Clyde & Co

Adam is head of the costs unit and has a particular expertise in costs issues arising in respect of disease cases. He regularly provides lectures, papers and articles on the subject, as well as appearing as an advocate in the senior court costs office (SCCO). Before specialising in legal costs, he spent seven years as a personal injury lawyer dealing with a wide variety of claims, including catastrophic injury and product liability matters. Notable work includes acting for the successful defendants in Barham v Dr Athreya; Woolley v Haden Building Services Ltd (No2); Herbert v Dencover; and Mortiboy v Team Spatz & anor.

As a partner at BLM since May 2018, Adam acts for healthcare professionals and businesses in regulatory, disciplinary, inquest and criminal matters.His regulatory cases brings him before the GMC, GDC, NMC, GOC, GPhC and HCPC as well as NHS England and NHS Hospital Trusts. He is routinely instructed in lengthy and complex investigations into serious allegations of misconduct, dishonesty and clinical incompetence and is frequently involved in CQC investigations on behalf of registered managers and organisations. Adam heads up the London medical crime team for BLM and defends healthcare professionals in cases involving gross negligence manslaughter, neglect, medicines act offences, sexual assault, common assault, fraud against the NHS, racially motivated public order offences, perverting the course of justice and indecent images of children.He also routinely advises clients in relation to DBS matters following the closure of criminal and regulatory investigations.

Alex is a partner in the professional indemnity department. He acts for London market and composite insurers who underwrite D&O and professional indemnity products for financial institutions, companies, surveyors, insurance/other intermediaries and other professionals operating both in the UK and overseas. He advises on coverage both in the respect of direct insurance and reinsurance policies and their substantive matters, and operates as monitoring counsel in respect of overseas claims. Alex has specific expertise in dealing with highly sensitive D&O matters for insurers and corporate organisations. Many of the cases Alex advises on involve‎ multi-jurisdictional elements, including advising reinsurers on claims for indemnity by directors under investigation by the Scandinavian FSA. Alex has advised insurers of companies/financial institutions based in Saudi Arabia, Macau, Cayman Islands and Guernsey over alleged negligence and corporate malfeasance. His team also deliver a range of support services including risk management and training. For example, he has previously delivered a series of joint presentations to non- executive directors in Guernsey and Jersey on the underlying risks to non-executive directors as well as an overview on cyber as an emerging liability to directors.Alex's team also have a well-developed niche for a wide variety of Broker’s E&O matters (both Lloyds and non-Lloyds). As a result, many of the cases Alex and his team advise on involve the potential issues surrounding placement of insurance policies. Work has ranged from dealing with a variety of domestic retail broker disputes (including those involving binders) to a Lloyds broker’s placement of a multi-million Euro Fund Policy for a European bank and the London market placement of a US$ billion property damage policy and the determination of losses arising from Hurricane Sandy.

Ben is a partner whose work involves acting for corporate and commercial clients in defending both public and employers’ liability claims.  He has extensive experience of working for transport and infrastructure operators in defending catastrophic and fatal injury claims, including liaising with internal and external teams dealing with concurrent inquests and regulatory prosecutions.  Through his detailed approach and expertise in understanding what the key issues and evidence will be, he has successfully defended a number of high profile and high value claims.  Ben is a member of a specialist matter group that focuses on emerging trends and technologies in claims involving amputation and the use of prosthetics. He also has a developing practice dealing with the injury side of claims involving breach of data rights.  Ben offers a full and high quality service that is focused on achieving the best result for the client. When dealing with cases or supervising colleagues, he always emphasises the need to have a clear end goal set and focus the work on any case towards that end goal.

Partner

Caroline is a partner in the personal injury team. She specialises in the investigation and defence of catastrophic, large loss and complex EL, PL and motor claims for major insurers and corporates and is regularly instructed to act on spinal cord, brain injury, amputation and other complex claims.  She has a specific interest in brain injury and is a member of BLM’s brain injury subject matter group. Caroline has also developed particular expertise in chronic pain claims and identifying exaggerated claims. She also advises clients on policy and indemnity issues and is a member of BLM’s Policy Indemnity Unit. She has experience of fully remote and hybrid trials having participated in a fully remote 4 day quantum only trial in April 2020, a quantum only hybrid trial in September 2020 and a hybrid liability only trial in February 2021.

I am a Partner at BLM based in the London catastrophic injury team. I joined BLM in March 2016. I deal with a wide range of catastrophic/ large loss defendant personal injury claims. I have over 20 years’ experience dealing with large and complex claims arising out of road traffic accidents in the UK and abroad. I have a strong technical background with many years’ experience dealing with high value, high profile personal injury claims for many leading insurers. I am regularly instructed to act on spinal cord, brain injury, amputation and other complex claims. I have a specific interest in brain injury claims and am a member of BLM's brain injury subject matter group. I acted on behalf of the defendant in the reported case of MacDonald V Burton 2019. I am an active member of FOIL and have spoken at a seminar to members on the recording of medical examinations. I have also mentored individual claims controllers at various insurers in their personal, technical and professional development.

Colin is a partner and practices in all aspects of children law and family formation, specialising in international and domestic surrogacy, assisted reproduction and same-sex families. He is recognised as one of the UK’s “go-to” specialist surrogacy lawyers and is favourably ranked by all leading legal directories, including Chambers and Partners, the Legal 500 and Spear’s 500. He has an excellent relationship with numerous fertility clinics around the world. His fertility and family formation practice includes advising on parentage issues following assisted reproduction and surrogacy, parental orders, adoption, co-parenting arrangements, posthumous conception and the use of embryos following divorce/separation. He also practices in all areas of children law, with many of his cases having either an international, LGBT+ or human rights/discrimination element. He advises on child arrangements disputes, international and domestic child relocations, international child abduction, recognition or enforcement of overseas court orders and jurisdictional issues. Colin is a qualified Solicitor Advocate (Higher Courts Civil Proceedings) and as such has rights of audience before all levels of Civil and Family Courts in England & Wales, including the High Court. He conducts much of my own advocacy. He has experience of appeals, including in the Court of Appeal, UK Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. 

Diana is a partner in the London regulatory team and has extensive experience representing the country’s top insurers. Her work includes advising companies and individuals who are investigated by the HSE and EHO. She provides crisis support to those involved in serious and fatal accidents, which includes provision of statements, interviews under caution, written representations and preparation to a trial, sentence or inquest.Diana also advises drivers who have been charged with road traffic offences, to include, causing death by dangerous/careless driving and gross negligence manslaughter. She regularly represents drivers at the police station. She also advises companies who may be investigated by the police following a fatal road accident.In addition to her regulatory work, she also has a civil abuse practice and is instructed by insurers and a variety of organisations, including public sector, faith and schools to respond to allegations of sexual abuse. 

Dileep is a partner with over 20 years’ experience. He specialises in handling professional indemnity claims with a particular focus on claims against construction professionals (most notably claims against architects and structural engineers relating to commercial property) as well as claims against the lead consultant and/or contract administrator for a construction project.He has dealt with insurance and reinsurance disputes across a number of classes of business most notably relating to property, professional indemnity and financial lines policies.

Partner

Partner

Elizabeth is a partner specialising in property damage liability and recovery work and associated policy advice and manages two sub-teams which carry out work for major insurers and transport infrastructure providers. For a number of years Elizabeth was also part of the panel for recruiting trainee solicitors for the firm. Elizabeth is an active participant in the Women In Business initiative. Elizabeth's reported cases include:Scottish & Newcastle v GD Construction (2003) EWCA Civ 16Scottish Coal v Royal and Sun Alliance (2008) EWCH 880 (Comm)Aldgate v Unibar Plumbing & Heating (2010) EWCH 1063 (TCC)Walter Llewellyn and Rok Building v Exel Brickwork Limited (2010) EWHC 3415 (TCC)BMG v Galliford Try (2013) EWCH 3468 (TCC)Williams and Waistell v Network Rail (2018) EWCA Civ 1514UK Insurance v Carillion Specialist Services Limited and Construction Auditing Services Limited (2019) EWHC 1588 (TCC)

Ella is a partner and acts on behalf of a broad range of clients, specialising in health and social care. These clients include NHS Resolution, indemnity organisations, NHS Trusts, County Councils and care homes.She advises in relation to all health and social care matters, including inquests, inquiries, clinical negligence and regulatory. She also advises on privacy matters, in particular, in relation to breach of confidentiality, data protection and freedom of information, and regularly advises both healthcare and other clients in this respect.Ella has a particular interest in multi-faceted cases, whereby a number of legal proceedings arise from the same incident. For example, she defended a senior doctor in relation to a high profile baby death arising from a drugs error, and provided representation at the Deanery, GMC, inquest and advised in respect of breach of confidentiality/data protection issues and potential criminal proceedings.

Elliot is a leading partner within BLM’s London office. He has provided advice on professional indemnity claims and insurance disputes throughout his 20 years at the firm, the last 14 years of which as a partner. He has considerable experience of all forms of civil litigation, including litigated claims in the High Court and county courts (including discrimination claims), judicial reviews and tribunal claims. Elliot has also been extremely successful in recent years in achieving excellent results for his clients through mediations. His professional indemnity practice covers a broad mix of emerging and traditional professions, from solicitors and surveyors, to educational establishments and trade unions. His key clients include the Royal College of Nursing and UNISON, for which his reported EAT decisions are Carl Jervis v UNISON (2006) and Brennan & ors v Sunderland City Council, GMB and UNISON (2012). Another important area is his work in an education context, where important clients include the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London. His reported decisions in this field include R v University of Oxford ex parte Ahmed (2000, Administrative Court), Ahmed v University of Oxford (2002, Court of Appeal), Van Mellaert v University of Oxford (2006, High Court), S v Chapman (2008, Court of Appeal), Speed v London Borough of Waltham Forest and others (2010, Court of Appeal) and Saha v Imperial College (2011, High Court). He is often instructed in complex and high value matters, a notable example being nine distinct (but forensically similar) sex discrimination claims brought on behalf of in excess of 5,000 claimants which, had the claims been successful, would have had extremely damaging consequences for the client, both reputational and financial. In addition, Elliot regularly advises insurers in relation to all types of policy issues (such as the scope of coverage, aggregation, double insurance, insurer obligations and responsibilities and the insured’s obligations in relation to matters such as notification requirements, policy conditions, breach of warranty, misrepresentation, non-disclosure and fraud). He also advises in relation to a wide range of policies (including public liability, employer’s liability, products liability, medical malpractice and other forms of professional indemnity) and is frequently called upon to advise insurers when they are considering, or wish to investigate the possibility of, taking a policy point against an insured, or where proceedings are issued or threatened against them (whether by insureds, other insurers or claimants).

Partner

Hanna is a partner in BLM's Property Damage team and specialises in all aspects of property damage claims including policy coverage disputes, subrogated recoveries and third party liability.  She regularly deals with complex and high value claims involving a range of perils with a particular emphasis on fires, floods, explosions, landslips, escapes of water and mechanical and electrical defects.Hanna also advises insurers on policy coverage issues relating to both commercial and domestic policies and including matters such as breach of the duty of fair presentation under the Insurance Act 2015, policy conditions and exclusions, contribution clauses, waiver and affirmation and the basis of settlement provisions.Cases have included a number of high value fire claims involving issues of workmanship relating to servicing and maintenance, a third party liability claim arising out of damage caused by a chemical explosion, escape of water claims relating to mechanical and engineering defects and a multi-million pound policy coverage dispute involving non-disclosures of material facts and breach of the duty of fair presentation under the Insurance Act 2015.

Helen specialises in the defence of professional negligence and malpractice claims against law firms and has extensive experience of litigation in the High Court and Court of Appeal and of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.  Her practice focuses on complex and high value claims against magic circle and other international law firms, and she has defended a wide range of claims, including those involving structured finance, pensions, tax, property, litigation, contract, and trust issues. She also acts for insurers as monitoring counsel in relation to malpractice claims and advises on policy coverage. Helen also has experience of advising on risk management, regulatory investigations and disciplinary issues involving law firms. Helen has published articles in Commercial Litigation Journal, New Law Journal and Solicitors Journal, and speaks regularly on professional liability and risk management issues.

Ian is a partner in the personal injury team in London. He specialises in all aspects of road traffic litigation, ranging from high value personal injury claims, to fatal accidents, and motor prosecutions. Ian successfully represented the defendant in the Court of Appeal decision of Armsden v Kent Police [2009] EWCA Civ 631, where its liability was reduced from 100% to 40%. Ian also recovered in excess of £120,000.00 in costs in the case of Lyons v Chief Constable of Kent Police [2012] EWHC 364 QB, when the claimant failed to beat a Part 36 offer following a trial on causation. Ian also succesfully represented the defendant in the case of Dursan v J Sainsbury Plc [2015] EWHC 233 (QB), which was a fatal case involving a pedestrian.

Jim leads the product liability and recall team at BLM, acting for insurers, suppliers and manufacturers. With his team he handles domestic and international product liability and recall claims and regulatory issues across a range of industry sectors, from minor injury claims to major group litigation and international claims, working with a global network of specialists. He provides coverage advice arising from public and product liability policy issues. His team handles high-value fire/flood damage commercial property claims involving products designed, supplied and/or installed. He leads the BLM team acting for the main defendant in the PIP Breast Implant Group Litigation and also acted for a number of defendants in the ‘toxic sofa’ group litigation, the largest group action ever mounted in the UK. He was a guest speaker at the annual Liability Underwriters Group (LUG) conference in 2014, presenting on group litigation and emerging risks in product liability. He led the product recall workshop at the annual AIRMIC conference in 2014. Jim has been recognised as an expert for several years by the legal directories, praised by clients as an “astute tactician” and for providing an “excellent service and proactive approach”.

John is a partner with expertise in speciality and financial lines and is Head of the property damage department. John advises on all property-related claims, both domestic and commercial, advising in particular on fire and flood cases, engineering and construction disputes and geotechnical claims. John also advises insurers on policy coverage matters, which is a significant part of his practice.

Partner

Partner

Mark is a partner and works closely with insurers who monitor the increase in fraudulent property claims at both the claims and underwriting stages to detect and defend such claims.Mark has worked in the insurance sector for over 25 years and has extensive experience of high value and complex property fraud claims involving arson, staged theft and other deliberate or exaggerated damage. In addition to property and commercial claims involving fraud, he also specialises in related policy coverage issues. He regularly advises insurers preparing responses to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Matthew is Head of BLM's London Casualty team and deals with large loss, complex and sensitive injury claims for insurers and corporate clients.He leads the Travel and Tour Operator Liability team and is head of the Travel Practice Group.

Michael is a partner and specialises in the defence of high profile sexual/physical abuse and bullying claims, including group litigation.He is nominated by several religious organisations, local authorities and insurers to deal with their most sensitive claims.He has represented clients as core participants in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and advises insurance and non-insurance clients on IICSA-related matters.Michael has significant experience in advising a variety of organisations including those in the public sector, faith, education and sport sectors in connection with responding to allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse.He specialises in high value and complex employers' liability, public liability and abuse claims.

Partner, heads up the OD team in London and specialises in all types of disease claims and advoises on plocy coverage issues. Michelle heads up the care /neglect group in London and manages a Care Matters Blog.Michelle chaired the review of the disease and illness PAP which introduced the Mesothelioma annex. Michelle contributes to responses to consultations concerning reforms relevant to disease litigation. Michelle was appointed Chieff Assesor of the Disease Accreditation Scheme at The law Socety .Michelle also worked with the ABI on the developmentof the Mesothelioma Support fund.Michelle is BLMs Training Principal and is reponsible for trainees nationally.Mchelle presents at various seminars both for BLM and externally and also provides training for both clients and at BLM.

Partner.

Nigel is a partner in the London Occupational Disease team, specialising in long tail disease claims, in particular Noise, Respiratory and Vibration cases. He heads up the Noise and vibration sub unit, and represents Insurers and reinsurers, legacy and run-off companies, corporates, and government departments advising on claims and strategy. He represents clients across all industry sectors from Transport and Energy, to Music and Entertainment.

Orla is a partner and head of BLM's national police team. She has over 25 years' experience in defending public and employers' liability claims on behalf of police forces nationally. She is instructed to deal with claims involving assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, negligence, misfeasance, public order demonstrations and deaths in custody. She has extensive experience in representing police forces in claims involving national security and public interest immunity issues.Her particular strength is in advising on technical and complex claims arising out of alleged breaches of the Human Rights Act and associated Article 2 inquests. Orla was instructed in the reported case of AAA v Chief Constable of Kent (2017) in which the Article 5 deprivation of liberty claim, was struck out in the High Court. Orla is acting for a layer insurer in a group action brought by hundreds of claimants seeking damages from South Yorkshire and West Midlands Police for misfeasance in public office over conduct of officers on the day of, and after, the Hillsborough disaster.

Paula has extensive experience in advising on all issues resulting from non-recent sexual abuse allegations. Her advice extends to representation in the IICSA, establishment of voluntary compensation schemes (including on behalf of the BBC in connection with Jimmy Savile) and responding to civil claims, including with a cross-jurisdictional element. She represents many organisations including in the faith, youth, charity, education and healthcare sectors as well as insurers. Paula is head of the London office of BLM and is a member of the firm's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion steering committeeShe has been shortlisted for the Insurance Lawyer Award at the 2019 Women in Insurance Awards where she is described by the Judges as having "Great expertise and focused on supporting colleagues - must be one of the leading lawyers in her field."

Peter is a partner and heads up the safety, health and environment team in London.His 20 years’ experience is in dealing with investigations and prosecutions by the police and regulators following fatal and serious accidents at the workplace and involving members of the public.Peter represents large organisations, SMEs, directors and senior managers involved in many areas of industry as well as charities, care homes and schools and colleges.He regularly represents companies and individuals at high profile inquests.He is experienced in conference and other platform-speaking on health and safety topics, in addition to providing training for clients at internal seminars and workshops

Partner

Partner

Philip is a partner and a dual-qualified chartered loss adjuster and solicitor. He has worked in the insurance industry for over 30 years in various roles including that of insurer, insurance broker, insured and chartered loss adjuster. As such, he is able to bring a unique perspective to his work to ensure that clients receive prompt and pragmatic advice and solutions to their claims.His specialism is property work, including policy coverage, subrogated recoveries and third party property damage. Philip has considerable experience of dealing with claims across the full range of insured perils including fire, escape of water and subsidence and other geo-technical claims where he has considerable expertise in defending, and pursuing, such claims.

Partner

Richard advises on all aspects of contentious construction and construction-related professional indemnity and liability insurance, particularly for engineers, design and build contractors, architects and surveyors. He has over 25 years' experience advising on some of the most significant construction claims in the industry.  Richard heads our burgeoning global construction professional liability group which acts for multi-national consultants and their insurers throughout the world.

Sharon specialises in the investigation and defence of high value EL and PL personal injury matters and has developed particular expertise in occupier's liability and rail industry claims. She leads an EL and PL team responding to a wide range of claims from slips and trips to catastrophic injury, as well as advising on policy and indemnity issues and recoveries from third parties.She is often instructed at an early stage to undertake the initial liability investigation and has had a number of successful liability trials. Her successes include achieving a strike out on a £1 million case following the robust defence of a relief from sanctions application; a discontinuance on a £3.6 million case in which the claimant sustained a spinal  injury falling down an escalator and a withdrawal of a £5 million claim for a claimant who slipped in a public area. She has a particular interest in chronic pain cases, which require a forensic review of the evidence and is an excellent tactition, negotiating some noteworthy and excellent result for insurers. Reported cases include the successful defence of an  £1 million RTA case in the Court of Appeal involving a pedestrian, Sam v Atkins [2005] EWCA Civ 1452 which has proved an excellent precedent for motor insurers.

Partner

Partner and Head of Commercial Litigation, London

Partner

Tim is a partner in the Banking and Finance group. He has considerable experience in advising lenders, borrowers, international financial institutions and trading companies in relation to financings in the energy sector (with particular focus on upstream oil and gas businesses), and in emerging markets (particularly the Russian Federation/CIS and Nigeria). Tim has worked on a wide range of financings, in particular reserve-based lending facilities, prepayment facilities, pre-export finance facilities, as well as more traditional corporate lending transactions. Tim has worked on financings for a wide range of borrowers, with recent transactions involving distressed national and independent oil companies in Africa, acquisition-focused independent exploration companies in Brazil and North Sea explorers.

  Vanessa is a partner specialising in employment law and defendant occupational disease claims with a particular interest in stress, bullying, harassment and discrimination cases. She frequently advises insurers on overlapping jurisdiction and policy issues arising out of such claims and advises on a broad range of employment issues.Vanessa also advises on public liability discrimination claims relating to the provision of goods and services. She acted for the defendant in Majrowski v Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, which was subject to an appeal to the House of Lords on the issue of whether an employer could be vicariously liable under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.