David Hossack

Consultant

David is a highly experienced consultant within our Litigation division based in Edinburgh.

David is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in commercial mediation. He supports a varied practice including employment, licensing law, immigration, litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

David advises businesses, public sector organisations and individuals on both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. He is an accredited mediator with extensive experience in a wide range of areas of litigation, particularly in resolving employment, personal and commercial disputes outside of the courts.

David also leads our acclaimed Licensing Team which is top ranked by the legal directories. Acting in this capacity, he provides a bespoke service for clients ranging from small businesses to leading multinationals, and regularly appears before Licensing Boards. David is often in demand, as clients appreciate his rounded practice and commercial outlook which means he can identify and resolve issues quickly and efficiently. He was noted in Chambers and Partners 2020 to be '…efficient, calm, reassuring and an excellent communicator.'

David is very aware of our type of business, clientele and city, so he always brings an extra level of experience.

Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2025

David Hossack is calm, measured, honest and he listens incredibly well in order to fully understand situations and circumstances very quickly. He gives sensible, thoughtful advice.

Legal 500

David Hossack has always struck me as a man of integrity and who offers sound advice. He is very open and honest about a given situation, giving a comprehensive view on how matters could unfold depending on the approach taken.

Legal 500

David Hossack is highly experienced, professional and always a good source of advice. Always prompt at responding to any requests for information and easy to access.

Legal 500

David Hossack 'has a passion for mediation and it shows in his work'. One of only four lawyers who are accredited as specialists in commercial mediation by the Law Society of Scotland, David mediates on a regular basis in both Scotland and elsewhere across the UK. He has conducted over 100 mediations, focusing on employment and commercial matters.

Legal 500

David Hossack is very knowledgeable, supportive and always makes himself available to respond and act quickly on any issues he is brought in to assist with. His understanding of how each local licensing board operates and how to engage with them to ensure you obtain the most positive outcome for your organisation is invaluable.

Legal 500

David Hossack, Partner, is outstanding and has been our main point of contact for longer than I have been Bursar at Watson's (16 years). Excellent all-round knowledge and advice, easily accessible and always helpful and supportive.

Legal 500

David Hossack is our lead adviser and his patience and understanding of our business and needs is exceptional.

Legal 500

He can cover the whole spectrum of employment matters with confidence and is able to communicate this easily.

Chambers and Partners

He's extremely efficient, calm, reassuring and an excellent communicator.

Chambers and Partners

Commentators remark: He has an unflappable manner, welcomed in difficult situations, and provides detailed legal advice with a commercial, practical application

Chambers and Partners

David is very familiar with licensing laws and the procedure for obtaining a licence, and handles it with mastery.

Chambers and Partners

David is an efficient and thorough lawyer who always makes himself available.

Chambers and Partners

He's practical, pragmatic and very good at finding solutions to difficult circumstances.

Chambers and Partners

He is immensely experienced and very happy to explain in detail the processes and requirements to ensure I am fully aware. He is excellent - very efficient, conscientious and sound with his advice.

Chambers and Partners

David's greatest qualities are that he knows the correct legal path and moulds it to the ethos of our organisation.

Chambers and Partners

He is always a very solid, reliable and excellent source of advice.

Chambers and Partners

David has been excellent in his advice and support.

Chambers and Partners

David has a very good understanding of the business world and is adept at forming professional relationships.

Chambers and Partners

David is very professional and experienced.

Chambers and Partners

He is also very client-focused and quick to respond to queries.

Chambers and Partners

David has a vast amount of technical knowledge but is still able to explain the details in non-technical terms to help me understand the issue and what it means to me and my organisation.

Chambers and Partners

He is responsive, clear and does not hide behind any legal terminology, always explaining issues and options and heading off potential challenges by warning us of other issues that may arise.

Chambers and Partners

David is very good at guiding us and he always goes out of his way for us as a client.

Chambers and Partners

He made the process very easy to understand for everyone involved.

Chambers and Partners

David absolutely understands what the client is looking for.

Chambers and Partners

He works well with parties to get to the bottom of the issues and seek resolutions.

Chambers and Partners

David is an able and experienced mediator.

Chambers and Partners

David is a very proactive mediator.

Chambers and Partners

It is clear David Hossack is excellent at preparing for mediations.

Chambers and Partners

David Hossack’s ‘depth of knowledge across a number of areas of specialism’ informs his focus on employment mediation.

Legal 500

Edinburgh-based David Hossack is 'held in very high regard as a mediator; he is approachable, highly skilled and has an open and enquiring style'. One of only four lawyers accredited as specialists in commercial mediation by the Law Society of Scotland, Hossack is focused on employment and commercial law matters.

Legal 500

David Hossack stands out as a commercial and knowledgeable lawyer who understands the demands of our business and is always available when urgent advice is needed.

Legal 500

The licensing practice is led by the ‘diligent and tenacious’ David Hossack, who has extensive experience appearing before Scottish Licensing Boards and dealing with licensing appeals and applications.

Legal 500

David Hossack is highly experienced, professional and always a good source of advice. Always prompt at responding to any requests for information and easy to access.

Legal 500

David Hossack is calm, measured, honest and he listens incredibly well in order to fully understand situations and circumstances very quickly. He gives sensible, thoughtful advice.

Legal 500

David is very aware of our type of business, clientele and city, so he always brings an extra level of experience.

Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2025

David Hossack is our lead adviser and his patience and understanding of our business and needs is exceptional.

Legal 500

David Hossack is very knowledgeable and is a leader in the field. He is responsive and helpful. He is insightful and knows how to guide us through a process.

LEGAL 500

David is an experienced practitioner in this field and he is my first-choice licensing lawyer in Scotland.

Chambers and Partners

David is extremely experienced and knowledgeable and is highly respected by the team. He is responsible for premises licensing and provides pragmatic advice on our licensing matters and procedures.

Chambers and Partners

David Hossack is very good at dealing with all our general managers directly and we trust him to do that. He is very proactive and stays on top of the everchanging licences in our area.

Chambers and Partners

David is a pleasure to work with. He understands our business like nobody else.

Chambers and Partners

We could not be happier to have David Hossack help us through the process of applying for a licence.

Chambers and Partners

Areas of Expertise

Advisory Work

Employment Tribunals

Licensing

Personal Injury

Public Law

Local Government

Inquiries

Government

Hospitality, Licensing & Leisure

Education

Contact David Hossack

Immigration Mon 16 Mar 2026

Immigration for Employers series

Immigration for Employers is a six‑part podcast series offering straightforward guidance on key immigration responsibilities for UK employers. Each episode focuses on practical compliance issues, including right to work checks, sponsor licence duties and the risks businesses face if requirements are not met. The series provides clear insights to help employers, HR teams and managers stay compliant and confident when managing their workforce.

Employment Wed 04 Mar 2026

Keeping to the script? Navigating HR’s role in disciplinary decisions

This podcast features Andrew Gibson discussing with David Hossack the potential pitfalls for HR professionals who are providing support to decision makers in disciplinary proceedings, including via the use of scripts, and the risk of falling into the trap of becoming a surrogate decision maker.

Employment Wed 18 Feb 2026

The importance of being aware of an employee's side hustle

In this employment law podcast, David Hossack and Daniel Cormack discuss a recent Employment Tribunal case involving an employee who had been working two full-time jobs simultaneously for 16 years. This podcast explores the key lessons arising from this case for employers dealing with employees who have a "side hustle".

David Hossack

Areas of Expertise

Immigration for Employers series

Keeping to the script? Navigating HR’s role in disciplinary decisions

The importance of being aware of an employee's side hustle

Edinburgh

Glasgow

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