Brodies LLP

Brodies LLP is Scotland's largest law firm. It also provides lobbying services to clients, and claims to be the only Scottish law firm with a Brussels office, to represent clients in Europe.

Lobbying services

Brodies describes the work of its parliamentary & public affairs team as follows: 'supporting clients in promoting and in challenging legislation in the Scottish parliament'. It also helps its public and private sector clients by: 'drafting Bills which have now been introduced in the Scottish Parliament, drafting amendments to proposed legislation, advising on the Westminster Government’s proposals for legislation in the UK Parliament and litigating where that is the only way to protect our clients’ interests.'

In addition, according to Brodies' 2014 annual review: '2014 was always going to be an extremely busy year for brodies’ parliamentary & public affairs team. As expected, the Scottish independence referendum took centre stage in most of our interactions with clients, with large numbers attending briefing seminars across the country and our online ‘constitutional future’ hub and blog attracting record numbers of visitors.'

Lobbying against minimum pricing of alcohol

Since 2012, Brodies LLP has represented the Scotch Whisky Association and European wine and spirits producers in their court challenge to the Scottish Parliament’s legislation imposing a minimum unit price on alcohol.

'On behalf of its members, SWA sought advice from Brodies on the lawfulness of the Scottish Parliament’s legislation to impose a minimum price on the sale of alcohol. As a result, we were instructed to raise a judicial review in the Court of Session on behalf of SWA, the European Spirits Organisation and the Comité Européen des Enterprises Vins, the representative body for the EU wine industry. One of the main legal grounds of challenge is that imposing a minimum price is contrary to EU law because of its adverse impact on trade and free movement of goods. Christine O’Neill and Charles Livingstone at Brodies have worked in partnership with SWA’s in-house legal team and with colleagues at Bird & Bird, who have taken the lead on SWA’s complaint to the European Commission, lodged at the same time as the legal challenge was raised in Scotland.'

Brodies' 2014 annual review confirm that the firm has continued to 'support the european drinks industry in persuading the Court of Session in edinburgh to ask the Court of justice of the european union in luxembourg whether the Scottish parliament’s law on minimum pricing of alcohol is a breach of eu law.'

Clients

It is not known who Brodies lobbies for. However, they include, or have included: Aviva, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Law Society of Scotland.

People

• Christine O’Neill, Chair of Brodies LLP; leads the team acting for the Scotch Whisky Association and European drinks producers in their challenge to the Scottish Parliament's legislation on minimum pricing of alcohol.

Contacts

Website: http://www.brodies.com

Address:

15 Atholl Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 8HA

50 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9BD