Brian McConnachie QC takes legal aid top spot

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) has released figures on the top 20 legal aid advocates and solicitor advocates.

Brian McConnachie QC jumped five places to take the top spot this year with fees of £303,000, up £65,100 from last year.

Gordon Jackson QC took second place after holding the top spot for two year’s running. This year, his fees were £282,200 – down £16,400 from last year’s figure.

Donald Findlay QC came third, down a place from last year, after bringing in fees of £258,600, £19,300 less than the previous year.

Ian Duguid QC took fourth position this year with fees of £255,100, down £19,800 on last years earnings when he placed fifth.

Anthony Lenehan, meanwhile, jumped nine places – from fourteenth to fifth – and saw a 44 per cent increase in his fees as they went from £167,400 in 2013-14 to £241,900 this year.

Aidan O’Neill QC, a member of Matrix Chambers and Ampersand Stable, saw a 150 per cent increase in fees in 2014-15 over last year, taking him to nineteenth position with fees of £124,600, up from £49,900.

For the solicitor advocates Ian Paterson, of Paterson Bell Solicitors, retained the top spot for the third consecutive year with fees of £267,200 – a small drop on last year’s £279,300.

Gordon Martin, of Martin, Johnston & Socha Ltd Solicitors, made a dramatic jump from eighteenth to second place, with fees of £158,000 – an 80 per cent increase on last year’s £87,800.

Rising six places from ninth to third was Liam O’Donnell of Liam O’Donnell Solicitor Advocacy Ltd whose fees rose nine per cent from £126,200 to £136,900 in 2014-15.

Capital Defence Lawyers’ John Scott QC took fourth place in this year’s table, with fees of £120,500, down from last year’s £227,100.

Fifth place went to Brian Gilfedder of Gilfedder and McInnes Solicitors who saw fees this year of £103,000, down from last year’s £170,600.

Rhonda Anderson rose an impressive 23 places, from thirtieth to seventh, this year after her fees increased by 84 per cent. In 2013-14 she garnered fees of £52,700 while this year the figure was £97,100.