Piper Alpha lawyer joins Aberdein as consultant

0 Partner Charlie Fraser, left, has been reunited with former business associate David Burnside The man at the heart of compensation battles over the Piper Alpha oil rig and Chinook helicopter disasters in the North Sea is returning to frontline legal work.

David Burnside is joining Aberdein Considine as the firm looks to become a “significant player” in the Scottish employment law sector.

Burnside, who will operate as a consultant, is one of two former Burness Paull employment lawyers joining Aberdein, with ex-colleague Jennifer Gardner also making the switch following a one-year career break.

Burnside – one of the highest profile lawyers in Aberdeen for decades – said: “Through acquisitions and lateral hires, Aberdein Considine has grown into one of the largest legal partnerships in Scotland. There are some extremely talented lawyers here.”

Joining Aberdein also reunites him with his former business partner Charlie Fraser, with whom he owned boutique litigation practice Burnside Kemp Fraser.