Saltire’s Keith Adams was recently appointed to represent the Co. on the newly-inaugurated Dispute Board Middle East & N Africa as a professional practitioner.

More information on DB MENA can be found here

Saltire recently became a Corporate Member of the Scottish Arbitration Centre. Based in Edinburgh, the SAC promotes arbitration to the Scottish business community as an effective alternative to litigation, and Scotland to the world as a place to conduct international arbitration. The Centre is a non-profit company limited by guarantee, made up of the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and the Scottish Ministers. With its distinguished legal tradition, innovative legislation and the SAC, Scotland is well placed to compete as an attractive and cost-effective venue for arbitration on the global stage.

More information on the Scottish Arbitration Centre can be found here

The development of the shale gas industry in the UK has been a subject of discourse mainly due to the controversies associated with shale gas activities (horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”).

There are a wide range of challenges to the development of shale gas in the UK including geological and economic considerations derived from the UK’s complex geology which may incur additional costs to develop the infrastructure required to bring the shale gas to markets and public concerns and political opposition mainly for environmental reasons and the potential dangers and disruption caused by shale gas activities. EU and UK legislation and monitoring also have the potential to delay the realisation of the UK’s shale gas plans.

Saltire’s report which investigates the benefits that shale gas development could bring to the UK’s economy drawing on the U.S paradigm and the challenges that are likely to obstruct the advancement of shale gas can be seen here: The Development of the shale gas industry in the UK

Following a similar appointment in January 2013, a major Oil & Gas Operator has expressed its confidence in Saltire by appointing it to provide Dispute Avoidance and Resolution advice in respect of a multi-Million $ modification of an existing Floating Production facility.

A unified patent court agreement, signed on 19 February 2013, would enable businesses to protect their monopoly over their inventions across multiple EU member states by making a single application filing for a unitary patent at the European Patent Office.

Shell Oil and its affiliate partnerships committed to take steps to resolve air pollution charges stemming from its Deer Park plant flaring and other activities. The company also committed to utilise its resources in order to recover and recycle waste gases, limit how much waste gas can be flared, and install and operate instruments and monitoring systems.