England - London • Insurance

Stewarts Law LLP

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Aaron Le Marquer leads the policyholder disputes team at Stewarts Law LLP, joining from Fenchurch Law in September 2022, with a focus on high value, complex disputes arising out of geopolitical issues. It has extensive experience regarding Covid-19 business interruption claims, and sits within the frims’ larger team with access to tax, insolvency and sanctions specialists. ‘Aaron Le Marquer is genuinely outstanding’, with notable expertise in cross-border claims. ’Excellent’ associate James Breese also moved alongside Le Marquer in 2022, a specialist in financial lines of insurance.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘A great new insurance team under Aaron Le Marquer, who came in with one of the very leading COVID business interruption practices.’

  • ‘Aaron Le Marquer is one of the top for business interruption insurance, with knowledge of all cases and developments in the area and good client management. James Breese is an excellent associate working for him.’

  • ‘Focused on high value and complex insurance litigation for policyholders: the team is immensely experienced, agile, well resourced, and tenacious. Particular expertise in heavy COVID-19 business interruption insurance disputes.’

  • ‘Aaron Le Marquer is the complete package: deep knowledge of both the law and the market, brilliant on strategy, great team leader.'

  • 'James Breese is a senior associate going places fast: responsive, energetic, and superb with clients.’

  • ‘Good overall knowledge of the sector combined with the ability to pick out relevant themes and threads from other ongoing cases.’

  • ‘Aaron Le Marquer is genuinely outstanding. Completely unflappable. Brilliant on the law and with clients. A standout name in the market.’

  • ‘The team are very focused on the policyholders best interests. They go the extra mile to ensure that all possible angles are considered and discussed with the client. They are highly knowledgeable and I have no hesitation in recommending them to our clients’

Key clients

  • London International Exhibition Centre plc
  • Liberty Retail
  • Glyndebourne Opera
  • Arena Racing

Work highlights

  • Acting for the London International Exhibition Centre in its Covid-19 BI test case claim on causation in ‘at the premises’ disease clauses.
  • Representing Liberty Retail in Covid-19 BI dispute over whether coverage is triggered at all under the Prevention of Access clause.
  • Representing a group of 22 UK racecourses in their Covid-19 BI claim against Liberty Mutual, Allianz and Aviva.

Lawyers

Rising stars

James Breese

James Breese

Stewarts Law LLP

James specialises in insurance disputes and exclusively advises and represents policyholders. He assists businesses and individuals from various sectors with their claims for indemnity from insurers. Clients range from public companies, private equity houses and multinational enterprises to high net worth individuals and directors of companies facing serious charges. James represented Stonegate Pub Company Limited in its £1.1bn claim for losses suffered due to Covid-19. This is the largest case of its kind in the insurance market and akin to a test case. Other key clients have included large and high-profile institutions and individuals within the financial markets. James also has particular experience advising directors and officers on coverage of third-party claims and regulatory investigations, often involving the application of EU, UK and Office of Foreign Control (OFAC) sanctions to complex cross-jurisdictional proceedings.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Aaron Le Marquer

Other key lawyers

Elaina Bailes, James Breese