England - North West • Insurance
2

Professional negligence

FS Legal

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Boutique litigation firm FS Legal has a strong record in professional negligence disputes; standout recent work includes acting for the defendants in FCA v Steel & Foster, an important case in the pension transfers space. Joint practice heads Kit Sorrell and Julia Norris are recommended for their experience in handling claims against financial advisors and tax advisors. Legal directors Nicola Stanley, Christine Newton and John Colvin support.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Excellent attention to detail and timescales coupled with a deep knowledge of client drivers produce an outstanding service with a high level of commercial success.’

  • ‘Kit Sorrell provides full commitment to, and understanding of, a client's needs and objectives. He is one of the best negotiators I have worked with in complex mediations. He is more than ably supported by Christine Newton in her grasp of the main points of litigation and management of the in-house and external team.’

  • ‘Very commercially focussed. Good strong team able to communicate in straightforward terms. Overall, excellent.’

  • ‘The following have all been outstanding: Julia Norris and John Colvin.’

  • ‘The team keeps me updated in a timely manner and it leaves me with the confidence that their pursuit for a successful outcome is always uppermost. The upfront communication of costs and their negotiation in achieving the best value for money is commendable.’

  • ‘The high level of dedication and compassion that Julia Norris has shown is comforting in what has been a very stressful time. She brings a personal touch to the proceedings along with uttermost professionalism and expertise.’

  • ‘The team was extremely professional. There was a huge amount of information to collate and everyone was very au fait with the details. I think the word ‘team’ cannot be underestimated with this company, everyone pulled together and I felt very much part of this team. I was reassured at all stages with any concerns I had and I was never put under any pressure.’

  • ‘I was given a great degree of information and transparency. Things were explained to me in simple terms which was very reassuring. I was very impressed with Julia Norris and I felt she was living and breathing my case and certainly wanted the resolution that I wanted.’

Work highlights

  • Instructed by Mr Steel and Ms Foster to defend proceedings brought by the FCA, seeking an extension of the provisions of Section 382(2) FSMA to authorised IFA individuals.
  • Acting for Mr Graham Knights and his companies, Evergreen Trees and Shrubs and Knights Investment Management, in two claims for a combined value of £1.6m.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Kit Sorrell
Hall of fameFS Legal
PARTNERKit is personally ranked as a Leader in the Field in both Commercial Litigation and Professional Negligence in Chambers & Partners. He is also recognised in Legal 500’s ‘Hall of Fame’ as a Leading Individual in both Commercial Litigation and Professional Negligence. He is the only lawyer in the entire North West to be ranked by Legal 500’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in the field of Professional Negligence and in Commercial Litigation (elsewhere in the North West). With over 30 years’ experience, Kit Sorrell is a highly renowned litigation specialist. He acts in complex high value commercial matters such as contract disputes, minority shareholder claims, property disputes and also acts for both high net worth individuals and corporate entities in complex and high value professional negligence claims against, by way of example, tax advisers, solicitors, property professionals and independent financial advisers. Kit is nationally recognised as a Leader in the Field and is recommended in both Chambers UK Guide and Legal 500 where he is described as a ‘great tactician and inspires real confidence in his clients’ and a ‘great tactician who knows how to plot the outcome of a case from the very outset’. Kit has developed a particular specialism in commercial construction disputes of all types in his many years of acting for well-known national property developers and is a founding member of the firm’s specialist Construction Disputes Team. Kit is also widely known for leading the way in Professional Negligence claims against financial and tax advisers in particular claims involving tax avoidance and mitigation schemes. Kit was amongst the very first lawyers to be instructed on the high profile Film Scheme Tax Partnership cases and to issue the first High Court proceedings against advisers who recommended such schemes. Kit has become known as the ‘go-to’ lawyer for well-known sports and media personalities in this field. Kit has been interviewed by the Financial Times on a number of occasions and quoted in numerous articles in the FT, The Mail on Sunday, FT Adviser, Money Marketing and IFA Online. Notable cases Halsall v Champion Consulting Ltd [2017] EWHC 1079 (QB)Represented the claimants in a £6M claim arising out of tax avoidance schemes. This widely reported case is believed to be one of the first claims of this type to reach the courts. Acting for a group of high net worth individuals in a £5M claim against an international law practice arising out of negligent conduct of litigation initially brought against their accountants and tax advisers. Acting for a client in a seven-figure professional negligence claim against Gibraltar based IFA company arising out of the clients’ investment into a £50M failed investment scheme. Acting for minority shareholder in a shareholder dispute in relation to his holding in a highly successful engineering company. Action resolved with an order for the purchase of his shares on very satisfactory terms. Acting for a national property/property development company in Judicial Review proceedings challenging enforcement orders made by the Authority which threatened a regeneration scheme the value of which ran to many hundreds of millions of pounds. Acting for a sports management company in a dispute over the ‘ownership’ of a very high profile premier league professional footballer. Acting for Morris Homes Group, the country’s largest privately owned house builder, in a number of complex seven-figure claims against various property professionals. Career history FS Legal – Partner, 2014 to date Pannone LLP – Partner, 2006 – 2014 Wacks Caller – Partner, 2000 – 2006 DWF- Partner, 1983 – 2000  
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Nicola Stanley
FS Legal
Senior Associate Nicola has 16 years’ experience in Dispute Resolution and has advised a wide range of clients from individuals and SMEs to local authorities and PLCs. Her strength lies in having studied and worked in business prior to embarking on a legal career so can understand the client’s business objectives from the outset, get to the heart of the dispute and provide practical, commercial advice to resolve the dispute quickly and cost effectively.Nicola has extensive Commercial Litigation experience handling a mixed caseload of general litigation matters including breach of contract claims, breach of warranty claims and partnership disputes with a particular emphasis on professional negligence matters. She has considerable expertise acting for lenders and financial institutions in negligence claims against surveyors and solicitors and more recently, for individuals and limited companies against tax and financial advisers. She also has extensive property litigation experience acting for landowners, landlords and tenants in cases involving break clauses, contested lease renewal claims, dilapidations, forfeiture and enforcement of general terms.Nicola is a well established property litigator dealing with a wide range of issues both in respect of residential and commercial property. She regularly deals with contentious and non-contentious business lease renewals, dilapidations claims, possession claims, breach of covenant claims (leading to forfeiture), break notices and title rectification claims.Nicola also has experience of rent and service charge recovery, including matters heard in the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Notable cases Redstone Mortgages Limited v Countrywide Surveyors Limited [2011] 3 EGLR 153 pursuing solicitors and surveyors (amongst others) for losses arising from negligent advice.Advising a partnership in a successful breach of warranty claim involving a 2 week trial following the purchase of a dental practice Acting for a lender client in a professional negligence claim against a surveyor following the negligent overvaluation of a property. Success at trial on all aspects of the claim, including defeating the partial defence of contributory negligence on account of the lending criteria and failure to mitigate (Redstone Mortgages Limited v Countrywide Surveyors Limited [2011] 3 EGLR 153) Acting for a landlord client in a terminal dilapidations claim involving diminution in value arguments Acting for a landlord client in an insurance claim contesting reinstatement costs and loss of rent following a serious fire at commercial premises Career History FS Legal 2017 to date Read Roper and Read Solicitors – Associate Solicitor, 2014 – 2017 Walker Morris LLP – Associate Solicitor, 2013 – 3014 Cobbetts LLP – Solicitor, 2002 – 2013 Laytons Solicitors LLP – Trainee Solicitor, 2000 – 2002 PriceWaterhouseCoopers – 1999-2000 Royal Mail – Graduate Project Manager, 1994 – 1998
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Julia Norris
FS Legal
PARTNERJulia is recognised as a Leader in the Field in Professional Negligence in the Chambers UK Guide and is a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 UK Guide where she is noted as being ‘extremely hard working, very bright and unfazed’. Julia has also been shortlisted for Partner of the Year in the Law Society's Manchester Legal Awards. Julia specialises in 'big ticket' litigation with a particular expertise in professional negligence claims of all types. Typically instructed on multi million pound matters, Julia's clients include high profile individuals, well known City figures, sports and media personalities and national corporations. She advises on a variety of general litigation matters as well as professional negligence claims and construction litigation. Julia is particularly known for her experience in financial services litigation and was one of the first in her field to be instructed to advise on high profile and controversial film scheme tax partnerships including Eclipse 35. Julia has been interviewed and quoted in a number of general and specialist publications including the Telegraph, FT Adviser, Citywire, Money Marketing and IFA Online. Julia was invited by Sir Eric Pickles to write a submission on her experience in the industry and best practice in the inaugural Law and Justice edition of the 2018 Parliamentary Review with forewords from Prime Minister Theresa May and President of the Law Society, Joe Egan. Notable cases Halsall v Champion Consulting Ltd [2017] EWHC 1079 (QB) Represented the claimants in a £6M claim arising out of tax avoidance schemes. This widely reported case is believed to be one of the first claims of this type to reach the courts. Anthony Barness and Otrs v Formation Group Pls & Otrs Representing one of the 150 defendants in this multi million pound claim brought by over 260 separate claimants. The claims concern tax avoidance schemes, football agent disputes and allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation. Representing the claimants in a £9M action arising out of EBT and EFURBs tax mitigations schemes in a claim against their tax advisers and accountants. Represented a high profile claimant in a £22M claim against his former solicitors, a well known national firm, concerning the acquisition of a substantial shareholding of a UK PLC. Representing the claimants in a £4M+ claim against a firm of solicitors in a loss of opportunity claim. Represented 300+ claimants in a £3M+ claim against a firm of solicitors arising out of the promotion and sale of a land banking scheme involving four substantial land sites across the UK.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Kit Sorrell, Julia Norris

Other key lawyers

Nicola Stanley, Christine Newton, John Colvin

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