Elaine is a partner in Brodies and co-head of their planning law team. She advises clients on all aspects of planning and compulsory purchase and compensation, with a particular emphasis on acting for landowners and developers. She is ranked Band 1 by legal directories, with sources stating that she is "very client-focused with impressive expertise in planning and lands tribunals".

Elaine is the co-author of Scottish Planning Law & Procedure (2001) and Compulsory Purchase and Compensation: The Law in Scotland (2009). She is Vice Chair of CPA Scotland and is on the boards of Homes for Scotland and Aberdeen Inspired (the business improvement district company for the city centre). She is also a tutor on Aberdeen University's Diploma in Legal Practice course.