In this episode of Podcasts by Brodies, we explore the offshore energy industry’s response to the new weight‑based safety requirements coming into force on 1 November 2026. 

Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has set a maximum clothed weight of 124.7kg (19.5 st) for workers being transported offshore, ensuring they can be safely winched in an emergency. With more than 2,200 workers currently above the new limit, the policy has raised significant operational, legal and workforce questions across the sector.

We’re joined by Graham Skinner, OEUK and Will Rollinson (employment law) and Malcolm Gunnyeon (health and safety law) of Brodies LLP to unpack what this policy means in practice, including:

• Key actions OEUK recommends during the transition phase (February–October 2026) and what companies should prioritise ahead of go‑live.
• Industry reaction so far and the practical challenges operators and contractors are facing.
• Health and safety law implications, both direct and indirect, arising from the introduction of a mandated weight limit.
• Recruitment considerations: can weight legitimately be used as an eligibility criterion for new offshore workers?
• Employment law risks for workers who cannot or choose not to meet the new threshold.
• Whether the policy amounts to unfair discrimination, including for workers who exceed the limit due to high levels of physical fitness.

This episode offers essential insight for HR teams, HSE professionals, offshore operators and anyone affected by—or responsible for implementing—the new OEUK weight policy.

This episode was recorded in January 2026, all information was correct at the time of recording. This podcast does not constitute legal advice.

In our series Life at Brodies, we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at Scotland's largest legal firm.

In this episode, partner Nadine Walton gives us an insight of what it’s like to be an English-qualified lawyer working in a Scottish-headquartered firm. We’re also joined by practice development lawyer Paul Iannetta, who shares his unique perspective as a dual-qualified lawyer. Paul dives deeper into our English training contracts – what they involve, and what future candidates can expect from the experience.

For anyone looking for more information on Brodies’ English training contracts, you can visit brodies.com/englishtrainingcontracts.

In our series 'Life at Brodies', we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at a leading UK law firm.

In this episode, legal director Rory Forbes and solicitor Nina Munro discuss their career paths into the real estate team at Brodies, address some misconceptions around what being a real estate lawyer actually involves, and explain how the energy transition is creating new and exciting work for the real estate market. 

Wherever you are in your career find out more about making that next step in your journey at Brodies by visiting Brodies.com/careers.

In our series 'Life at Brodies', we're getting to know Brodies colleagues as they share their personal experiences and perspectives about working at Scotland's largest legal firm.

Do you want to know what it's like to work in one of the busiest private client teams in Scotland? 

In this episode, Iona Clark and Nikki Neal talk about their experience working in the personal law team at Brodies; each sharing their own journey to becoming private client lawyers. 

Iona shares her insight into having a private client focused traineeship and Nikki discusses the variety of exciting and complex work which makes each day different.

Wherever you are in your career find out more about making that next step in your journey at Brodies by visiting Brodies.com/careers.

In this episode of Podcasts by Brodies, legal experts Emily Pike and Stewart Gibson discuss the subject of inheritance and succession planning, unpacking the findings of an exclusive YouGov survey commissioned by Brodies.

 The survey showed that only 25% of respondents have a full estate plan in place— and highlighted a significant gap between awareness of the subject of succession planning and action. Emily and Stewart explore common misunderstandings around inheritance tax, gifting, and intestacy, as well as the emotional barriers preventing families from discussing wealth transfer.

 With major inheritance tax reforms set to take effect in April 2026, including new caps on relief for business and agricultural assets, the urgency for proactive estate planning has arguably never been greater. Through real-life examples, Emily and Stewart illustrate the risks of avoiding the conversation and the immense value of early planning, as well as: 

• key takeaways from Brodies’ latest YouGov survey;  
• why 58% of individuals haven't spoken to their families about inheritance;  
• common misconceptions about tax, gifting, and intestacy;  
• how proactive planning protects both assets and family relationships;  
• how upcoming inheritance tax changes will impact estate planning; and
• essential steps to start meaningful wealth transfer discussions.  

Access the full survey report via brodies.com/wealthtransfer 

Receiving court papers can be daunting, but understanding what happens next  is essential to resolving the issues at hand. In this episode of Podcasts by Brodies, Carly Forrest and Gemma Nicholson break down everything you need to know about dealing with Scottish court documents, ensuring you can respond effectively and avoid potential pitfalls.  

We examine the importance of understanding which court has served the papers, whether you need to respond to the papers and how you respond.
 
For those defending a court action, we delve into the strategies available, including submitting written defences, challenging claims, and seeking dismissal where appropriate.  

If you are interested in the process related to court papers in England and Wales, listen to our podcast 'What do I do if I'm served English court papers?'

In this episode we discuss the growing popularity of buying and selling Scotch whisky casks, risks of fraud and some advice for buyers.

Grant Strachan is a partner at Brodies LLP, with a specialist focus on the food and drink sector, and Vikki Bruce is the founding director of CaskNet, a tech start-up that is building a register for Scotch whisky casks. 

The Scotch Whisky Association has recently published updated guidance for 2025 on personal investment in Scotch whisky casks. This guidance can be accessed here.

The information in this podcast was correct at the time of recording. The podcast and its content is for general information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice. This episode was recorded on 06/12/24.

Prior to the case of Miss Mary Davidson who died in 1999, the law in Scotland had been that, in the absence of any special facts, a solicitor engaged by a testator in connection with the making of a will could not be said to owe a duty of care to intended beneficiaries.  In England, the law had developed so that such a duty might be said to exist.  

Following Miss Davidson's death, the judge reviewed the evolution of the law of negligence over the 20th century, so what was the result? 

In this episode, legal experts Tony Jones KC and Jamie Reekie discuss; 

• what is a will and what do we mean by duty of care in this context?
• the history of wills in Scotland, when did they first come to exist? 
• are there any parallels with other cases or is this one unique?
• the point of contention and why it was significant
• what point(s) of law changed on the back of these cases?
• what difference has the case of Miss Davidson made to the law today?

The information in this podcast was correct at the time of recording. The podcast and its content is for general information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice.

In this episode we discuss rights to light and the challenges they pose for developers in cities across England and Wales.

Lisa Stratford is a legal director at Brodies who specialises in property-related disputes in England and Wales, and Neil Lovell-Kennedy is a chartered surveyor and a rights to light specialist at Proximity.

The information in this podcast was correct at the time of recording. The podcast and its content is for general information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice. This episode was recorded on 18/03/25.

In The Case Files, we look back at notable court cases over the last 150 years. In this episode Susie Mountain and Debbie Reekie discuss the issue of the habitual residence of a child in a case related to the separation of a couple who decided to live in different countries.

To add further complexity, the case involved parental abduction of the child. In situations like this, a key part of the judgement is to establish where the child is habitually resident, but what does this mean? And what happens if there are questions about whether a child's habitual residence has changed or not?

Working out where a child usually lives might seem simple however, with one parent moving to a new country during their separation, and differing versions of events between the mother and father, how was the decision made in this case?

The information in this podcast was correct at the time of recording. The podcast and its content is for general information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice.