Mr David Bennett > Herbert Smith Freehills LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP handles a range of matters  including major product liability disputes, class actions, large scale product recalls, client competitor claims and prosecution of advertising litigation. The firm also advises on regulatory compliance laws, risk management and regulatory insurance challenges. Howard Watson specialises in personal injury-related matters with civil and criminal liabilities arising from dangerous or defective products. He co-heads the team with Philip Pfeffer, who works on product liability regulatory issues. Partner David Bennett has extensive experience of major product liability class actions and product recall cases.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP‘s personal injury team is led by Howard Watson, who has particular experience defending large and sensitive stress at work claims. The expertise of the team lies in large, complex group litigation claims, and it continues to act in regards to long-term thalidomide claims across multiple jurisdictions, with David Bennett taking the lead on such work. Acting for major self-insuring corporates is another notable specialism of the team.

‘Calm and assured‘ health and safety defence specialist Howard Watson leads the ‘thoughtful’ team at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, which is well-equipped to handle regulatory and contentious work. The team regularly acts for well-known corporations in sensitive matters brought against them by the HSE. A key example of the work the team is involved in, is its representing ITV in the inquest of a person who committed suicide following his appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show. Other noteworthy clients include BAE Systems and Chevron. David Bennett, promoted to partner in May 2023, has strong regulatory capabilities and advises clients through crisis management and internal investigations processes.