Considered to be ‘absolute masters in the construction professional negligence arena’, Beale & Co are a go-to firm for fire safety issues and cladding claims. The firm also has a team that advises on non-construction professional liability matters, such as claims relating to accountants, brokers, and directors and officers. Anthony Smith has extensive capabilities resolving construction disputes through a variety of mediums, including litigation, mediation, and arbitration. With more than two decades of experience, Sheena Sood is recommended for claims relating to architects, contractors, and surveyors. Zoe White advises on a broad range of professional negligence cases, including financial risk claims.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Beale & Co have a well-established and long-standing reputation for excellence in the area of professional negligence. It has particular expertise in construction professionals.’

  • ‘Martin Jensen is excellent on detail and strategy. He has very good judgment and is very pleasant to work with.’
  • ‘They are absolute masters in the construction professional negligence arena. They are thorough, hard-working, and sensible.’
  • ‘Nathan Penny-Later has an excellent understanding of professional negligence cases and the insurance issues.'
  • 'Martin Jensen has a broad range of skills. He is legally excellent, commercially astute, very accessible, and timely with his advice.'
  • ‘Beal & Co has a deservedly high reputation for its work defending professionals. They know the area of law extremely well, they give insightful advice, and they have a clear strategy for resolving cases as well as possible.’
  • 'Michael O'Brien is a star with a huge brain and great attention to detail.'
  • 'Market-leading experience in professional liability defence work.'

Key clients

  • Aviva Insurance UK Ltd
  • RSA Insurance Group
  • Chubb Insurance
  • Hardy Underwriting Asia Pte Ltd
  • Channel Syndicate
  • Hamilton Syndicate
  • Arup Group Ltd
  • AECOM
  • Atkins Limited
  • Kier Group
  • Ridge & Partners LLP
  • RSA Insurance Group

Work highlights

  • Advising insurers on coverage and monitoring a claim in bad faith against a large US insurer in a case relating to alleged failures to settle a claim in personal injury following a road traffic accident.
  • Defending a mechanical and electrical engineer client in proceedings issued in the TCC.
  • Advised AECOM on a claim regarding a hospital building, following the discovery of defects in respect of the design and construction, in which the court dismissed the claim against the client.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
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Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Peter Sewell, Ross Baker, Antony Smith, Sheena Sood, Martin Jensen, Nathan Penny-Larter

Other key lawyers

Zoe White, Andrew Layton-Morris, Michael O'Brien