Directors

The Centre’s Directors are:

  • Aileen McKechnie (nominated by Scottish Government)
  • Colin McKay (nominated by Scottish Government)
  • Brandon Malone (nominated by Law Society of Scotland)
  • Neil Stevenson (nominated by Law Society of Scotland)
  • Len Bunton (nominated by Chartered Institute for Arbitrators)
  • Gordon Bathgate (nominated by Chartered Institute for Arbitrators)
  • Graeme Hartley (nominated by Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)
  • Janey Milligan (nominated by Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)
  • Gordon Reid QC (nominated by the Faculty of Advocates)
  • Alan Dewar QC (nominated by the Faculty of Advocates)


Neil Alan Stevenson

Neil is Director of Representation and Professional Support at the Law Society of Scotland, and is responsible for developing the Society as the ‘hub’ of the legal profession; ensuring it learns from its members, campaigns on their behalf, promotes the profession, provides support services to individuals and firms, and creates business opportunities at home and abroad.  Neil is responsible for the Society’s compliance with equality legislation, which has also led to roles on the equality working party of the Judicial Appointments Board and the Justice Disability Steering Group.  Neil is a director of Lawcare, an independent, support service to help lawyers deal with problems ranging from bullying through to health problems such as depression, addiction and emotional difficulties.  He is trustee of the English Speaking Union (Scotland) and is a member of the Scottish Schools International Debating Council.  He currently serves on the Steering Group for the Professional Associations Research Network and was recently appointed by the Privy Council to the General Dental Council.

 

Aileen McKechnie

Aileen has been Head of Innovation, Investment and Industries Division within the Scottish Government’s Business Directorate since 2009.  The role incorporates a variety of policy and operational responsibilities, from early stage investment and innovation; the Scottish Investment Bank; as well as key and growth sectors of the Scottish economy.  Responsibilities also include progressing the Government’s approach to achieving the productivity purpose target; for delivering on the Government’s digital infrastructure aspirations; and for the provision of advice and support to Ministers as required.  Previous roles have included head of the Scottish Government’s Further and Adult Education Division since August 2004; head of Higher Education Strategy and Funding; and head of Local Economic Development.  Prior to joining the Scottish Government, she worked with Scottish Homes for a number of years and with Glasgow City Council before that.  She is a language graduate from Glasgow University, where she also completed an MBA.

 

Len Bunton FRICS FCIArb

Len is past Chairman of the Scottish Branch and is the current Convenor of the Education Committee.  He has specific responsibility for developing and running CIARB courses in Arbitration, Adjudication, Mediation and for Expert Witnesses.  He is member of the LCIA and is on the DIAC Panel of Arbitrators, and is member of the Dispute Board Federation in Geneva.  Len is an experienced practitioner, and is very active as an arbitrator and adjudicator.  He has been appointed as an Expert Witness appearing in front of International Arbitration Tribunals.

 

 

Janey L Milligan LLM FRICS FCIArb MAICA

Since 1997, Janey has been Managing Director of Construction Dispute Resolution.  Initially qualifying as a chartered quantity surveyor and after 15 years in private practice, Janey lectured at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) on professional practice and construction contracts and dispute resolution.  Janey has wide experience in construction contracts specialising in providing contract advice to contractors and consultants in the construction industry, and in dispute resolution in the roles of Adjudicator and Arbitrator.  Janey qualified with a Masters Degree in Construction Law from the University of Strathclyde in 1997.  With her extensive and varied experience she has been appointed to provide Expert Opinion in the areas of quantum in relation to construction contract claims for extension of time and loss and expense; contract administration and professional negligence.  Always actively involved with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Janey is a Past Chairman of RICS Scotland (2007-2008) and is a Non executive member of the RICS UK World Regional Board.

 

Colin McKay

Colin is Deputy Director in the Justice Directorate of the Scottish Government.  His responsibilities include policy on courts, access to justice, alternative dispute resolution, EU justice liaison and the Government’s relationship with the judiciary and the legal profession.  He is programme lead for the Making Justice Work Programme.  He has previously worked in a range of policy areas, including mental health, serious violent and sexual offenders and public sector reform.  Before joining the Civil Service, Colin was a solicitor in private practice and local government, worked in the voluntary sector and served as a Mental Welfare Commissioner.

 

J Gordon Reid QC FCIArb

Gordon graduated from Edinburgh University in 1974, became a solicitor in 1976, advocate in 1980 and Q.C. in 1993.  He is also a member of the English Bar with a door tenancy at Atkin Chambers, Gray’s Inn, London since 1991.  He has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators since 1994.  He has experience in many areas of civil and commercial litigation particularly commercial property disputes including building and engineering disputes, and commercial and agricultural landlord and tenant disputes.  He was a part-time Chairman of the former VAT and Duties Tribunal and a Deputy Special Commissioner between 1997 and 2009.  Since 2009 he has held part-time appointments as a Deputy Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) and as a Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber).  He has been a Temporary Judge of the Court of Session since 2002 and a panel Arbitrator under the Motor Insurers’ Bureau Scheme since 2003.

 

Gordon Bathgate BSc, CEng, CArb, FICE, FCIArb 

Gordon is listed as Arbitrator, Adjudicator, and Mediator by ICE, CIArb, Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs de Conseil (FIDIC, Geneva), Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE, London), and Hong Kong List of Arbitrators.  He was been appointed in international disputes regarding high speed railways and motorways.  He is Chairman of ICE Panel for review of performance of Adjudicators; a former ICE Examiner in Civil Engineering Law and Contract Management; and a member of ICE sub-Committee on Law and Contract Procedures.  He has been a CIArb Scottish Branch Committee member since 198, and is Chairman of CIArb Panel for interviews for admission as Chartered Arbitrator; a former Education Convenor and Director of CIArb training courses for adjudicators and arbitrators; and a Past-Chairman CIArb Scottish Branch.  Gordon was also a Member of the Advisory Panel to Scottish Law Commissioners on reform of Scots Law of Contract.

 

Graeme Hartley

Graeme is Director of RICS Scotland.  He is also a Director of the Scottish Building Contract Committee Ltd and a former Council member of the National Trust for Scotland.  He is a Scottish Board member of the Asset Skills Sector Skills Council and Construction Skills and a Council member of the Scottish National House-Building Council and a Scottish representative on the UK NHBC Council.  He is a member of the Scottish Government’s Home Report Implementation Group charged with advising Minister’s on the impact and continuous improvement of the Home Report for consumer benefit.  Graeme is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

 

Alan Dewar QC

Alan Dewar QC took silk in 2002 having called to the Bar in 1989. Since 2007 he has been the elected Treasurer of the Faculty of Advocates. He is a member of the Ampersand Stable. He works mainly in the fields of commercial and public law. He has extensive court experience at all levels and recently represented the Scottish Ministers in a major constitutional law judicial review in the UK Supreme Court. Formerly he was a partner in an Edinburgh law firm and became a Writer to the Signet in 1986. Following his admission to the Bar he was appointed Junior Counsel to the Orkney Inquiry. Between 1992 and 2002 he was Standing Junior Counsel to a number of government departments including the Scotland Office. He was an Advocate Depute between 1996 and 1999. He appears regularly in inquiries and mediations, as well as commercial and procurement disputes.