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Ailsa Ritchie

Partner

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
1 West Regent Street
Glasgow
G2 1AP
United Kingdom
Languages English
Infrastructure & Projects

Ailsa Ritchie is a partner with over 20 years’ experience advising on high value, large scale complex public procurement and joint ventures, infrastructure projects structured to extract added value through partnership and joint working.

She advises public sector bodies, investors and funders on PPP/PFI, revenue financed projects and strategic partnerships in the education, health, housing and regeneration waste and defence sectors.

She is praised for finding solutions that work for both sides.

Prior to joining private practice, Ailsa worked as an in-house lawyer in the energy industry.

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"...her steely intellectual rigour gets things done for her clients"

Chambers, UK

"Ailsa is highlighted for her "solution focused" approach and strong ability "to understand clients' requirements"."

Chambers, UK

"commercial and assertive without being aggressive – she’s good at finding ways though things"

Chambers, UK

Relevant experience

  • Glasgow City Council on its regeneration of Sighthill, Glasgow. The project involves remediation of contaminated land, the provision of new infrastructure, retail/commercial space and 600 homes for private sale.
  • FCC on its Energy from Waste project at Millerhill, Edinburgh.
  • Dumfries and Galloway Council on the negotiated termination of its waste PFI contract.
  • Laing O’Rourke/Aberdeen Asset management consortium on the design, construction, financing and maintenance of Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, funded by EIB and Aviva and procured through the NPD model.
  • Multiple hub projects – DBFM and DBDA projects for the provision of new educational and health facilities across Scotland, including new schools in Shetland, Oban, Campbeltown, Elgin, Dalbeattie and Dunoon and new wards at Stobhill and health centres at Greenock.
  • Scottish Futures Trust on the development of its pathfinder National Housing Trust – a Scottish Government initiative which leverages in private sector funding and council borrowing to deliver over 1000 new affordable homes.
  • Investors, Funders and local authorities on various types of waste projects including the design, build and financing of new waste facilities, landfill diversion and recyclate contracts and offtakes.
  • Babcock in relation to the outsourcing of certain services by MoD at HM Naval Base Clyde.
  • Sponsors, Funders and procuring authorities on PFI/PPP contracts in the education, streetlighting, health, defence and waste sectors.
  • Sponsors, public sector bodies and contractors on projects in the construction and operational phase including variations, refinancings and disputes.
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Education

  • 1993 - Dip LP, University of Dundee, Dundee
  • 1992 - LLB (Hons) , University of Dundee, Dundee
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Public Procurement

Ailsa Ritchie is a partner with over 20 years’ experience advising on high value, large scale complex public procurement and joint ventures, infrastructure projects structured to extract added value through partnership and joint working.

She advises public sector bodies, investors and funders on PPP/PFI, revenue financed projects and strategic partnerships in the education, health, housing and regeneration waste and defence sectors.

She is praised for finding solutions that work for both sides.

Prior to joining private practice, Ailsa worked as an in-house lawyer in the energy industry.

more less

"...her steely intellectual rigour gets things done for her clients"

Chambers, UK

"Ailsa is highlighted for her "solution focused" approach and strong ability "to understand clients' requirements"."

Chambers, UK

"commercial and assertive without being aggressive – she’s good at finding ways though things"

Chambers, UK

Relevant experience

  • Glasgow City Council on its regeneration of Sighthill, Glasgow. The project involves remediation of contaminated land, the provision of new infrastructure, retail/commercial space and 600 homes for private sale.
  • FCC on its Energy from Waste project at Millerhill, Edinburgh.
  • Dumfries and Galloway Council on the negotiated termination of its waste PFI contract.
  • Laing O’Rourke/Aberdeen Asset management consortium on the design, construction, financing and maintenance of Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, funded by EIB and Aviva and procured through the NPD model.
  • Multiple hub projects – DBFM and DBDA projects for the provision of new educational and health facilities across Scotland, including new schools in Shetland, Oban, Campbeltown, Elgin, Dalbeattie and Dunoon and new wards at Stobhill and health centres at Greenock.
  • Scottish Futures Trust on the development of its pathfinder National Housing Trust – a Scottish Government initiative which leverages in private sector funding and council borrowing to deliver over 1000 new affordable homes.
  • Investors, Funders and local authorities on various types of waste projects including the design, build and financing of new waste facilities, landfill diversion and recyclate contracts and offtakes.
  • Babcock in relation to the outsourcing of certain services by MoD at HM Naval Base Clyde.
  • Sponsors, Funders and procuring authorities on PFI/PPP contracts in the education, streetlighting, health, defence and waste sectors.
  • Sponsors, public sector bodies and contractors on projects in the construction and operational phase including variations, refinancings and disputes.
more less

Education

  • 1993 - Dip LP, University of Dundee, Dundee
  • 1992 - LLB (Hons) , University of Dundee, Dundee
more less

Feed

29/01/2024
Carbon Assessments and Infrastructure – Implications for Government planning...
On 4 February 2021, the Scottish Government (“SG”) published its Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26 (“IIP”).  In September 2023, the SG admitted that it was in breach...
13/09/2023
The Scottish Human Rights Bill consultation: an ambitious proposal to widen...
The Scottish Government is consulting on the introduction of a Human Rights Bill, which if passed into legislation, would result in significant additional human rights standards being incorporated into...
06/07/2023
Significant reform of the UK ETS announced
On 3 July 2023, the UK ETS Authority comprising the UK government and the devolved administrations (together, the “Au­thor­ity”)  published its response to a 2022 consultation on developing the UK...
13/06/2023
Carbon Offsetting Schemes – a risky business?
Carbon off-setting schemes involve the generation of pending issuance units (PIUs) which are essentially a promise of a carbon credit in the future, sold as a climate benefit. PIUs can be purchased from...
19/01/2023
The Scottish Government Draft Long-Term Plan for Vessels and Ports - Consultation
The Scottish Government has published a draft Long-Term plan for vessels and ports on the Clyde & Hebrides (CHFS) and Northern Isles (NIFS) networks (2023 – 2045). This is the first element of its...
22/12/2022
The Scottish Government Strategic Transport Projects Review 2
The Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) is now available. Its stated aim is to “help deliver the vision, priorities and outcomes that are set out in the second National Transport Strategy”...
21/12/2022
The Scottish Government Hydrogen Action Plan
Hydrogen Action Plan The plan (published on 12 December 2022) was created in light of the Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland to become a leading hydrogen nation. Recognising the opportunity open...
15/11/2022
Twenty's Plenty: Freedom of Information reform, twenty years on?
Twenty years since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 was introduced, a consultation based on a proposed Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill has been launched (closing on 02 February...
07/09/2022
The Scottish Government Guide to Property Asset Strategy in the Scottish...
The Scottish public sector owns a significant amount of property and infrastructure. The focus of the guidance recently published by the Scottish Government (the Guidance) is on introducing the concept...
27/06/2022
Work in progress: Scottish Government publishes updates on their In­fra­struc­ture...
The Scottish Government has published three updates on its Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP). The IIP was published in February 2021, discussed in our previous article, and confirmed a five-year plan...
21/06/2022
Guidance on pathways to net zero for assets delivered under PPP contracts:...
Much has been written about handback of PPP assets as some of the long term PPP contracts approach expiry. Scottish Futures Trust’s (“SFT”) latest guidance has a different slant. As handback approaches...
09/11/2021
The importance of social value
Rooted in the UN Sustainable Development goals, there is growing emphasis on social value in the production of goods, services and infrastructure. Social value is about ensuring there is collective benefit from the award of a contract that is way beyond just the price - the production of goods and services should tangibly contribute to the wellbeing, resilience and sustainability of society and the environment. In this short video, Ailsa Ritchie and Eleanor Lane discuss how the legislative background is driving the inclusion of social value and steps that businesses are taking to incorporate it in to their working practices.