Jacqui has some 30 years’ experience of professional liability claims, involving a wide range of professionals and issues. She has extensive experience of acting for insurers, MGAs and insureds in all types of claims, including those against brokers, accountants, surveyors, town planners, loss adjusters, solicitors, costs lawyers and licensed conveyancers.

 

Jacqui advises on and defends a wide range of construction claims, including those against architects, civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, health and safety consultants, quantity surveyors, project managers and contractors.

 

Jacqui often provides coverage advice and monitors claims. On coverage, she advises on the scope of cover, breach of terms, exclusions, aggregation, non-disclosure, mis-representation, and fraud/dishonesty.  

 

She has experience of advising professionals on regulatory issues/disputes and disciplinary inquiries, in particular concerning licensed conveyancers, solicitors, accountants and architects.

 

Jacqui writes articles, provides training and delivers seminars on a variety of topics. She is featured in the Legal 500 directory as a lawyer “who fully gets to grips with the case facts” and “works closely with clients to build strong relationships.” She is regarded as “very able indeed …. very experienced lawyer, and an extremely capable litigator. Always has one eye on the larger picture and a good judge of when to settle and when to fight.”

 

Work highlights

 

• Acting for a firm of licensed conveyancers in a land-mark decision arising out of a transaction which transpired to be fraudulent. This was the first reported decision in which the seller’s solicitor (the other defendant) was held liable for breach of trust to a claimant who had not instructed it;

• Acting on numerous claims relating to conduct of litigation (solicitors), wills, probate and trust- related matters (solicitors/licensed conveyancers);

• Acting for an accountant in claims and regulatory proceedings concerning the treatment of VAT and the provision of financial references;

• Acting for an accountant in proceedings involving alleged incorrect tax planning advice (inheritance and capital gains tax) on a significant property portfolio;

• Acting for brokers in a multi-million pound dispute arising out of a fire at premises where there was insufficient business interruption cover;

• Acting for brokers in a dispute arising out of a high-profile airplane crash where there was insufficient insurance cover;

• Acting for brokers concerning a multi-million pound dispute where Insurers denied cover under a Financial Institutions Policy, for various reasons, including that the claim fell under an exclusion in the policy;

• Acting for a project manager and health and safety professional resulting from a catastrophic collapse of buildings in Knightsbridge;

• Acting for engineers in a multi-million pound dispute concerning water ingress to a car park;

• Acting for fire safety experts concerning the provision of fire safety assessment reports and EWS1 Forms on numerous buildings throughout London;

• Acting for a fire engineer in a multi-million pound dispute concerning cladding to high rise student accommodation in the North of England. Allegations of deficiencies in external elements of the building and the improper specification of cladding. Considering liability/contributions regarding the other parties: contractor, cladding sub-contractor, and architect. Issues surrounding the insolvency of some of the parties and The Third Party (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010;

• Numerous claims acting for architects concerning alleged inadequate/late design and failure to properly co-ordinate the design process, allegedly giving rise to significant cost overruns;

• Acting in a claim for architects concerning drainage issues to a prestigious building in London;

• Acting for a quantity surveyor in a multi-million pound claim concerning the termination of a building contract and a failed adjudication; issues include considering the liability/potential contribution of the other parties (solicitors and architects) and contributory/causation arguments;

• Acting in a claim concerning a fire on a solar farm;

• Providing coverage advice concerning multi-million pound claims where alleged negligent investment advice was given to various claimants, inducing them to enter into bonds/investments not suitable for their risk profile; including issues of scope of cover, aggregation and dishonesty/fraud;

• Providing coverage advice on a variety of policies, including Design and Construct, Directors & Officers and Management Liability Policies.