Insurance

This “personable and communicative team provides an efficient service at a reasonable price” - Chambers

Our specialist Insurance Group acts on behalf of Composite Insurers, self insureds and Lloyds Syndicates. The Insurance Group is based at our London, Gatwick and Chichester Offices. It comprises high calibre individuals, with excellent market experience.

We can advise on a wide range of insurance litigation matters, as well as coverage, policy wording, and interpretation. The core of our business is to provide cost effective and workable solutions for our insurer clients, and the lawyers in our insurance group are dedicated to achieving this.

The size and experience of our team mean we can handle disputes of a large and complex nature as well as bulk and lower value claims. Uniquely, we offer an entirely partner led service at very competitive rates.

Areas of advice

We can provide specialist contentious and non-contentious advice on the following:-

• Accident and injury
• Directors and officers risk management
• Product liability
• Professional indemnity
• Property

Accident and injury

One of the most common scenes of an accident is in the workplace and its surrounds. Employers need to be aware of their legal responsibilities that arise from accident and injury as safety is now highly regulated. The recently announced corporate manslaughter bill will see employers facing fines and even imprisonment for offences they may not have considered themselves liable.

A focused and decisive approach is necessary to resolve accident and injury disputes, and we can provide advice to insurers and their insureds on their responsibilities and potential liabilities on a wide range of claims arising out of catastrophic Injury, major accidents at work, road traffic accidents, occupational illness and criminal prosecutions.

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Directors and Officers Risk Management (DORM)

Directors and Officers of companies are under closer scrutiny that ever before. Numerous duties are imposed by common law, the Companies Act 1985 and the Health and Safety at Work at 1974. The impending enactment of the new Companies Bill will potentially increase Directors' exposure to claims.

Directors and Officers' duties range from disclosure relating to shareholdings and loans, accounting procedures and records, through to insider dealing. In addition Directors and Officers are duty bound to act in the best interests of the company and shareholders, as well as the company's creditors during insolvency.

Unlike other professional insureds, Directors and Officers are often less aware and less alive to their strict duties of care, both statutory and otherwise. This inevitably puts insurers at a greater risk of exposure.

Our specialist Insurance Team is able to deal with all types of misfeasance claims. In addition, we offer insurers the option to take advantage of our unique DORM product. (Directors and Officers Risk Management). With this product we will review insurers' D & O portfolios and work closely with companies to ensure that risks are managed and claims kept to a minimum.

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Product liability

The law is focused, and will continue to focus, on consumer and end user protection. A claimant does not have to go far to show a breach under the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

As product liability law continues to change, there is an increasing uncertainty for insurers and their insureds as to what is expected of them and product claims or recalls can cause unquantifiable damage to business brands and credibility.

Our Insurance Team is able to provide advice to insurers on the complex issues surrounding product claims, such as coverage and policy wording, as well as contractual and tortious claims.

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Professional indemnity

Professionals are being subjected to increasing scrutiny and the legislation surrounding professional duty of care is often complex. Our Team's expertise in all forms of dispute resolution is industry recognised and our focus is on working closely with insurers to resolve disputes involving their professional insureds.

We are able to advise on claims on behalf of:

• Solicitors
• Architects
• Surveyors and valuers
• Contractors and construction professionals
• Brokers
• Loss adjusters
• Financial institutions
• Actuaries

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Property

The Team is able to act for property and liability insurers in relation to claims arising out of damage to property from floods, fires and subsidence. The Team also has experience in business interruption claims. Our approach is dynamic and pragmatic and we pride ourselves on working in partnership with the Insurer to resolve property claims and disputes.

Our Team is also experienced in property damage subrogated recovery work. This allows insurers to “step into the shoes” of the insured to recover outlay they would otherwise have lost. This can be beneficial to insurers as such recoveries are often not budgeted for. We can tailor this product to insurers' needs and are able to consider cases on a “no win, no fee” basis.

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