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Professional liability lawyers
When a relationship between a professional and a client breaks down, it can be challenging for all involved. Our understanding of the practical, personal, emotional and commercial aspects of such disputes make us ideally placed to fight your corner.
We pride ourselves on our ability to get to grips not only with our clients', but also their opponents' key concerns and objectives, and deliver creative and holistic solutions. We act for a variety of clients including individuals, family offices, corporates, NGOs and charities, as well as being trusted advisors to global insurance companies.
We have vast experience of defending and prosecuting claims for a wide range of professionals – including accountants, architects, engineers, investment advisors, lawyers, physicians and hospitals, quantity surveyors, real estate professionals and tax advisors – across the globe. We are well-placed to provide seamless advice on cross-border disputes, with lawyers specialising in professional negligence disputes based in our offices around the world.
Making a claim
If you feel you have been the victim of professional negligence, you may consider making a claim against the organization or individual that resulted in the negligence. Our professional negligence solicitors represent claimants against all types of professionals on a variety of complex claims, including family, pensions, tax, judicial review, aviation, real estate, planning, wills/trusts and litigation advice professional standards. In Singapore, we also have experience representing public institutions who govern and regulate the conduct and ethics of associated professionals. In the past, we have prosecuted on behalf of the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) in professional disciplinary matters.
Defending a claim
Being on the receiving end of a professional negligence claim can be incredibly daunting, particularly when you are faced with potential reputational damage. We understand how high the stakes are in these circumstances. As a professional liability law firm, we are experienced in defending professionals facing negligence claims, as well as the unions that represent them. In Singapore, we have experience in representing real estate professionals at various levels of the disciplinary proceedings conducted by the Council of Estate Agencies whilst in the UK, we represented the barristers’ insurance providers, Bar Mutual, for over 20 years defending complex and high-value claims against barristers.
Working together
The unique insight developed acting for both sides of professional liability claims enables our team to stay one step ahead and understand the tactics of the ‘other side’.While we act on disputes against a wide range of professionals, we have extensive experience of claims against legal professionals. When acting in disputes relating to allegations of negligence by legal professionals, we are fortunate to be able to draw on the world-class expertise of colleagues across the firm advising on specialist areas of law, including complex domestic and international tax matters, trusts, real estate, philanthropy and matrimonial law. Many of the members of our professional negligence team also have expertise in a number of specialist areas of law, including tax, property litigation, contentious trusts, capacity issues and media law.
We will work with you to recognize your specific needs and represent you at the highest level to defend your interests, whether you are bringing a claim or defending one.
Track record
Family business dispute involving fraud and professional negligence
We successfully represented a UK company over a complex and highly litigious dispute arising out of a family business. Spanning over many years, there were findings of professional negligence against our client's former solicitors and findings of forgery against one of the respondents. Various teams across our firm worked on this case including corporate, trusts and litigation to fully service our clients needs under one roof.
Restitution of various monetary gifts
Dr. Paul Freda Malliamalar ('P')'s executors have commenced an action against 4 individuals for the restitution of various monetary gifts made by P to them in her lifetime, on the basis that P lacked mental capacity or was under undue influence at the material time. We act for P's solicitors, who had assisted her in making the said gifts. Two of the individuals, Kulandaivelu Malayaperumal ('Perumal') and Gopal Subramanian ('Gopal'), commenced third party proceedings against P's solicitors premised on alleged professional negligence, putting into issue the nature of the duty of care owed by solicitors to third parties, and the obligations of solicitors in respect of elderly clients.
Negligence claim for hedge fund exit advice
Our client suffered losses when they engaged a law firm to advise on their exit from the partnership of a hedge fund. We represented him on a claim of more than £5 million against the law firm for negligent advice.
Negligence claim for misadvised property deal
When a property developer discovered that it did not have full rights of access to a development site it was acquiring, it turned to us for assistance, and we have represented it in a negligence claim against its former solicitor.
Professional negligence claim for interest rate swap deal
A world renowned hotel entered into an interest rate swap with several banks, but ended up suffering significant losses. The hotel's owners approached us to pursue the law firm who represented them in a professional negligence claim. The case was listed for a five week High Court trial, but we arranged a settlement before the trial commenced.
Representing Bar Mutual and its clients
We were a longstanding adviser to Bar Mutual, advising the organisation on claims by the barristers it represents, or on third party proceedings brought by solicitors facing professional negligence claims. We also directly advised barristers protected by Bar Mutual.
VAT case dispute with former solicitor settled in mediation
We achieved our client's aims in a £1m+ claim against their former solicitors, after a VAT dispute with HMRC was mishandled, resulting in substantial losses. The matter was settled through mediation.
Representing Bar Mutual and its clients
We were a longstanding adviser to Bar Mutual, advising the organisation on claims by the barristers it represents, or on third party proceedings brought by solicitors facing professional negligence claims. We also directly advised barristers protected by Bar Mutual.
VAT case dispute with former solicitor settled in mediation
We achieved our client's aims in a £1m+ claim against their former solicitors, after a VAT dispute with HMRC was mishandled, resulting in substantial losses. The matter was settled through mediation.
Recent recognition
Our team
Sharon Lin
Partner | Singapore
Caroline Thompson
Special counsel | London
Eleni Polycarpou
Partner | London
Owen Talfan Davies
Partner | London
Joshua Swift
Senior associate | London
Stephen Richards
Partner | London
Steven Kempster
Partner | London
Joseph Chu
Partner | Hong Kong
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