Areas of practice
Corporate Law, IP & IT, English Services

Austin is a winner of the Corporate Lawyer of the Year accolade (Law Awards of Scotland) and is continually praised for his technical knowledge and expertise as well as the consistently high level of service he provides to clients; he is described in Legal 500 as “unflappable, diplomatic and rigorous – he inspires great confidence” and by clients as having “a serene steeliness” and “a laser-like focus on always moving forward.” He is a recommended corporate legal adviser in Legal 500.

He is a recognised expert in corporate and commercial law, including share and asset acquisitions and disposals, MBOs and MBIs, private equity fundraisings, corporate re-structurings, joint venture structures, shareholder and partnership disputes, new company start-ups, spin-outs, agency, distribution and franchising agreements. He is a leading adviser to SMEs and owner-managed businesses, and to the healthcare sector. Austin also has expertise in IP, IT, Data Protection and Freedom of Information matters, and is head of the firm’s IP, IT and Information Law Team, as well as being the firm's Data Protection Compliance Officer. He is qualified in England & Wales as well as in Scotland, having practised for 7 years in England before moving to Scotland in 1997 and becoming Scots qualified in 1999.

Key deals handled in 2010 include acting for MGB Biopharma in securing equity investment from a syndicate of investors, and also negotiating the terms of the novation of a licence from Strathclyde University of the intellectual property in the MGB technology. Austin also acted for Canongate Books in its acquisition of the London-based audio-book publisher, CSA Telltapes; he also led the team which acted for surveyors Hardies LLP in its acquisition of a majority stake in WJR Christie & Partners LLP and was also in the team which advised the administrators of Realtime Worlds Limited, leading the IP and IT aspects of the sale of the “MyWorld” project and the IP for the game “All Points Bulletin”.

Austin sits on the board of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, and is the Chairman of The Edinburgh Small Business Development Fund.