Robert Pirrie is Chief Executive of the WS Society, one of Scotland’s most respected legal bodies.  He is a former corporate law partner of both Dundas & Wilson and Maclay Murray & Spens. 

Admitted as a solicitor in 1981, Robert started his career in commercial property before switching to corporate law where he specialised in private equity, working in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London. 

After taking a first-class Honours degree at Glasgow University, graduated in 1991 and worked in private practice as a commercial litigator before joining the BBC in December 1997 from Maclay Murray & Spens (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and London). In 2001, graduated with a Diploma in Business Administration from the Bradford School of Management. She was formerly a Council Member of the Law Society of Scotland, and currently serves on the In-House Lawyers’ Committee. Served on the SAREC Committee. Taught on the Media Law Honours course at Glasgow University. She is the author of “Contempt of Court in Scotland” and of “Scots Law for Journalists” (8th edition); and co-author of Law and the Media (4th edition, Focal Press) and The Yearbook of Copyright and Media Law 2001/2002 (Oxford University Press).

 

Publisher - The Firm

More information to follow.