MA (Hons), LLB, DipLP, PhD, NP, Solicitor (Non-Practising), WS, FHEA
Senior Lecturer
- About
-
- Email Address
- alisdair.macpherson@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 272426
- Office Address
- School/Department
- School of Law
Biography
Alisdair joined the School of Law as a lecturer in June 2018, having previously been a teaching fellow at the University of Edinburgh. He carried out postgraduate research at the University of Edinburgh on floating charges and was awarded a PhD in 2018 for his thesis "The Attachment of the Floating Charge in Scots Law". This research has been published as a monograph, The Floating Charge, in the Studies in Scots Law series. Alisdair has continued to research in this area, and in related fields, and is a co-editor of Floating Charges in Scotland: New Perspectives and Current Issues, first published in hardback in 2022, and in paperback in 2024. He is also a co-author of Commercial Law in Scotland and Scottish Commercial Law Essentials and the editor of Avizandum Statutes in Scots Commercial and Consumer Law.
During his doctoral studies, Alisdair spent a year at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg. Prior to commencing his PhD research, he qualified as a solicitor and notary public in Scotland. In addition, he holds an MA (Hons) in history, LLB and Diploma in Legal Practice, all from the University of Edinburgh.
Alisdair was formerly a member of the Scottish Law Commission's Moveable Transactions Advisory Group. He was also on the Law Society of Scotland's Board of Examiners as examiner for Scots Commercial Law. Alisdair is currently on the Council of the WS Society and is a member of the European Law Institute.
Alisdair is co-director of the Centre for Scots Law and a member of the Centre for Commercial Law and the Centre for Energy Law at the University of Aberdeen. He regularly responds to consultations and calls for evidence. Alisdair also provides opinions, consultancy services and CPD in relation to his areas of research, especially insolvency law, debt enforcement and secured transactions.
In summer 2022 he was a visiting academic at the University of Oxford's Institute of European and Comparative Law.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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Personal Tutor
Co-Director of the Centre for Scots Law
Corporate Finance and Law LLM Coordinator
Employability, Entrepreneurship and Co-Curricular Committee Convenor
Enterprise and Innovation Lead (2023-2024)
Strategic Activity Lead for Public Policy Engagement (Centre for Scots Law) (2020-2023)
Library Committee Convenor (2021-2023)
Qatar LLM Programme Coordinator (2022)
Commercial Law Theme Coordinator (2022)
Honorary Secretary of the Aberdeen Student Law Review (2020-2022)
Athena SWAN SAT Member (2019-2022)
Employer Liaison Committee (2018-2020)
Deputy LLM Admissions Selector (2018-2020)
LLM International Commercial Law Co-ordinator (2019)
LLM Business Law and Sustainable Development Co-ordinator (2019)
Study Abroad Co-ordinator (2019-2020)
Digital Learning Representative (2019-2020)
- External Memberships
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External Examiner, University of Glasgow
Member of R3 (Association of Business Recovery Professionals) Scottish Technical Committee
Book Review Editor for Edinburgh Law Review (2019-2024)
Member of the Scottish Law Commission's Moveable Transactions Advisory Group (2016-2018)
Scots Commercial Law Examiner, Law Society of Scotland (2019-2023)
Member of the Banking, Company and Insolvency Law Sub-Committee, Law Society of Scotland
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Member of European Law Institute
Member of Ius Commune Research School
Member of the Stair Society
Associate Member of Society of Advocates in Aberdeen
Council Member of WS Society
Member of INSOL International
Latest Publications
Small and State Funded: An Empirical Study of Liquidations in Scotland (Blog Article)
Singapore Global Restructuring Initiative.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsCommercial Law in Scotland
W Green/Thomson ReutersBooks and Reports: BooksReflections on the Future of Moveable Security in Scotland: Property and Ranking Challenges
Juridical ReviewContributions to Journals: ArticlesA Comparative Overview of Floating Charges and Functional Equivalents
Floating Charges in Comparative Perspective. Edward Elgar PublishingChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersFloating Charges in Comparative Perspective
Edward Elgar Publishing. 464 pagesBooks and Reports: Books
Prizes and Awards
University of Aberdeen - Principal's Early Career Outstanding Researcher Award (Arts, Humanities and Social Science) (2022)
- Research
-
Research Overview
Secured transactions, insolvency law, commercial law, company law, property law, law of trusts, comparative law, modern legal history.
Alisdair would be interested in supervising research students working in any of these areas. He is currently supervising PhD research on the following topics:
- Financial security instruments for decommissioning liabilities
- The protection of shareholders in company law
- Employee participation in corporate governance
- Electronic letters of credit
He has also previously supervised research on the law of securitisations and ex-ante protections for minority shareholders.
If you are interested in undertaking a postgraduate research degree, further information is available here.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Law.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Business Law
- Law
- Scots Law
- Private Law
- Property Law
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Floating Charges in Scotland: New Perspectives and Current Issues
Alisdair is a co-editor of, and contributor to, Floating Charges in Scotland: New Perspectives and Current Issues. The book is an edited collection published by Edinburgh University Press in 2022. It contains chapters by leading experts, who examine various aspects of floating charges from a number of different perspectives. The chapters are grouped into three parts: The History of Floating Charges; Theoretical, Comparative and Policy Perspectives; and Practice, Doctrine and the Future.
Knowledge Exchange
Selected Papers and Presentations
"The English Floating Charge: The Archetypal Floating Security", Nordic Secured Transactions Law Symposium, University of Oslo (17 October 2024)
"Debt Enforcement and Cryptoassets in Scots Law", Beyond the Basics: Academic Updates - Scots Civil and Commercial Law, SULI/SYLA, Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow (10 October 2024)
"Security Rights, Debt Enforcement and Cryptoassets", Digital Assets in Scots Private Law: Innovating for the Future - Workshop 2, Law Society of Scotland (29 May 2024)
"The Concept of Commercial Law in Scotland" (with J Hardman (Edinburgh)), Development of Commercial Law in Scotland Conference, University of Strathclyde (26 January 2024)
"The Reform of Secured Transactions: Trends and Reflections", AFG College, University of Aberdeen (Doha) (20 November 2023)
"Reflections on the Future of Moveable Security in Scotland", Moveable Transactions Reform Conference, University of Edinburgh (21 April 2023)
"Floating Charges in Comparative Perspective", Institute of European and Comparative Law Seminar, University of Oxford (28 June 2022)
"Recent Developments in Corporate Insolvency Law: CIGA 2020 and Beyond", Insolvency Law Conference, Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow (30 March 2022)
"The 'Pre-History' of Floating Charges in Scots Law", Scottish Property Law Discussion Group (28 October 2020)
"Consumer Sales Contracts: Transfer of Ownership", Scottish Law Commission Workshop on Consumer Contracts in Scotland: Reforming the Law of Transfer of Ownership (8 October 2020)
"The 'Pre-History' of Floating Charges in Scots Law", Scottish Legal History Group Conference (3 October 2020)
"Floating Charges in Comparative Perspective", Young Property Lawyers’ Forum Experts' Meeting, University of Glasgow (5 June 2019)
"The Reform of Security over Moveable Property in Scots Law", Young Property Lawyers’ Forum, University of Maastricht (28 May 2018)
"A Real Right Sui Generis? The Floating Charge in Scots Law", Young Property Lawyers' Forum, Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht, Hamburg (23 September 2016)
"Floating Charges and Trust Property in Scots Law", Scots Law Discussion Group, University of Edinburgh (24 June 2016)
"The Floating Charge in Scots Law and its Attachment to Property", Modern Studies in Property Law Postgraduate Conference, Queen’s University, Belfast (7 April 2016)
"A Tale of Two Mixed Systems: Assignation/Cession in Security in Scotland and South Africa", Young Property Lawyers’ Forum, University of Groningen (23 November 2015)
"The Floating Charge Attachment and Ranking Paradox in Scots Law", Aktuelle Stunde, Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht, Hamburg (21 October 2014)
Selected Blog Posts
Datasets
J Hardman and A D J MacPherson, "Scottish Companies Who Have Filed Certain Insolvency Forms between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020" (2021) DOI: https://doi.org/10.7488/ds/3040
Datasets
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Scottish Companies Who Have Filed Certain Insolvency Forms between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020
This workbook contains a list of all of the Scottish companies who had filed certain insolvency related forms (WU15(Scot) or LIQ14(Scot)) between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020.- DOI
- 10.7488/ds/3040
- Publisher
- University of Edinburgh
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
LS2525 – Commercial Organisations and Insolvency (Course Co-ordinator)
LS4067/LX4067 – Corporate Finance Law (Honours) (Joint Course Co-ordinator)
LS4573/LX4573 – Corporate Insolvency Law (Honours) (Course Co-ordinator)
LS501G – Comparative and International Perspectives on Company Law (LLM)
LS501R – Advanced Research Skills for Postgraduate Researchers
LS504H – Corporate Finance Law
LS553L – Debt Finance Law (2021-2023)
LS553M – Equity Finance Law (2021-2023)
QL5007 – Comparative and International Perspectives on Company Law (LLM – Qatar) (Course Co-ordinator)
LS503N – Introduction to Corporate Finance Law (2020-2021)
LS2031 – Property Law (2019-2020)
LS2533 – Business Law (2018-2020)
LS3030 – Law of Equity and Trusts of England and Wales (2018-2023)
LS503D – Financing of International Sales - Distance Learning (2019-2020)
- Publications
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Page 1 of 3 Results 1 to 50 of 129
Small and State Funded: An Empirical Study of Liquidations in Scotland (Blog Article)
Singapore Global Restructuring Initiative.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsCommercial Law in Scotland
W Green/Thomson ReutersBooks and Reports: BooksReflections on the Future of Moveable Security in Scotland: Property and Ranking Challenges
Juridical ReviewContributions to Journals: ArticlesA Comparative Overview of Floating Charges and Functional Equivalents
Floating Charges in Comparative Perspective. Edward Elgar PublishingChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersFloating Charges in Comparative Perspective
Edward Elgar Publishing. 464 pagesBooks and Reports: BooksIntroduction: Floating Charges in Comparative Perspective
Floating Charges in Comparative Perspective. Edward Elgar PublishingChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersMapping the Legal Landscape for Cryptoassets in Scotland
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Blog article).Other Contributions: Other ContributionsConsultation on Aspects of Leases - Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act 1949: Response by the Centre for Scots Law at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsMapping the Legal Landscape for Cryptoassets in Scotland: Report on Workshop 2
University of Aberdeen: School of LawBooks and Reports: Commissioned ReportsConsultation on Tenement Law: Compulsory Owners' Associations: Response by the Centre for Scots Law at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to Stage 3 Review of Scotland’s Statutory Debt Solutions
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (pdf). 24 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsAvizandum Statutes on Scots Commercial and Consumer Law: 2024-2025
Edinburgh University Press. 660 pagesBooks and Reports: BooksImplications of electronic trade documents law reform for Scotland
Non-textual Forms: Web Publications and WebsitesImplications of Electronic Trade Documents Law Reform for Scotland: Report on Workshop 1
University of Aberdeen: School of Law. 6 pagesBooks and Reports: Commissioned ReportsDigital Assets as Personal Property - Law Commission of England and Wales Short Consultation on Draft Clauses: Response by the Centre for Commercial Law and the Centre for Scots Law at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsThe Arrestment of Benefits: McKenzie v City of Edinburgh Council
Juridical Review, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 16-26Contributions to Journals: ArticlesResponse to Scottish Parliament (Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee) Call for Views on Judicial Factors (Scotland) Bill
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsIntroduction to the Scottish Legislation (Corporate Insolvency)
Sealy & Milman: Annotated Guide to the Insolvency Legislation 2024. Milman, D., Bailey, P. (eds.). 27 edition. Sweet and MaxwellChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersSubmission to Economy and Fair Work Committee (Scottish Parliament): Comments on Proposed Amendments to Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill
Other Contributions: Other ContributionsMental Health Moratorium - Consultation Response
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Online).Other Contributions: Other ContributionsInsolvency Law Through the Lens of Property Law and Theory
Re-examining Insolvency Law and Theory: Perspectives for the 21st Century. Ghio, E., Wood, J., Gant, J. (eds.). Edward Elgar PublishingChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersInsolvency law through the lens of property law theories
Re-examining Insolvency Law and Theory. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 244-261, 18 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803928760.00022
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Small and State Funded: An Empirical Study of Liquidations in Scotland
International Insolvency Review, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 420-446Contributions to Journals: ArticlesSmall and State Funded: An Empirical Study of Liquidations in Scotland - Inside Story Article
INSOL Europe - Inside Story, vol. 2024Contributions to Specialist Publications: ArticlesResponse to Scottish Government Consultation on Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023 - Claim and Property Categories
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to Scottish Government Consultation on Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023 - Insolvency
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (of the LawtechUK Delivery Panel) Consultation on Digital Assets and English Insolvency Law
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to Scottish Government Consultation on Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill – Removal of Unlawful Killers as Executors
University of Aberdeen: School of Law. 3 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to Scottish Law Commission Discussion Paper on Heritable Securities: Non-Monetary Securities and Sub-Securities
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (PDF). 13 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsUnited Kingdom (UK) Report on Cryptocurrencies: With a Focus on the Law of England and Wales and the Law of Scotland
Working Papers: Preprint Papers- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4543838
Avizandum Statutes on Scots Commercial and Consumer Law: 2023-2024
Edinburgh University Press. 664 pagesBooks and Reports: BooksUnited Kingdom (UK) Report for Questionnaire in View of the General Report on Cryptocurrencies: The Impossible Domestic Law Regime?
Commissioned by International Academy of Comparative Law. 116 pagesBooks and Reports: Commissioned ReportsResponse to Scottish Parliament (Economy and Fair Work Committee) Call for Views on Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Document). 6 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to Bank of England and HM Treasury Consultation on the Digital Pound: A New Form of Money for Households and Businesses?
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (pdf). 4 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsIntroduction to the Scottish Legislation (Corporate Insolvency)
Sealy & Milman: Annotated Guide to the Insolvency Legislation 2023. Milman, D., Bailey, P. (eds.). 26 edition. Sweet and MaxwellChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersCommercial Law Essentials
Edinburgh University Press. 224 pagesBooks and Reports: BooksResponse to UK Government Consultation and Call for Evidence on the Future Financial Services Regulatory Regime for Cryptoassets
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Document). 7 pages.Other Contributions: Other Contributions- [ONLINE] https://www.abdn.ac.uk/law/documents/CCL%20Response%20-%20Future%20Financial%20Services%20Regulatory%20Regime%20for%20Cryptoassets%20Consultation%20and%20Call%20for%20Evidence.pdf
- [ONLINE] https://www.abdn.ac.uk/law/research/centre-for-commercial-law/public-policy-stakeholder-engagement-1109.php
Response to Scottish Parliament (Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee) Consultation on Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Document). 4 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to UNIDROIT Digital Assets and Private Law Consultation
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Document). 12 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsScottish Statutory Debt Solutions and Diligence: A Response in a Time of Crisis
Edinburgh Law Review, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 64-76Contributions to Journals: ArticlesResponse to UK Parliament Special Public Bill Committee's Inquiry on Electronic Trade Documents Bill [HL]
UK Parliament. 5 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsUNITED KINGDOM (UK) REPORT with a focus on the law of England and Wales and the law of Scotland
Cryptocurrencies: The Impossible Domestic Law Regime?. Lehmann, M., Morishita, T. (eds.). IntersentiaChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: ChaptersResponse to Law Commission of England and Wales Consultation on Digital Assets
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (document).Other Contributions: Other ContributionsFloating Charges
Edward Elgar Research Handbook on EU Property Law. van Erp, S., Zimmerman, K. (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 60-69Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] Book at publisher's site
Accretion of Title in Scots Law: Property Law Doing what the Granter is Obliged to Do
Iurium Itinera: Historische Rechtsvergleichung und vergleichende Rechtsgeschichte – Historical Comparative Law and Comparative Legal History. Reinhard Zimmermann zum 70. Geburtstag am 10. Oktober 2022. Jansen, N., Meier, S. (eds.). Mohr Siebeck, pp. 821-845, 24 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1628/978-3-16-161487-3
Response to The Insolvency Service Consultation on the Implementation of two UNCITRAL Model Laws on Insolvency
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Document). 3 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to Scottish Parliament (Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee) Consultation on Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Bill
University of Aberdeen: School of Law (Document). 5 pages.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsResponse to UK Parliament Call for Evidence on the Crypto-Asset Industry
University of Aberdeen: School of Law.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsAvizandum Statutes on Scots Commercial and Consumer Law: 2022-2023
Edinburgh University Press. 624 pagesBooks and Reports: BooksDigital Assets Law Reform in England and Wales and Prospects for Scotland
Non-textual Forms: Web Publications and Websites